TX GOP Want Funding Cut for Pro Gay Schools

 Lawmakers in Texas introduce two bills which aim to cut funding to educational facilities which have pro LGBT policies 

BY DAN LITTAUER 

Gaystarnews.com

Texas Republican lawmakers have introduced two anti-gay bills, one which would cut funding for schools and universities that pro LGBT policies for students, faculty, or staff, and another measure allowing discrimination based on religious beliefs.

State representative, Drew Springer filed a bill aiming to reduce a school district’s healthcare funding by 7.5 percent if they offer domestic partner benefits to anyone other than an employee or a dependent of an employee.

Springer said his bill comes in response to the Pflugerville School District in suburban Austin, which began offering insurance benefits to same-sex couples in domestic partnerships.

In a press statement, Springer said: 'Our tax-dollars are for educating kids, not for enacting policies that attempt to get the state to recognize homosexual relationships.

'To think Pflugerville has sued the state for more funding, while at the same time bankrolling a lifestyle most Texans do not agree with is quite disturbing to me'.

Chuck Smith, the Executive Director of Equality Texas told the portal LGBTQ Nation that his group sees Springer’s bill as overreaching.

'He is not directly affected by this school district’s actions.

'Locally elected officials are in the best position to make local decisions about what benefits are needed to hire and retain the best educators.

'They don’t need big state government coming in and pulling the strings'.

State representative Matt Krause, a lawyer and member of the anti-gay Liberty Counsel filed another bill that would cut funding for any university that does not allow its religious student groups to discriminate based on race, gender, and sexual orientation.

The bill states that forcing religious groups to accept students who do not abide by their beliefs 'violates the organization’s members' First Amendment rights' of free exercise of religion and freedom of association.

Krause’s chief of staff, Elliott Griffin, said that the bill would be revised to narrow its focus, but its main intent would remain unchanged.