In the heated debate of the closing days of the Texas 2019 legislative session, the Houston chapter president and former Texas assistant solicitor general co-author piece in the Texas Tribune explaining how protecting freedom of conscience and religious liberty is not just the right thing to do, it is also beneficial to free enterprise.

"The Texas Senate and House passed Senate Bill 1978 to protect businesses like Chick-fil-A and people of faith across Texas from governmental entities who might take adverse action against them on the basis of their beliefs. The Senate had already passed Senate Bill 17, a solid bill that would have protected the rights of state-licensed workers (and businesses) to observe and speak about their faith and turn down work that conflicts with their faith, but SB 1978 is the one that passed in the House. Opponents of both bills suggested that they would enable discrimination against gay and trans people and that this discrimination will be bad for business, but the evidence is flimsy at best. The Greater Houston Partnership similarly warned that repeal of the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, or HERO, in 2015 would spell doom for Houston’s businesses, but as Texas Monthly reported, the impact was 'nothing, nada, zilch.'"

For full article click here.