Showdown at the Capitol over bathroom bill

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is asking Governor Greg Abbott to call a special session over the senate’s version of the so called “bathroom bill.”
               
This comes after House Speaker Joe Straus said he will not appoint a special committee to compromise on the senate's version of that bill.

The Lt. Governor said Straus laid down the gauntlet Friday. Straus said the senate can pass the transgender bathroom legislation that the house added as an amendment to a school hazard preparedness bill Sunday night. He will not push for representatives to pass the senate version of bathroom legislation.

That's something Patrick said doesn't go far enough.

Patrick wants the house to work with the senate to expand transgender bathroom restrictions.

Straus said that legislation would lead to billions of dollars in losses for the state. He feels the legislation passed Sunday night requiring schools to create single occupancy bathrooms for transgender students was a compromise.

Patrick says Straus' arguments are not factual and the legislation would not affect the Texas economy whatsoever.

"Instead of siding with the people of Texas, and, as a Republican, siding with Republicans of Texas, he's siding with the policies of Barack Obama who said, ‘I want boys and girls in every shower in every state of the country.’ That's good enough for Straus, it's not good enough for me, it's not good enough for senators, it's not good enough for the people of Texas," said Patrick

Patrick said Straus is right that the governor is the only one able to call a special session. Then he made a plea to Governor  Abbott to do exactly that.