LUBBOCK, Texas– Plumbers in town and across Texas rallied together after learning plumbing licenses are not a requirement in the state of Texas anymore.
Governor Greg Abbott heard their concerns and addressed them in a tweet on Tuesday:
TEXAS PLUMBERS: We’ve got this. The Legislature has given the Governor many tools in my toolbox to extend the State Board of Plumbing Examiners for two years without needing to call a special session. We will let you know very soon. Don’t worry.#txlege https://t.co/OEW0UDubH7— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) June 4, 2019
This came after the state legislature abolished the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, the entity that regulated plumbing licenses.
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Joe Rushing, the owner of Rushing Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, said the years of training necessary to become a plumber cannot go overlooked.
“It is dangerous,” Rushing said. “Cross connections, gas lines, explosions.”
This decision also worried customers who believed it could put families at risk.
“That’s a huge concern because you never know who your neighbor is gonna be hiring next door just to be out to save a penny,” said Kip Harris, a concerned homeowner. “They could be risking their health, their lives, they could be risking your family’s lives.”
Despite Governor Abbott’s tweet about approaching the problem, Rushing said plumbers across the state and country intend to meet in Austin to rally for the cause.
“If it happens in Texas, everyone worries it could start going from state to state to state thinking they don’t need this regulation,” Rushing said. “Just letting them (Abbott) know, hey, we are still here and we are not going anywhere.”
