Big businesses including American Airlines, IBM and Celanese are making their voices heard when it comes to preserving LGBTQ non-discrimination laws that the companies fear could be nullified by bills making their way through the Texas Legislature.

The four bills – Senate Bills 2485-2488 – would prevent municipalities from requiring private businesses to provide paid sick leave and other benefits to their employees.

The bills authored by Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, are effectively a split-up version of his previous SB 15, which also came under fire for not including enough explicit protection for LGBTQ workers. Cities, workers and LGBTQ groups all criticized the bill, comparing it to the 2017 legislature's failed effort to enact a "bathroom bill."

At the time, a coalition of big businesses including Facebook, Amazon and Google said SB 15 would harm the state economy and disrupt their business in Texas. An early version of SB 15 contained a line explicitly stating the legislation would not overrule local non-discrimination ordinances. The language was subsequently taken out by Creighton, who claimed it muddied the bill.

Businesses are pushing Texas House leaders to put the language back into the new bills, which have been approved in the Senate.

"Senator Creighton's new bills are 'single shot' approaches to ensure Texas small businesses determine the benefits, the schedule, and the sick leave policies they offer their employees," communications director Erin Wilson told The Dallas Morning News at the time the bills were introduced.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines is especially vocal in its opposition. The carrier told its flight attendant union in an email that it has received legal opinions advising that the legislation could override non-discrimination ordinances.

"We ... have made the decision that we cannot support those bills in their current form," the email stated. "We stand with the LGBTQ community and other business leaders in calling for the bills to be amended to make clear the proposed legislation will not override" non-discrimination ordinances.

The bills are scheduled to be debated in a House committee on Wednesday.

Reporter Lauren McGaughey contributed to this report.