Texas has built a national reputation as a place where businesses can grow, invest, and hire, yet that standing requires intentional cultivation.
Population growth, data center expansion, housing costs, workforce needs, and pressure from other states are all pressures that must be addressed for Texas to keep its edge. Megan Mauro argues that preserving the Texas Miracle means sticking to low taxes, light regulation, and consistent rules while making sure growth benefits businesses of every size.
Mauro serves as interim president and CEO of the Texas Association of Business, the state chamber of commerce. She has worked in government and policy for 12 years and spent seven years as a public affairs professional representing cities, chambers of commerce, and businesses before joining TAB five years ago. She has been instrumental in building TAB into what it is today. TAB, which has existed for more than a century, represents businesses “across every industry and of every size,” making it “the broadest association in Texas,” says Mauro.
Mauro says this diversity shapes TAB’s mission. “We’re really guided by principles,” she says. “Let businesses do business.” That means “no mandates on business,” a “light regulatory touch,” and policies that make it easy to operate in Texas. When conflicts arise among industries, she says, TAB steps in where issues “really matter” to the big picture and where policy changes broadly affect Texas businesses and the Texas economy.
Texas remains attractive because the fundamentals still work. “We have a light regulatory touch. We have low taxes,” Mauro says. Texas lacks a personal and corporate income tax, and that remains central to the state’s business pitch.
Recent legislation has reinforced that message, says Mauro. She points to Senate Bill 29, a corporate governance measure she says helped signal to businesses “that we want people to start their business here in Texas.”
Industry diversity matters as much as incentives, she argues. Large employers bring jobs, investment, and market opportunities, yet the effect reaches far beyond major corporations.
“If we have big businesses, the small businesses are going to also see success,” she says. Restaurants, local service providers, and startups all benefit when larger firms expand.
“Businesses are made up of people,” she says, rejecting the idea that pro-business policy only helps large corporations.
Data centers and artificial intelligence now sit near the center of almost every conversation. Mauro believes it is essential.
“This is the critical infrastructure of the future,” Mauro says. Texas should welcome data centers, she argues, because they are essential to innovation and national security. “We need data centers to remain innovative. We can’t fall behind on this.” Mauro acknowledges concerns about water, energy, and local impacts, but says businesses are “good at problem solving” and will have to help provide the solutions.
Energy remains part of the state’s competitive identity too. Mauro says TAB’s position is an “all of the above and below,” supporting every energy source Texas can develop. She says that approach gives the state resilience and keeps it positioned for continued growth, especially as new industries increase electricity demand.
Tax policy remains a major concern, particularly for smaller companies. Mauro says House Bill 9, which raised the business personal property tax exemption to $125,000 will help a lot.
“I think the numbers are… like 80 or 90% of small businesses are now exempt from paying that additional tax,” she says. Compliance matters too. Once a qualifying business files and proves it falls under the threshold, “you don’t ever have to file it again.”
Workforce and affordability, she says, will shape the next session’s legislative agenda. Workforce remains a constant issue because employers need to shift quickly as industries evolve. TAB works to align employers, community colleges, and local chambers so training matches available jobs.
Mauro believes Texas still leads because it pairs broad economic freedom with practical policymaking. “We should be creating the national model,” she says. That ambition, in her view, defines the next phase of the Texas Miracle as much as the first.