Texas business has to gear up for more politics after beating the ‘bathroom bill’

DALLAS MORNING NEWS – Business just beat back the so-called bathroom bill in a special session, but there’s little time to celebrate.

Not with the lieutenant governor vowing to bring back the issue and the governor on board. Not with primary elections for state office only seven months away.

That’s right. Just as one political push ends, another is on the horizon, and business should be gearing up for it.

Employers, like everybody else, have to fight for the state they want. That means going beyond the usual lobbying and campaign contributions, and even public positions.

There’s also an opportunity to engage employees, increase awareness and boost the low turnout in Texas’ primary elections. And there’s no political off-season anymore, just as there’s no reliably pro-business agenda in the state Capitol.

The bathroom bill showed how much was at stake — and the effort required to prevail.

The bill, popular with some religious conservatives, would have restricted transgender people to certain bathrooms. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said it would protect women and children, but thousands of opponents said it was…read more

SourceMitchell Schnurman, Business columnist

 

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