It was another busy week in Austin and it was a pleasure to welcome more constituents from House District 9 to your Texas State Capitol. Among those who made the long drive from Deep East Texas were folks from Angelina, Polk, San Augustine, and Trinity Counties representing the Texas Wildlife Association, the Independent Bankers Association of Texas, the Lumberman’s Association of Texas, and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.
I want to remind you that each of you are welcome at your Texas Capitol during the legislative session. Never forget our beautiful Capitol belongs to every Texan, and if my office can help facilitate a visit, please don’t hesitate to contact either our Capitol or district office.
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol …
On Sunday, Feb. 2, Governor Greg Abbott delivered his biennial state of the state address, revealing his “emergency items” and priorities for the 89th legislative session. What makes the state of the state so significant is the effect the address has on the legislative process. Per the Texas Constitution, the Texas Legislature must wait 60 days before legislation can be brought before the House or Senate for consideration. However, any item the governor declares an “emergency item” may be considered immediately by the legislature.
While typically delivered in the House Chamber in a joint session with the House and Senate, the governor delivered this state of the state address from a vehicle lubricant manufacturing company to highlight Texas’s diversified and growing economy. In his speech, the governor highlighted the resiliency of the Texas economy, our booming energy sector, and laid out several emergency items for the legislature to consider.
The first item the governor listed was to continue combatting skyrocketing property taxes. Taxpayers across the state are burdened with ever-increasing property taxes, and I applaud the governor for making this a top priority. I look forward to working with my colleagues to craft policy solutions that seek to meaningfully reduce the property tax burden on homeowners and businesses.
Another item at the top of the mind of the governor, legislators, and all Texans is the need to increase our teachers’ salaries and expand our students’ career and technical (CTE) education. Our teachers are long overdue for a pay raise, and we must find sustainable pathways to provide our students the avenues to find gainful and long-term employment after high school. Luckily, the base budgets in both the House and Senate include proposals for these initiatives, with the Senate proposing $4,000 in pay raises for teachers state-wide and an additional $6,000 for rural teachers.
The governor also highlighted the need for dramatic investment in our state’s water supply and infrastructure. The House’s base budget already includes $2.5 billion for new investments to secure and expand our water supply. I look forward to working with my fellow legislators to deliver on this emergency item to protect our precious water supply for generations to come.
The mobile office is still on the road this month and our district director looks forward to seeing you on the following dates in the following locations: Feb. 12 at the Polk County Commissioners Courtroom in Livingston from 9:30-11:30 a.m. or at the Tyler County Courthouse in Woodville from 1:30-3:30 p.m., Feb. 19 at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett from 9:30-11:30 a.m. or at the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. My district office may be reached at 936-634-2762 and our Capitol office at 512-463-0508. Additionally, I welcome you to follow along on my official Facebook page, where I will post regular updates on what’s happening in your State Capitol and share information that could be useful to you and your family: https://www.facebook.com/RepTrentAshby/
