Rod Bordelon is an attorney and regulatory and legislative affairs consultant in Austin, Texas with over 30 years of experience in insurance, workers’ compensation, and health law. He is an eleven term gubernatorial appointee, former Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation, and former Public Insurance Counsel.
If regulations proved unnecessary during the COVID-19 pandemic, were they ever really necessary at all? That’s the thought behind a growing push to eliminate unnecessary and even harmful rules that were set aside during the last year. “Across the country, state and local governments have temporarily eased hundreds of regulations during the pandemic, aiming to...
Texas’s Economic Stabilization Fund (or “rainy day fund”) is a valuable tool for covering unexpected shortfalls in tax receipts, like those during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it should be used sparingly, and budget reductions should be prioritized instead. Key points: Texas ranks high in economic growth and must maintain a balanced budget, but the current...
While Texas has undertaken efforts to reduce regulatory burdens, it still has among the highest overall number of regulations in the country. Texas’s efforts to reduce unnecessary and harmful regulations should be expanded. Key points: Texas ranks high in overall economic freedom as a result of low taxes and favorable labor laws, yet it has...
As the economy continues to reopen and gain strength amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a common concern is how to ensure the safety of the public and the workers at businesses around the country. Government certainly has a role in providing information, guidance and support. But ultimately its best approach is to serve as a partner...
The owners and workers of America’s businesses—both small and large—have done their part. When government called upon them, they stepped up by shutting down, though many of them were unsure whether they would ever reopen or return. This is America and we will come back. There aren’t a more resourceful and resilient people on the...
When you have a flat tire, you don’t fix it by reinventing the wheel. While cases of COVID-19 continue to increase, we know that soon, the numbers will begin falling. Our efforts at social distancing and staying at home will pay off, and we’ll begin to focus on economic recovery efforts. But we must begin...
Texans received a stronger safeguard this month against any state tax being imposed on the income they earn through their hard work and initiative. That’s because Texans voted overwhelmingly Nov. 5 to amend the state constitution to make the future imposition of a state income tax even more difficult. To be clear, Texas does not...