Governor Greg Abbott made a stop in San Antonio over the weekend to join business leaders in opposing city-mandated paid sick leave ordinances aimed at the private sector.
Abbott is among several state leaders pushing for a bill this session that would strip cities like Austin or San Antonio of the power to regulate employee benefits for private businesses. The governor says these ordinances can kill a tax base and put businesses at a competitive disadvantage.
“If you don’t think what I’m telling you is true, look at the news of Amazon pulling out of New York City because of the hostile regulations that the city was demanding be placed on Amazon,” Abbott said.
He predicts businesses to pack up and leave cities imposing these mandates if new legislation is not passed.
Austin’s sick leave ordinance was blocked last year by an appeals court, and it remains a major focal point in the ongoing debate over paid sick leave ordinances.
