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The Texas Supreme Court issued a ruling in the legal tug-of-war between the City of Houston and its firefighters on Thursday that strikes down the voter-approved Proposition B, per reports from Houston-based media outlets.
Prop B, which requires the implementation of pay parity between firefighters and police, succeeded at the ballot box in 2018 and Houston ABC affiliate KTRK reported that city hall and the firefighters’ union perceive the ruling as a win for their respective sides.
According to KTRK, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was among those who worked to defeat Prop B.
“[This is a] huge victory for the entire City of Houston and its financial stability," Turner, who is in the final months as the city’s top officeholder, said in a tweet.
The station reported that the mayor had previously claimed that pay parity would cause the city to hemorrhage tens of millions of dollars in addition to a wave of layoffs among its workforce.
Marty Lancton, the president of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters’ Association (HPFFA), praised the ruling as “historic,” Houston FOX affiliate KRIV reported.
"Never before has a local government refused to honor the will of the voters,” Lancton said in a statement obtained by the station. “The treatment our firefighters have endured over the last six years is unforgivable. They have stood strong and courageous in the face of overwhelming political odds. We remain grateful to the court and the voters for continuing to stand by us through this fight."
KRIV reported that firefighters in 2017 took the city to court after negotiations failed.
The ruling, however, doesn’t signal the end to the fight.
There’s a bill filed in the Texas Legislature that seeks to employ an independent and neutral arbitrator in talks.
Houston National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate Houston Public Media (HPM) reported that Senate Bill (SB) 736, which is sponsored by Houston Sens. John Whitmire and Carol Alvarado, garnered committee approval late last month.
Per LegiScan, the measure unanimously passed the upper chamber and is now in the Texas House of Representatives as of Tuesday, March 28.