Subject: The Brief: White House Ups Ante in Transgender Bathroom Showdown
From: The Texas Tribune <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Fri, 13 May 2016 11:08:41 +0000
List-Id: 3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897dbmc list <3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db.271561.list-id.mcsv.net>

The Texas Tribune
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** The Brief: White House Ups Ante in Transgender Bathroom Showdown (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=fb131f2674&e=df70708b10)
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by Madlin Mekelburg and John Reynolds | May 13, 2016
http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=f6bf120a49&e=df70708b10

** The Big Conversation
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The Obama administration plans to issue an executive order this morning directing every public school in the country to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity.

The Tribune's Kiah Collier wrote (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=5ffd6fad3b&e=df70708b10) , "the announcement comes amid a legal battle between the administration and North Carolina over the issue," not to mention a policy fight in Texas over a similar rule in the Fort Worth Independent School District.

The district is not the first in the state to adopt nondiscrimination policies that apply to transgender students, but Collier wrote, "the Fort Worth district – the state's sixth-largest – appears to be a pioneer in adopting guidelines that specifically address bathroom use by transgender students."

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called on the district's superintendent to resign earlier this week (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=2bd9cc3d04&e=df70708b10) , but Kent Scribner said he has no plans to leave his post. Following news of Obama's planned executive order, Patrick announced he will host a press conference this morning to discuss the impending decision.

The declaration from Obama pointed to the ongoing legal proceedings between the U.S. Justice Department and North Carolina launched this week. Also this week, embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an amicus brief in a Virginia case where a school restricted bathroom use for transgender students.

Discussion on rights of transgender individuals to use the bathroom of their choice also drew attention at the first day of the Texas Republican convention on Thursday where Gov. Greg Abbott said he plans to work alongside North Carolina's governor to "fight back" against attempted regulation from the federal government.

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State Leaders Talk Bathrooms at GOP Convention (Video) (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=bffa5aa104&e=df70708b10) , by Alana Rocha and Justin Dehn — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick discuss the ongoing controversy over bathroom policies and call for the state's Republican Party to unite behind the presumptive presidential nominee.

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http://texastribune.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=7dbf4f5f69&e=df70708b10

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"So … Greg … Can I get you to drop that lawsuit?”

— President Barack Obama to Gov. Greg Abbott on the governor's challenge to his executive action on immigration, per Abbott's new book (http://texastribune.us3.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3d0ce87edeeb6df90043897db&id=80748e3cd5&e=df70708b10)

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