Texas Privacy Act (SB 6) Clears Senate! Next Stop: Texas House
By a vote of 21-10, and after an afternoon full of lively debate, the full Texas Senate approved the Texas Privacy Act, SB 6 by Senator Lois Kolkhorst, today. All 20 Republicans and Democratic Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. voted for passage of the most talked about bill in Texas and possibly nationwide.
Said Jonathan Saenz, President of Texas Values:
“We’re thankful for the leadership of Senate author Lois Kolkhorst, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and the strong majority of the Texas Senate for standing up to protect privacy, dignity, and safety in our public school locker rooms and restrooms. We call on the members of the Texas House to now consider the merits of the Texas Privacy Act, which respects private business while making it clear that boys do not belong in the girls’ room in our public schools.”
Senate procedures require a formal, third reading and passage before a bill may be sent to the House. SB 6 will not be officially approved by the Senate until the reading, set for Wednesday afternoon.
Other states are also considering similar legislation (Tennessee, Arkansas, West Virginia, Alabama, Illinois, Minnesota, New York, South Carolina, Washington, Missouri, Kentucky, Kansas).
To shore up the bill’s success in the House, Texas Values has scheduled its Texas Faith and Family Day for Thursday, March 16, at the Texas Capitol. In addition to a briefing for invited guests on how to engage state legislators, the public is invited to a rally from noon to 1 p.m. on the South Steps of the Capitol. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (SB 6 author) and Rafael Cruz (father of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz) will speak at the rally, along with other elected officials.
SB 6 protects the dignity and privacy of all Texans in intimate facilities in public schools and government buildings. The bill exempts private businesses from local government laws dictating restroom, locker room, and changing area policies. Support continues to grow, including large and statewide organizations such as Concerned Women of America of Texas, Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, Texas Eagle Forum, Northeast Tarrant Tea Party, Stand for Fort Worth, the Texas Pastor Council, and many more.
More information
Six Essential Facts About Senate Bill 6: http://tinyurl.com/sb6Facts
List of businesses and organizations which support SB 6: http://tinyurl.com/sb6businesses
Testimonial videos in support of SB 6: http://tinyurl.com/sb6videos
About Texas Values
Texas Values is a nonprofit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas. More information is available at txvalues.org