Four associations have joined a coalition opposing a bill before the Texas Legislature that would require people to use public restrooms corresponding to their sex at the time of birth.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is backing a proposed law modeled after the controversial "bathroom bill" enacted by North Carolina last year. Similar legislation has been proposed in eight states this year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. However, most eyes currently are on Texas, where the issue has divided social conservatives and business interests.

Representatives from the coalition Texas Welcomes All held a news conference in Austin Wednesday in which they urged lawmakers to reject the bill, warning such a law would drive away business from the Lone Star State.

"The discriminatory bill in Texas is going to cause our members and their organizations to cancel or not book meetings in Texas," said Debra Sexton, CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association.

PCMA, the International Association of Exhibitions and Events, ASAE and TechNet are members of the coalition. Several Texas business groups and tourism bureaus have also joined the group, such as the Texas Association of Business.

Talented, in-demand workers "are looking for not just a workplace, but also a city and a state that are free from discriminatory practices and rhetoric," said Caroline Joiner, executive director of TechNet, Texas and Southeast region.

Passage of the bathroom bill in North Carolina reportedly has cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost business. At least three associations pulled events from North Carolina, and late last year ASAE adopted language to add to future meetings contracts allowing the association to cancel events if the host city or state passes laws that discriminate against members. (ASAE plans to hold its annual conference in Dallas in 2021.)

"We truly, truly oppose and are vehemently against any kind of law that tolerates or even smacks of tolerating discrimination," ASAE Executive Vice President Susan Robertson said.

For his part, Patrick told the Texas Tribune that critics of the legislation are exaggerating the economic impact the law would have on the state.

"Every report of North Carolina shows that they have the second-strongest economy in the country or the second-best place to do business, the second best-place where executives want to move their companies to," Patrick told the newspaper. "It's having no effect." http://bit.ly/2jEvav6

The legislation—Senate Bill 6—has been introduced but no action has been taken on it. The legislative session starts today.

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