On the first day of session, I took an oath to faithfully execute the duties of the office of State
Representative, and I want you to know what an honor and privilege it is to serve as your
Representative. As the session moves forward, I will be sending out a weekly column to provide
you with an update on what’s going on here in Austin. With that said, here is the first Capitol
update of the 85th Legislative Session . . .
Opening Day
This past Tuesday was the opening day of the 85th Texas Legislature, and while there is plenty
of work ahead, Tuesday was a day of celebration and ceremony. My family joined me in Austin
for the festivities, and I enjoyed visiting with those of you who made the trip to your Capitol for
this special occasion. After being sworn in, members of the Texas House unanimously re-elected
Joe Straus to again be Speaker by a vote of 150-0. Speaker Straus joins former Texas House
Speakers Pete Laney and Gib Lewis as the longest serving members to preside over the House of
Representatives.
In his address, Straus touched on job creation, improving protective services for children, and
fixing a broken school finance system. Most importantly, Speaker Straus had this to say about
compromise and unity this session: “Texans are watching … and we have an opportunity: We
can show that there’s still a place for thoughtful and inclusive leadership. We can show that
elected officials still know how to solve problems.”
Meetings and Speaking Engagements
On Wednesday, I met with the Texas Association of Community Colleges Legislative
Committee to discuss the budget as it concerns higher education this session. House District 57
falls into the service area of two community colleges – Angelina College and Blinn College – that
play an important role in preparing students to enter the workforce. As Chairman of the
Appropriations Subcommittee responsible for funding education in our state, ensuring that
community colleges have the resources they need to continue strengthening our workforce is a
crucial component of the work we do here.
This week I also met with top officials from the Texas Department of Agriculture to discuss their
priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Forestry and agriculture play such an important
role in my district and representing the needs of my constituents in these areas remains a top
priority for me in Austin.
Reminders
The mobile office is back on the road in January and looks forward to seeing you around the district! Here’s this month’s schedule: January 18th from 9am-11am in Crockett at the Houston County Courthouse Annex or from 1:30pm – 3:30pm in Groveton at the Trinity County Courthouse. You can also visit us on January 25th from 9am – 11am at the San Augustine County Courthouse in San Augustine. 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, or you can call my Capitol office at (512) 463-0508.
