Gov. Greg Abbott pushes Legislature to protect businesses from coronavirus-related lawsuits

[TexasTowelie]

by Mitchell Ferman, Texas Tribune


Gov. Greg Abbott is pushing state lawmakers to protect individuals and companies that opened businesses during the pandemic against coronavirus-related lawsuits, he said Tuesday. It's another in a long line of Abbott's attempts to support businesses despite the worsening public health crisis and ongoing economic turbulence in Texas.

While the governor did not provide specifics about what protections he wants businesses to have, he said his focus is on reducing lawsuits and creating more jobs. He told a table of business leaders Tuesday in San Antonio that businesses “have gone above and beyond" to remain open during the pandemic.

“And yet those same businesses, they face the threat of potential lawsuits for the fact that they opened up," he said.

Many workers in Texas, however, have already registered coronavirus complaints with the federal government: Texans have filed at least 917 coronavirus-related complaints against employers with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Without providing a reason, OSHA has closed 820 of those cases as of Jan. 10.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/01/26/texas-greg-abbott-coronavirus-liability/