‘Save Chick-fil-A’ killed in Texas House. But will it be revived?
Religious freedom, roofers, class sizes and poll watchers.
Proposals addressing those issues died Thursday in Austin as any House bill not heard on the floor for the first time by midnight automatically died.
Most likely will stay dead, unless members find ways to revive them, such as by attaching them to other bills as amendments before the session wraps up May 27.
The only measure that lawmakers must pass during their 140-day session is the state’s budget for the next two years.
Many believe one bill that will be revived is the “Save Chick-fil-A” measure by Rep. Mat Krause, R-Fort Worth.
Krause’s bill was inspired by the San Antonio City Council’s recent decision to not allow a Chick-fil-A to open in the airport there, citing a “legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior” by the chain. Krause’s bill would have stopped governments from denying grants or contracts to businesses or people based on their affiliation with religious groups.
Rep. Julie Johnson, a Carrollton Democrat and member of the LGBTQ Caucus, killed the measure on a procedural technicality.
“This common-sense religious freedom effort is far from over,” said Jonathan Saenz, president of Texas Values Action, an Austin-based conservative group.
The “Save Chick-fil-A” effort includes a Senate bill.
Tick-tock
As the midnight deadline loomed Thursday, the House floor discussion was dominated by Fort Worth Reps. Stephanie Klick, a Republican, and Nicole Collier, a Democrat.
The two discussed a bill that would have prevented convicted felons from serving as poll watchers. As the minutes ticked away, Collier asked questions about the bill by Rep. Matt Shaheen, R-Plano, adding that she believed the measure was a form of voter suppression.
When the clock struck midnight, the proposal was dead, along with the dozens of other bills stuck behind it on a 21-page agenda.
Dead bills
Among the other bills that died:
▪ HB 2101 by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, that would have required roofing contractors to register with the state. He said his goal was to crack down on scammers. It died on a 33-99 vote.
▪ HB 1133 by Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, would have changed the state’s longstanding rule limiting class size to 22 students through the fourth grade. Teacher groups such as the Texas Classroom Teachers Association opposed this bill. While Stickland pitched this as an Arlington bill, state Rep. Chris Turner, D-Grand Prairie, was among those to speak against it, saying it would affect schools statewide. The bill died on a 44-97 vote.
▪ HB 4013 by Rep. Rick Miller, R-Sugar Land, would have added a 10% retail excise tax to e-cigarettes and vapor products, with the goal of making it harder for minors to buy the products.
This story was originally published May 10, 2019 at 2:23 PM with the headline "‘Save Chick-fil-A’ killed in Texas House. But will it be revived?."
