Legislators File Amicus in Support of TPPF’s Paid Sick Leave Lawsuit

AUSTIN, TX – On Friday, August 10, state Sen. Donna Campbell (R- New Braunfels) and 28 other members of the Texas Legislature filed an amicus brief in support of a lawsuit from the Texas Public Policy Foundation against Austin’s paid sick leave ordinance.

“This legislative support highlights the problems Austin’s mandatory paid sick leave ordinance will cause if it is not stopped,” said Robert Henneke, general counsel for TPPF and director of the Center for the American Future. “We are thankful for the support of these legislators in pushing back against this government overreach that will hurt both Austin businesses and those employed by them.”

In April, TPPF filed a lawsuit against the City of Austin challenging the paid sick leave ordinance set to go into effect Oct. 1. TPPF, through its litigation Center for the American Future, represents a coalition of Austin businesses and business associations, including the Texas Association of Business, the National Federation of Independent Business and the American Staffing Association.

“The ordinance places businesses inside Austin city limits, and those who do business in Austin, at a competitive disadvantage with businesses outside Austin who do not have to spend time and money complying with the city’s onerous paid sick leave policy” reads the amicus.

Other problems include the one-size-fits-all nature of the ordinance and the inability for businesses to offer flexible solutions for sick leave.

The mandate, if it goes into effect, will require businesses with more than 15 employees to provide eight days of paid sick leave and businesses with less than 15 employees to provide 6 days of sick leave.

For more information, please contact Alicia Pierce at [email protected] or 512-472-2700.    

Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit free-market research institute based in Austin that aims to foster human flourishing by protecting and promoting liberty, opportunity and personal responsibility.

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