Texas Senate lawmakers passed a bill on May 16 designed to take some authority away from cities and counties in the state that impose regulations exceeding state law.
House Bill 2127, known as the “Texas Regulatory Consistency Act” is sponsored by state Sen. Brandon Creighton and state Rep. Dustin Burrows, both Republicans.
It passed the Senate in an 18–13 vote mostly along party lines after previously passing the House in April.
According to an analysis of the bill, the legislation was filed because “the state has historically been the exclusive regulator of many aspects of commerce and trade in this state” but in recent years, “several local jurisdictions have sought to establish their own regulations of commerce that are different than the state’s regulations.”…