Advocacy for Business

The Chamber's Advocacy pillar champions Fort Worth's quality of life and business community with advocacy on local, state and federal government levels.
The Latest
March 13, 2024
New Street Maintenance Fee Proposed for Businesses in Fort Worth

In early March, during a Fort Worth City Council work session, City staff and consultants outlined a proposal to fund long-term street maintenance in Fort Worth. The proposed street maintenance fee would be a new fee for residents and businesses on their City of Fort Worth utilities bill, alongside other fees such as stormwater, trash pickup, etc.

March 8, 2024
FWC Takes Action Against Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Credit Card Late Fee Rule

A core function of the Fort Worth Chamber is to promote public policy that fosters a strong business climate, and to oppose policies that hinder the ability of businesses to grow and prosper. The recent credit card late fees rule proposed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau compels us to act in support of small businesses and consumers in Fort Worth and beyond.

February 22, 2024
FWC Sets Dates for Washington D.C. Fly-In

The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce is preparing for its biannual Washington D.C. fly-in presented by Lockheed Martin with the Dallas Regional Chamber. The fly-in will be conducted from April 30 through May 2, with various community leaders from Fort Worth in attendance to advocate as the voice of business with policymakers in Washington.

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THE VOICE OF BUSINESS: THE FORT WORTH CHAMBER'S 
STRATEGIC POLICY PRIORITIES

The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce supports policies that promote and enhance the overall vitality and prosperity of the Texas economy. The policy priorities articulated here are deliberately broad, intended to champion the voice, vision, and interests of our diverse Chamber members, their businesses, employees, and customers.

To achieve these outcomes, the FWC will proactively engage our elected officials and other policymakers to advocate for the enactment of policies that align with these priorities, while resisting proposals that we believe would directly harm our members, undermine our economic competitiveness, or tarnish our reputation as a pro-business community.

At all times, we aim to influence the policy discussion in a respectful, open, and ethical manner.

Economic competitiveness

Preserve Texas’ economic development incentives and support policies that promote innovative approaches to attracting capital investment in the state.

Ensure that our state’s diverse energy market, water supply, and transportation options are affordable, reliable, sustainable, and secure.

Support a tax system that stimulates economic growth by balancing the interests of all Texans, avoids a disproportionate tax burden on select sectors of the economy, and provides rules and processes that are transparent.

Workforce readiness/talent pipeline

Ensure access to an equitable and rigorous public education system through the sustained outcome-focused funding and additional support to address the ongoing impacts due to COVID-19.

Invest in Texas’ higher-education institutions through sustained formula funding and increased assistance for academic research and workforce development programs.

Align educational programs with workforce needs through existing and new state-level incentives for work-based learning opportunities and career focused instruction and learning.

Support the development of programs and initiatives to provide reskilling opportunities for non-traditional student populations in high-demand fields.

Support the ability of Texas businesses to determine appropriate healthcare coverage and access for their employees.

Provide adequate, predictable, and stable funding for Texas healthcare providers, including trauma care, maternal health services, and early childhood health services.

Fund the expansion of behavioral health services that address the full continuum of care, including the expansion of inpatient facilities and additional outpatient programs at all levels.

Provide systemic support for Texas’ childcare infrastructure to expand access to quality and affordable care options that enable parents to participate in the workforce.

Quality of life

Ensure Texas remains a welcoming state for all and the premier state in the nation for all people to live, work, play, and do business.

Preserve individual companies’ rights to manage their organizations and employees according to their unique needs.

Elevate initiatives tied to public safety that build greater trust between various communities and those serving in public safety roles.

Level one
Primary business issues

Primary business issues with a direct connection to business and where it would typically be appropriate for the fwc to take a position, though it may not always choose to do so.

These issues are core to business’ bottom line, such as taxes and regulations of major significance. The fwc will often take positions on these issue in coordination with our members in an effort to amplify their importance and present a united front to lawmakers.

Due to the sheer volume of such issues, we will not take a position on every such issue. When an issue rises to a level of significance for our membership and there are not clearly conflicting positions within our membership, we will likely take a position. The priority placed on the issue will be determined largely by practical considerations.

Level two
Enabling business

Enabling Business Issues that create an environment for businesses to thrive and contribute to regional growth and opportunity.

These issues include public and higher education, workforce development, and transportation and infrastructure.

FWC members typically do not dedicate their internal resources to addressing these issues, rather they look to organizations like the FWC to build consensus and impact policy outcomes on their behalf. As such, this activity is a key value-add the FWC provides our members.

Positions are developed in consultation with our members through the Government Affairs Committee and other channels.

Level three
Indirect impact

Social issues with Indirect Impact on business may resonate within the community but have little or no impact on business. While these issues attract considerable public attention and tend to generate strong partisan responses, they seldom have a clearly identifiable nexus to business or economic development.

In cases where a nexus to business is strongly established, the FWC must determine if it can truly impact to final outcome. Taking a position on such issues will be based on overwhelming consensus of the FWC Executive Board upon the recommendation of the Government Affairs Committee.

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