The Week in Quotes (Aug. 21 – 27)

Here are some of the week’s most notable quotes culled from news reports from across Texas, and beyond.

HRC Legal Director Sarah Warbelow, in a statement concerning a federal court ruling in Michigan. Some Texas leaders have already stated their intention to push for similar ‘religious freedom’ laws in the 2017 legislative session.

This is a reckless ruling against a woman who was fired simply because she is transgender. Judge Cox’s deeply disappointing decision has the possibility of setting an incredibly dangerous precedent that purported religious beliefs can be used as an excuse to violate non-discrimination laws. It has the potential of opening a Pandora’s box of discrimination against a wide range of vulnerable communities. We are incredibly concerned about the implications.

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Texas State Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Van, objecting to a recommendation that the Council of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy remove “good moral character” as a criterion for foreign-trained license applicants.

I object to taking the words out. In my good moral character, I can’t say we’ll remove that.

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New Houston Independent School District Superintendent Richard Carranza, on the federal lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against the Obama administration’s guidance on transgender students.

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Wyatt Almeida, a transgender man studying at Tyler Junior College. The school is being targeted by a tea party group because it follows federal guidelines on LGBT students.

Transgender people have been using their preferred restroom all along, and it hasn’t been a big deal. You’d never know. It seems ridiculous to me we’re even talking about this.

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Presnall Wood, editor of The Baptist Standard from 1977 to 1995.

There is no place in American life for prayers formulated and regulated by the government. There is no need for legislation to return voluntary prayers to the public schools because they have never been banned.

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