Texas is experiencing a heatwave that is breaking records, with some places seeing temperatures as high as 120 degrees. The state legislature, according to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, has served to make matters worse.
“We’re pleased that the president is tackling the current heat with the intensity that is, in my opinion, required. Nirenberg remarked on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that a few of the issues we face is that Texas communities are battling our legislature and our state government for local autonomy. Residents and employees are being protected, and they are making every effort to stop it from happening.
Greg Abbott, the governor of Texas, approved a bill in June that prohibits local governments from enacting laws that are more severe than state laws, removing municipal regulations like those that require construction workers to take breaks for hydration and relaxation. If the law is successful in a lawsuit filed by the towns of Houston and San Antonio, it will take effect in September.