Texas lawmakers in support of the Texas Privacy Act also known as the “so-called bathroom” bill praised North Carolina lawmakers for passing similar legislation. However, late March, North Carolina rolled back their version of the law many in the LGBTQ community called “discriminatory.” Texans against Senate Bill 6 hope lawmakers follow North Carolina’s lead and roll back legislation before it would presumably be made into law.



Republican Texas Senators, Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick support the bill and to the surprise of democrats, Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. is the sole democrat to vote in favor. But some are questioning if Lucio’s vote a paid favor in exchange for 5 million dollars. According the Quorum Report, the day after Senate Bill 6 passed the senate, the bill’s author, Republican Senator Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, “sponsored a rider quietly slipped into the upper chamber’s version of the state’s spending plan to shell out $5 million during a tight budget year for a project her fellow conservatives would most assuredly call “pork” in Lucio’s district.”



During an interview with News Center 23, we asked about the alleged “sellout” vote, Sen. Lucio said “oh no, no, no, that was never part of the discussion at any time.”



Sen. Lucio explained his thought process when he submits a vote, “I don’t believe a separation of church and state. Everything that I do, I look at it as an act of faith, of moral obligation, that I have for all people but that had nothing to do with that.”



Despite Sen. Lucio’s claim religion did not play a role, testimony between Sen. Lucio and a transgender doctor/psychologist Colt Keo-Meier at SB6’s committee hearing suggests otherwise.



Lucio Jr.- “I take it you believe in god.”

Meier – “absolutely. I truly believe …”

Lucio Jr. – “So you believe…you believe in God and you believe in his creation. Do you also believe in altering his creation?”

Meier-“I know the truth of me is not girl. The truth of me is male and in order to be closer to Jesus and closer to the truth, I had to live, and express that. And because of that you know how many more kids are alive?

Lucio – “Well, we obviously have a difference of opinion in terms of how we feel about god’s creation.”



After this hearing Lucio voted in favor to move SB6 to a full senate vote, leading some to question if his vote was bought by Sen. Kolkhorst because of the $5 million dollar rider Kolkhorst authored, “That, [laughing] was never part of any discussion a give-and-take or favor for favor never, never and I’m surprised would even think that.”





