The top local stories this morning from KERA News: Debate on the so-called "bathroom bill" could begin as early as today in the full Texas Senate. A Senate committee last week voted to advance the bill after more than 13 hours of public testimony.
Senate Bill 6 would require transgender people to use bathrooms in publicly-owned facilities that match the sex on their birth certificate. The bill was revised in committee to remove an increase in penalties for certain crimes committed in a bathroom or changing facilities.
Proponents of SB 6 worry about privacy; opponents call the bill discriminatory.
If it passes the Senate, the bill has a tougher road in the House. Speaker Joe Straus has indicated he’s not a fan.
Other stories this morning:
- Texas is third in the country for the number of homeless kids in public schools. New research suggests these kids fall behind academically because they’re prone to more health problems.
- A winter storm in the northeast has affected travel plans for North Texans. More than 100 flights in and out of DFW and Love Field airports have been canceled so far. More cancelations are expected.
- We continue our series “Race, Poverty and the Changing Face of Schools” in Frisco. The majority of public school kids there now are non-white, and that brings a new set of challenges.
You can listen to North Texas stories weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM.
