View Comments We recently marked the first anniversary of the state of emergency declaration when COVID-19 first took hold in Texas. While the continued vaccination of Americans and Texans is producing promising results, the true economic impact, particularly to small businesses, is not yet fully known. One estimate provided that 9,000 businesses closed because of the pandemic, but the number is likely far higher. As of March 26, the Texas Workforce Commission has processed 7.5 million unemployment claims totaling $45.4 billion since the start of the pandemic, the highest recorded total in state history. In El Paso and across the state, some owners of beloved bodegas, restaurants and venues have gone into significant debt to keep their businesses afloat, while others have had to shutter their doors forever. If Texas is to truly recover from the economic devastation this global pandemic has caused, we must ensure local small businesses are a focal point in our state's recovery.