Representative Ashby’s Capitol Update

Date:

This year marks the centennial celebration of Flag Day, which takes place every year on JuneĀ 14th. Flag Day was established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916, and the day is designedĀ to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the United States flag by the SecondĀ Continental Congress in 1777. Interestingly, the day also marks the birthday of the United StatesĀ Army, which was created on June 14th, 1775. With that in mind, hereā€™s the latest from your StateĀ Capitolā€¦

Update on School Funding

As you may know, on May 13 th , the Texas Supreme Court made a decision in the most recentĀ court case regarding public school funding. There were a number of specific issues at stake, butĀ in summary the Supreme Court held that the system was constitutional, but needed changes,Ā saying it was ā€œundeniably imperfect, with immense room for improvement.ā€

In response to this ruling, the Texas House has committed to working to improve our schoolĀ funding system for our children, with House Speaker Joe Straus recently releasing two newĀ interim charges calling the House Public Education committee and the House AppropriationsĀ committee, on which I serve, to further investigate ways to improve our schools. Specifically, weĀ will be studying the impacts of Additional State Aid for Tax Relief, or ASATR, which is a holdĀ harmless instituted more than 10 years ago for certain school districts. We will also be looking atĀ the use of local property taxes to fund public education and its effect on educational quality andĀ taxpayers. The Committees will make recommendations to reverse the increasing reliance onĀ recapture payments to fund schools statewide.

I look forward to working on this issue, which is one of the most important facing the state. WeĀ will be working to find an equitable solution for all schools, especially those in rural TexasĀ which don't always have the same resources available as some urban and suburban districts.

House Interim Charges: House Committee on Energy Resources

The House Committee on Energy Resources is a critically important committee for the TexasĀ economy, as it oversees the oil and gas industry, as well as the Railroad Commission of Texas,Ā which regulates the oil and gas sector. The committee will begin the interim by studying theĀ impacts of declining oil prices on the local communities most dependent on oil and gas activity,Ā including impacts on supporting industries. They will then recommend strategies for sustainedĀ economic development and workforce growth during times of depressed energy prices.

The committee will then work to determine if there are sufficient safety standards in place toĀ protect groundwater contamination from disposal and injection wells, and study the enforcementĀ policies of the Railroad Commission and consider the effectiveness of their methods as aĀ deterrent of violation.

Reminders

The mobile office will be at the Houston County Courthouse Annex from 9:00 am until 11:00 amĀ and then at the Trinity County Courthouse from 1:30pm until 3:30 pm on June 15th. We willĀ wrap up the month at the San Augustine County Courthouse from 9:00 am until 11:00 am onĀ June 22nd.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office if we can help you in any way. My districtĀ office may be reached at (936) 634-2762 or you can call my Capitol office at (512) 463-0508.

Rep. Trent Ashby
Trent Ashby is honored to be representing District 57 in the Texas House of Representatives. House District 57 includes Angelina, Houston, Leon, Madison, San Augustine and Trinity Counties. He can be reached at (512) 463-0508, (936)634-2762, or by email at trentashby@house.state.tx.us.

Share post:

Subscribe

Popular

More like this
Related

Texas A&M School of Nursing Wins Collaborative $2.28 Million Grant Addressing Maternal Mortality, Morbidity

CHAMPions will support new mothers in underserved areas with...

Minor Sting Operation

In an effort to decrease the dangers and consequences...

Angelina College Athletics Weekly Update

This week in AC Athletics featured plenty of action...

A Permanent Seat to the Game

Roadrunner Baseball Pays Tribute to Former Manager RayburnA Permanent...