Looking toward the 79th Texas Legislature, business leaders and DFW legislators sat down for a roundtable on key issues last month.

On December 17, a group of 25 Chamber leaders and area legislators visited regarding the Chamber’s top six priorities and action plans for the coming Session.  The dialogue produced tangible results and outlined key challenges and opportunities for success in Austin.

A highlight of issues discussed at the roundtable includes:

Air Quality/Transportation

• Continued funding for the Texas Emission Reduction Plan and extending the program to 2010
• Continued funding for air quality research in Houston and DFW 
• Innovative transportation tools necessary to address DFW’s $56 billion backlog of identified transportation needs over the next 20 years

Economic Development

• Preservation of and increased funding for the Texas Enterprise Fund
• Increasing funding to the Skills Development Fund and preservation of property tax abatements

Health Care Initiatives

• Restoration of Medicaid/CHIP provider reimbursement rates and eligibility requirements in place prior to the actions of the 78th Legislature, and funding for both programs at a level that maximizes the availability of federal matching funds
• Support of legislation to regionalize trauma and tertiary care

Higher Education

• Restoration of funding from general revenue and special appropriation dollars, accounting for both growth and inflation, and reinstatement of excellence funding
• Maximum funding for the TEXAS Grant, the Texas Equalization Grant and the B-On Time Loan programs

Public School Finance

• Replacing the current school finance system with an overall equitable solution that reduces school property taxes by 50% and increases funding in the range of $500 to $1000 per student (roughly $2-$4 billion per year) to ensure an educated and skilled workforce
• Support for a broad-based business tax, with capacity for growth, to meet the anticipated needs of our school system

Workers’ Compensation

• Reformation of the existing workers’ compensation program to improve quality of care and access to that care, and reduce overall medical costs and enhance Texas’ ability for future economic growth. 
• Support of an employer network care delivery system that provides workers’ compensation beneficiaries prompt access to appropriate medical care, fosters optimum treatment, adheres to nationally accepted medical treatment standards and focuses on returning the beneficiary to work

For more information on the Chamber’s government relations activities, please contact Amanda Oneacre at 214-746-6783 or aoneacre@dallaschamber.org.