The San Antonio City Council on Thursday approved a tax incentive of $16.2 million for 10 years for a major expansion of the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, Inc. (TMMTX) plant.

The Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation program cuts property taxes for new manufacturing, research and development facilities. It replaces a shuttered program criticized for its impact on school finance.

Rural Texas towns like Levelland on the South Plains are increasingly turning to the arts to help revitalize their downtowns and provide more attractions for families.

Not every downtown high-rise is a good fit for an office-to-housing conversion, but some officials and developers see benefits in turning unused space into new residential units.

The state will likely see the two years of post-pandemic growth start to decelerate, according to Roberto Coronado, senior vice president and senior economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Coronado also cited lowering inflation rates as a top priority for the Dallas Fed.

Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz and Democrats like Rep. Colin Allred — opponents in the 2024 election — propose streamlining environmental reviews to promote investment and expansion by chipmakers.

Lawmakers are trying hard to come up with an agreement on how to replace an embattled 20-year tax abatement program for big companies that expired in December.

During the floor debate for a plan to replace the expired Chapter 313 program, House members added that the new version of the incentive must require companies to pay higher wages and create stiffer penalties for noncompliance.

Abbott told business leaders in Arlington on Wednesday that Texas is already suffering from the end of the tax-break program, recently losing a “massive” computer chip factory to New York.

Lawmakers let the program, known as Chapter 313, expire at the end of this year after the Senate declined to consider a bill extending it. It was the first time in its 20-year history that legislators decided not to renew the program.

As companies like Samsung and Texas Instruments expand their operations in the state, Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders are backing federal efforts to grow the industry.

Tribune energy and economy reporter Mitchell Ferman moderated a conversation with labor and economic development experts who discussed how COVID-19 has affected Texas’ economy and how businesses, workers and government have responded.