State of Texas

Austin Chamber supports increasing funds for cancer research (Prop 6)

Our board of directors has endorsed proposed Texas Constitutional amendment 6 which would authorize the legislature to increase by $3 billion the maximum bond amount authorized for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. We are committed to ensuring that everything possible is being done to find a cure for cancer and we believe this constitutional amendment will help our incredibly talented and experienced researchers make breakthroughs in cancer prevention and research.

Austin Chamber supports more funding for public education (Prop 7)

Our board of directors has endorsed proposed Texas Constitutional amendment 7 which would allow an increase from $300 million to $600 million the amount that the General Land Office or an entity other than the State Board of Education could distribute to the Available School Fund each year in revenue derived from the land and properties it manages. This proposed increase will result in more funds being made available for public education in Texas and includes the ability to use these funds to give teachers the instructional tools they need to ensure all students are receiving the best education available.

Austin Chamber supports creation of flood infrastructure fund (Prop 8)

Our board of directors has endorsed proposed Texas Constitutional amendment 8 which would provide for the creation of the flood infrastructure fund to assist in the financing of drainage, flood mitigation, and flood control projects. If approved, the fund would receive $1.7B from the economic stabilization fund and be used to provide grants for regional projects. This would be a crucial tool in recovery from major weather events that have negatively impacted our state’s infrastructure, economy, and residents.

City of Austin

Austin Chamber opposes unnecessarily high burdens for community activities on city-owned property (Prop A)

Our board of directors voted to oppose City of Austin Proposition A which would create an unnecessarily high burden for community activities that pay to use City-owned facilities by requiring a supermajority vote of Austin City Council (9 of 11) and approval of voters. This ordinance would discourage new community events and recreational sports hosted at City-owned facilities; this is in direct opposition to the active lifestyle cherished by Austin residents.

Austin Chamber opposes the prevention of needed investment in Austin Convention Center that would damage our tourism industry (Prop B)

Our board of directors voted to oppose City of Austin Proposition B which would limit the city’s ability to expand the Austin Convention Center. We support Austin’s standing as a premier destination for tourism and the expansion of the Austin Convention Center to help attract more convention and conference business for the city. This proposed ordinance would also limit the ability of the convention center to retire its existing debt by limiting the percentage of the Hotel Occupancy Tax usable for these purposes to 34%. This would also require voter approval for any convention center improvement or expansion costing more than $20,000,000.