HOUSTON – Immigrant workers, community members, and allies gathered outside of the Houston City Hall to denounce newly-approved Texas law HB-2127, according to a release.
They claim the law will eliminate fundamental labor and housing protections for workers and families, including many workplace protections that prevent injury and death of immigrant essential workers.
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READ: City of Houston files lawsuit against Texas’ ‘Death Star’ Super Preemption Law
Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas House Bill 2127 on June 14, 2023, with an effective date of Sept. 1, 2023. According to the city, the Texas Constitution, in Article XI, Section 5, grants the power of local self-government to a home-rule city. A home-rule city may act in a way that is authorized by its charter. However, that charter may not contain any provision inconsistent with the Texas Constitution or state law.
In a Texas Tribune report, House Bill 2127 is explained as: “legislation that would bar cities and counties from passing regulations — and overturn existing ones — that go further than state law in a broad swath of areas including labor, agriculture, natural resources and finance....The bill’s backers argue it’s needed to combat what they call a growing patchwork of local regulations that make it difficult for business owners to operate and harm the state’s economy.”
In July, the City of Houston filed a lawsuit in Travis County against the State of Texas to declare House Bill 2127, also known as the “Death Star” or “Super” preemption bill, “unconstitutional, void, and unenforceable,” according to a news release.
The lawsuit alleges that HB 2127 encourages and forces home-rule cities and their taxpayers to pay fees to finance lawsuits filed by trade associations seeking to deregulate their industries at the local level.