September is finally here, the school year is in full swing, football stadium lights are back on, and dove hunters across the state are heading back to the field.
As I’m sure many of you are aware, this year’s dove season starts on September 1 and will run until the end of October. I’d like to remind all of my fellow outdoor enthusiasts, if you haven’t done so already, to purchase a hunting license before you head out.
You can pick one up at your local sporting goods store as you’re loading up for the season, or purchase one online on the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department’s website, www.tpwd.texas.gov. More and more hunters are purchasing digital licenses because of their convenience.
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol…
Capitol Update
With the return of many of my House colleagues, these past two weeks in Austin have seen a flurry of activity. On Thursday, August 21, the House passed its packages of bills aimed at providing flood relief for the victims of the horrific July 4 floods and establishing procedures to better prepare flood-prone areas for disaster.
Among the bills passed were House Bills 1, 2, and 3. HB 1, known as the Youth CAMPER Act, seeks to improve youth camp emergency preparedness by requiring all resident youth camp operators to develop, implement, and annually review written emergency plans for responding to emergency events.
Additionally, HB 2 addresses the need to improve the way local and state authorities respond to natural disasters. The bill does this by providing for educational requirements for local authorities when managing disasters, requiring emergency management training for local authorities, and licensing county emergency management coordinators.
Finally, HB 3 seeks to address the inability of first responders to communicate with outside departments and facilitate interoperable communications between first responders by creating the Texas Interoperability Council. The Council will develop and coordinate the implementation of a statewide strategic plan for the interoperability of emergency communication equipment and infrastructure for first responders in Texas.
The mobile office is on the road again in September, and our District Director looks forward to seeing you on the following dates, in the following locations: September 3 at the San Augustine County Courthouse from 9:30-11:30am; September 10 at the Polk County Commissioner’s Court Room in Livingston from 9:30-11:30am, or at the Tyler County Courthouse in Woodville from 1:30-3:30 pm; September 17 at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett from 9:30-11:30am, or at the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton from 1:30-3:30pm.
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/.
