AUSTIN, Texas — Leaders in Austin say the city has not only lost business because of controversial legislation passed last year, but tens of millions of future dollars are now at risk.
Tom Noonan, the president and CEO of Visit Austin, the group that markets Austin nationally and internationally, tells Inside Texas Politics seven groups with future meetings planned in the city have voiced concern over recent “legislative issues.”
Noonan says that includes recent opinions by Gov. Greg Abbott regarding transgender youth and the passing of Senate Bill 8 (the "heartbeat bill" that has effectively banned abortions in Texas) and Senate Bill 1 (the GOP-backed election fraud bill).
In terms of the financial impact for the city, Visit Austin estimates those seven groups will generate $17.4 million.
Noonan also says one group has already canceled a 2023 event in the city, citing the passing of SB 8 and SB 1 as to why they were moving their meeting. That cost the city just under $1 million in economic impact.
And that’s not all.
“Due to the passing of SB 8 and SB 1 last year, there were six groups who were considering Austin as the location for their meetings but cited legislative issues as to why they chose another host city,” Noonan told Inside Texas Politics. “The total estimated economic impact of those meetings would have been $31 million.”
Visit Austin wouldn’t identify any of the companies or groups. But they have asked Mayor Steve Adler to help by reaching out to the groups to affirm Austin’s stance on the issues.
“We're trying to attract businesses to our community,” Adler said on Inside Texas Politics. “My convention centers asked me to reach out to some conventions that were planning on coming to town that are now either indicating they're going to withdraw, or thinking about it, and asking me to get engaged to help keep them here. And that's not good for business.”
Watch the segment below:
Mayor Adler recently announced that Austin should be considered a safe place and sanctuary city for transgender children and families after Gov. Abbott directed the child welfare agency to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their kids and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s opinion that equates some gender affirming care for transgender children with child abuse.
“What we mean by that is that we're going to do everything we can to support them, to help them feel safe,” said Adler. “We issued a proclamation, in conjunction with standing up with our county attorney and our district attorney, who made very clear that they would not do any prosecutions that would be equating transgender care with child abuse.”
Adler says Austin has the third largest LGBTQ+ community per capita in the country. He added that nine out of every 150 people arriving in Austin every day identify as LGBTQ+.
“All we have done as a city is to is just to make really clear that in this community and Austin we want everybody to feel safe,” the Mayor said. “This is a community that has always leaned into trying to respect and support everyone who lives here and that’s all that we’re saying.”