All articles tagged with #local regulations
Texas suburbs are pushing back against a new state law aimed at increasing housing density by imposing stricter local rules on apartment developments, leading to a clash between state efforts to boost housing and local communities' desire to maintain their character and control over development.
Houston has filed a lawsuit against a new Texas state law, known as HB 2127 or the 'Death Star Bill', that blocks a range of local regulations. The city argues that the law is unconstitutional and seeks to have it ruled unenforceable. The law limits local regulations to what is expressly authorized in state codes, potentially subjecting existing regulations to lawsuits. Critics argue that the law goes too far in wiping out local rules and could impact regulations on issues such as hazardous waste disposal. Business groups and Republican legislators support the law, claiming it provides consistency for companies across the state. Houston officials are seeking a temporary court ruling to halt the law's implementation.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed a new law that eliminates local regulations requiring water breaks for construction workers, sparking concerns about worker safety in a state that leads the nation in worker-heat deaths. The law, known as HB 2127, strips cities and towns of the power to pass or enforce ordinances in various areas of Texas law, including worker protections. Supporters argue that the law provides regulatory consistency, while critics view it as an attack on progressive measures in liberal cities. Worker advocates are calling for national heat safety standards, as OSHA guidelines alone may not be sufficient to protect workers.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a new law that will nullify a wide range of local regulations, including mandated water breaks for construction workers, beginning Sept. 1. The new law strips the ability of local municipalities to enact certain regulations in favor of state authority, ostensibly to “provide statewide consistency.” Critics dubbed it the “Death Star Bill.” Texas is already the top state for worker deaths due to heat, and heat-related deaths hit a two-decade high just last year when at least 279 people across Texas died by heat.