LUBBOCK, Texas — House Bill 2127, or the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, was filed by State Representative Dustin Burrows “to provide regulatory consistency across this state and return the historic exclusive regulatory powers to the state where those powers belong.”
The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, Local Texas Association of Business (TAB), Local Apartment Association and Texas National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) all endorsed the bill.
EverythingLubbock.com spoke with the NFIB State Director Annie Spilman, who said in response to the belief that the bill would gut cities of their authority, that the legislation “does not strip cities or counties of any of their current regulatory authorities.”
“What cities and counties have done through their expressed authorities and local jurisdictions, they will continue to do,” Spilman said.
Spilman said the bill will help everyday Lubbock citizens because it will make certain that cities and counties focus on their jurisdictions and analyze their policies thoroughly before regulating.
Spending additional time and money to begin to regulate private employment practices, “would not only be an administrative nightmare for Lubbock, but very costly to the taxpayer to have the city hire more people to oversee every business in Lubbock and doing business within city/county limits,” according to Spilman.
A fact sheet obtained by EverythingLubbock.com from Rep. Burrows office, refuted the idea that if HB2127 passes there will be no need for city and county governments.
It also denied the claim that the bill is “insufficient to protect LGBT workers because it does not cover private employers with fewer than 15 employees.”
According to an article by Texas Monthly, Tim Morstad with AARP of Texas said, “What Chairman Burrows didn’t say was that the payday and auto title lending ordinances would not be impacted by this bill. It is our position that they would be.”
Additionally, claims have been made that the bill would stop local governments from establishing pay and other labor policies for their own employees, addressing public health disasters or even lead to dangerous working conditions. The sheet said these assumptions were all false.
The fact sheet said that cities and counties have many regulatory authorities that are not impacted by HB 2127 because they relate to other codes. More specifically, at the local level, here are examples of regulations not affected:
- Zoning (Chapters 211-250)
- Motor vehicle and motor vehicle part sales (Chapter 215)
- Rendering plants (Chapter 215)
- Taxicabs and limousines (Chapter 215)
- “The weight and quality of bread” (Chapter 215)
- Butchers, tanneries, stables, slaughterhouses, and dairies (Chapters 215 and 234)
- Unrestrained animals (Chapter 215)
- “Hawkers, peddlers, and pawnbrokers” (Chapter 215)
- Theaters, circuses, and similar exhibitions (Chapter 215)
- Billboards and other outdoor signs (Chapter 216)
- Nuisances and disorderly conduct (Chapter 217)
- Vehicle wrecking and salvage yards, junkyards, recycling businesses, flea markets,
- demolition businesses, and outdoor resale businesses (Chapter 234)
- Day-care centers (Chapter 234)
- Massage parlors (Chapter 234)
- Game rooms (Chapter 234)
- Firearms, knives, and shooting ranges (Chapter 236)
- Sexually oriented businesses (SOBs) (Chapter 243)
- Acquisition, sale, and lease of local government property (Chapters 251-280)
- Public buildings, parks, entertainment districts, libraries, and other community
- facilities (Chapters 281-337)
- Historic preservation (Chapter 318)
- Public safety, including police, file, and jails (Chapters 341-370)
- Community planning and development (Chapters 371-507)
- Water and utilities (Chapters 551-590)
- Parking and transportation (Chapters 601-615)
A statement from Rep. Burrows on May 15 said, “House Bill 2127 insures businesses across the state will no longer have to navigate a jungle of differing rules and regulations imposed by anti-business progressives. I am grateful to Senator Brandon Creighton for this leadership on this bill, and to the thousands of small business owners and their employees that supported this legislation. Small businesses of Texas – the engine of economic growth – will now continue to create more higher paying, higher skilled jobs.”
