Powerful Republican Donor & Notorious Bigot Threatens “Wicked State Legislators” Over Bathroom Bill

Steven Hotze, the head of Conservative Republicans of Texas, is a key - maybe the key - supporter of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Much of this legislative session has been shaped by Hotze’s extremist demands on Patrick and far-right Republicans in the legislature.

Just last week, a day before Patrick announced he would force a special session unless the Texas House passed his Hotze-backed, anti-transgender “bathroom bill" —  a grossly discriminatory measure that was stalled in House after widespread outcry from business and civil rights leaders — Hotze published an imprecatory prayer for “wicked state legislators." Hotze’s “prayer” reads more like a terroristic threat against his political opponents:

In the Name of Jesus, I prophesy and declare: may all the individuals serving in the state legislature, and their staff, who support, promote and practice sodomy and other perverted, sexually deviant lifestyles, who support the killing of unborn babies, and who hate God’s Law and God’s Word, receive just retribution from God for their evil actions. May they receive what their unfaithful ways deserve. May they be consumed, collapse, rot and be blown away as dust from their current positions because of their wicked works, thoughts and deeds. May people scorn them and nations abhor them. May their punishment lead them to repentance and faith in Christ. May God’s will be done in their lives.

Unfortunately, over the weekend, the Texas House buckled to Patrick’s threats of a special session and passed a separate-but-equal bathroom bill targeting transgender kids in public schools.

If he is threatening legislators imagine how unsafe actual trans people are. #txlege https://t.co/ToDs4M06ON

— Chase Strangio (@chasestrangio) May 23, 2017