Mayor’s Bill Couldn’t Even Get a ‘Second’ at City Council Meeting
Rockwall, Texas, a town of about 38,000 people, was about to enter what has become a national debate on where transgender people should pee, but neither residents nor city council members Monday night showed any desire to do so. GOP Mayor Jim Pruitt put forth a bill that would have mandated transgender people use restrooms that correspond with their birth certificates, instead of their gender identity. Violators would have been fined up to $500.
As NCRM’s John Wright reported Monday, a top Rockwall Republican made clear he was opposed to the measure. City Councilman David White, who is also the precinct chair for the local Republican Party, told NCRM, “Government doesn’t need to dictate who pees where.”
But White wasn’t the only one.
About 100 activists protested outside, then moved inside to the meeting. After four hours of citizen testimony, the mayor made his proposal, and not a city council member would second it, so the bill didn’t even get a vote.Â
“The mayor was the only person that supported the ordinance,” Fox4 reports.Â
“Our children are not in danger,â€Â Jeremy Johnson, standing with his daughter, said, according to the Dallas Morning News.
“This law is designed to interfere with transgender citizens in the worst possible way,†Karen Roggenkamp, whose daughter is transgender, said. “These are not outsiders. These are your neighbors.â€
Mayor Pruitt had said he didn’t think there would be any economic backlash, but the local Hilton Hotel manager “stated strong opposition and cited negative economic impacts from the similar law in North Carolina.”
When the proposal died, the crowd cheered and applauded.Â
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EARLIER:
Texas City’s Anti-Transgender ‘Bathroom Bill’ Would Levy Heavy Fines Against ‘Violators’
Second Texas City Responds to Target by Targeting Transgender People With Hateful ‘Bathroom Bill’
GOP Leader Slams Texas Mayor’s Anti-Transgender Bill, Setting Up Council Showdown Tonight
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Image by Jason Whitely/TwitterÂ