As we approach the end of the 89th Legislative Session, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to all the folks back home. I could not be more appreciative for all of the communication and input my office received from you all.
Your voice is the most valuable asset I have in Austin, and as long as I have the pleasure to serve as your State Representative, I will always strive to represent you in the most effective and meaningful way possible. I look forward to sharing my post-legislative session report around the district over the coming months.
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol.
Last week, the House passed another important deadline to pass all Senate Bills out of the lower chamber. The House considered more than 800 bills this week, with nearly 250 bills considered on Wednesday alone. The House will now focus solely on negotiations with the Senate on differences the two chambers have on the specifics of multiple pieces of legislation.
Among the bills considered in the House this week was Senate Bill 13. SB 13 seeks to further crack down on profane and sexually explicit books in our public schools. The bill does this by prohibiting schools from purchasing indecent materials, allowing parental access to library catalogs, and creating local school library advisory councils to ensure that library books align with community values.
I was proud to support SB 13 both in the Public Education Committee and on the floor of the House to protect our children from harmful materials and ensure that they are only exposed to age-appropriate materials that serve an educational purpose.
Additionally, the House took up Senate Bill 7 this week. SB 7 represents a historic 10-year, $20 billion investment in Texas’s water supply and infrastructure. The bill stipulates that 50 percent of the funds dedicated must go to developing new water supplies and the State Water Implementation Fund for Texas.
The remaining 50 percent of the funds will be invested, at the discretion of the Texas Water Development Board, to invest in building and repairing aging and dilapidated water infrastructure and developing new flood infrastructure.
I was also proud to support SB 7 in the Natural Resources Committee and on the House floor to secure Texas’s water supply for generations to come.
The mobile office is on the road again in June and our district director looks forward to seeing you on the following dates, in the following locations: June 4 at the San Augustine County Courthouse from 9:30-11:30 a.m., June 11 at the Polk County Commissioner’s Court Room in Livingston from 9:30-11:30 a.m., or at the Tyler County Courthouse in Woodville from 1:30-3:30 p.m.; June 18 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. 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/.
Trent Ashby represents District 9, which includes Trinity County, in the Texas Legislature.
