Homestate Glory

Trio of Texas cities gets kudos for small-business friendliness

Dallas ranked the eighth best city for small-business employees, right behind Houston and San Antonio.

Photo by Matt Pasant

It’s no secret that Texas is one of the economic leaders in the country, but CardHub.com’s latest study shows that the state is as good for small businesses as it is for Fortune 500 companies. Dallas, San Antonio and Houston are among the best cities for small-business employees based on metrics such as average wages for new hires, job growth and hours worked.

Although none of the Texas cities cracked the top five, Houston sits right behind at No. 6, followed directly by San Antonio and Dallas. That San Antonio is so high is surprising given that it ranks second-to-last in number of small businesses per capita. But we already knew that Dallas and Houston were among the best places to live, thanks to their high job growth and low cost of living.

Denver took the No.1 spot out of the 30 largest metros in America. The Mile High City enjoys a workforce that’s growing at the second-fastest rate in the country, and it boasts the fifth-highest wages for new hires. Plus, 90 percent of Denver’s Chamber of Commerce is small businesses.

CardHub set the limit for small businesses at 250 employees even though the designation can cover some companies with up to 500 depending on the industry. The company wrote that it “chose to use a smaller number that is more in line with what the average person considers a small business to be.”

Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle and San Francisco round out the top five. The Texas trio is followed by Tampa and Kansas City.

While San Francisco and Seattle led the West Coast, other cities in the region, Sacramento and Riverside, took Nos. 28 and 29, respectively. Detroit finished dead last.

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Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill to legalize marijuana

Redheaded Blackbelt

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Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistent and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana