Advocacy

The North San Antonio Chamber represents over a thousand business members and industries that employ more than 150,000 employees throughout Bexar County and has a long history as an advocate for business-friendly initiatives and legislation and works to ensure that the voices of Member businesses are heard and represented at the local level, at the state level during Texas Legislative Sessions, and at the federal level. As always, our principal mission is to serve as an advocate for our Member businesses and their employees in front of municipal, county, state, and federal officials on policy issues impacting the economic growth, quality of life, and financial health of local industries. We do this in many ways.

LOCAL ADVOCACY

2019-2021 North San Antonio Chamber | City Council Scorecard

The North SA Chamber advocates at the local level year-round, monitoring legislative and policy-making activity at City Council and the County.  Presenting the City Council’s voting record on business-related issues as a ‘scorecard’ is a tangible demonstration of our commitment to our mission.

The City Council Scorecard reflects San Antonio’s elected officials recorded votes on key issues impacting economic growth and development throughout their two-year city council term (Spring 2019 – Spring 2021). This informative tool provides a standing record of how each Councilmember and the Mayor vote on pro-business issues. It is important that our Mayor and City Council consider the impact on San Antonio businesses and their diverse industries— the job creators and wage providers for this city—when considering how they will vote on issues.

STATE & FEDERAL ADVOCACY

2023 | The 88th Texas Legislature and the 118th U.S. Congress will each be in session beginning in January 2023. Under the leadership of the Government Affairs Council Chair and in collaboration with the other Chamber Councils: Economic Development, Infrastructure Council, and the Workforce Council; the North SA Chamber will work with our partners, legislative delegation as well as other legislative and elected leaders to champion a pro-business agenda and ensure that the voices of business – large and small, are heard and that the policies and legislative issues that are important to them are represented in Austin and Washington D.C.

Legislative Agenda

2023 North San Antonio Chamber | 88th Texas Legislative Session Agenda Summary (PDF)

The North San Antonio Chamber represents business members in a variety of industries and employers throughout Bexar County. The Chamber advocates for business-friendly policies and legislation working to ensure that the needs of our members including smaller businesses, are understood and represented at all government levels. While the 87th Legislative Session focused on healthcare, redistricting, school finance and pandemic economic and workforce recovery; the 88th Legislative Session will have lawmakers fixated on Texans and businesses affected by a changing workforce, inflation, increased energy prices and tax burdens, and public and school safety and mental health service needs.

We will advocate on legislative efforts that recover, restore, and expand the San Antonio economy and workforce, creating jobs and opposing government restrictions, limitations, and overreach. This includes actively engaging business leaders, partners, stakeholders, and legislators and commissioning broad, long-term legislative priorities that impact businesses and employers; economic development and taxation; education and workforce development; infrastructure and innovation; the defense community and Veteran services; and legislation related to the distribution of federal funding such as, ARPA, IIJA, etc. for the San Antonio region.

Business Regulation & Employment Relations

  • Employer Mandates—Support legislation that protects business, economic growth, and job creation by prohibiting regulations and other governmental actions that limit employers’ rights that are unconstitutional or hinder free enterprise.

Economic Development & Taxation

  • Tax Incentives/Investments, Taxpayer Solutions, & Travel, Tourism, Entertainment, & Hospitality—Support sustained local and state incentives that supplement and increase economic development strategies to retain existing and recruit new employers and create new jobs. Assess property tax appraisal system, reduce tax burdens and retain and improve exemptions for taxpayers and businesses. Advocate for incentives that contribute to recovering industries, expand productivity and innovation in high-growth sectors, and oppose efforts that hinder workforce recruitment, business attraction/relocation, and tourism.

Education & Workforce

  • Education Finance & Workforce—San Antonio’s future workforce depends on education opportunities for all. We support a balanced approach to the distribution of public- and private-education funds and resources. Support a sustainable public education funding system that responds to changing student and workforce needs, and that lead to a strong workforce for in-demand and high-need jobs and occupations and TRBs for public higher education capital construction projects.

Infrastructure & Innovation

  • Transportation & Ports, Energy, Technology, & Healthcare/Biomed—Preserve existing and support new revenue sources for all transportation modes. Support innovative, cost-effective solutions strengthening all aspects of energy and utilities. Support innovative technology and broadband connectivity. Support expanded consumer healthcare access with lower business costs. Support funding for biomedical research and higher education infrastructure.

Veterans, Defense, & Military

  • Military & Veteran Workforce—Support legislation that promotes the training and placement of transitioning Veterans to civilian workforce, such as limiting barriers and fast-tracking certifications. Support legislation that protects local military installations from BRAC activities, including DEAAG funding.

2021 North San Antonio Chamber | 87th Texas Legislative Session Agenda Summary (PDF)

2019 North San Antonio Chamber | 86th Legislative Agenda

SPECIAL EVENTS

Periodically, through partnerships with concerned entities, the North SA Chamber will initiate special projects and endeavors that improve or advance the business, civic, higher education, or city/county government sectors. Such projects are typically identified by the Government Affairs Council, Infrastructure Council, and Board of Directors, and are voted on and either endorsed or opposed by the Board of Directors prior to implementation.

City Vision for San Antonio (Annual Program)

Attendees hear firsthand the Mayor’s plans for San Antonio during a luncheon program featuring a keynote address by the Mayor of the City of San Antonio as well as updates and networking opportunities with other City Councilmembers and business leaders.

State of the County Address (Annual Program)

Attendees get “the Bexar facts” regarding County priorities directly from the Bexar County Judge during a luncheon program.