On an unseasonably cool Thursday, July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress declared total independence from King George III and Great Britain. In doing so, the founding fathers threw off the yoke of tyranny, creating a new form of government whose power was to be derived only from the consent of the people they governed. Radical at the time, the actions of men such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson paved the way for the United States Constitution just 13 years later, and what we know today as the longest-standing constitutional republic in the world.
While we celebrate our great nation with an afternoon cookout with family and friends, attending a patriotic parade, or celebrating with fireworks, let us remember that we, as citizens of the greatest country on God’s Earth, must continue to strive to create a more perfect Union and make good on the promise of our Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol…
Capitol Update
As I’ve noted in previous columns, bolstering our state’s workforce has been a top priority of mine. With our state population on pace to double by 2050, there’s no time to waste in proactively planning to meet the workforce needs of a growing state. Fortunately, the Legislature made measurable progress this session to address Texas’s needs for a strong and sophisticated workforce.
House Bill 20 creates an applied sciences pathways program for our high school students to go into high-demand technical jobs. House Bill 120 expands access and funding for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to ensure high school students are career-ready. Both HB 20 and HB 120 passed through the Subcommittee on Academic and Career Oriented Education, the subcommittee I’m honored to chair, and I was glad to see both make it through the legislative process and on to the Governor’s desk.
Additionally, Senate Bill 2448, which I was proud to author, establishes the Rural Workforce Development Grant Program to encourage non-profits in rural communities like ours to improve workforce training and address critical skills gaps to help reduce our rural workforce shortage.
As a result of these bills, and similar legislation from previous sessions, I was delighted to see that Governor Abbott announced two Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Grants to both Angelina College and Warren ISD. Angelina College received a grant of nearly $340,000 to train 90 students to be welders, and Warren ISD received a grant of nearly $300,000 to train 60 students in partnership with Lamar State College – Orange, also as welders.
I am proud to have supported and authored large initiatives during this past session and previous sessions, which will help meet the workforce demands of Deep East Texas. I am equally grateful to Governor Abbott and the Texas Workforce Commission for committing funds back to Deep East Texas to continue our endeavor to train and build up our workforce.
As a reminder, the mobile office is taking a break from the road in July, but will be back in August. In the meantime, 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 my Capitol office may be reached 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/.
