Texas Bathroom Bill Gets Opposition From Top Texas Police Chiefs

HOUSTON, TX — A state bathroom bill that has garnered national attention gained opposition from some of the top cops in Texas on Tuesday afternoon at the state capitol in Austin. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo was part of a contingency of 15 law enforcement executives, sexual assault experts and survivors who publicly spoke against the infamous SB3 Bill — aka the bathroom bill.

The bill is backed by Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and plenty of state Republican legislators who believe people should use the bathroom of their biological sex. Several hundred business in Texas say the bill discriminates against transgender people and that the bill is unenforceable.

On Monday the Texas Association of Business launched a statewide radio campaign to lobby against the bill, saying it will hurt tourism and affect whether or not big events will come to Texas, or Houston, in the future.

The Dallas Cowboys have worked to try and get the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, but the NFL said if the bill is passed, it could greatly affect Dallas' chances of getting to host the Draft, which was in Philadelphia this year.

Of note, although the bill was on the docket last January and February, the NFL was mum on it while Super Bowl LI and all the festivities surrounding it took place in Houston. The NCAA has also threatened to pull events from the Lone Star State like NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball tournament rounds and potential championships if the bill passes. Just a few months ago, the NBA moved its annual all-star game from Charlotte to New Orleans because of North Carolina's similar bathroom bill.

On Tuesday at the capitol, the law enforcement authorities spoke out, including Acevedo, who was previously the chief in Austin. In a report by the Austin American-Statesman, he "hasn’t encountered the problem of men dressing up as women to commit assault in women’s public restrooms."

“We have yet to find anything that this will prevent,” Acevedo said. Others questioned what police officers will do when called to investigate a suspected violation of a bathroom law.

“How are we to determine if someone is using the facility of their gender at birth?” said San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, agreeing with Manley that limited resources will be pulled away from other police work.

“Beyond my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d be standing in front of the Texas Capitol, talking about a bathroom bill,” McManus said. “This bill is a solution looking for a problem.”

The Association of American Law Schools has already announced it will move its annual convention from Austin to Chicago because of the bill.

The state House could vote on the bill as early as today (Tuesday) and was expected to pass primarily along party lines. The Senate could vote on it later this week.

Caption: Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo and other law enforcement take part in public safety event where they spoke against a proposed "bathroom bill," Tuesday, July 25, 2017, in Austin, Texas. The Texas Senate has revived a bill mandating transgender Texans use public restrooms corresponding to their birth-certificate genders.

Photo by Eric Gay/Associated Press