Texas AG Hints At Lawsuit Over Obama Siding With Transgender Students

Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney, addresses the opening session of the 82nd Texas Legislature, Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

In a statement bashing the Obama administration’s letter directing schools on how to accommodate transgender students, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton signaled that the state could bring legal action against the administration.

“Once again, the Obama Administration has overstepped its constitutional bounds to meddle in the affairs of state and local government. Today’s announcement seeking to unilaterally redefine and expand federal law must be challenged,” Paxton said in the statement. “If President Obama thinks he can bully Texas schools into allowing men to have open access to girls in bathrooms, he better prepare for yet another legal fight.”

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also slammed the administration’s letter on Friday, calling the national debate over transgender bathroom use “the biggest issue facing families and schools in America since prayer was taken out of public schools.”

Texas officials began weighing in on the issue this week after Patrick called for the reversal of a new Fort Worth school district policy allowing transgender students to use the bathroom and play on the sports team of their choice. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also indicated that the state would back up North Carolina in its legal battle with the Obama administration over the issue.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory also slammed the Obama administration’s letter on Friday, calling on courts and Congress to “intercede to stop this massive executive branch overreach, which clearly oversteps constitutional authority.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. “Once again, the Obama Administration has overstepped its constitutional bounds to meddle in the
    affairs of state and local government by telling us to follow the law.”

  2. Avatar for bkmn bkmn says:

    Those “fiscally responsible” Republicans never miss a chance to spend state money on lawsuits they aren’t going to win.

  3. Avatar for pshah pshah says:

    They got their butts kicked on L,G, and B; and are now planing their flag of hate in the bathrooms of America, denying T’s their civil rights.

    For people who like to take a wide stance in the bathroom, they certainly have a narrow stance in this case.

  4. Of course he will.

    This nitwit thinks it’s the Alamo.

  5. And we know how well that ended for the defenders.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

18 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for lestatdelc Avatar for dr_coyote Avatar for brooklyndweller Avatar for fargo116 Avatar for hippocritic Avatar for mantan Avatar for mardam422 Avatar for mike817 Avatar for go2goal Avatar for truthdogg Avatar for riverstreet Avatar for khaaannn Avatar for dnl Avatar for pshah Avatar for thunderclapnewman Avatar for tena Avatar for bkmn Avatar for westtexasguy Avatar for ljb860 Avatar for boisdevache Avatar for xp9dnxx

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: