Texas Business Leader Alliance Weekly News Summary
Weekly News Summary
Monday, July 27, 2026
This week’s developments demonstrate that Texas’ growth strategy is entering a more demanding phase. Attracting capital and technology remains important, but state leaders are increasingly asking whether projects contribute to electric capacity, conserve water, pay their infrastructure costs, respect neighboring communities, and create durable public benefit.
Housing affordability and transportation capacity are also becoming inseparable from workforce competitiveness. The state’s record housing tax-credit allocation can support additional supply, but employers, developers, local governments, and transportation agencies must coordinate to ensure that workers can reach jobs and remain in growing communities.
Election administration remains an active federal issue. On July 25, a federal appeals court declined to allow implementation of portions of a presidential executive order that would have imposed new federal requirements on mail voting in 23 states. Texas employers and civic organizations should continue relying on official state and local election authorities when communicating with employees and the public.
Nationally, businesses should plan for interest rates to remain elevated and immigration policy to remain unsettled. The Federal Reserve is likely to hold rates steady, but persistent inflation leaves open the possibility of future increases. Court action temporarily protected work authorization for thousands of immigrants, but another decision is expected by August 5.
Texas Legislative and Interim Hearings Updates
Election Cycle Updates
Business Leader Civic Engagement Opportunities
- Build a fall election calendar using official state and county sources.
- Explain the business relevance of local offices and ballot propositions.
- Review workplace scheduling and time-off-to-vote policies.
- Prepare neutral voter-registration and early-voting communications.
- Avoid distributing unverified information about mail ballots or voter eligibility.
- Establish a protocol for correcting misinformation using election-administrator (Texas Secretary of State) guidance.
- Communicate political and policy engagement transparently.
- Support factual, nonpartisan election participation.
- Create credible channels for employee and community feedback.
Texas Business Leader Alliance News Clips
Appeals court says Trump can't impose restrictions on mail-in voting for now
July 26, 2026
A federal appeals court has rejected the Trump administration's attempt to implement an executive order restricting mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections. The First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston on Saturday kept in place an order that blocked the proposed changes to mail-in voting in the 23 states that sued over the executive order.ABC News
US business activity perks up in July, helped by World Cup, but trend may not last, S&P Global says
July 24, 2026
Activity in the vast U.S. services sector accelerated in July, aided in part by spending around the FIFA World Cup and the Independence Day holiday, while the pace of growth in the manufacturing sector eased to the slowest since March amid a slowdown in precautionary stock building prompted by the U.S.-Israeli-led war with Iran. The Purchasing Managers' Index surveys from S&P Global suggest the third quarter got off to a solid start, but momentum will be challenged by the one-off nature of the drivers to July's gains and the recent intensifying of the Iran war, which has sent energy prices spiraling upward again after two months of falling back to near pre-war levels.
Texas businesses warn immigration changes could worsen worker shortages
July 24, 2026
Business leaders across Texas say immigration enforcement and changes to work authorization are adding to long-standing labor shortages in key industries. Companies in the food and construction sectors say they’ve struggled to find enough workers for years. Now, with Temporary Protected Status ending for some immigrants who have been legally authorized to work, business leaders warn staffing shortages could deepen, driving up costs and affecting the state’s economic growth.NBC Dallas Ft. Worth
State of Texas: Texas politicians call for guardrails on AI
July 25, 2026
Candidates for one of Texas' seats in the U.S. Senate called for guardrails on artificial intelligence this week, after OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced an unprecedented breach while testing a new AI model.KXAN
Upcoming Events and Conferences
- July 30, Fort Bend Regional Partnership - Future of Fort Bend: Conversation with Candidates for Fort Bend Judge For More Info: Jamie Loasby 281-566-2163 • jamie@fbrp.org TWO HALF-DAY SESSIONS Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 1:00 - 5:00 PM and Tuesday, September 1, 2026 | 1:00 - 5:00 PM; Fort Bend Regional Partnership Candidates Academy; Facilitator - Dr. Brandon Rottinghaus, Professor of Political Science, University of Houston. For more info: For more information:Jamie Loasby | 281-566-2163 jamie@fbrp.org
- August 25, Navigating Immigration: What Businesses and Organizations Need to Know - Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce Webinar Register Here
- September 3, San Antonio Business Expo and Doing Business with the State of Texas Symposium
- September 30, Bryan College Station Business Expo and Doing Business with the State of Texas Symposium
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Sharon Watkins Jones
Senior Advisor
Texas Business Leader Alliance
