This past week, it was a pleasure to welcome a number of constituents from House District 9 in your Texas State Capitol. Among those who made the long drive from Deep East Texas were elected officials from Tyler County and several residents from Angelina and Polk County. It always brings such joy to my heart to see folks from back home and these visits constantly remind me of why I am here in Austin.
I want to extend a warm welcome to each of you to come visit your Texas Capitol during the current legislative session. Never forget our beautiful Capitol belongs to each of you, 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…
Capitol Update
With the 89th Legislative Session underway, House members are eagerly awaiting the Speaker’s committee assignments for each member. Members generally serve on two to three committees of varying jurisdictions, often based on their expertise or relevance to their district. To ensure a well-balanced approach to public policy, Speakers have historically worked to include members from diverse backgrounds, encompassing all regions of the state. In the near future, I look forward to sharing my newly appointed committee assignments with the residents of House District 9.
Members of the Legislature are also waiting for the Governor’s top policy priorities, which he will deliver in his upcoming State of the State Address. The Governor’s “emergency items” allow the Legislature to begin conducting public hearings immediately and consider bills on these specific topics. This process, outlined in the Texas Constitution, enables members of the Legislature to focus solely on those most pressing issues at the start of a session. During the first sixty days of a legislative session, members may only act on the Governor’s emergency items.
These past couple weeks, as members continue to stand by for orders, our days have consisted of meetings with constituents, holding stakeholder meetings, and filing legislation. Once legislation begins to make its way through the committee process, I want to encourage all to reach out to my Capitol or district office to let us know your thoughts. It’s important to highlight that I serve as your voice in Austin, and input from folks back home is critical to being an effective representative.
The mobile office is on the road again and looks forward to seeing you on the following dates in the following locations: February 5 at the San Augustine County Courthouse from 9:30-11:30am; February 12 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; February 15 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/