New law overrides local laws mandating water and heat breaks for construction workers.
Children and animals shouldn’t be left in hot, locked cars. Broken air conditioners can turn houses and apartments into blast furnaces. Routine sporting events or manual work outside can be deadly if the person isn’t properly hydrated or rested.
Extreme heat is dangerous, yet with his signature on House Bill 2127, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott overturned local laws mandating water and heat breaks for construction workers. It is the latest fallout from the governor and the GOP-controlled Legislature’s ongoing assault on the authority of local cities and counties to regulate.