Beyond the 806
Texas Business Court Is Ready to Expand. Will the Legislature Fund It? - The Texas Lawbook
Texas businesses in Lubbock and across West Texas still have no access to the state's Business Court two years after the Legislature created it, because lawmakers have only funded five of the 11 divisions they authorized. The five funded divisions serve Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin, meaning the entire western half of the state, along with East and South Texas, remains locked out.
The five funded divisions serve Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin, meaning the entire western half of the state, along with East and South Texas, remains locked out. The court was designed to resolve complex business disputes faster than traditional courts, and by the numbers it has done exactly that, with 525 cases filed over two years.
For anyone running a business in Lubbock, whether that's a tech startup near the university or an ag operation out on the South Plains, this gap is real. When a corporate-governance dispute or a major contract fight breaks out, West Texas companies either have to travel to a funded division or work through the regular district court system, which moves on its own timeline.
The Business Court's midyear report covering September 2024 through April 2026 shows 53 percent of its cases involve corporate-governance claims and 37 percent involve qualified transactions. Those are exactly the kind of high-stakes fights that tend to drag on longest in general courts, which makes the funding gap harder to justify.
The question now lands in the Legislature's lap, and the answer will determine whether West Texas gets the same tools the state's biggest cities already have.
Common questions
Why can't Lubbock businesses use the Texas Business Court?
- The Legislature only funded five of the 11 divisions it authorized, covering Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin. That leaves the entire western half of Texas, including Lubbock and the South Plains, without access to the court designed to resolve complex business disputes faster.
What kinds of cases does the Texas Business Court handle?
- The court was built to resolve complex business disputes, like corporate-governance fights and major contract disagreements, faster than traditional courts. In its first two years, 525 cases were filed across the five funded divisions, suggesting real demand from the business community.
Stay in the loop
Weekly Lubbock news, deals, and events. Free.
Read next
At state education board, Texans debate how Islam should be portrayed in high school history classes - Community Impact
JD Vance reacts to airstrike that killed four at Iran wedding: ‘Things happen’ - The Guardian
ICE officer charged with lying to investigators in the shooting of Venezuelan man, AP source says - AP News