Texas State Victories
The following NFIB victories will make a real difference for your business.
Recent NFIB/Texas victories:
Protected small business from a new tax on payroll and other taxes
NFIB led opposition efforts and was the only statewide business advocacy organization that worked to kill a new payroll tax as a solution to the state's school finance crisis. Because of our efforts, Texas business owners were protected from major tax increases on payroll, and a combination tax that would have been based on business income along with the jobs that businesses provide. By stopping this legislation, NFIB saved business owners up to $1,500 per employee per year.
Reformed workers' compensation system to keep premiums down
An estimated one-third of all workers' compensation claims are fraudulent. NFIB successfully worked with legislative leadership to craft workers' compensation insurance reforms that will provide protection for employees while eliminating fraud and reducing medical costs -- a key driver in premiums. The reforms create health-care provider networks that will create a more efficient delivery of services to injured workers while holding down costs businesses pay into the system.
Passed clarifying legislation, so small-business owners can join together to get less expensive health insurance
NFIB helped pass a clarifying 'clean-up' bill that will enable small businesses to join together in order to buy less expensive health insurance through a health group coop. as long as that participation is voluntary. This legislation also allows cooperatives to be treated as a single small employer for premium rates and as a single large employer for all other purposes including issuance and renewal of coverage. Actuarial analysis shows that costs are greatly reduced when risk pools increase and the costs are borne by a larger share of the population.
Passed sweeping tort reforms
NFIB/Texas helped lead the fight for key reforms to our state's civil justice system to curb lawsuit abuse and make it safer and less costly for businesses to operate in our state. These reforms included legal protection for retailers who unknowingly sell a defective product, allowing the Texas Supreme Court to refuse or certify a class in a class-action lawsuit, a new law that encourages litigants to settle cases outside of the courts, protecting small business by ensuring that they can only be held liable for their actions, and establishing caps for medical professionals to help reign in frivolous lawsuits and to help drive down the cost of health care.
Eliminated costly state health-care mandates
NFIB led the fight to eliminate unfair health-insurance mandates that negatively impact small businesses in our state. Mandates drive up the cost of health insurance and make it more difficult for small businesses to get the coverage they need. Through NFIB legislative action, the Texas Legislature created a program through which health insurers can offer solutions that are not subject to the assorted mandates. While this is not a final solution to the problem of health-insurance costs, it is a great step in the right direction and NFIB is keeping up the fight.
Stopped the "living wage"
In the past, local governments had begun enacting their own local "minimum wage." In order to garner support from the public, they called this a "living wage." Thanks to NFIB's efforts, the Texas Legislature not only eliminated the local wages, they also took away the ability of cities to craft their own local wage. This is key for small businesses who cannot bear the costs of more local government mandates.
VICTORY: 2002 -- During the last legislative session, NFIB/Texas successfully fought off 20 of 22 proposed health care mandates that would have significantly increased the cost of health insurance, helping to keep healthcare accessible and affordable.
VICTORY: 2002 -- NFIB/Texas helped fight several proposed new laws that would have regulated labor, including one that would have exempted long-term employees from Texas' "employment at will" statute. This would have effectively meant that a long-term employee could never be fired, except for cause.
