Small Businesses Urge Lawmakers to Support Texas Regulatory Consistency Act

March 15, 2023

House State Affairs Committee considers HB 2127

Small Businesses Urge Lawmakers to Support Texas Regulatory Consistency Act

AUSTIN (March 15, 2023) – Texas job creators and NFIB State Director Annie Spilman appeared before a House State Affairs Committee hearing urging lawmakers to support the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act (HB 2127). During their testimony, small business owners from across the state described how challenging it’s become to comply with the regulatory landscape in Texas. “We’re small businesses,” said Robert Mayfield, a small business owner of Dairy Queen franchises in the Austin area. “We need the protection of the state, when it comes to cities telling us how to run our businesses.” These sentiments were echoed by San Antonio small business owner Lisa Fullerton and College Station small business owner Tom Kenney. During her testimony, Spilman noted that some of the cities that oppose HB 2127, have had an army of attorneys at their disposal to go through the bill, unlike the small business owners they’ve attempted to regulate in the dead of night. “We’ve done everything we can to make sure this is a good piece of legislation. That everybody is taken care of and not to take away city power, but to give business owners the tools they need to make sure these cities are not going above and beyond their jurisdiction.” Spilman also highlighted how small business owners don’t need more mandates from city councils or the Legislature to take care of their employees. “The business community wants to take care of the people who work with them. They are their family members. They want to provide for them. This is a competitive market. Right now, 60 percent of small business owners are not able to fill positions. […] They’re doing everything they can to increase wages, even though they’re losing revenue. They’re doing everything they can to provide the benefits and the safe work environment.” Spilman’s testimony can be viewed here and begins at 4:54:30. Background: For the past several years, NFIB and members of the business community have sought to prohibit cities and counties from implementing policies that exceed or conflict with federal or state law related to employment leave, hiring practices, employment benefits, or scheduling practices. NFIB is a member of The Alliance for Securing and Strengthening the Economy in Texas (ASSET), a coalition of business organizations, formed to advance policies that foster economic growth and allow the free market to operate without heavy government interference in business decisions. Other partner organizations include: Associated Builders and Contractors of Texas, Texas Association of Builders, Texas Society of Human Resource Management, Texas Association of Staffing, Texas Construction Association, Central Texas Subcontractors Association, Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, Texas Restaurant Association, Texas Retailers Association, Texas Association of Business, Hispanic Contractors Association, Texas Food & Fuel Association, Texas Apartment Association, Associated General Contractors- Texas Building Branch, Real Estate Councils of Texas, Texas Travel Alliance, Texas Nursery & Landscape Association, and the Theater Owners of Mid-America.

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Texas

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