December 6, 2016      4:04 PM

Study: Bathroom bill could cost Texas $8.5 billion in GDP and 185,000 job losses

Association of Business President Chris Wallace: “We cannot slam the door on the Texas miracle of openness, competitiveness, economic opportunity and innovation”

Business leaders say a new study indicates Texas could lose up to $8.5 billion in GDP annually if lawmakers pass so-called anti-LGBT bills – a claim Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has dismissed as fearmongering.

During a news conference spearheaded by the Texas Association of Business, the battle lines were drawn before a key bill is even filed. The fight over the Women’s Privacy Act, Senate Bill 6, is expected to be a pitched battle between the legislature’s social conservatives and a long list of concerned businesses, including Intel, SXSW and Google.

“San Antonio has hosted the NCAA Final 4 many times, the NBA All-Star Game, so many things, so many conventions where we work and compete nationally,” Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, told reporters on the South Steps of the Capitol. “Passing this bill would be tantamount to saying, ‘We don’t want your business, go away.’”

The business community proposed similar arguments last session: If Texas passes a bill that discriminates on the basis of gender identity – a so-called bathroom bill – it could pose significant harm to recruiting both major events and industry talent to the state.

By Kimberly Reeves

Copyright December 06, 2016, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved