AUSTIN, Tex
as (AP) – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is criticizing a business group study suggesting that the so-called “bathroom bill” could cost Texas billions in lost revenue.
The Texas Association of Business has estimated that a proposal barring transgender Texans from using the public restroom of their choice could cost the state up to $8.5 billion.
The study also referenced North Carolina, which faced boycotts and lost major sporting events after approving a similar measure.
Patrick has decried the study before. But he called a press conference Monday to brand it “bogus” and “fear mongering.”
He also pointed to a newspaper fact-check story questioning the study’s methodology.
In a statement Monday, the association again pointed to North Carolina’s fallout saying “we don’t need studies alone to prove the negative impact of this unnecessary legislation.”
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