Dallas News by Rebekah Allen 5/13/2019
After the so-called Save Chick-fil-A bill was sunk in the Texas House last week, a Senate committee on Monday quietly revived the legislation that LGBTQ advocates say perpetuates anti-gay discrimination.
Senate Bill 1978, filed by Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, is the companion bill to Fort Worth GOP Rep. Matt Krause's House Bill 3172, which gay rights groups called the "most extreme anti-LGBT" legislation filed this year.
"The bill as filed ensures religious beliefs are protected from discrimination. It's about the First Amendment and freedom of speech, freedom of religion — those uniquely American rights," Hughes said as he laid out his bill before a nearly empty committee room.
On Monday, the Senate waived rules to allow Hughes' bill to be heard in committee without public notice. A few minutes later, the Senate Affairs Committee convened and held a speedy public hearing on the bill with no speakers — probably because no one had notice there would be a debate. When the bill came before the House State Affairs committee last month, dozens of people spoke for and against the bill.
Later, the committee advanced the bill to the full Senate and placed it on the Senate's intent calendar for Tuesday.
More:
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2019/05/13/texas-house-killed-save-chick-fil-bill-senate-just-revived
