Weekly News Summary Monday, September 14, 2026

Weekly News Summary 
Monday, September 14, 2026

RSVP for an IMPORTANT BRIEFING 

TBLA’s 3rd Quarter Virtual Roundtable will be held jointly with The Business and Democracy Initiative 

We invite you to a virtual, off-the-record briefing on the 2026 midterm elections on September 29th at 3 pm CST.  We’ll be joined by a curated roster of election and democracy experts. Speakers will be announced closer to the date of the call.
 
Please RSVP to ashley@publicprivatestrategies.com to receive the calendar link and Zoom details.

This call serves to:
·         Frame the landscape of the 2026 midterm elections 
·         Identify emerging roadblocks to free and fair elections, and identify opportunities for continued collaboration
·         Connect, inform and mobilize business leaders to safeguard the election process and build trust in local institutions among voters
 
Weekly News Summary

Texas begins the week with an important economic milestone: our new stock exchange is beginning to attract meaningful primary listings from established New York markets. That reinforces the state's growing influence in finance, energy and corporate investment.

At the same time, the state is confronting the practical consequences of rapid growth. Electricity transmission, data-center demand, water use, health care administration and workforce supply are all under pressure. The decisions Texas makes in these areas will determine whether today's investment boom translates into sustainable prosperity.

National conditions add another layer of risk. Inflation is moving higher again, oil is above $100 and the Federal Reserve may raise rates next week. Employers should prepare for continued financing and operating-cost pressure rather than assume relief is imminent.

The election environment is also intensifying. A Galveston County ruling highlights the importance of stable election rules, while new national polling shows declining confidence in election information and government institutions. With only three weeks remaining before the voter-registration deadline, business leaders have an immediate opportunity to encourage participation and distribute accurate, nonpartisan information.

TEXAS LEGISLATIVE & AGENCY ACTIVITY THIS WEEK

House Energy Resources

Lawmakers will examine carbon capture, utilization and storage, including Texas' recently obtained Class VI permitting authority, pore-space ownership, environmental safeguards and liability.
House State Affairs / Senate State Affairs
Topics include:
·         disaster preparedness;
·         emergency communications;
·         judicial procedures; and
·         implementation of legislation from the 89th Legislature.
Additional hearings will examine:
·         energy regulation;
·         environmental policy;
·         state agency oversight;
·         local government spending;
·         property taxes; and
·         the relationship between local debt and taxpayer affordability.
 
ELECTIONS LANDSCAPE
Federal Voter-Verification Litigation
The federal government asked the U.S. Supreme Court this week to allow states to use an expanded federal immigration database to check voter citizenship status before November.
Lower courts have blocked the system, citing concerns about reliability and the risk of incorrectly identifying eligible voters, including naturalized citizens. The Trump administration argues the database is needed to strengthen election integrity.
This issue illustrates the importance of balancing two legitimate objectives:
·         maintaining accurate voter rolls; and
·         ensuring eligible citizens are not improperly prevented from voting.
Business organizations should avoid adjudicating unresolved legal disputes and instead encourage employees to verify their own registration through official state and county election systems.
Texas U.S. Senate Race Draws National Attention

Texas is now included among Senate races that could affect control of the chamber.

ELECTION CALENDAR


Date
Milestone

October 5
Last day to register to vote

October 19
Early voting begins

October 23
Mail-ballot application deadline

October 30
Early voting ends

November 3
Election Day

Three Weeks to Registration Deadline
Business organizations should now move fully into voter-registration and education mode.

Recommended actions:
Ask employees to verify registration.
Share official registration resources.
Encourage address updates for voters who have moved.
Explain early-voting dates.
Clarify company voting-time policies.
Direct employees to official election websites.
Avoid forwarding unverified election claims.
 
Texas Business Leader Alliance News Clips

 Texas Republicans call out railroad commissioner candidate over racist social media post

September 13, 2026
Several prominent Texas Republicans on Sunday condemned a racist post by Bo French, a GOP candidate for statewide office to regulate Texas’ oil and gas industry. French, who is running for state railroad commissioner, posted a photo of students of South Asian descent at the University of Texas celebrating the school’s football win over Ohio State on Saturday, saying, “The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”NBCNews

Trump promises $5,000 dividend in convention speech, but only if Republicans win

September 9, 2026
To incentivize voters to cast ballots for Republicans, President Trump used his convention speech to promise a dividend of $5,000 to every adult citizen if the Republican Party maintains control of Congress in the midterm election.  NPR

NYSE president touts Texas' 'pro-business environment' as stock exchange competition grows

September 11, 2026

As the Texas Stock Exchange lands commitments for its first major corporate listings, New York Stock Exchange President Lynn Martin is pointing to the Lone Star State's "pro-business environment" as a major reason companies continue to flock there. FOX Business

Upcoming  Events and Conferences
September 29 TBLA and Business and Democracy Initiative 3rd Quarter Roundtable (details at top of this email)
September 30,  Bryan College Station Business Expo and Doing Business with the State of Texas Symposium