November 15, 2017      5:01 PM
Select Texas House economic panel gets down to work with big names, expedited schedule
Despite objections from Freedom Caucus members who argue committee is solely about bathrooms and a social agenda, the vast majority of testimony is focused on education, innovation, workforce challenges, and more
With
Gov. Greg Abbott’s stated support
and amid objection from members of the Freedom Caucus, the Texas
House Select Committee on Economic Competitiveness got down to work Wednesday
by hearing from heavy hitters in the business community including Tom Luce, Mark Cuban and Ross Perot, Jr.
Also
on hand for the day’s testimony: Representatives from Microsoft, the Dallas
Stars professional hockey team, Legacy Community Health, and the Texas
Taxpayers and Research Association.
“Although
Texas has succeeded and flourished with a thriving economy for many years, this
state is slipping in a direction that should be cause for concern,” said Chairman
Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, after gaveling
the committee to order for its first meeting. “In July of this year, the America’s Top States for Business
study found that Texas had dropped to number four in the nation,” Cook said,
adding it’s the “first time in 11 years that the Lone Star State finished outside
of the top two spots in the country for business ranking.”
“That
should be alarming to all Texans,” Cook said and vowed his committee would “explore
why this happened.”
By Scott Braddock
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Copyright November 15, 2017, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
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