SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg has added his voice to the chorus of opposition to the Texas Legislature’s proposed “bathroom bill.”
Nirenberg testified against the bill to the Senate State Affairs Committee on Friday on behalf of the City of San Antonio.
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The bill would require people to use bathrooms in public schools and public buildings that correspond to the sex on their birth certificate and not how they identify their gender.
READ MORE: SA-area superintendents, Chamber oppose 'bathroom bill'
Supporters of the bill in its original form were unable to pass it through the Texas Legislature during the regular session, but Gov. Greg Abbott has made its passage a priority for the 30-day special session.
Opponents — including a host of San Antonio-area school district superintendents, the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and more — claim the bill is discriminatory, and powerful business entities, from Apple to the NFL, are threatening to withhold business from the state.
READ MORE: Texas 'bathroom bill' may shape 2018 GOP primary campaigns
“San Antonio is a welcoming and inclusive place, where people from many different backgrounds and beliefs come together to make it a great place to live and visit,” Nirenberg said in statement released Friday.
Saying the bill would create a “highly negative and harmful perception” of San Antonio, Nirenberg said it could potentially cost millions in economic development for the city.
Below are the mayor's full statement:
Mayor Nirenberg letter against Bathroom Bill.pdf by David Ibanez on Scribd
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