Gov. Perry Hosts Small Business Summit
Gov. Perry Hosts Small Business Summit
COLLEGE STATION - Gov. Rick Perry today told small-business owners that one of government's key goals is to help employers succeed.
"If Texas is to remain a place where jobs and opportunity are abundant, where the American dream is within reach for every family and where government priorities are funded by a growing economy instead of a growing tax burden, then one of our greatest goals must be to help small employers succeed today," Perry said in remarks to the Small Business Summit. Perry has held a series of summits around the state in support of small business.
Perry noted that the legislature has taken several steps to ensure that Texas has an environment that allows employers to flourish. Among those he cited are:
* Overhaul of the workers compensation system. Those reforms will protect injured workers, lower healthcare costs for employers and help return healthy employees to the workforce sooner.
* Lawsuit reform. By reforming procedures for asbestos lawsuits, Texas will no longer be the national haven for junk suits that put innocent employers out of business and that force truly sick Texans to wait in line to have their claim heard in court.
* A $15 million investment in workforce training so Texans have the skills needed in today's workplace and employers have a pool of qualified job-seekers.
* A $200 million investment in the Emerging Tech Fund and reinvestment of $180 million in the Texas Enterprise Fund, tools that are helping attract new, high-paying jobs to Texas.
"Each of these measures is important because they have removed many of the hurdles small businesses face on the road to success, and today my hope is that this summit will help you overcome some of the challenges that remain," Perry said.
Perry encouraged local small business owners to take advantage of opportunities presented at the summit, which offered advice on securing growth capital, utilizing health savings accounts, becoming certified as a Historically Underutilized Business and numerous other topics.
Perry also pointed out that representatives from numerous state agencies were present to help businesses in the Bryan/College Station area learn how to effectively bid for government contracts. "Whether it is for printing, construction, technical support or a wide variety of other opportunities, state contracts can add millions of new dollars to the local economy and serve as the catalyst that propels your business to new level of success," Perry said.
Perry added that the school finance package passed by the Legislature - which cuts property taxes by 33 percent - is good for small businesses. "Small business was foremost on our minds as we implemented tax reform last month. That's why we doubled the size of the small business exemption from $150,000 to $300,000 in gross receipts. Because of this change, a number of additional small businesses will pay nothing in taxes as they get their feet on the ground and grow," Perry said.
The governor added that businesses that owe as much as $1,000 under the reformed business tax will not be charged a cent. And every time a business paying under the tax hires a new worker, invests in health insurance or funds worker pension plans, that business's tax liability decreases.
"The possibilities for prosperity are endless if employers are not over-regulated and over-taxed. This is especially true for the small business that operates on a small margin," Perry said. "Small business is vitally important to me, not just because I helped my dad run one, but because they represent the best of Main Street America. They are the incubator where ideas are tested, refined and perfected so that families can experience opportunity."
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/press/pressreleases/PressRelease.2006-08-03.3507