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On November 15, the Fort Worth Chamber hosted its inaugural “Salute to Service” breakfast to empower veterans in their entrepreneurial and business endeavors. Event attendees were treated to a group of speakers including State Senator Kelly Hancock, Councilmember Elizabeth Beck, Councilmember Charles Lauersdorf, Jeffrey King with Falcon Construction, Casey Lawrence with GallantFew, and Steven Gonzalez with Workforce Solutions of Tarrant County.
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.
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?
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.
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.
The Texas Legislature has reached a long-awaited solution to deliver $18 billion of tax relief to Texans. After several rounds of negotiations from the regular session and two different special sessions, the Texas House and Senate have agreed on a tax relief package that now sits on Governor Abbott’s desk for approval. The Governor has […]
At the conclusion of the 88th regular session of the Texas Legislature, missing from a list of other pro-business policy wins was a resolution on property tax relief. With a record budget surplus, state leaders all agreed that delivering meaningful relief to taxpayers was a top priority. However, agreeing on the delivery mechanism for that relief proved to be more complicated.
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) 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 is a review of the variety of infrastructure bills that have been signed into law.
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) which was signed into law by Governor Abbott on June 8. 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 is House Bill 8, which will enhance opportunity at Texas community colleges.
The regular session of the 88th Texas Legislature concluded, and the first special session began immediately afterwards. Amidst the attention on the special session(s), several pro-business bills were passed during the regular session, including an economic development incentive bill, a junior college finance program, and infrastructure-related funding.
The passage of House Bill 5, also known as the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation Act, with widespread bipartisan support, aims to create new high-paying jobs, encourage economic development, attract business investment, and promote energy and water infrastructure development in Texas. The bill provides incentives such as property tax abatements and job creation requirements, and it is expected to keep Texas competitive and maintain its economic prosperity, known as the "Texas Miracle," by attracting businesses and ensuring continued investment and job growth.
