Sick leave under fire

House Bill 222 is one that proponents of Austin’s paid sick leave policy will be watching and opposing when the Texas Legislature convenes early next year. That bill, filed by Rep. Matt Krause of Fort Worth on Monday, targets the paid sick leave policies recently passed in Austin and San Antonio and would prevent municipalities from requiring a business to give its employees paid sick leave. Austin passed its sick leave policy in February, but it was put on hold by state courts almost immediately. There was heated debate locally over the city ordinance, which would have required companies with 16 or more workers to provide 64 hours of sick leave per year. That total was adjusted down to 48 hours annually per employee for businesses with fewer than 16 employees.