Texas Heat Wave Turns Deadly, as Governor Eliminates Water Breaks for Workers
I missed this: during an unprecedented heat wave that has killed dozens of Texans, Gov. Abbott just signed a law that would … eliminate mandatory water breaks for construction workers. https://t.co/4B82Tok36U
It’s the Texas Legislature that came up with the law, remember, and they resent the local liberal government here in the capital. A lot of these laws are backlashes against Austin and other blue cities that try to progress environmentally and socially. Some years ago Austin created a law banning those flimsy plastic bags that supermarkets and restaurants use and the Texas Lege move to make that ban illegal. Fortunately, many stores had already established new bag policies (and people had gotten into the habit of bringing their own reusable bags), so all was not lost when the ban was lifted. This is just a long line of cruel, stupid and/or backward moves that the Texas GOP supports.
Known as the Texas ‘Death Star’ bill, what it does overall is strip local counties and cities of the ability to mandate their own laws overriding state authority. It’s really Abbott’s response to local authorities making their own rules during Covid. Cities like Dallas and Austin had stricter policies than the state did, and it upset the conservatives to no end.
A traditionally conservative policy is to support local rule over centralized rule – excepting every single occasion when they don’t like the results.
Certain local ordinances like the mandated water breaks for construction workers are a side effect. We’ll see if the state doesn’t effect some sort of equal measure in time. It’s hard to imagine anyone, even the craziest forces in Texas politics, being THAT heartless – to allow the ordinance to disappear completely and forever. But meanwhile, political power in Texas has been centralized by the same people who scream and moan when Washington tries the same.
‘We need to put this law in context to appreciate how it’s part of a trend. In recent months, Texas Republicans have authorized a slew of power grabs that effectively place liberals under right-wing control no matter who they have elected to represent them.’
What the actual F?
It’s the Texas Legislature that came up with the law, remember, and they resent the local liberal government here in the capital. A lot of these laws are backlashes against Austin and other blue cities that try to progress environmentally and socially. Some years ago Austin created a law banning those flimsy plastic bags that supermarkets and restaurants use and the Texas Lege move to make that ban illegal. Fortunately, many stores had already established new bag policies (and people had gotten into the habit of bringing their own reusable bags), so all was not lost when the ban was lifted. This is just a long line of cruel, stupid and/or backward moves that the Texas GOP supports.
Known as the Texas ‘Death Star’ bill, what it does overall is strip local counties and cities of the ability to mandate their own laws overriding state authority. It’s really Abbott’s response to local authorities making their own rules during Covid. Cities like Dallas and Austin had stricter policies than the state did, and it upset the conservatives to no end.
A traditionally conservative policy is to support local rule over centralized rule – excepting every single occasion when they don’t like the results.
Certain local ordinances like the mandated water breaks for construction workers are a side effect. We’ll see if the state doesn’t effect some sort of equal measure in time. It’s hard to imagine anyone, even the craziest forces in Texas politics, being THAT heartless – to allow the ordinance to disappear completely and forever. But meanwhile, political power in Texas has been centralized by the same people who scream and moan when Washington tries the same.
Good article on it:
‘Death Star bill’ in Texas marks yet another GOP power grab
https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/death-star-bill-texas-greg-abbott-rcna90454
‘We need to put this law in context to appreciate how it’s part of a trend. In recent months, Texas Republicans have authorized a slew of power grabs that effectively place liberals under right-wing control no matter who they have elected to represent them.’