May 17, 2017      4:05 PM
Rideshare bill heads to Abbott with controversial amendment intact
Sen. Menendez asks “What is the necessity for that definition?” when it comes to sex
The Senate took a final look at this session’s statewide
rideshare regulation bill, swallowed hard, then returned it to the House for
concurrence with the controversial “sex” amendment intact for Gov. Greg
Abbott’s signature.
Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, offered up an
amendment to fix the quirk in his initial substitute, then pulled his sub “to
give the other members a chance to draft amendments.” Except, come this
afternoon, no amendments were offered up. And the House amendment that offended
so many Democrats and LGBTQ activists was still on the bill.
Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, questioned the
language for purposes of legislative intent. Specifically, “For the purposes of
Subsection A, sex means the physical condition of male or female.” “What is the
necessity for that definition?” Menendez.
By Kimberly Reeves
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