AUSTIN (KXAN) — The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) raised the alarm Tuesday over Texas HB 2127, a new law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, saying that it is “tantamount to a potential death sentence for Latino and Texas workers.”
The law takes regulatory power away from municipalities, preventing towns and cities from creating or enforcing ordinances and rules relating to specific sections of state law. One such now-unenforceable rule is a City of Austin ordinance that mandates water breaks for construction workers every four hours.
In the civil rights group’s Tuesday press release, LULAC National President Domingo Garcia called Abbott and supporters of the new bill “heartless politicians who turned Texas into a plantation/patron 1900s system once again.”
“They will be stained with the same degree of criminal intent if workers die of heat strokes,” Garcia said, “To deny water breaks to a construction worker toiling in the 100-degree-plus heat is shameful and criminal. While they govern from cooled air-conditioned offices, the ‘help’ those who build their houses, tend to the crops, and ensure they are comfortable, are at risk of collapsing from heat exposure and exhaustion.”
HB 2127 goes into effect Sept. 1, so the impact will not be felt during the height of this year’s summer.
“LULAC strongly denounces this barbaric and deliberate act of playing politics with lives, denying even the simplest measure of compassion to another living soul, most Latinos, and Blacks,” Garcia said. “Texas is witnessing one of the darkest periods in its modern history when step-by-step, the Republican extremists are weaponizing their entrusted power into hateful, abusive work practices.”
According to the Associated General Contractors of America, Texas added the most construction jobs over the last year. The state’s construction employment grew 2.7% by adding 21,100 jobs. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) notes that 61% of Texas’ construction workers are Hispanic.
“LULAC urges all workers to take precautions to safeguard themselves from the Texas heat while working outdoors,” said Robert Tellez, LULAC state director for Texas, “We encourage workers to carry water at all times, periodically soak themselves, and wear protective clothing to shield themselves from the scorching sun and its overwhelming effects. It is essential to prioritize self-care and protect oneself from the hazardous consequences of working under extreme heat conditions.”