One of the Chamber’s top priorities for the 86th Texas Legislative Session was to protect the rights of private employers by advocating for the preemption of local municipally mandated Paid Sick Leave Ordinances. While we are not opposed to paid sick leave, we believe private businesses alone, not our city government, should determine the right mix of pay and benefits to offer their employees. As a former City Council member, I know the focus should be on infrastructure and public safety and not on forcing a private business that pays city taxes for core municipal necessities to pay sick leave.
Unfortunately, the bill was stalled and never debated on the floor. We have attended the Paid Sick Leave Commission meetings, and it is clear that the city is not ready to explain, implement, or enforce the paid sick leave ordinance by August. Additionally, because we know that this ordinance is going to hurt and hamstring many of our small business members, the Chamber will continue to attend these meetings and urge City Council to delay the start of the ordinance to ensure the implementation is done right, is not rushed, and is least damaging to the business community.
Richard Perez
President and CEO, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
