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Texas feels its 279 heat-related deaths last year weren't enough; passes new law preventing mandatory water breaks

Death on the Job: Texas Says "NO" To Water Breaks in the Heat

https://103kkcn.com/ixp/469/p/death-on-the-job-texas-says-no-to-water-breaks-in-the-heat/

Record heat is dangerous for workers outside. Even so, Governor Abbott just signed a law preventing local communities from enacting laws for mandatory water breaks.

27 comments

Omnimater

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This is so specifically and intentionally evil how do people actually find it in themselves to vote for these things?

Politically, this reads as the State trying to goad Austin into a massive court battle for control of the city. The State Republicans that run the government here HATE that Austin is a Liberal-Mecca now. Dallas in its own sense is too. But the capital building is in the MIDDLE of Downtown Austin. Blocks from the main tourist bar drag and all the popular stuff. And the State Republicans cannot stand the state capital of their red state being soo hard blue all around them.

There have been pushes from state reps to take over the city as a state controlled zone or something, I guess kinda like D.C. has no state? Idk they have never gone anywhere, so this seems like the new more serious avenue. Reading this it affects so much more than just water access this is horrific.

CarrierLost

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The state government hating Austin is not new. It’s becoming more outright as Austin continues to grow, giving it a larger voice in the state.

Eventually, progress will prevail.

eamus_catuli_

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I don’t live in TX but have the “opportunity” to move there for work if I want. It’s shit like this (and this is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg) that keeps me saying “NO”. What a shithole of a state (Gov Abbott, really).

I’m just ranting at this point…

netburnr

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Just wait to see what they do with your taxes. Pile it up, use it for pet projects and then ignore wages for state employees and ignore our failing and old infrastructure. Love that slush fund they got going.

CarrierLost

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We moved here about 15 years ago for a new job I took. Short answer, it’s been great for my career. I’m in my “prime earning years”, and no state income tax means I can invest more savings into my future. But fuck staying here when it comes time to slow down and eventually retire.

Granite

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Once again, the cruelty is the point.

HopeOfTheGunblade

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Finally, someone who'll hurt the right people!

rolls eyes

Meuzzin

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Honest question: Why in the Hell, do people willingly live in Texas? I mean, Texas always does things bigger, like being the biggest dumpster fire this side of the Mississipp...

angrymouse

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A majority of ppl does not choose where to born and moving is expensive

iax

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The key word is willingly.

borkcorkedforks

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They found work in the state and the state has a lower cost of living. The reverse is actually why a fair number of people were moving out of other states.

Burp

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Texas has some really unique qualities that make it attractive. The economics, resources, and location make it stand out.
-massive amounts of cheap, easily developed land.
-high availability of cheap energy (fossil fuels, but also a leader in solar and wind generation).
-no income tax, and cheaper taxes for businesses.
-it’s a financial hub and a manufacturing powerhouse.
-large tech sector
-easy access to the United States-Mexico trade. (this is important as the us moves away from Chinese manufacturing).
-easily taps into cheaper Mexican labor

I’m not a fan of the politics of the state, but it’s probably the best positioned state moving forward. The politics can be fixed. A couple of the points I made could be argued one way or another, but even a couple of them make Texas bound for success.

iax

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I have yet to see any indication that the "politics can be fixed" in my lifetime.

Shell45

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I thought that was what gerrymandering was for, "fixing" politics....

netburnr

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Some of were born here and these people don't speak to us. We want better but they keep redrawing voting lined to favor the poor and uneducated that favor the republican candidates.

Some day all these old fuckets will die and we can undo all the fucked up things that have been bases in the last 5-10 years.

Thalyssa

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It's cheap.

riskable

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"Ain't nothin cheaper than a dystopian hellscape!" -Texas new marketing campaign

netburnr

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Some of the highest property taxes in the US, nice try.

SuiXi3D

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It is? People here pay so much in property taxes that they're basically paying rent to live in the homes they own. Apartment rents statewide have been going through the roof. The price of literally everything is much higher than just three years ago.

It's not cheap.

LimitedBrain

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Note to everyone: this isn't a recent thing. This has to do specifically with a whole propaganda campaign they ran about Biden not letting 'hard working people' do their job by limiting heat exposure at 80 degrees and above.

Which is true, he's pushing for heat regulations because, and this is true, there were no federal regulations prior to this. Biden did something great so of course Abbott had to go and be an idiot

MiddleWeigh

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It's just the advanced, modern form of slavery. These people are gross. These are the kinds of people I don't like to be around because they feel bad. Yet they're all congregated in the seat of power. Funny how that works init?

couragethecowardlydog

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As someone who has worked in the heat before this is beyond cruel.

niktemadur

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Freedum...! ...to die from heat stroke! Tyexas staille!
These here republicans with their knee-jerk reactionary propaganda networks, have turned that place into THE political waterless toilet.

needmorepto

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HB 2127

(b) For purposes of Subsection (a), a field occupied by a
provision of this code includes employment leave, hiring practices,
breaks, employment benefits, scheduling practices, and any other
terms of employment that exceed or conflict with federal or state
law for employers other than a municipality or county.

So does this mean that all local government workers will get the same breaks as State employees?

TheTrueLinuxDev

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KingWizard

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Its been hot as hell here too. Yesterday the feels like was 114 in Austin, and today the feels like was 107.