Greetings Texas Retailers:
With Fall traditionally being a season for change, so it is with TRA. As you may know, TRA’s Board Chair, Theresa Flores, recently announced that I have accepted a new job and will be leaving TRA in late September. More details below, but I wanted to start my final TRA newsletter message by simply saying Thank You to the TRA community for the past (nearly) six years. With that, welcome to the fall of 2021. School is now back in session and the season has changed, but the Texas Legislature continues to be called back for Special Sessions. In early July there was the first called Special Session of the Texas Legislature, then in early August there was the second called Special Session, and now on September 20th, the third called Special Session will begin. Rest assured that the TRA is actively monitoring the workings of the Texas Legislature during these Special Sessions. Additionally, we are finalizing preparations for our Texas Retailers Forum -- which is back and in person on Tuesday, October 26th at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort. More details and highlights in this month’s edition of the TRA newsletter.
As reported in the August TRA newsletter, the first special session ended on August 6th and Governor Abbott called for the second special session to begin on August 7th. The second special session lasted until September 2nd when, having completed all of the business on the agenda, it was gaveled to a close. One unfortunate outcome during the second special session was that even though the Governor included statewide preemption of wage and labor ordinances (SB 14) on the agenda, the bill was killed by a point of order on the House floor as it was once again at the last step before being finally passed.
Within days of the 2nd Special Session ending, the Governor issued the call for the 3rd Special Session to begin on September 20th. The main focus of the 3rd Special Session is expected to be on the once every 10 years process of redrawing state and Congressional legislative district boundaries, also known as redistricting. As always, TRA plans to actively monitor the proceedings of the 3rd Special Session, as well as continue to schedule weekly Tax & Lege Committee calls (Thursdays at 2pm CT) throughout the Special Session. Check out the state issues update section of the newsletter for details regarding the Special Session of the Texas Legislature.
We are now about a month and a half away from the return of the Texas Retailers Forum, which will take place on Tuesday, October 26th, at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort, just east of Austin. Registration and hotel booking are OPEN and filling up quickly, so book your room and register now. This year’s Forum will be a great one as we get back together in person, and it will feature great industry speakers and presenters, as well as other experts who will cover a variety of timely issues for Texas retailers. We look forward to seeing everyone at the TRA Forum in October, so be sure to register and book your hotel room TODAY!
Lastly, as I prepare to leave TRA and I think about these past six years, I leave with a great sense of pride knowing that I am leaving TRA much better than I found it. As an association leader, that is the goal and I am pleased that both the organization and my successor will be better for it. Over these nearly six years we have restored relevance, member engagement and financial stability to TRA. I am immensely proud of the work we have accomplished together during this time. TRA can get into any room in Austin or Washington, DC, be trend setters in promoting the work and value of TRA to engage current members as well as new ones, and the organization’s finances have been stabilized to give it the resources to succeed going forward. I especially want to thank our staff team of Diana Cardona, Jim Sheer and Gary Huddleston for their leadership and commitment to TRA’s success. They have been with me, in one way or another, from the start and will be here after I leave to continue serving the TRA membership.
In closing, I thank all of you, the TRA membership, Board, and Texas retailing community, for the opportunity to serve as your industry association’s CEO, represent your industry, and to get to know so many of you. As always, thank you for your continued support of TRA, and please don’t hesitate to contact any member of the TRA staff team at any time.
As always, thank you for your continued support of TRA, and please don’t hesitate to contact me or any member of the TRA staff team at any time.
