Texas Senator Bob Hall has proposed an HB2-style bill that would bar cities and counties from enforcing nondiscrimination laws protecting LGBT+ peoples. If passed, it would affect approximately the 9 million Texans – about one-third of the state’s population – who live in municipalities with laws that currently protect LGBT+ people from discrimination.
Senator Hall faces opposition from not only LGBT+ advocacy groups but also the Texas Association of Business, which recently released a report estimating that anti-LGBT+ legislation could cost the state’s economy $8.5 billion and 185,000 jobs.
This is the first of many anti-LGBT+ bills that are being proposed in Texas for its new legislative session, which begins in January.