Welcome to be able to that Corpus Christi Chamber with Commerce
Welcome towards Corpus Christi Chamber regarding Commerce, where your company will be our own business. Our mission should be to foster internet business progress by advocating company issues, enhancing the business weather factors and providing expert services for you to their members.
In past due January, the Senate in addition to House unveiled funds proposals in which include significant reductions that will schools. While the Senate as well as House variations vary, your plans integrated eliminating brings with regard to Texas s pre-kindergarten plan along with cutting off grant making plans that provide university educational costs and charge assist regarding financially disadvantaged students. Public schooling is actually dealing with $9.8 thousand in funding discount rates and it is estimated that 100,000 people today just like teachers, bus drivers, as well as experts will get rid of their jobs. In addition, your House budget offer haircuts blueprint financing to get establishments associated with degree by 10 percent all over the board, which includes a freeze on financial aid.
With public knowledge along with bigger schooling recognized as two regarding some of our top concerns for any 82nd legislative session, your chamber is starting your marketing and sales communications campaign this outlines the vital knowledge issues going through our community. We encourage business along with industry management to make contact with our own community delegation and users with the training committees to be able to tell that money reductions of your magnitude will change organization along with market in the region.
If you're enthusiastic about delivering a mail i highly recommend you to secure a listing of legislator connections and also . The members belonging to the legislature ought to hear that the small business neighborhood completely believes that of which education can be a ideal investment sometime soon economic development with our state. If we all do not work now, our condition may perhaps experience a path that may negatively consequence our potential prosperity.
Thank you,
Desiree Castro
Government Relations Coordinator
Legislative Update - April 7, 2011
On Sunday, April 3rd, the particular Texas House involving Representatives eliminated from the body the first draft from the state budget, House Bill 1, with a vote involving 98 to be able to 49. The $164.5 thousand spending plan will certainly expend $23 thousand a reduced amount of compared to recent spending plan as well as does not add fees or even drop into this condition vertisements stormy day fund but does institute strong cuts to court education, bigger education, and health and wellbeing in addition to people services.
According to some March investigation simply by the Legislative Budget Board, a new bowl committee from the Texas Legislature, your House proposal may possibly price our point out about 300,000 jobs. Locally, Del Mar College can be bracing pertaining to savings that cover anything from $12 million to help $14.4 thousand though Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi will be going through a biennium lowering connected with $23.7 million.
With the particular House passage, the particular finances will now move on to be able to the particular Texas Senate, which often is expected to present a proposal along with fewer cuts. Once the actual Senate variant belonging to the spending plan is usually passed, each chamber will probably hire users to a conference committee where they are going to balance out their different variants on the budget, along with pass away your conference report. Each chamber will vote over a final model associated with that finances ahead of the legislature adjourns.
The pursuing can be a few concerns the particular chamber has been tracking:
Economic Development
The chamber may be a sturdy relief for your economical growth courses that the actual Texas Legislature has put in place in the state. Our economic progression device kit is usually one of your greatest within the country andf the other belonging to the most effective pieces will be this Texas Economic Development Act, called more commonly because Chapter 313 .
Several pieces of procedures happen to be manually filed that may change the law such as HB 2652 simply by Rep. Jim Pitts along with SB 1590 by means of Sen. Steve Ogden. SB 1590 would certainly cap point out paying on tax fails community school trustees can easily grant that will help appeal to internet business or expansion projects. The charge would in addition shift the facility to create decision upon tax destroys coming from nearby trustees for the state comptroller. The bill seemed to be still left unresolved inside Senate Finance Committee.
In addition, this chamber gone to the House Committee with Ways & Means to guide HB 1316 by simply Rep. Raul Torres. The suggested legislation plus it is senate companion, SB 977 through Sen. Hinojosa, corelates to meeting core hotel bonuses to get Corpus Christi . The costs would certainly allow Corpus Christi being a candidate for you to receive certain concessions pertaining to income as well as work with levy and also hotel occupancy fees made through your State with Texas. The bill was kept approaching in committee.
Gaming
Last week, this chamber attended that House Committee with Licensing and Administrative Procedures to aid video gaming proposals this involved full-fledged place casinos, legalizing and also controlling texas hold'em parlors, plus making it possible for slots and also conference tables at current trails in addition to Native American reservations. Dozens of wagering proponents chatted and only the activity documenting which casino fees could decide to put a further $1 billion annually towards assert coffers. Landry's CEO Tilman Fertitta stated he or she could have a Golden Nugget online casino open within Galveston "within some sort of subject regarding weeks" if igaming ended up being approved. Houston-based Landry's Inc. is the owner of your Golden Nugget casinos within Las Vegas in addition to Laughlin.
Although proponents assume that your state verts personal circumstances gives these individuals a good case, the committee quit more than a dozen bills pending which will will probably possibly be revised by simply committee staff members just before lawmakers hired your vote.
Windstorm Insurance
Last session, reforming in addition to healing the Texas Windstorm Association (TWIA) was on the list of primary troubles facing the particular Coastal Bend. Legislation appeared to be submitted that may have got dramatically improved TWIA charges in addition to damage this financial state of the Texas coast. Fortunately, nothing of the people bills eliminated from the body plus present-day laws give windstorm insurance plan at a reasonable rate.
This session various reform bills have been filed including HB 272 by simply Rep. John Smithee, Chairman in the House Insurance Committee, along with HB 2818 simply by Rep. John Taylor, a representative with the committee. HB 272 pertains to that functioning regarding TWIA and also for the resolution of selected disputes concerning states made to your association. HB 2818 by simply John Taylor is a complete reform work expected that will target many of the issues going through TWIA. We will always maintain you kept up to date about the status of these kind of windstorm insurance coverage payments at the same time others which were filed.
Thank you,
Desiree Castro
Government Relations Coordinator
Early this specific morning, your Texas House regarding Representatives tentatively voted for any new House redistricting map. The vote, 92-52, used a day that will focused mostly on argument related to minority districts. The approach would many nevertheless confirm a on going Republican majority plus paired numerous members together, as well as Representative Raul Torres along with Representative Connie Scott.
The loan consolidation of Districts thirty-three and 34, picks up to be able to this relative gradual society growth within the Coastal Bend as compared to the rest regarding Texas. For instance, Nueces County became simply by exclusively 8.5 percent, in comparison with this statewide progress connected with 20.6 percent.
Currently, District 32 has 157,055 residents, District 33 has 148,929 residents, and District 34 has 143,582. According for the Texas Legislative Council, usual society for every Texas House District now has to be 167,637. As a new result, the about three Corpus Christi lawmakers located their areas simple on the ideal numbers as well as the integrating associated with two Corpus Christi Texas House affiliates had not been unexpected.
For details on Texas Redistricting, take a look at the
Other issue:
Senate Budget
Last week, that Senate Finance Committee sanctioned its amended type associated with HB 1, this Appropriations bill, by means of a good 11-4 vote. The $176.4 million two-year point out price range spends practically $12 billion more than a $164.5 million finances passed with the House.
The Senate Committee Finance Chairman, Steve Ogden, stated he desires for you to have the charge to full Senate through the end of the week. However, Ogden is usually having problem receiving the two-thirds of the GOP-controlled Senate to ask about into your market regarding consideration. This is mainly due to a proposal to waste money from your rainy-day fund to aid balance that plan for 2012-2013.
Thank you,
Desiree Castro
Government Relations Coordinator
Legislative Update - May 12, 2011
The Texas House of Representatives handed HB 272, a new bill that might reform that Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. The bill, sanctioned right after 49 amendments have been debated, reacts towards the method promises had been handled right after Hurricane Ike in order to allegations connected with corruption in the agency.
Last week, the actual chamber put in a week throughout Austin to go over our problems along with customers about HB 272, that could have in a wrong way afflicted coastal locals along with business owners. The chamber as well passed out a resolution to all 150 house users that urged the particular legislature in order to vote against the bill around this type this was voted outside the House Committee with Insurance.
Due to efforts produced by the chamber, seaside representatives were able to present numerous amendments which created the bill better. Initially, HB 272 would certainly call for TWIA to ascertain amount territories plus allow them that will separate a local without earlier endorsement and boost your premiums in most parts of the region not really more than 15%. However, an variation ended up being provided that stripped the speed increase. In addition, an change was offered in order to adjust the venue for court trials related to claims. Previously, policyholders were required to travel to Austin pertaining to courtroom proceedings but now this will take place in your state the place that the house will be located.
The brand-new measure additionally involves strict integrity guidelines with regard to TWIA s snowboard connected with directors as well as employees, bans TWIA coming from offering insurance coverage to a number of structures, for example casinos and sexually driven businesses, and requires the particular commissioner in order to shorten the windstorm insurance coverage application process. Finally, the legislation would likely rename TWIA your Texas Coastal Insurance Plan.
The payment now minds into the point out Senate. For more info . on HB 272, phone (361) 881-1800.
Thanks,
Desiree Castro
Government Affairs Coordinator
Legislative Update - May 25, 2011
On Monday morning, the particular price range management meeting committee came that will a contract to the leftover parts on the budget, Article I, which usually pertains to open in addition to higher education as well as Article IX, which relates to general government. With just one full week remaining in session, your legislature needs to have your last vote for the 2012-2013 budget a few minutes that weekend.
In addition, that Senate handed down it is version of the costs that is going to reform that Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Some major provisions with the payment include a mediation course of action if anyone is that contest their boasts as well as choice to get test de novo. However, concerns continue when using the Senate type as a result of chance of a rate increase.
Although the Chamber remains concerned with the particular TWIA reform bill, there are several positive legal things for the Coastal Bend changing forward. Late very last week, that Texas House okayed Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, by means of Senator Juan Chuy Hinojosa, which will authorizes a legislative examine relating to the actual growth plus probable economical effect of an sail market south of Calhoun County. The study could include discussion of a legislative committee which may hold hearings in residential areas along the coast. The hearings would be a open public exhibition that will sail business authorities with the district azines curiosity about them. With SCR five passing both Senate and also House chambers, it is these days on its way to the actual Governor ersus office pertaining to his / her signature.
The Texas Legislature as well passed SB 977 by simply Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa and it is House companion, HB 1316, simply by Rep. Raul Torres. The charge might allow Corpus Christi to become eligible to be able to collect a number of discounts to get sales plus employ levy and lodge occupancy fees added through the State of Texas. In other words, into your market would likely include Corpus Christi on the set of locations suitable to help create a certified motel project under this Enterprise Zone. The charge has become about its route to the Governor utes office.
Government Affairs Coordinator
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