House Bathroom Bill Would Strip Rights From Veterans, the Elderly and More

AUSTIN — The newest take on a Texas bathroom bill is so broadly written that it would strip local anti-discrimination protections not only from transgender people but also veterans, the elderly and pregnant women.Under the proposal, introduced by House Republicans as a less restrictive option compared to the Senate’s bathroom bill, cities would be forbidden from enacting any bathroom regulations that protect the rights of people who are not already covered under federal civil rights laws, including members of the military.At the same time, it would leave open the opportunity for cities to pass discriminatory laws banning certain people from using the restrooms they want, an omission experts said will welcome legal challenges.At best it’s problematic and at worst unconstitutional, said Dale Carpenter, a professor of constitutional law at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law.“I can see a number of issues right away,” Carpenter said. “It’s a one sided proposition in that it forbids a city from protecting someone from discrimination but it doesn’t forbid a city from discriminating against a person.”He added, “It is very rare, if not unprecedented, to see actual language in a statute prohibiting classes of persons from being protected from discrimination.  Continue reading...