On January 2nd, the City of San Antonio and private groups defending the City’s Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance appealed an order halting the ordinance to the 4th Court of Appeals in San Antonio.
The order granting a motion by business groups for a temporary injunction against the ordinance going into effect had been entered by Judge Peter Sakai on December 12th, after an earlier hearing on the motion.
It remains to be seen how quickly the 4th Court of Appeals will take up the appeal. Ordinarily, the process of briefing and argument would take months.
Meanwhile, the Texas Supreme Court has not decided whether to take up an appeal of a court of appeals decision against the Austin sick leave ordinance, and will likely not decide until after another brief is filed later this month.
The 4th Court of Appeals could reach a different decision on San Antonio’s ordinance than the court of appeals in Austin did on that city’s ordinance, making it more likely the Texas Supreme Court would take up one or both cases to resolve the conflict. By the same token, if the 4th Court of Appeals dings San Antonio’s ordinance, the Texas Supreme Court would have less reason to take up either case.
Stay tuned!