texas

Dallas Stars Become Latest to Speak Out Against Texas ‘Bathroom Bill'

The Dallas Stars have officially come out in opposition of the proposed bathroom legislation currently up for debate in the Texas Legislature's Special Session, joining a long list of companies and government officials to speak out.

The Dallas Stars became the first major Texas sports franchise to formally oppose such legislation; however, NBCSports reported the Dallas Cowboys have been working behind the scenes to stop the bill as well, and the NBA's league office has already proven they will not stand behind similar bills.

The commissioner pulled last year's NBA All-Star game from Charlotte after the state of North Carolina passed its own bathroom bill, before later repealing it, in part, in due to pressure from big businesses.

Just two weeks ago, dozens of experts convened on the south steps of the Texas Capitol building to fight a bill that Austin Mayor Steve Adler called, "discriminatory, plain and simple."

Companies that employ hundreds of Texans have also spoken out; including IBM, which paid for full-page advertisements in major state newspapers and sent executives to the capital to lobby against the bill. Many fear the bill might stop big businesses from expanding their operations in Texas, halting growth in the country's second-largest state economy.

Proponents of the bill argue it protects women and children from potential predators, but several law enforcement officials and school administrators from around the state have called this a solution in search of a problem.

The opposition from activists, big businesses, economists, officials and now the Stars leave the bill's fate in doubt. The bill, which passed in the Senate, is still in committee in the House. No vote is currently scheduled, and it is uncertain whether there will be one, with just one week left in the state's special session.

NBC 5's Julie Fine reported Tuesday night that the Speaker of the House Joe Straus is hoping the bill does not get to the floor, but Gov. Greg Abbott still wants to get something passed.

Contact Us