The Battle for Control: Texas Law Struck Down by Judge

In a major victory for cities in Texas, a Travis County judge has ruled that a controversial law, known as House Bill 2127, is unconstitutional. The law, which was set to go into effect on Friday, would have prevented cities from enacting ordinances on a wide range of issues, including labor, agriculture, and natural resources.

The passage of the law earlier this year was seen as a power play by the Republican-dominated Legislature to exert control over the state’s increasingly progressive, Democratic-led cities. Dubbed “the Death Star” by its opponents, the law was expected to nullify existing ordinances and severely limit the ability of cities to regulate themselves.

One of the most contentious aspects of the law was its impact on ordinances in Austin and Dallas that required periodic rest breaks for construction workers, particularly important during the state’s scorching heat waves. Mayor Sylvester Turner of Houston hailed the judge’s ruling as a “tremendous victory” for the people of Houston and other cities in Texas.

Business groups and Republican lawmakers supported the law as a way to streamline regulations and create consistency across the state, but labor groups and city leaders argued that it was an overreach that would undermine local control. In July, Houston, San Antonio, and El Paso filed suit against the State of Texas, leading to the recent ruling by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble.

The Texas attorney general is expected to appeal the decision, with the case potentially heading to the State Supreme Court. For now, rules on water breaks for construction workers remain in place, but the future of local control in Texas cities hangs in the balance.