With the arrival of November, hunters across the state have finally taken to the field for the highly anticipated 2025 hunting season. With white-tailed deer and duck season underway, I want to remind all of my fellow hunters to make sure you’ve purchased your hunting license and federal duck stamp before heading out to the woods.
I’d also like to encourage you to consider downloading the Texas Outdoor Annual App and the Texas Hunt & Fish App. The Outdoor Annual App allows you to access information about hunting season dates, bag limits and regulations, and public land open for hunting. The Texas Hunt & Fish App allows you to purchase your hunting license through the app, access your license on your device, and even report your take – all from the convenience of your phone. For more information, please visit www.tpwd.texas.gov.
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol…
Capitol Update
The Texas economy continues to boom across the state, signaling the success of Texas’s pro-business policies and solidifying its position as the preeminent state for business.
Recently, Governor Abbott announced that Texas has been named America’s Top Business Climate for a third year in a row! This was driven by a combination of business relocations and expansions in Texas, pro-growth policies enacted by the Legislature, investments in workforce development, and low regulatory burdens on businesses.
Additionally, the State Comptroller announced that state sales tax revenue totaled $4.2 billion in October, 4.6 percent more than in October 2024. The strongest source of sales tax in October was from motor vehicle sales and rentals, followed by motor fuel taxes and oil & natural gas production taxes. According to the comptroller, these collections grew faster than inflation and reflect an economy that should continue to grow in the future.
As a final note, last week our region was shocked by the violent shooting of a Jacksonville Police Department officer and her service canine. While the East Texas region was on high alert, the men and women of our local law enforcement agencies and the Department of Public Safety jumped into action to track down the assailant.
I want to thank our courageous folks in uniform for their efforts in capturing the perpetrator this week, and I also want to thank Governor Greg Abbott and the Department of Public Safety for offering a $10,000 reward for Dennis’s arrest and moving him to the top of Texas’s Most Wanted List. Finally, I hope you all will join me in praying for the speedy recovery of the wounded Jacksonville Police Officer, her family, and the wounded canine.
The mobile office is on the road again in November, and our District Director looks forward to seeing you on the following dates, in the following locations: November 12 at the Polk County Commissioner’s Court Room in Livingston from 9:30-11:30 am, or at the Tyler County Courthouse in Woodville from 1:30-3:30 pm; November 19 at the Houston County Courthouse Annex in Crockett from 9:30-11:30 am, or at the Trinity County Courthouse in Groveton from 1:30-3:30 pm.
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/.
