Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick,
a Republican, on Friday repeated calls for a special session to pass
a bill that targets the transgender community.
Patrick made his demands during a press
conference that took place after House Speaker Joe Straus rejected
calls to create a conference committee aimed at advancing the
legislation.
“The House has compromised enough on
this issue,” Straus told reporters. “It's absurd that bathroom
bills have taken on greater urgency than fixing our school finance
system.”
On Sunday, months after the Senate
approved a “bathroom bill” that includes all government
buildings, the House approved a more modest version that applies only
to schools. The bill allows public schools to restrict transgender
students to using only single-use facilities.
The Senate, which is controlled by
Patrick, rejected the House version and asked for the conference
committee on the issue, which Straus rejected, saying that the
scaled-back bill was “enough” and that the House will “go no
further.”
“Tonight, I'm making it very clear.
Governor: I want you to call us back,” Patrick said on Friday.
Lawmakers adjourn for the summer on May
29.