• tal@lemmy.today
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    8 months ago

    I don’t really have a strong opinion as to the right way to go on this, but from a purely legal-technical standpoint, is there a good reason for having the rule made at the state level rather than the local?

    I mean, ordinarily I’d think that it tends to make sense to let things be legislated at a low level unless there’s a reason not to.

    If a locality over-protects workers against heat then, okay, they suffer economically and maybe people and business head to the next town over. I’d think that that’d self-resolve without the state getting involved.

    • Bilbo_Haggins@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      And if a municipality underprotects against heat? What happens?

      People die of heat stroke, that’s what happens. And the municipality maybe changes the law, but only after someone dies.

      Protections in this situation are at the federal and state level because the consequences of doing them wrong are much more than just “suffering economically.”

      And because worker deaths aren’t always a strong enough motivator at the local level. Frankly, not every town cares about their migrant workers and other working class folks, especially if labor is divided along racial and/or class lines.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      is there a good reason for having the rule made at the state level rather than the local?

      Basic human anatomy doesn’t change from place to place. It needs to be made on the national level.

    • drmeanfeel@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      Are you really enough of an insane ghoul to be suggesting “The Invisible Hand of the Market” about dying of heatstroke?