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With COVID-19 restrictions lifted nationwide and with summer vacation time before school starts next month, I sincerely hope you and your family will consider traveling to Austin for a history and civics class at your state capitol close.
With the legislature in the middle of a special session, there is no better time to see your government in action. As a reminder, my Capitol office is always open for you and my staff will be happy to show you around.
We can arrange a tour of the State Capitol or even make recommendations on places to visit in the area, such as the Governor’s Mansion, Texas State Cemetery, or the Bob Bullock State History Museum. I hope to see you soon.
With that, here is an update from your State Capitol.
As you have probably heard by now, nearly all of the Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives left for Washington, DC on July 12th to prevent the House of Representatives from doing business in a seldom-used process.
The next day, Speaker Dade Phelan used his authority to make “a call” for these members to be brought back by all means so that the House of Representatives can conduct their business and honor their sworn oath to faithfully perform the duties of our office.
This tactic by the Texas Democrats follows several critical laws that have already been voted out of their respective committees.
One such bill would have given more than 400,000 retired Texas teachers a 13th check, while another would have funded the legislative agencies that help redesign political maps – a process mandated by the United States Constitution.
Also, the committee that I chair, the Special Committee on Constitutional Rights and Remedies, met on a Saturday and Sunday for 23.5 hours. Without a break, our committee considered, took public testimony and voted on bills that would make our elections safer and protect citizens from dangerous criminals who are released on bail.
Under these unusual circumstances, the home cannot act on these or any other items to provide tax breaks, secure the border, or make meaningful reforms to our care system.
Rest assured, however, that every day I will sit at my desk in the Texas Capitol waiting for the rest of the Texas House members to return to do the job their constituents voted them to do.
As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can be of any help. My district office can be reached at 634-2762.
Additionally, I warmly welcome you to join my official Facebook page, where I will post regular updates on what is happening at your State Capitol and share information that may be useful to you and your family: facebook.com/RepTrentAshby.
Trent Ashby is the state representative for District 57, which includes Angelina, Houston, Leon, Madison, San Augustine, and Trinity Counties. His email address is trent.ashby@house.state.tx.us.
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