Amid a dangerous heat wave, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law nullifying local regulations, including mandated water breaks for construction workers, effective from September 1.
The new law, backed by the Republicans, gives state authority precedence over local municipalities for enacting regulations, affecting areas such as worker, environmental, and housing protections.
The decision, heavily criticized by some who call it the “Death Star Bill,” comes as Texas experiences record-breaking heat, and already holds the highest rate of worker deaths due to heat in the nation.
Safety regulations are written in blood. Companies cannot be expected to self regulate.