Texas Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Joe Straus each announced legislative issues that will be studied by senate and house committees during 2010, leading up to the next Texas legislative session in 2011. The results of these studies (such as revisions to the state's sales and franchise tax) may ultimately be filed as bills during the legislative session.
These studies provide a great opportunity for you to become involved in the Texas legislative process by weighing in on issues that impact your industry and how you do business in Texas. Changes in state law could result in a more friendly business environment for your industry or create hurdles that could increase the costs of doing business in the state. It is important for you to be active in legislative matters because in all likelihood, your competition will be involved.
The interim studies will include public hearings, during which opportunities exist to educate legislators and staff on the relevant topics. The studies also lead to the generation of written reports that are circulated to all members of the legislature. Thus, opportunities exist for your position on an issue to be included in – or excluded from – the results of a legislative study.
As provided by Lt. Governor Dewhurst and Speaker Straus, the following is the list of study topics that are likely to be important to your industry:
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