AUSTIN, TX — A vote to approve a controversial bill took effect within a Texas State Senate committee on Wednesday. The bill, which would require people to use the bathroom corresponding to their biological sex rather than with the gender they identify, passed 7-1 following hours of testimony which included many objections and allegations by opponents of the legislation that the bill was discriminatory.

While the bill was expected to easily clear the Senate committee, its fate in the State House is slightly more uncertain.

The Republican House speaker has denounced the bill as being an economically disadvantageous move.

Given that businesses have refused to expand in states that have passed anti-LGBTQ laws, the adverse economic impact is a very present caveat for states seeking to implement such measures.

Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, the primary sponsor of the bill and a businesswoman herself, reinforced support for the legislation even in light of opposition.

“In Texas, this is what we value,” she said. “We do value safety, protection and privacy in those most intimate settings.” g