The idea of requiring paid sick leave has caught on in Texas as workers band together to convince their city authorities to pass ordinances requiring such time off. Austin, San Antonio and Dallas each passed mandatory sick leave ordinances, but business groups in each city have filed suit to prevent the ordinances from taking effect. The latest suit is against the city of Dallas. The ultraconservative Texas Public Policy Foundation is behind the suit, according to The Texas Tribune. The Dallas ordinance is set to take effect today and there was no indication that Dallas wanted to put that ordinance on hold, unlike the city of San Antonio. Austin defended its ordinance in court, but lost before the 3rd Court of Appeals. Austin could now take the matter to the Texas Supreme Court. When San Antonio was sued, city officials agreed to postpone implementation of the ordinance and see if they could arrive at a resolution that would satisfy the plaintiffs before December. The Dallas suit was filed in federal court and the Austin and San Antonio cases were filed in state court.
Jo Clifton is the Politics Editor for the Austin Monitor. More by Jo Clifton