Last summer, for example, in the midst of a dangerous heat wave that put thousands of lives at risk, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas signed a law rolling back local rules requiring water breaks for workers outside. The law took aim at provisions passed by authorities in Austin and Dallas that gave construction workers a 10-minute break every four hours. “For too long, progressive city officials and agencies have forced Texas small businesses to navigate contradictory and confusing hurdles,” said Dustin Burrows, the Republican state representative who introduced the bill. It’s worth noting that Burrows is a small business owner himself.
More recent is a Florida bill, signed into law this month by Gov. Ron DeSantis, that also prohibits local governments from establishing heat exposure rules for workers. Backed by business groups, the law also prevents governments to “maintain a minimum wage other than a state or federal minimum wage.” Even if a city wants one of its vendors to pay more than the statewide minimum of $12, it can’t. “Small business owners don’t have the time or resources to navigate a confusing and contradictory set of local ordinances that go beyond” what “the state already requires.” said Bill Herrle, Florida director of the National Federation of Independent Business.
Also consider a Kentucky bill that, if passed, would eliminate workers’ rights to lunch and rest breaks. Federal labor law also does not require employers to offer offers. The goal of this bill — introduced by state Rep. Phillip Pratt, a Republican — is to “modernize” Kentucky’s labor laws to match the federal standard, or lack thereof. Pratt, who owns a landscaping business, says he would continue to offer these breaks.
Earlier this year, Pratt also sponsored a bill to weaken Kentucky’s child labor laws, allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to work longer hours. “Our current laws and regulations unnecessarily restrict the number of hours needed to work, often preventing them from seeking an opportunity to help pay for college, learn new skills and prepare for the future,” Pratt said. The law project passed in the House and awaits a final vote in the Kentucky Senate.
And last week in Louisiana, a Republican-led state committee voted to repeal a law mandating lunch breaks for working children. Sponsored by state Rep. Roger Wilder, owner of Smoothie King franchises in the Deep South, the bill is part of a broader effort to strengthen employers and weaken unions in the state. “The wording is ‘We’re here to hurt children,'” Wilder said, responding to criticism of the bill. “Leave me alone. I mean, they’re young adults.
