Deep East Texas is finally warming up, and that means Spring is upon us! The return of warm weather also signals that county fair season is back in many of our communities. As a proud supporter of our youth involved in FFA, 4-H, and FCCLA, I hope you all will make an effort to get out and support these students who will showcase their projects in the coming weeks. Always remember that investing in our youth is investing in the future of our community’s prosperity. I hope to see you at the fair!
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol…
Capitol Update
The work at the Capitol has started to get truly busy. This past week, the House Committees on Public Education and Natural Resources, on which I serve, and the Subcommittee on Academic and Career-Oriented Education, on which I serve as Chair, all met.
The Committee on Natural Resources heard testimony from several state agencies under its jurisdiction, including the Texas Water Development Board, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the Texas State Soil and Water Conservation. I was grateful for the opportunity to learn more about these agencies and their vital work to protect our precious natural resources.
The Subcommittee on Academic and Career Oriented Education met to consider House Bill 120, by Rep. Keith Bell, a comprehensive piece of legislation that will enhance Texas students’ career and technology education (CTE) opportunities. The bill builds upon existing programs, such as the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP), while introducing new initiatives to ensure students statewide—especially in rural and underserved communities—have access to high-quality career training and advising.
Some highlights of HB 120 include adding the JROTC as a qualifying CTE program, requiring R-PEP programs to offer at least one high-demand career pathway, and increasing funding for Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) programs from $50 per student to $150. I applaud Rep. Bell on this landmark bill and look forward to supporting it when the Public Education Committee takes it up.
Finally, the Committee on Public Education heard invited and public testimony on House Bill 2, the House’s comprehensive plan to reform the public school and public school finance system. HB 2 is a historic piece of legislation that includes nearly $8 billion in total funding for our public schools. That funding represents the single largest state investment in public schools in Texas’s history.
Some highlights of HB 2 include expanding the Teacher Incentive Allotment to strengthen our teacher workforce and encourage professional development for all educators, providing full-day funding for students in Pre-K partnerships, and introducing a prep allotment to invest state resources in teacher training and certification.
While this is an important step to provide vital support for our public schools, the filed version of HB 2 is not final, and the Committee left the bill pending after hearing all testimony. I appreciate Chairman Brad Buckley’s leadership on HB 2 and look forward to working with him and the rest of my colleagues on the Committee to deliver much-needed relief and support to our public school teachers and students.
The mobile office is on the road again and looks forward to seeing you on the following dates, in the following locations: March 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; March 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. 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/.
