A report released by the LGBT think tank Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law estimates that legalized same-sex marriage in Texas would give new meaning to the phrase “Texas Miracle.”
According to the report, if same-sex marriage was legalized today, wedding planning would bring jobs, tourists and lots of cash.
Of the state’s 46,000 same-sex couples, 23,200 would marry over the next three years, the report estimates. That means:
• Total spending on wedding arrangements and tourism by resident same-sex couples and their guests would add an estimated $181.6 million to the state and local economy of Texas over the course of three years, with a $116.2 million boost in the first year alone.”
• This economic boost would add $14.8 million in sales tax revenue to state and local coffers.
• Spending related to same-sex couples’ wedding ceremonies and celebrations would generate 523 to 1,570 full- and part-time jobs in the state
The study follows a federal ruling in February striking down Texas’ ban on same-sex marriage.
You can read the full report here.