On The Record

This is a weekly publication of the Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce. We will be presenting information on public policy, governmental meetings, and issues of business concern. Our goal is to provide you with information to empower your engagement. Thank you for your partnership with the Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce.

CHAMBER STORMS AUSTIN

The Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce visited Austin, Texas to speak with government leaders on business and community issues. As part of the Northeast Texas Coalition, representatives from various statewide offices and legislators delivered information and answered relevant questions concerning current challenges to the northeast Texas communities. Over 175 representatives from the counties of Bowie, Cass, Delta, Franklin, Hopkins, Lamar, Morris, Red River and Titus.attended the two day program. State Senator Brian Hughes provided a night time tour of the capital as well as a discussion of the history of the capital. More pictures to follow..

TEXARKANA/TAMUT STARTUP WEEKEND

Texarkana Chamber of Commerce and A&M-Texarkana announce plans for 2017 Startup Weekend Texarkana - see press release

See Information Poster here

Startup Weekend link to event for information and where tickets can be purchased.

TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS

Governmental Meetings

March 20, 6:00 pm, Board of Directors Meeting, City Hall

TEXARKANA, TEXAS

Governmental Meetings

March 13, 6:00 pm, City Council Meeting, City Hall Agenda Agenda Packet

March 27, 6:00 pm, City Council Meeting, City Hall
March 10, 6:00 pm, City Council Meeting, City Hall
March 24, 6:00 pm, City Council Meeting, City Hall

AR KANSAS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE/ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES OF ARKANSAS

Daily Legislative Update

91st General Assembly Thursday, March 10, 2017 - Day 54 (read more)

UNITED STATES SENATOR TED CRUZ

Senator Ted Cruz's newsletter is here. Highlights of the newsletter include:

* Bipartisan Cruz-Nelson NASA Transition Authorization Act sent to the President's Desk

* ICYMI: Senator. Cruz and Reps. Smith and Babin Op-Ed in Houston Chronicle: 'A strong step for Texas, and one giant leap for space exploration'

* Senator Cruz Re-Introduces Bill Naming Cuban Embassy's D.C. Address After Dissident Oswaldo Payá

* Statement Regarding President Trump's Executive Order to Facilitate Stronger Vetting Procedures for Refugees

* Statement Regarding Recent Threats Against Jewish Institutions

* Senator. Cruz Praises Nomination of Noel Francisco as U.S. Solicitor General

UNITED STATES CONGRESSMAN BRUCE WESTERMAN

Congressman Bruce Westerman's newsletter is here. Highlights of the newsletter are:

* Civil litigation system

* Private Property Protection
* Telephone Town Hall Meeting

TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL PAXTON

* AG Paxton Statement on the President's Revised Immigration Order

* AG Paxton Leads 19-State Coalition Urging EPA to End Systematic Federal Overreach

*AG Paxton Files Motion to Intervene in Lawsuit Challenging Texas' Right to Honor ICE Detainers
Visit his website for details.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RQ-0153-KP - Re: Which party pays for the copy of the reporter's record filed with the trial court clerk pursuant to Rule of Appellate Procedure 34.6(h) (look here)

TEXARKANA GAZZETTE

"Judge: No Tax Raise Needed To Buy Bank For County" by Jim Williamson, March 4
"Directors To revisit Proposal To Ban Chaining Dogs In City" by Karl Richter, March 5
"Main Street Program Up For National Accreditation" March 6
"What To Watch: After Senate Sideshow 'Bathroom Bill' Looms by Will Weisert, The Associated Press March 6 (read more)
"Hutchinson Appoints Five to Arkansas Boards, Commissions" March 10
"PGISD One Step Closer To Becoming A District Of Innovation" by Jennifer Middleton, March 10
"Red Lick Tables Appointing Street Repair Coordinator" March 10

BUSINESS ARTICLES

BUDGET

State Revenue Rises in February, Lowering Budget Cut Fears by Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press

Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Thursday an improvement in the state's revenue collections mean it's unlikely that (read more)

COMMUNICATION

Facebook Has Started to Flag Fake News Stories

Aiming to combat "fake news," Facebook has started pinning a "disputed" tag on stories, as it promised it would in December (read more)

CONCEALED CARRY

Expanded Concealed Carry Bill Passes in Arkansas Senate

The state Senate yesterday approved an expanded bill allowing people to carry concealed firearms on public university campuses and other (read more)

DEMOGRAPHICS

The Most Attractive Cities to Move to for Work by Kevin Randall Harvard Business Review

For firms, it's become imperative to look beyond geographic borders to attract and retain top talent. This is partly due to the fact that 77% of CEOs report being concerned about the (read more)

Measuring The State Of US States By André Dua, Susan Lund, Navjot Singh, and Tim Ward

New research compares economic and social conditions in US states-and highlights opportunities for government leaders to help make improvements. (read more)

ECONOMY

US Services Firms Expand at Fastest Pace Since October 2015 by Associated Press

U.S. services companies expanded in February at the fastest pace since October 2015. (read more)

EMPLOYMENT

The Biggest Workplace Time Wasters

In a recent poll of more than 2,000 business leaders, we asked what employers believe are the biggest daily wastes of time in the (read more)

US Private Sector Created 298K Jobs in February Vs. 190K Estimate

The U.S. jobs sector exploded last month, according to a report this morning by ADP, which said the private (read more)

What Is A 'Scrum Master' - And Why Is It One of the 25 Best Paying Jobs in America?

Glassdoor's annual survey reveals the 25 highest paying jobs in America. Doctors, lawyers and people in the financial industry dominate the top 10, but so does (read more)

US Adds 235K Jobs; Unemployment Rate Falls to 4.7 Percent

U.S. employers added a robust 235,000 jobs in February and wages rose at a healthy clip, a sign the economy remains on solid footing after nearly eight years of recovery. (read more)

GOVERNMENT

Arkansas Lawmakers Refer Voter ID Proposal to 2018 Ballot by John Lyon / Arkansas News Bureau

Arkansas lawmakers yesterday referred to the November 2018 ballot a proposed constitutional amendment to require voters to show photo ID (read more)

LIQUOR STORES

Liquor Stores: Grocery Wine Bill a Death Knell by Jan Cottingham

Liquor store owners and others in Arkansas say a bill to let Wal-Mart and grocery stores sell a larger assortment of wine fundamentally changes their business model, will lead to the closure (read more)

REAL ESTATE

Report: Arkansas Home Sales, Prices Increased in January by Sarah Campbell

The Arkansas Realtors Association said Wednesday that both home sales and the average price of homes sold increased in January. (read more)

Podiatrist's Purchase of Convention Center Gives Texarkana Officials Cold Feet by Mark Friedman

A Texas podiatrist with a past that includes a federal conviction wants to buy the troubled Arkansas Convention Center & Holiday Inn out of bankruptcy (read more)

RETAIL

Restaurant Sales in Arkansas To Top $4 Billion by Arkansas Business Staff

Restaurant industry sales nationwide were expected to reach almost $783 billion in 2016, while restaurant sales in Arkansas last year were projected at $4.3 billion, according to the (read more)

TRANSPORTATION

Fort Smith, Great River Bridges Comprise Arkansas' 'Wish List' by Marty Cook

There was almost too much open road for Scott Bennett to contemplate. So the director of the Arkansas Highway & Transportation Department had to narrow his options in January (read more)

Asa Hutchinson Opposes Bill to Rename Clinton Airport by Associated Press

Arkansas' governor says he opposes an effort to remove Bill and Hillary Clinton's name from Little Rock's airport, saying the Legislature shouldn't interfere with what the facility's name (read more)

These States Aren't Waiting for Trump to Get Funds for Infrastructure

Arkansas isn't the only state looking to raise gas taxes to pay for upgrading roads. Bloomberg reports that .(read more)

US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

What Ancient China Can Teach Us About Trade

Perhaps China's Ming Dynasty provides the greatest historical example of isolationism's effects (read more)

Innovation That's Out of This World by Thomas J. Donohue, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has made economic growth its driving focus for 2017. Every industry in our economy can support growth by (read more)

America's Infrastructure Was Just Graded A D+ -- Here's What We Should Do About it by Ed Mortimer, Executive Director, Transportation Infrastructure

The latest findings are a striking confirmation of what we already know: America's infrastructure is in desperate need of repair. (read more)

Here Are Principles Necessary for Pro-Growth Tax Reform by Sean Hackbarth,

Senior Editor, Digital Content

It's been more than 30 years since major tax reform. The time is ripe for Washington to do it again. (read more)

Making the Case Before the Senate for Infrastructure Investment by U.S. Chamber Staff

Ed Mortimer, the U.S. Chamber's executive director for Transportation Infrastructure, testified before a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the condition of our nation's transportation system as well (read more)

America's Strength in Services Promises Trade Success by John G. Murphy, Senior Vice President for International Policy

George Orwell Famously wrote that "to see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." (read more)

How to Think About NAFTA as the U.S.-Mexico Energy Landscape Changes by Sean Hackbarth, Senior Editor, Digital Content

North American trade is the new Commerce Secretary's top priority. Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC, "The first on our agenda is NAFTA because we think it makes sense to solidify (read more)

More Evidence that the Energy Revolution has Sparked a Manufacturing Renaissance in the U.S . by Karen Alderman Harbert

The energy revolution continues to bring good economic news to an otherwise anemic economy. For years, we've been arguing that America's energy revolution will bring jobs and investment to our (read more)

UNITED STATES FEDERAL RESERVE

Identifying the Roots of the Gender Pay Gap
Looking at gender pay gaps among different age groups, researchers find evidence that statistical discrimination affected women's earnings. (read more)

Helping LMI Households and Communities
If funding weren't a concern, what would improve the outlook for low- and moderate-income individuals the most? (read more)

The Productivity Puzzle

Are many products made in the United States anymore? As it turns out, yes. In fact, U.S. manufacturing output is near its highest level ever-and with fewer workers. (read more)

H2 Report (read more)

This month's regional and data type extracts are now available for download here. View Labor Information for Texarkana and Northeast Texas area here.

Texas Labor Market Review - Look Here

Current Population Survey
Local Area Unemployment Statistics
Current Employment Statistics

Labor Market and Career Information of the Texas Workforce Commission

Monthly newsletter covering issues relating to the Texas economy. This publication is produced monthly by the Labor Market and Career Information Department of the Texas Workforce Commission. Look here

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

The Texas Workforce Commission has published Request for Proposal (RFP) 320-17-17 Texas High School Competitive Robotics Education Team Development and Support Program (Program) Look here. Questions should be e-mailed rfpgroup@twc.state.tx.us.

The Texas Workforce Commission has published the Question and Answer document, and Amendment II Notification for Request for Proposal (RFP) 320-17-07 Dual Credit Career and Technical Education - Equipment Only Grant view here Questions should be e-mailed to: rfpgroup@twc.state.tx.us.

The Texas Workforce Commission has published Amendment III for Request for Proposal (RFP) 320-17-09 Adult Education and Literacy College Integration Pathway II on their website. Look here. Questions should be e-mailed here

TIP OF THE TOP HAT

*To Deanna Smith and Lt. Col. Bill Smith on being awarded The Chapel of the Four Chaplains Legion of Honor Award.
To Jennifer Harland of AEP/SWEPCO, Chris Brown and Vicki Williams of Council of Governments for their leadership in planning and carrying out of the recent Austin, Texas, visit by the Northeast Texas Coalition.