Texas Senate Democrats helped pass a bill on Thursday that would require professional sports teams with contracts in Texas to play the national anthem at their games.
The GOP-led chamber voted 28-2 to advance the measure, with 11 Democrats joining their GOP colleagues.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican who presides over the Senate chamber, called the bipartisan vote on the Star Spangled Banner Protection Act “one of the more surprising votes” of his career, according to the Texas Tribune.
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“Texans are tired of sports teams that pander, insulting our national anthem and the men and women who died fighting for our flag,” he said in a Thursday statement. “The passage of SB 4 will ensure Texans can count on hearing the Star Spangled Banner at major sports events throughout the state that are played in venues that taxpayers support. We must always remember that America is the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
On Feb. 9, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, told ESPN that the team had stopped playing the national anthem prior to its games. Cuban voiced support for athletes who chose to kneel during the song, a demonstration adopted by those who want to protest racial inequality and police brutality. The NBA later announced that all its teams will play the anthem prior to games.
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Before the Texas bill can become law, it will need approval of the state House.
