AUSTIN – Today, Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) selected State Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) to serve as the Chairman for the House Select Committee on Constitutional Rights and Remedies. The 15-member committee has been formed ahead of the forthcoming Special Session on July 8th and will expire once the 88th Legislative Session convenes in January 2023.... Read More

On an unseasonably cool Thursday, July 4, 1776, the Second Continental Congress declared what its delegates had voted on just two days prior: total independence from King George III and Great Britain. In doing so, the founding fathers pushed back against tyranny, creating a new form of government whose power was to be derived only... Read More

As you may have heard, Governor Greg Abbott recently announced that legislators will need to shelve their summer plans as we will be back in Austin on July 8th to convene our first Special Session of the 87th Legislature. In Texas, a Special Session can only be called by the Governor, and the Legislature may... Read More

June 20th is the final day for Governor Abbott to sign or veto a piece of legislation passed in the 87th Legislative Session. The Governor also has the option to not sign or veto a bill, effectively allowing the legislation to become law without his signature. While many legislators wait patiently to learn the fate... Read More

On June 14th, 244 years ago, the Second Continental Congress met under the leadership of John Hancock in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Outside of those walls, citizens from what used to be 13 individual colonies fought as one against the oppressive British Crown. That day, the delegates adopted a design for the original American Flag for soldiers... Read More

The curtain has closed on the 87th Legislative Session, reminding me of the lyrics from one of my favorite Willie Nelson songs: “turn out the lights, the party’s over.” As lawmakers head back to their respective districts, they’ll return to their “day job” until our first Special Session is called later this summer. I’m personally... Read More

AUSTIN — Today, Representative Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) released this statement on the conclusion of 87th Legislative Session: Monday was the final day of what many are calling “the most conservative session in Texas history.” In 140 days we protected the sanctity of life by banning abortions when a heartbeat is detected, built upon our state’s... Read More

Matthew 20:26 says, “whoever would be great among you must be your servant.” Our freedoms in America have not been granted, but fought for by the great men and women who have served in the United States Armed Forces. As you take a long weekend at the lake, enjoy a picnic with your family, or... Read More

This past week, we celebrated National Transportation Infrastructure Week. While this recognition does not come with celebratory cake and confetti, I know we can all appreciate the core systems which enable the movement of goods and people throughout the state and across the country. Transportation infrastructure brings prosperity to the nation by connecting Americans to... Read More

A little over two weeks is all that’s left of the 87th Legislative Session. Deadlines alluded to in previous columns have come and gone, and we are now in the final countdown. These deadlines, referred to as the “Split Session Amendments,” were first proposed in 1930 to set the pace of session and ensure the... Read More