Building the Table for Advocacy in Montgomery County
Building the Table for Advocacy in Montgomery County
By Shannan Reid, Director of Community Relations
The 89th Texas Legislative Session marked the official launch of our Chamber’s revitalized advocacy initiative through our Advocacy Leadership Team (ALT) - a product of our newly adopted Strategic Plan. As your representative, I traveled to Austin four times this spring to engage in direct dialogue with lawmakers, including leading Montgomery County Day at the Capitol, where we united with our five other Montgomery County chambers to amplify our collective voice.
“It’s exciting to step into this next level of civic engagement,” says Bryan Fowler, Vice Chair of Government Affairs. “Being present in Austin and D.C. is how we move from reactive to proactive in shaping outcomes for our business community.”
Throughout the session, we tracked over 60 bills affecting our members. We testified before the Senate Finance Committee in support of affordable childcare. We stood with the Lone Star Economic Alliance to address the spiraling insurance premium cost of lawsuit abuse. We supported SB 7, a statewide water infrastructure plan to support Texas’ booming growth, as well as several healthcare initiatives. By connecting a business with our lawmakers in Austin, the Chamber initiated the drafting of a bill to address some local challenges, and though the efforts did not pass this session, the groundwork has been laid for the issue to be resolved.
Most notably, we pressed hard for a permanent cap and reduced growth limit on non-homestead property taxes—a commercial issue we will carry forward into the interim session and Texas 90th Lege.
Our strategy is not just to “take a seat at the table,” but to build the table—one where business, policy, and community leadership unite.
As this chapter ends, our work now shifts to developing our local advocacy platform around four core drivers: Infrastructure, Healthcare, Workforce, and Economic Development. Stay engaged—this is just the beginning.
Building the Table for Advocacy in Montgomery County
By Shannan Reid, Director of Community Relations
The 89th Texas Legislative Session marked the official launch of our Chamber’s revitalized advocacy initiative through our Advocacy Leadership Team (ALT) - a product of our newly adopted Strategic Plan. As your representative, I traveled to Austin four times this spring to engage in direct dialogue with lawmakers, including leading Montgomery County Day at the Capitol, where we united with our five other Montgomery County chambers to amplify our collective voice.
“It’s exciting to step into this next level of civic engagement,” says Bryan Fowler, Vice Chair of Government Affairs. “Being present in Austin and D.C. is how we move from reactive to proactive in shaping outcomes for our business community.”
Throughout the session, we tracked over 60 bills affecting our members. We testified before the Senate Finance Committee in support of affordable childcare. We stood with the Lone Star Economic Alliance to address the spiraling insurance premium cost of lawsuit abuse. We supported SB 7, a statewide water infrastructure plan to support Texas’ booming growth, as well as several healthcare initiatives. By connecting a business with our lawmakers in Austin, the Chamber initiated the drafting of a bill to address some local challenges, and though the efforts did not pass this session, the groundwork has been laid for the issue to be resolved.
Most notably, we pressed hard for a permanent cap and reduced growth limit on non-homestead property taxes—a commercial issue we will carry forward into the interim session and Texas 90th Lege.
Our strategy is not just to “take a seat at the table,” but to build the table—one where business, policy, and community leadership unite.
As this chapter ends, our work now shifts to developing our local advocacy platform around four core drivers: Infrastructure, Healthcare, Workforce, and Economic Development. Stay engaged—this is just the beginning.