Attorney General Ken Paxton has intervened in a lawsuit filed against the City of Austin, challenging the city’s labor agreement with the Austin Firefighters Association, his office announced Tuesday.
Paxton’s office said the agreement with the firefighters association allows for “release time” and therefore allows firefighters to work for the union at taxpayer expense. KVUE reported in September that the lawsuit claims the agreement violates the Texas Constitution’s gift clause provision.
“Under the agreement, taxpayers are paying approximately three full-time firefighters each year to do nothing but engage in union business, including engaging in partisan political activity on behalf of the union and against the interests of taxpayers,” Paxton’s office said in their release.