Latest news with #Troxclair
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Texas Senate Passes Bill Defining ‘Man' And ‘Woman' Based On Biology
On Thursday, the Texas Senate voted 20-11 to pass House Bill 229, known as the 'Women's Bill of Rights.' This bill, which defines 'man' and 'woman' based on biological reproductive systems for state records such as birth certificates and driver's licenses, now heads to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is expected to sign it into law. Authored by Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway) and carried in the Senate by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), the bill aligns with efforts by President Donald Trump to enforce a biological definition of sex, including an executive order targeting 'transgender' participation in women's sports. HB 229 requires state agencies to classify individuals as male or female based on whether their reproductive system is developed to produce ova or fertilize ova, respectively. An amendment clarifies that intersex individuals are not a third sex but must receive accommodations under state and federal law. Supporters argue the bill protects women's single-sex spaces, such as locker rooms and shelters, and clarifies legal definitions. 'With this bill, women and girls will know that Texas has their back and will not allow hard-fought rights to be eroded by activists who seek to erase them,' Troxclair said, The Texas Tribune reported. M. E. Castle, director of government relations for Texas Values, a Christian advocacy group, praised the vote: 'The message is clear: You don't mess with Texas women. HB 229 makes sure that the reality and truth of the two sexes is clear in Texas law and never altered by school districts, local cities, or bureaucrats ever again!' Opponents, including LGBTQ rights advocates, argue the bill marginalizes 'transgender' and intersex individuals. Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio) called it a 'form of state-sponsored discrimination,' telling the Texas Tribune, 'If a law forces non-binary Texans, who are real people, into categories that don't reflect their lived experiences or identities … that would actually become discrimination in practice.' Sarah Corbin of the ACLU of Texas questioned its enforcement: 'The question of the hour is how will [HB] 229 be enforced and applied. What we do know is that it's incredibly disrespectful to so many Texans the Legislature represents, and completely disregards their identity.' The bill's legislative intent section, which does not alter statutes but guides interpretation, emphasizes 'immutable' biological differences, noting women's historical vulnerability to violence and the need for single-sex spaces. Critics, like Rep. Jessica González, D-Dallas, raised concerns about intersex individuals and women unable to conceive, arguing, 'We should not be boiling down a human's existence into one's ability to reproduce, because this is harmful, it is dangerous, and it is really just freaking insulting.' Troxclair countered that the bill applies to systems designed for reproduction, 'whether or not they are fully developed, whether or not they are capable of functioning.' With more than 120,000 Texans identifying as 'transgender,' advocates worry about practical impacts. Shelly Skeen of Lambda Legal said mismatched identification documents could force 'transgender' individuals to out themselves in everyday situations, such as voting or banking. Heather Clark, whose wife is 'transgender,' testified that carrying a driver's license misaligned with appearance would be 'untenable,' creating 'ample daily opportunities for discrimination' against her. Texas becomes the 14th state to pass such a law, following states like Kansas and Montana, where similar measures have faced legal challenges. Laura Lane-Steele, a University of South Carolina law professor, noted potential constitutional issues, including privacy and free speech violations, calling the law's application a 'big fat question mark.' Montana's law was struck down in February for violating privacy and equal protection rights, while Kansas' law faces ongoing ACLU challenges. The bill lacks civil or criminal penalties and focuses on record-keeping, but its broader implications remain unclear. Corbin said the ACLU of Texas is monitoring whether it will be narrowly applied to documents or used for wider policy changes. 'If it starts being used that way, they'll definitely hear from us,' she said. A 2022 survey found that 63% of Texas voters, including 87% of Republicans, support defining gender by birth certificate sex.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bills to kill Austin light rail project die again after missing key legislative deadlines
Two bills that would have sabotaged the city of Austin's multi-billion-dollar light rail project are presumed dead after missing key legislative deadlines. Senate Bill 2519, authored by Republican Sen. Paul Bettencourt of Houston, passed the Senate and a House committee earlier this month. However, the bill was not scheduled for a vote in the Texas House before Sunday's deadline. Similarly, House Bill 3879, filed by Austin-area Republican Rep. Ellen Troxclair, advanced out of committee but was never brought to the full House for a vote. Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri, who represents downtown Austin, said the defeat of the bills was good news and 'means a lot to the people of Austin.' 'With all due respect, if you don't represent Austin, you don't know Austin,' Qadri said in an interview Tuesday. Representatives for Troxclair and Bettencourt did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Council Member Vanessa Fuentes echoed Qadri's sentiments but said she remains cautiously optimistic. That's because the bill could resurface as an amendment to separate legislation that is still under consideration. "A lot can happen in these last few days of the Texas Legislature,' Fuentes told the American-Statesman. The session adjourns on June 2. Austin voters approved Project Connect in 2020 via an ongoing 20% increase to property taxes. Initially, the $7.1 billion plan included 27 miles of light rail along with smaller transportation projects. However, it has since been reduced to less than 10 miles of rail, even as its estimated cost has remained unchanged. The project has seen numerous legal and legislative challenges from critics who have seized on the significant downsizing — and the project's novel funding mechanism. Voters approved the creation of a local government corporation, the Austin Transit Partnership, to plan the project and take on debt to finance it. That debt is intended to be repaid through a transfer of property tax dollars approved by the Austin City Council. However, no debt has yet been issued as the city and the Transit Partnership face lawsuits from a group of local taxpayers and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who argue the financing model violates state law. The Transit Partnership declined to comment on Tuesday. 'The City continues to monitor all legislation and will comply with whatever is passed,' city of Austin spokesperson David Ochsner said in a written statement. This is not the first time Troxclair and Bettencourt attempted to derail the project. Troxclair, a conservative former Austin City Council member who has led the charge to kill Project Connect, filed a similar bill in 2023 that would have forced the city to get voter approval before issuing any debt for the project. It died on a last-minute technicality. The bill Troxclair filed this year also sought to give taxpayers another means to sue the city and halt the collection of property taxes if the scope of a project changes significantly after voter approval. The change in scope has been an issue in lawsuits filed on behalf of local taxpayers by attorneys Rick Fine and Bill Aleshire, a former Travis County tax collector and judge. In a Tuesday statement, Aleshire, Fine, and several plaintiffs involved in the ongoing lawsuits blamed House Speaker Dustin Burrows for the failure of the bills, stating they could not secure his 'blessing' and vowing to continue opposing the advancement of the transit project. 'We hope that the abuse those bills addressed does not happen to other communities in Texas,' the statement said. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Bills to kill Austin light rail project die — again
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas House passes two bills concerning gender, sex; time running out on other bills
The Brief More than 400 House bills still on the calendar State House chamber debated bills concerning gender identity House passed SB 1257, HB 229, and HB 4 on Monday AUSTIN, Texas - State lawmakers returned to work Monday with more than 400 House bills on the calendar and a deadline. Despite that long list, the state House chamber got bogged down in debates over gender identity. Both debates consumed the morning and early afternoon hours. What we know House Bill 229, filed by state Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R-Lakeway), would amend the Texas Government Code to define terms like boy and girl, male and female, based on biological sex. The bill also requires governmental entities that collect vital statistical information to identify each individual as either male or female. HB 229, which Troxclair called the "Women's Bill of Rights", passed the House by a vote of 87 to 56, with one person voting present and six representatives absent. "A bill that we shouldn't have to pass in 2025," said Troxclair. What they're saying "By defining what a woman is today, we are protecting their basic rights to privacy, safety, and fairness," said Troxclair. House Democrats, like state Rep. Jessica Gonzalez (D-Dallas), argued the bill will not protect but will discriminate. "Amongst the legislature, it is clear there is no way this body is qualified to define gender into state law," said Gonzalez. What we know Senate Bill 1257, filed by state Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), mandates insurance companies to cover any adverse medical side effects caused by a sex change procedure and also pay for those who want to detransition. SB 1257 passed on Monday by 87 to 58 with one present vote and four absent. What we know A major education reform bill, HB 4, did get on the floor Monday afternoon. The legislation would replace the STAAR tests by requiring less standardized testing, making them shorter and with more of a focus on the earlier grade levels. The bill passed with only one no vote. What's next Long debates and limited voting typically happen in the final days of a regular session. It's the beginning of the end for a lot of bills and questions remain about two of the biggest: bail reform and education funding. Either could trigger legislative overtime, a familiar crisis for lawmakers like state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio). "I think none of us want to be around with each other here. I think we all want to go home on June 2nd," said Martinez Fischer House members are waiting for the Senate to move on HB 2, the education funding plan. The legislation reportedly was to move in tandem with school choice, which Gov. Greg Abbott has already signed. "I do not feel bamboozled, but the devil is always in the details. It's one of these trust but verify moments, and it's my understanding that we will break through on an education finance piece. The House worked pretty hard on it, spent $8 billion, and who knows, it could be even more at the end of the day, but we will have to see what the Senate does," said Martinez Fischer. This memo from House Democrat Caucus chairman Gene Wu (D-Houston) noted the Senate has had HB 2 for nearly a month. Wu suggested Democrats should take a similar pace with the remaining Republican priority bills. The deadline for second reading votes is Thursday and Wu has called on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to restore balance as Democrats consider what level of cooperation they will offer on the House floor. The Source Information in this report comes from reporting/interviews by FOX 7 Austin's chief political reporter Rudy Koski.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
LGBTQAI advocates protest Texas House bills targeting transgender rights
Equality Texas organized a rally on Friday with several advocacy partners to protest House Bill 229 and House Bill 778, which speakers argued would negatively impact the lives and freedoms of transgender Texans. House Bill 229, led by Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Borne, would require each government entity to only record the sex at birth of individuals, prohibiting such agencies from recognizing a transgender individual's gender identity or a person who identifies as "non-binary," meaning they do not identify as either male or female. Troxclair dubs it the "Women's Bill of Rights," saying the definition of sex needs to be clarified and codified to protect women, a common talking point to exclude transgender women. "We can't have women's rights if we don't even know what a woman is," she said in a Texas Public Policy Foundation video earlier this session. "We need to define what a woman is to bring clarity, certainty and uniformity in the way women are treated under Texas law." Of course, sex and gender can be far more complicated. The United Nations estimates that about 1.7% of the population is born with intersex traits, meaning sexual characteristics that "do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies." Furthermore, the Williams Institute estimates about 1.6 million people over age 13 identify as transgender in the U.S. alone, including 92,900 adults in Texas. Major medical groups reject insurance exclusions or limitations on gender-affirming care, and all world health and major medical associations recognize transgender youth, according to GLAAD, an advocacy organization for LGBTQ rights. House Bill 778, led by Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, would put health insurance agencies on the line for "all possible adverse consequences" related to a gender transition and all follow-up appointments to monitor the patient's health. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: LGBTQ advocates rally against Texas House Bills 229, 778. Here's why
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House moves forward with bills affecting transgender health care and identity
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Saturday evening, the Texas House advanced two bills aimed at transgender life in Texas. Here's a breakdown of what they do: The first, Senate Bill 1257, requires health insurance providers who cover gender transition therapy, medications and surgeries to also cover treatment to 'manage, reverse, reconstruct from, or recover from' gender transition. 'If you take somebody to the dance and they want to go home, then you have to take them home,' State Rep. Jeff Leach, R-McKinney, said. Leach authored a similar house bill, and carried State Sen. Bryan Hughes', R-Mineola, SB 1257 in the House. 'If an insurance company is paying thousands and thousands of dollars to pay for someone to transition — which they have the right to do,' Leach said. 'All this bill does is say that if you do that, you also have to provide coverage if that person wants to come home from the dance.' Democratic House members brought up several concerns about the bill including potentially increasing insurance costs, potentially classifying mental health therapy as a gender transition and possibly creating a chilling effect so providers no longer cover transition services. They also questioned how undergoing transition surgeries differs from certain cosmetic surgeries. 'Going outside of the scope of this, if someone has a facelift, if some gets hair transplant, if someone gets a BBL — a Brazilian butt lift — if someone gets rhinoplasty surgery, anything that is cosmetic — if they get breast implants would they now be covered under this?' State Rep. Christian Manuel, D-Nederland, said. 'Am I now covered because I transitioned one part of my body?' SB 1257 passed to a third reading with a vote of 82-37. If passed there SB 1257 would head to the Governor's desk, or back to the Senate if amended. Afterwards, the House spent hours discussing House Bill 229, which author State Rep. Ellen Troxclair, R-Marble Falls, calls the 'Women's Bill of Rights.' HB 229 requires Texas' governmental agencies to only acknowledge two genders — male and female — and assign all Texans to one of those two genders on official state records. HB 229 also officially defines male and female based on a person's reproductive organs. 'This is the women's bill of rights. It's a simple yet critical piece of legislation that defines once and for all what a woman is,' Troxclair said. Opponents claim many Texans fall outside the definition of male and female described in HB 229. 'Does that mean that a woman who cannot have children — because there are many — are not women?' State Rep. Jessica González, D-Dallas, said. 'The definition relates to what our biological systems are designed and organized to produce at birth,' Troxclair responded. 'They're not depended on following through on a reproductive capacity.' González and Troxclair proceeded to debate whether the bill is intend to protect women or to attack the transgender community. 'You're essentially just putting folks in a situation where you're trying to erase them from existence,' González said. 'They're not going anywhere, no matter how much you try to erase them.' 'You are right, we have concerns that women are being erased, that girls are being erased,' Troxclair responded. '[When] we cannot fully define what a woman is, that leads to an erosion of our rights that are foundationally created to protect women and girls.' HB 229 passed with a final vote of 86-36. Unlike SB 1257, it will still have to go through the full Senate process if it passes the House on a third reading. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
