On January 25th, 1839, the Republic of Texas adopted the iconic flag we know and cherish today. A simple but bold design that features a single five-point star surrounded by a blue field with two horizontal stripes, the upper stripe white, and the lower red. Colors in the flags of both the United States and Texas mean red for courage, white for purity and liberty, and blue for loyalty.
Among the several designs considered for our state flag, the Lone Star stood out as particularly meaningful to those who created it. I am proud that Texas still serves as a beacon for all who believe in personal freedom, limited government, and family values. Texas has prevailed and cemented itself as the preeminent state representing the American Dream and the land of opportunity.
With that, here’s an update from your State Capitol. . .
Capitol Update
With the 89th Legislative Session underway, House members had the opportunity to review the initial draft of the State’s budget, or the base budget, for the next two years. The House’s base budget, which was very similar to the Senate’s base budget, includes $335.7 billion in total spending and $154.1 in general revenue spending.
One of the largest aspects of the base budget is the $26.3 billion reserved for the continued property tax relief the Legislature provided last session and $6.5 billion for further property tax relief. I appreciate the dedication exhibited in the base budget to addressing the needs of Texas homeowners.
Additionally, the base budget provides for $4.85 billion in new funding for public education in Texas. This includes a $3.4 billion increase to fully fund student enrollment, $400 million for school safety improvements, and $450 million to the Teacher Retirement System to address rising insurance premiums for our retired teachers.
The base budget also includes $139 million to operationalize new mental-health beds and to raise personal attendant nurse wages to $12 at state hospitals, $174 million is for the Early Childhood Intervention program, $73 million to expand access to Youth Crisis Outreach Teams, and $20 million for three new Women’s Preventative Health Mobile Units, one of which will be dedicated to serving the Deep East Texas region.
Finally, the base budget also includes $36 billion for highway projects, $6.5 billion for border security, $2.5 billion for water infrastructure, $1.1 billion to address high-risk security threats and secure Texans’ data, $402 million for 600 new state troopers, $363 million for correctional officer raises, and $34 million for flood control dam projects.
I am grateful for the dedication to the needs of all Texans the base budget exhibits. I look forward to working with my colleagues in the Legislature to, among many things, deliver meaningful property tax relief, explore appraisal reform, address the mental health needs of Deep East Texans, and deliver a much-needed pay raise to our hardworking public educators.
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/
