Abbott enters restroom fray as Texas Republicans open convention

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed Thursday — before a room full of thousands of the state’s most devout Republicans — to help North Carolina fight policies that give transgender people the ability to use the restroom of their choice.

The question of who can go into which public restroom, based on the gender a person identifies with now or the one they were born with, became national news after North Carolina officials passed a law requiring transgender people to use restrooms that corresponds with the sex indicated on their birth certificate.

The issue, which has already come up in a handful of Texas cities, erupted in Fort Worth this week when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called for Fort Worth school Superintendent Kent Scribner’s resignation over guidelines outlining bathroom use, sparking protests on both sides of the issue.

Abbott publicly weighed in on the issue for the first time Thursday, telling thousands of delegates at the Republican Party of Texas state convention that “Obama is turning bathrooms into courtroom issues.”

And he said it’s time for him to get involved in the issue.

“I want you to know that I am working with the governor of North Carolina,” he said. “And we are going to fight back.”

Abbott and Patrick spoke to thousands of Republicans gathered at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center at the beginning of the three-day gathering, which is intended to build enthusiasm for the presidential election and to let delegates approve a platform, party rules, party chair — and to choose who will go to the national convention to represent Texas.

Patrick promised that lawmakers next year will pass legislation to “keep men out of ladies’ rooms.”

“Just so you’re not confused, when you go to the restroom, the m does not stand for ‘make up your mind,’” Patrick said. “And the w doesn’t stand for ‘whatever.’”

But Thursday wasn’t just about bathrooms.

It also was about unity and encouraging Texas Republicans to join together in supporting presumed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Abbott and Patrick said they know many Texas Republicans are disappointed that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas is no longer in the race for the White House.

But they both urged Texans to unite behind what they believe is a greater good: Preventing Democrat Hillary Clinton from becoming the next president.

“Now, Ted may have come up short, but that does not end the war,” Abbott told the crowd, avoiding mentioning Trump’s name. “America does not have the luxury to get this election wrong.

“Republicans must unite to prevent Hillary from continuing the Obama agenda,” he said. “We need to come to grips with the reality.”

The convention is expected to include speeches by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Friday and by Cruz, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Tarrant County Commissioner Andy Nguyen on Saturday.

Out of the race

Cruz, who has long drawn strong support from Texas grassroots Republicans, is expected to get a hero’s welcome when he speaks at the convention this weekend.

Already, delegates are writing thank-you notes and pinning them to a Cruz booth where T-shirts and campaign buttons touting his now-suspended presidential campaign are being sold.

Abbott described Cruz as devoted to protecting the Constitution and moving forward “conservative ideals.”

“Ted and I worked side by side for more than half a decade during my time as attorney general,” he said. “We fought for the Constitution. I know Ted. Ted is a true conservative. He deserves our enduring respect.”

Patrick agreed, adding that Cruz “would have made a great president.”

“I’m so proud of what he and Heidi accomplished,” said Patrick, a longtime supporter and volunteer for Cruz. “They worked nonstop for a year.

“They gave everything they had for us, for America,” he said. “They are the leaders for the conservative movement.”

Now, the best way for Donald Trump to unite the party, Patrick said, would be to nominate Cruz for the Supreme Court.

“Ted would be the greatest Supreme Court justice in the history of the country,” Patrick said.

Delegate fight?

Cruz, who recently announced that he’s seeking another term in the U.S. Senate, suspended his campaign but has yet to release the delegates bound to him.

On Thursday, as some delegates talked about shifting to Trump, others noted that state GOP rules clearly bind delegates to candidates based on the votes cast in the primary.

Even so, some say the sentiment is starting to shift.

Pat Carlson, a Fort Worth delegate and Trump supporter, said the sticker she wore Thursday at the convention — which reads “Defeat Hillary, Vote Trump” — drew some some reactions.

“A man came up to me and said, ‘I guess we all are supporting Trump now,’ ” said Carlson, a former chairwoman of the Tarrant County Republican Party. “I said, ‘I guess we’d better, or we are going to lose to Hillary.’ ”

Platform issues

After the speeches, work continued on both a set of rules to guide the party and a party platform.

The so-called bathroom bill is a top priority for Patrick.

He has criticized the Fort Worth policy for many reasons, saying it lacks common sense and violates the Texas Education Code, interpretations of federal Title IX rules and University Interscholastic League regulations. He also notes that there was no public hearing on the guidelines before they were approved.

Changes are needed, Patrick said Thursday, because “we owe it to the women … and the girls in our schools, Mr. Superintendent in Fort Worth.”

After the speech, he linked Fort Worth’s superintendent to President Obama and questioned why the ordinance came up now.

“The Fort Worth school district has a lot of struggling schools,” he said. “They ought to be focused on reading, math and graduation rates. … This is a joke.”

The American Civil Liberty’s Union of Texas sent out a statement Thursday calling on Texans to tell Patrick “that discrimination has no place in Texas.”

“It’s inexcusable for a politician as powerful as Patrick to use his platform to humiliate trans students,” the statement said. “They’re already at a higher risk for bullying, depression and suicide than any other group of young people.”

Planks allowing the legalization of marijuana and Texas to secede may make it in the final version of the platform that delegates are scheduled to discuss and vote on Friday.

For the first time, delegates won’t approve the overall party platform by a voice vote. They will discuss proposed planks, as usual, and then each delegate will use a Scantron ballot to vote on whether or not to include each individual plank.

Abbott has asked delegates to consider adding a push for an Article V convention.

In fact, he wants Texas to lead the effort for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.

“We are the greatest nation in the history of the world,” he said. “But we must realize our government is broken. Each branch of government has strayed.

“If you are tired of the federal government trampling [rights] … join me in calling for a convention of the states to fix what is broken in the United States.”

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Abbott enters restroom fray as Texas Republicans open convention."