Over 100 people provided at times emotional testimony Monday for and against Senate Bill 7, which would require people to use restrooms that match their birth gender.

The bills would carry a $5,000 fine for a first-time violation and comes as momentum for such restrictions has increased in the state and nationally.

The Senate voted Wednesday to give initial approval to a bill that would require buildings, including public schools and universities, among others to segregate private facilities, like bathrooms, by sex.

Mo Jenkins is one of only a few openly transgender staffers working in the Capitol as lawmakers are making headway in restricting rights for LGBTQ+ Texans.

House Bill 239, which echoes a bathroom bill that failed in 2017, includes new provisions for shelters and prisons.

LGBTQ+ advocates called the ban one of the most extreme measures enacted by a local government.

Readers sometimes ask us if the outcomes in governing are predetermined and whether civic engagement makes a difference. There are plenty of examples of Texans influencing lawmakers’ decisions.

The Texas Tribune spoke with LGBTQ voters, the parents of queer youth and advocates from across the state about what’s at stake for them this November.

In 2017, conservative lawmakers failed to pass legislation targeting transgender Texans. Things were different this year.