Texas lieutenant governor again slams 'bathroom bill' study

AUSTIN, Texas - Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is criticizing a business group study suggesting that the so-called "bathroom bill" could cost Texas billions in lost revenue.

The Texas Association of Business has estimated that a proposal barring transgender Texans from using the public restroom of their choice could cost the state up to $8.5 billion and 185,000 jobs.

The study also referenced North Carolina, which faced boycotts and lost major sporting events after approving a similar measure.

The report has been out there for more than a year. But a newspaper fact-check story questioning the study's methodology prompted Patrick to call an afternoon news conference and blast the report anew.

"Fear mongering — that is what that report is about,” he said. “There is no evidence that the passage of Senate Bill 6 will have any economic impact in Texas."

Patrick cited a Politifact Texas story that rated the report as "mostly false."

TAB President Chris Wallace said the fact-check story noted portions of the report were solid. It questioned the dollar figures but not the basic premise that a bathroom bill could "cause economic shivers." He said requiring residents to use bathrooms matching their sex at birth will be viewed as discriminatory and would lead to corporate reallocations, cancellation of sports and entertainment events and hurt tourism like it did in North Carolina after it curbed protections for the LGBT community.

"There's a reason why we have so many large businesses signing on in this state, midsize and small businesses that are concerned about this,” Wallace said. “And the reason why is that this is simply bad for business."

But Patrick pointed to what has not happened in the city of Houston after voters in 2015 resoundingly rejected an ordinance that would have established protections from discrimination for gay and transgender residents.

"We've had basketball tournaments. We had the greatest Super Bowl ever! No economic impact,” Patrick said. "And remember our bill is totally different than North Carolina. Not the same bill. Their impact has been minimal."

Patrick and supporters in the senate express confidence that they can pass the “Privacy Act" but have yet to produce the votes to move it to the senate floor.

Speaker of the House Joe Straus has publicly warned it could make Texas less competitive.