The following statement can be attributed to Tony Bennett, President & CEO of the Texas Association of Manufacturers:

The Texas Legislature adjourned sine die yesterday, and there is much work that all members can be proud of. Working across both chambers, and across party lines, Senators and Representatives came together to support all Texans, consumers and businesses alike. Those successes are especially important for Texas manufacturers:

• strong protections for consumers from increasing electricity costs, while creating opportunities to strengthen the Texas grid and promote the development of reliable energy sources;
• a new, modern, and transparent economic development tool that will allow Texas to compete for large scale, capital intensive projects and the good jobs they bring to a community;
• enhancements to Texas’ civil justice system that will allow for efficiency in, and access to, our courts;
• strong investments in Texas’ workforce, ensuring that the state will be ready to support today’s manufacturers, and the jobs that will be a part of the future; and
• support for Texas regulatory structure, that promotes economic development while providing more certainty and consistency in the permitting process, and provides for better protection of public health and our environment.

The Legislature will meet later today for the First Called Session of the 88th Legislature. Manufacturers have long favored rate compression as the most equitable way to lower property taxes for all Texans. While legislators proposed many ideas to help Texas taxpayers in the 88th Regular Session, TAM encourages both chambers to enact rate compression in the First Called Session, a move that will provide help to all taxpayers equally, and in proportion to their share of the burden.

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Media Contact: Luke Legate, 512-775-9400