AUSTIN – Today, the Texas Court of Appeals for the Third District granted a stay against Austin’s mandatory paid sick leave ordinance in response to a petition from the Texas Public Policy Foundation. Per the Court’s Order, “the ordinance is enjoined from taking effect while the appeal is pending.”
“Without this stay, Austin business owners would be forced to incur significant costs implementing the requirements of the ordinance while its legality was in serious doubt,” said Robert Henneke, general counsel and litigation director for TPPF’s Center for the American Future. “Leave policies are best negotiated between employer and employee without the imposition of a one-size-fits-all mandate from the city that may not be in either party’s best interests. The order was correct in preserving the status quo and ensuring that the legality of the ordinance may be addressed first in the court before businesses are forced to comply”
In April, TPPF filed a lawsuit against the City of Austin challenging the 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.
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.