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The Fort Worth Chamber’s investors council was joined by Mayor Mattie Parker on Tuesday for an update on the City of Fort Worth’s new greenspace initiative: Good Natured. Greenspace can be defined as any of the following features: Mayor Parker argued Fort Worth needs additional greenspace to meet the demands of the city’s record growth, […]
An issue that has emerged more frequently in recent discussions revolves around homelessness and its potential ramifications for businesses in the Fort Worth area.
Early voting began this week for the November 7 Constitutional Amendments election, featuring 14 ballot propositions. The Fort Worth Chamber provided an overview of all 14 earlier this year, which can be viewed here. With several of the propositions impacting business operations in some capacity, outlined below are the pro-business cases for some of the amendments that appear on the ballot.
The Texas Legislature reconvened on October 9 for its third special session of the year. Among the items listed on the call released by Governor Abbott is a “[prohibition of] COVID-19 vaccine mandates by private employers.” At the time of writing, there were two main proposals on the topic; one in the Senate and one in the House.
On October 6, Mayor Mattie Parker updated more than 1,000 local business leaders at the Fort Worth Chamber’s annual State of the City address. With one two-year term in the rearview mirror and embarking on her second term, Mayor Parker described that state of the City as strong, and provided several highlights illustrating the community’s […]
The Wall Street Journal recently published an article illustrating America’s “long-term labor crisis” using a handful of different metrics. What does the statewide and local data say about the same trends in Texas and Tarrant County?
“How important do you think public education is to the health, safety, and welfare of our community?” In a presentation to the Fort Worth City Council on September 19, Pete Geren discussed this question with council members and shared data which painted the picture that Fort Worth area public school students are falling off the pace to remain at grade level in math and reading.
On September 8, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced the publication of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), Defining and Delimiting the Exemptions for Executive, Administrative, Professional, Outside Sales, and Computer Employees. Referred to simply as the “overtime rule”, the proposal aims to increase the salary threshold under which employees would be required to receive […]
The Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce hosted its latest Leaders in Government event, presented by Kelly Hart, on Thursday, September 7. U.S. Representative Roger Williams, chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, was the featured speaker. Chairman Williams visited with members of the Chamber’s Business Retention and Expansion Committee as well as the Government Affairs Committee prior to the luncheon, providing updates on issues facing the country’s small businesses.
On November 7, Texans will go to the polls to vote on 14 proposed amendments to the state constitution. Below is a summary of the final seven propositions, in the order they will appear on the ballot. Direct links to each proposition are also included for further reading.
On November 7, Texans will go to the polls to vote on 14 proposed amendments to the state constitution. Below is a summary of the first seven propositions, in the order they will appear on the ballot. Direct links to each proposition are also included for further reading.
The Fort Worth Chamber hosted its annual State of the County, presented by Capital One, on August 17, featuring Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare. Judge O’Hare recapped his tenure since coming into office at the beginning of 2023, and provided an overview of the county's current trajectory and future aspirations.
At a Fort Worth City Council meeting on August 8, City Manager David Cooke unveiled a proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-2024. Several additional meetings are scheduled to take place on the budget throughout August and September before finalization, but several items stand out as being of potential interest to the business community. Overview The […]
Texas legislators have one constitutional duty every other year when the Legislature is in session: pass a budget. This biennium’s budget process featured operating with a historic surplus of more than $30 billion, generating robust debate on how to best spend those resources. The final version eclipsed 1,000 pages, so here are some highlights of what is included in the 2024-2025 budget.
The Fort Worth business community secured several public policy wins during the regular session of the 88th Legislature, such as the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act (HB 5), key infrastructure funding, property tax relief, and a boost to Texas community colleges to more adequately prepare the state’s workforce. To inform the business community of other legislative wins, the Chamber will be highlighting a variety of bills that became law this past session. Next up on the list: enhanced film incentives.
