Publications

2011 Voting Record

The Texas Association of Business (TAB) is proud to publish For the Record 2011. This publication reflects lawmaker’s scorecards for the 82nd Legislative Session.

Our recently released Results publication shows you the fight businesses waged during this Legislative Session, a fight made even harder because of the budgetary constraints that the State dealt with and will continue to deal with. As you will see in our Results publication there were many victories and in fact TAB’s President and CEO Bill Hammond has called the 82nd Session “one of the best business sessions in recent memory.”

For the Record offers insight into how individual lawmakers voted on the issues critical to businesses, taxpayers and families. While the economy in Texas is starting to look up ever so slightly, there were serious challenges this Legislative Session, and there will be serious challenges during the next Legislative Session as well.

Each session, TAB contacts the Legislature about the bills and issues that impact small and large employers across Texas. TAB takes seriously the charge of holding lawmakers accountable for the way they vote on these issues. For the Record 2011 is one of the most valuable tools to hold legislators accountable and to ensure that they are addressing the needs of the business community.

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2011 Legislative Results

Even taking into account the severe budgetary limits faced by Texas Lawmakers, the 82nd Legislative Session was a huge success for businesses in Texas. Lawmakers maintained and advanced the primary mission of the Texas Association of Business, to create the best business climate on the planet. While not funding all of the “wants” of Texans, Lawmakers did manage to fund the “needs” of our citizens without raising taxes.

Education is always a priority for TAB, and for our State Lawmakers. This priority proved itself during the Session as the Legislature resisted attempts to water-down the state’s previously passed reforms to the school accountability system. Many view the incoming accountability system to be the best in the country. Altering that system would have set education back, hurting both our school children and our taxpayers.

Legislation was passed that will implement a lawsuit reform plan that will make it even harder for lawsuits with no merit to be filed, while at the same allowing people with real claims to have access to the courthouse. Maintaining a good legal climate is vital for continued job creation.

Lawmakers also passed important reforms that will save the state hundreds of millions on Medicaid expenses and managed to maintain the fragile balance between protecting the environment and job creation. Now if only the federal government would figure that out.

From our perspective, the great news is that Texas is well-positioned to maintain its lead in job- creation for the next two years thanks to what the Legislature passed, and in some cases killed, this Legislative Session. However, there is much work to be done by leaders, businesses, and policymakers during this Interim to ensure that when 2013 rolls around, Texas’ success can be repeated.

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Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program: The Economic Benefits From Incentives

This study analyzes the economic and fiscal impacts of the $80 million Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program. The incentive program was created to encourage companies, producers, and small businesses to choose Texas over other states when selecting sites for their film, television, commercial, and video game productions. An initial appropriation of $20 million was provided for the September 1, 2007—August 31, 2009 biennium. The initial incentive reimbursement rate, however, proved to be too low and uncompetitive compared to incentives offered by other state governments. In the 2009 legislative session, the program was augmented, creating a sliding scale for incentive grant reimbursements and appropriating $60 million for the biennium ending August 31, 2011. This study analyzes the economic and fiscal impacts of the $80 million spent and encumbered for approved projects between June 2007 and December 2010.

The report can be viewed as an Adobe Acrobat (PDF) file at: http://ic2.utexas.edu/miiip

2011 Legislative Priorities

The legislative priorities of the Texas Association of Business (TAB) represent the most important issues to the employers of Texas. For your convenience, we have compiled our biennial agenda that is developed and approved by the TAB Board of Directors.
TAB’s guiding philosophy in taking principled positions on legislative issues is that what happens at our State Capitol directly impacts the bottom line of employers, employees and families in our state.
With a healthy business climate comes a strong tax base for the state; a friendly regulatory environment for businesses; improved access to a world-class education; more career opportunities during times of prosperity; and, most importantly, a better quality of life for Texas families.
TAB proudly takes its marching orders directly from Texas employers each time the Association suits up for the legislative session; fighting for employers every step of the way. TAB knows that what is best for Texas business is what is best for Texans. For over 85 years, TAB has been the undisputed leader in positively impacting and building the Texas business climate. As we look forward to the 2011 Legislative Session, the top issues will be:

Taxes & Spending
Regulatory Environment
Education
Health Care

By building upon the positive effects of sessions prior, TAB hopes to create an environment where businesses continue to thrive, the economy remains robust, and the Lone Star State continues to shine.
When the 2011 Legislative Session adjourns, TAB will report on the legislative results and prepare a voting record based on the issues outlined in this publication. Legislators who score 80 or above on the issues most important to employers will be awarded with TAB legislative honors.

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2011 National Affairs Priorities

The National Debt, Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security problems may seem abstract and distant. However, even if you’re not eligible for Medicaid and won’t be ready to retire for many years, the federal government’s actions today greatly affect us here in Texas right now.

The Texas Center for Federal Policy exists because many Texans just like you feel that the Lone Star State is disproportionately impacted by the decisions made in Washington. And rightly so.

Take environmental policy. The EPA’s war on fossil fuels and its irrational attempts to regulate naturally occurring gases and particles gains a whole new meaning in a state like Texas.

Texas is blessed with an abundance of natural resources, open spaces and—most importantly—jobs. TAB’s Texas Center for Federal Policy is working hard to ensure that our state stays productive. The goal is that Texas’s residents can live better lives, while at the same time providing opportunities for our fellow Americans who have relocated to Texas in droves during recent years.

The Texas Center for Federal Policy advocates for and against specific policies that impact Texan and American businesses and jobs.

For example, we stand against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s efforts to classify the dunes sagebrush lizard and the lesser prairie chicken as endangered species. Giving endangered status to these West Texas creatures could spell doom for businesses that perform practically any outdoor operations in certain areas—i.e. raise cattle or drill for oil. The species could be protected by other means, but if the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has its way, the half-million residents of the Permian Basin will be an endangered species.

Stand with the Texas Center for Federal Policy today. Stand with us for what works—free markets, state and local control, and fiscal responsibility.

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Expanding Medicaid Managed Care in Texas

Despite financial troubles across the globe, Texas weathered the economic storm better than any place in America; in large measure due to state leaders passing sound public policy. From championing fiscal restraint to reducing lawsuit abuse, from public education to worker’s compensation reform, the Texas Association of Business (TAB) has led the fight on the toughest legislative battles to date.

The State of Texas is now facing a multi-billion dollar budget shortfall in the next biennium. In the midst of the back-and-forth attempts between agencies and leaders to identify and root out waste, TAB believes ridding the State’s ledgers of fraud and abuse must be priority number one.

Nowhere can we identify potential savings easier than in the health care arena. By expanding the Medicaid managed care system in Texas, we can save over $160 million in the next three years. What’s even better than the savings? Increasing the access and quality of health care services to thousands of Texas citizens, while
saving business and taxpayer dollars.

TAB is committed to ensuring that families across Texas have top-notch access to health care and excellent quality of care, all while producing a cost savings. The sky-rocketing health care costs in the three exempted Texas counties are adding tens of millions of unnecessary dollars to our tax burden. Read what’s inside the
report that our team put together. The following pages, and the answers contained within, may shock you.

Texas knows Medicaid managed care works—both for the Medicaid recipients and for Texas’ budget. The employers and citizens of Texas deserve to have the best costs and the best access to health care services throughout our entire state.

Bill Hammond
President, Texas Association of Business

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Invest in the Very Young

The Case for High Quality Early Childhood Education

Quality Pre–Kindergarten programs contribute to America’s bottom line, period. The positive impact on children’s ability to learn increases the likelihood that they will grow up to be net economic and social contributors to society. As a result, federal, state and local governments will be able to dedicate less of their resources to incarceration, educational remediation, and to social welfare.

We must apply solid fiscal logic to make Texas more competitive, to draw more investment, and to create additional jobs. The Texas Education Commissioner is a champion of Pre-Kindergarten and recognizes that quality curriculum is what produces a successful program. That is why, under his direction, the Texas Education Agency has worked with researchers at Texas’ top universities to develop the new Pre-Kindergarten curriculum guidelines.

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Texas Employment Law Handbook

Trying to Keep up with Ever-Changing State Employment Law Issues?

Find all the answers in just one book published by Texas Association of Business and the Texas State council of SHRM — the leading business authorities in the state.

The Answers at Your Fingertips.

Looking for an answer for your latest employment dilemma? Look no further than the Texas Employment Law Handbook. The Texas Employment Law Handbook is written by Texas Labor Law Attorneys and focuses exclusively on the needs of Texas employers.

The Texas Employment Law Handbook delivers practical, hands-on advice that you need to keep your business in compliance with the ever-changing state and federal labor laws. It is available on the worldwide web, so no matter where you are or what you are doing you can have the answers.

The Texas Employment Law Handbook arms you with the information you need to keep you out of the courtroom. Earlier this year as well as last year, many critical cases were decided that affect how you deal with employees and how you run your business. TAB's Employment Law Handbook puts all these new changes together with other in-depth advice.

TAB will now be publishing its handbook online, ensuring that it reflects the latest changes in employment law.

TAB has published the Texas Employment Law Handbook since 1989. From Texas payday rules to Workers' Compensation, all chapters are researched and written by board-certified labor law attorneys.

Use the book that is available in every Texas Court Library. TAB supplies each Texas court library with a book to reference in employment-related cases.

For More Information Texas Employment Law Handbook