Speak Up, Governor, the Bathroom Bill Is Already Damaging the Texas Brand

Gov. Greg Abbott is trying to fill a leadership vacuum with a tweet. That’s not good enough.Abbott gave a speech in Dallas this week and never mentioned the “bathroom bill,” one of the hot-button issues of this year's state legislative session. He didn’t take questions from a pro-business audience that’s worried the anti-LGBT legislation will hurt the Texas brand. And when reporters asked about the bill, as Abbott exited the Union Station ballroom, he referred them to his Twitter feed.This is what passes for gubernatorial leadership in Austin today, and it almost makes you pine for Rick Perry. Love him or loathe him, you always knew where Perry stood.Abbott hasn’t said whether he’d sign the bathroom bill or veto it, although his tweets seem to offer vague support.“Looks like the naysayers were wrong: With bathroom bill North Carolina economy expanding, tourism thriving,” Abbott posted in a tweet this week.  Continue reading...