Austin’s paid sick leave, continued?

While Texas legislators take aim at the paid sick leave policy passed by Austin City Council last year, Council Member Greg Casar – who led the policy effort – has been vocal on the topic. Last Wednesday his office released the following statement on the House and Senate bills that would nullify the sick leave policies passed in Austin and San Antonio: “The United States is the only advanced economy on earth that doesn’t have a national paid leave law. In a state as prosperous as Texas, no one should be faced with the impossible decision between taking care of a sick loved one and paying the rent. That’s why everyday people successfully pushed the Austin and San Antonio city councils to take a stand for paid sick days. It is unconscionable that legislators are filing bills that not only double down on the ban to increasing the minimum wage, but also take away people’s rights to better benefits in general. If either the governor or these legislators at the Capitol don’t want to offer solutions on how to solve real problems around economic inequality of our residents, then they should stay out of the way of people who do.” And on Twitter, Casar juxtaposed Gov. Greg Abbott’s recent “Austin is bad for business” claims with the boosterism Abbott showed in 2016, circulating data that found Austin is the No. 1 city in the U.S. for small business.

Greg Abbott: Austin is killing small business and turning Texas into a socialist hellscape with freedom-killing policies like paid sick days and water breaks for workers, and we must stop them at all costs!

Also Greg Abbott: pic.twitter.com/SSL85i2UxL

— Gregorio Casar (@GregCasar) February 14, 2019