Turner: House Bill 2127 'reverses over 100 years of Texas constitutional law'

The Houston municipal government hopes civil litigation against the State of Texas would stop the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, or House Bill (HB) 2127, before it officially goes into effect at the start of September, with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner saying it “reverses over 100 years of Texas constitutional law.” Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported that the so-called “Death Star” law, named after the infamous space station operated by the Empire in “Star Wars,” seeks to rein in city governments across the Lone Star State.

"The Texas Constitution expressly champions the local control and innovation that has been key to the tremendous economic dynamism in cities like Houston,” Turner said, the station reported. “HB 2127 reverses over 100 years of Texas constitutional law without amending the Constitution.”

According to a report from Houston ABC affiliate KTRK, the measure gives the state the power to stop cities and counties from enacting ordinances pertaining to labor, agriculture, natural resources and finance. Per the station, supporters of HB 2127, including sponsor State Rep. Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock), say it looks out for business owners while Turner, a Democrat, and its critics say it’s an affront to democracy. Burrows chastised the bill’s opponents for allegedly working with the Local Solutions Support Center, a California group that champions local governments’ right to self-rule, KTRK reported.

KHOU reported that HB 2127 drew national attention earlier this year because it eliminates local rules requiring water breaks for construction workers. According to its report, Gov. Greg Abbott, who signed the bill into law, said through his office the measure aligns with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), insisting water breaks aren’t impacted. The station reported that Houston’s lawsuit demands the law be deemed unconstitutional.

Houston NPR affiliate Houston Public Media (HPM) reported that the suit was filed in Travis County. Houston City Attorney Arturo Michel said in the report HB 2127 could create a worst-case scenario if people die. Per a Houston Daily report, Harris County is pursuing legal action in response to a couple of pieces of election legislation County Attorney Christian D. Menefee said disregards the will of the voters. The publication reported that Menefee declared Senate Bills (SB) 1750 and 1993 to be unconstitutional. SB 1750 eliminates the county’s elections head position and SB 1993 calls on the Texas Secretary of State (SOS) to restart an election in Texas’ largest county when authorities receive enough complaints, Houston Daily reported.