Texas voters reshaped the state’s political leadership when they elected a slate of Democratic candidates into federal, state, and local offices this Election Day. For Texas employers, the “Blue Tsunami” could bring renewed attention to proposals involving minimum wages, paid leave, workplace heat protections, and noncompete agreements, just to name a few. With the Texas Legislature divided, the election results set the stage for renewed debate over workplace policy. Which proposals will advance? What form might they take? Will they become law? Here are five workplace issues Texas employers should track.
Selected Scorecard: Where Democrats Won in Texas
Some of the key election wins for Democrats included Gina Hinojosa as governor, Vikki Goodwin as lieutenant governor, Nathan Johnson as attorney general, and James Talarico in the US Senate. Democrats also won in races for state comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner, and railroad commissioner, not to mention seven statewide judicial elections, including four Texas Supreme Court seats. Democrats also won control of the Texas House of Representatives, but Republicans retained control of the State Senate.
1. Renewed Interest in a Higher Minimum Wage
A higher statewide minimum wage could become a prominent issue in the next legislative session. During his service in the Texas House, Talarico authored H.B. 5297, which...
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