Texas’s “bathroom bill” failed to pass for the second time in three months, after House Speaker Joe Straus, a San Antonio Republican, refused to bring the bill up for debate and the Legislature adjourned for the year.
Casandra Matej, the President and CEO of Visit San Antonio, told the AP the bill would have damaged Texas’ ability to do business, especially in the travel and tourism sectors.
The CEO of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Ramiro Cavazos, added that the bill would have made Texas less attractive for multinational companies like Toyota and Mazda, which are currently interested in building new manufacturing facilities in the state.
It’s estimated that San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas collectively lost $53 million dollars of spending due to conventions that were canceled during the debate over the bill.
Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, a far-right politician who has been the chief driver of the bill, all but guaranteed its return, telling reporters: “You know why it’s going to be back next session? Because the people will demand it. The issue is not going to go away.”