DALLAS (NewsNation) — The City of San Antonio has joined Houston in its lawsuit against the state of Texas over what opponents call the ‘Death Star’ law, which will prohibit local governments from passing ordinances that are stricter than state laws in several areas, including labor and environment.
House Bill 2127 will dismantle some local rules, like mandatory rest breaks for commercial construction workers, eviction moratoriums and protections against predatory lending.
The cities argue the law violates the Texas Constitution and will lead to frivolous legal action against cities since leaders argue the bill’s language is “vague.”
Leaders expressed concerns that this new law will remove their rights to govern a city, specifically in areas like labor and environment.
“Lawmakers have overstepped and abused their authority. This bill has and will continue to create widespread confusion and uncertainty,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg in a Monday news conference. “The Texas legislature has attacked local control and citizens’ right to self-governance repeatedly in recent years.”
On Tuesday, Texas Congressman Greg Casar, who represents areas in Austin and San Antonio, led a thirst and hunger strike on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, going more than eight hours without a drink of water in an effort to get better heat protection for workers. He was joined by union leaders and other Democratic lawmakers.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which oversees worker safety in the U.S., doesn’t have minimum water break requirements for workers because it depends on one’s environment and health.
Supporters of the law have said cities won’t lose any power. Instead, they assert the law will provide consistency and make it easier on local businesses, saying some may not have the staff to keep track of different laws in different cities when it comes to labor and other regulations.
“There was concern from the small business community in particular, that cities were starting to step outside of their regulatory jurisdiction and regulate things that had always been traditionally regulated on the state and or federal levels,” said Annie Spilman of the National Federation of Independent Business.
The bill was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in mid-June and is set to take effect on Sept. 1.
It doesn’t prohibit water breaks, instead, it prohibits any law that could mandate them.
Michigan has a similar law that specifically prevents cities from having minimum wages or benefits higher than the state level. Florida is considering a similar law that would give the state more power over a city.
