HOUSTON – The City of Houston has filed a lawsuit against the State of Texas to challenge a new state law called HB 2127, nicknamed the “Death Star Law.” The lawsuit seeks to declare this new law unconstitutional and void.
The law was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 14, 2023 and is scheduled to take effect on September 1 of the same year.
According to the Houston mayor’s office, HB 2127 goes against the legal hierarchy in Texas and gives state law excessive power over local laws, even over and above the state Constitution. Normally, a constitutional amendment would be necessary to repeal a constitutional provision, but this law ignores it.
HB 2127 establishes a uniform set of state regulations that would override existing local laws. This means important programs, like the city of Houston’s contractor health care program, and Dallas and Austin ordinances that protect workers from extreme heat, would be eliminated.
The law would also allow the State of Texas to override local regulations in emergency situations, such as during a natural disaster. Citizens would only be able to seek solutions during brief periods when the state legislature is in session, limiting their options.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has expressed concern about this law and has stated that he will fight to protect the constitutional rights of Houstonians and their ability to govern themselves.
The lawsuit is currently in Travis County and seeks to have the law declared unconstitutional.
