Austin becomes 1st city in Texas to mandate paid sick leave
The Austin City Council voted early Friday to make paid sick leave a mandatory requirement for all non-government employers, making Austin the first city in Texas to regulate sick leave.
The highly anticipated vote came after more than 200 people testified at City Hall, with a large majority in favor of the ordinance. It passed 9-2 with council members Ora Houston and Ellen Troxclair against.
“For me, so much of this is about widening inequality and our fight against it,” said Council Member Greg Casar, the author and lead proponent of the ordinance.
The vote was greeted with thunderous applause and singing as the council adopted a compromise ordinance Casar offered Thursday that addressed many concerns brought forward by Council Member Jimmy Flannigan and others earlier this week.
Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/local/overnight-austin-becomes-1st-city-texas-mandate-paid-sick-leave/VPoSe9ZAboJVom5eLLAEDJ/
And congratulations to Wendy Davis for moving to Austin!
