Paxton intervenes in Austin labor agreement with firefighters

Reaching into yet another battle over local control, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton intervened in a lawsuit Tuesday against the city of Austin’s labor agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association.

The deal, known as the Association Business Leave, gives leave to Austin firefighters to conduct association business. Two conservative think tanks – the Arizona-based Goldwater Institute and the Texas Public Policy Foundation – filed a lawsuit against the city in September, saying taxpayer money "in the millions of dollars" is being used to pay firefighters when they are conducting union business.

Paxton’s intervention Tuesday said the deal violates the Texas Constitution’s anti-gift clause provisions, which "prohibit governments from giving taxpayer funds to private entities without a public purpose." A statement released by his office Tuesday said taxpayers are paying “approximately three full-time firefighters each year to do nothing but engage in union business.”

“The City of Austin has abused its taxing power and with it the public trust,” Paxton said. “The city is siphoning money that should go to vital emergency services and redirecting it towards a labor union’s political activity.”

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2016/10/18/paxton-intervenes-austin-labor-agreement-firefight/