Given North Carolina’s self-defeating legislative efforts to restrict where transgender people can use public bathrooms, it’s mind-boggling that politicians in other states would be tempted to go down a similar path. Yet, Texas Republicans opened a new front in the nation’s debate about transgender rights on Thursday, when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced a bill that would require transgender people to use public restrooms in schools, government buildings and public universities that align with their “biological sex.”

The legislation would also invalidate provisions of local ordinances in cities like Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Worth and Austin that for years have provided gay and transgender residents with protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Texas is not alone. Lawmakers in several states, including Alabama, South Carolina and Washington, have signaled their intention to introduce similar bills this year. Officials peddling these odious initiatives clearly don’t care that the measures are not only unconstitutional but unenforceable: Laws barring transgender people from using public restrooms that align with their gender identity could be enforced only if restroom users were subjected to intrusive inspections.

Texas leaders are undermining transgender rights in other spheres. A federal judge in Fort Worth issued an injunction on Dec. 31 blocking the United States Department of Health and Human Services from enforcing new rules that sought to expand access to medical care for transgender people. The suit was filed by the state.