A few weeks ago, Governor Greg Abbott said two controversial new Texan laws restricting abortions and elections are “speeding up” the relocation of businesses to the state. He cited conversations with the new Texas resident Elon Musk, although the Tesla CEO later somehow distanced himself from support for conservative social policies in a slurred tweet.
That is demonstrably not much, and only time can tell what these guidelines mean for the Texan economy. However, most companies keep silent about the abortion law. Compare today’s silence with 2017, when the big corporations mobilized against the “bathroom bill” that was being considered in Austin at the time. Some CEOs and business leaders have made symbolic gestures and promises to support employees in Texas. But nobody packs up and moves out.
Chicago, at least, is betting it can attract some Texas businesses and residents who are dissatisfied with the politicians who run the state. The city’s economic development arm – a public-private agency like the one Dallas is trying to set up itself – placed a full-page ad in the Dallas Morning News on Sunday.
The ad addresses the usual topics of conversation about economic development: tech startups, well-trained workers, logistics hub. Then, based on the social justice signs I see everywhere, the ad tells you what “We Believe in Chicago”: “Everyone’s Right to Vote,” “Protecting Reproductive Rights,” and “Science to Fight COVID – 19. “
An accomplished advertising professional from Chicago might have added: “A power grid that works even in severe winter weather.”
Here’s the Chicago Tribune putting it:
World Business Chicago spokesman Andrew Hayes calls the ad “a bold move” on the part of the city, stating that it is an invitation to “Texans and Texan businesses” challenged by the state’s recent controversial laws and guidelines be considering moving to Chicago “.
The ad sets the stage for another round of Democrats versus Republicans. No doubt Texas GOP officials Chicago and Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot, chairwoman of World Business Chicago, will shoot back here because of the rise in crime – and the reason why Texan companies should remain.
When asked about the upcoming ad, Governor Abbott’s press secretary Renae Eze said in a statement, “Texas’s economy is booming. People and businesses vote with their feet, and month after month, more than any other state in the country, they choose to relocate to Texas. Companies are moving to the Lone Star State at record speed and investing there because we have created a framework that allows free enterprise to flourish and hardworking Texans to flourish. “
Meanwhile, at least one large company doesn’t waste time acting. Salesforce has offered to relocate employees to another state if they “have concerns about access to reproductive health care.”
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