Ashby discusses priorities in legislative session

Texas has a unique opportunity to address property taxes and appraisal reform with its anticipated budget surplus, state Rep. Trent Ashby said. But he also plans to prioritize the revitalization of rural roads, water and broadband infrastructure.

Improving access to health care, including mental health services, and supporting rural public schools also are important to the lawmaker.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAm“%96 C646?E C6G6?F6 6DE:>2E6 :DDF65 3J E96 4@>AEC@==6C :D 2? 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ E6DE2>6?E E@ E96 DEC6?8E9 2?5 C6D:=:6?4J @7 E96 %6I2D 64@?@>J[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm“(9:=6 2?J 3F586E DFCA=FD :D H6=4@>6 ?6HD[ x 36=:6G6 H6 D9@F=5 36 >:?57F= @7 E96 7:?2?4:2= 492==6?86D >2?J %6I2?D 2C6 724:?8 2?5 >2<6 2 4@?D4:@FD 677@CE E@ 4C27E 7:D42= A@=:4:6D E92E AC:@C:E:K6 E96 E2IA2J6C]”k^Am

kAm%6I2D :D AC@;64E65 E@ 92G6 S`gg]a 3:==:@? :? 86?6C2= C6G6?F6 @G6C E96 ?6IE EH@ J62CD[ H9:49 :D >@C6 E92? E96 DE2E6 :D 2==@H65 E@ DA6?5 5F6 E@ A2C2>6E6CD 6DE23=:D965 :? E96 DE2E6’D 4@?DE:EFE:@?] r@>AEC@==6C @7 !F3=:4 p44@F?ED v=6?? w682C 2EEC:3FE65 E96 :?4C62D6 E@ 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9[ DA:<6D :? 6?6C8J AC:46D 2?5 “E96 9:896DE C2E6 @7 86?6C2= AC:46 :?7=2E:@? :? c_ J62CD]”k^Am

kAmx? 2 y2?] h AC6DD C6=62D6[ w682C 25G:D65 42FE:@? E@ =2H>2<6CD =@@<:?8 E@ DA6?5 E96 >@?6J]k^Am

kAm“%96 C6G6?F6 :?4C62D6D E92E H6’G6 D66? 92G6 366?[ :? >2?J H2JD[ F?AC64656?E65[ 2?5 H6 42??@E C62D@?23=J 6IA64E 2 C6A62E[” 96 D2:5] “(6 2C6 F?=:<6=J E@ 92G6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ =:<6 E9:D 282:?] %9:D 3F586E:?8 D6DD:@? :D ECF=J 2 @?46\:?\2\=:76E:>6 D6DD:@?]”k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m!C@A6CEJ E2I6D 2?5 D49@@= 7F?5:?8k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm%96 962G:6DE 3FC56? %6I2D E2IA2J6CD 42CCJ :D E96 A2J>6?E @7 AC@A6CEJ E2I6D[ pD93J D2:5] w6 A=2?D E@ AC:@C:E:K6 2AAC2:D2= C67@C> 2?5 AC@A6CEJ E2I C6=:67 :? E9:D D6DD:@?[ 96 D2:5] %9:D :D 2 >:?5D6E D92C65 3J D6G6C2= @E96C =2H>2<6CD[ E96 %6I2D %C:3F?6 C6A@CE65]k^Am

kAmx? w@FD6 2?5 $6?2E6 3:==D 6DE23=:D9:?8 2 3F586E[ =2H>2<6CD 92G6 AC@A@D65 S`d 3:==:@? 7@C AC@A6CEJ E2I C6=:67]k^Am

kAmpAAC2:D2=D =65 E@ D<JC@4<6E:?8 AC@A6CEJ E2I6D 24C@DD E96 DE2E6[ :?4=F5:?8 :? p?86=:?2 r@F?EJ[ H9:49 AC@G:565 F?AC64656?E65 7F?5:?8 7@C =@42= E2I:?8 6?E:E:6D] u@C 6I2>A=6[ 56DA:E6 =@H6C:?8 :ED E2I C2E6 E@ E96 =@H6DE A@:?E :? >@C6 E92? 2 564256[ p?86=:?2 r@F?EJ D2H C6G6?F6D 7@C E96 a_ab 3F586E :?4C62D6 3J S`]ah >:==:@?]k^Am

kAm!C@A6CEJ E2I C67@C> H:== >@C6 =:<6=J 368:? :? D49@@= 5:DEC:4E 7F?5:?8 2D D49@@=D =6GJ E96 =2C86DE A2CE @7 AC@A6CEJ E2I6D %6I2?D A2J] $49@@= 5:DEC:4ED :? p?86=:?2 r@F?EJ 2AAC@G65 C2E6D @7 >@C6 E92? S` A6C 6G6CJ S`__ G2=F2E:@? :? E2I6D :? a_abj E96 9:896DE E2I C2E6 @7 S`]b` A6C S`__ G2=F2E:@? H2D 2AAC@G65 3J wF?E:?8E@? x$s :? a_ab[ 4@F?EJ C64@C5D D9@H]k^Am

kAm%96 {68:D=2EFC6 3682? :ED H@C< E@ C67@C> D49@@= E2I6D 5FC:?8 E96 gfE9 =68:D=2E:G6 D6DD:@? H:E9 E96 A2DD286 @7 2 AC@A@D65 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 2>6?5>6?E E@ 6IA2?5 9@>6DE625 6I6>AE:@?D] %9:D H2D 2AAC@G65 24C@DD E96 DE2E6 5FC:?8 E96 a_a` }@G6>36C 4@?DE:EFE:@?2= 6=64E:@?]k^Am

kAmp?5 H9:=6 E96 DE2E6 :D =@@<:?8 E@ DA6?5 >@C6 :? %6I2D D49@@=D[ E96 %6I2D v~! A=2E7@C> =:DED D49@@= 49@:46 2D 2 <6J AC:@C:EJ] &?56C E96 A2CEJ’D 7C2>6H@C<[ 7F?5:?8 7@C D49@@=D H@F=5 7@==@H E96 DEF56?ED[ H9:49 H@F=5 8:G6 A2C6?ED >@C6 4@?EC@= @G6C 9@H E96:C E2I 5@==2CD 2C6 36:?8 DA6?E 7@C 65F42E:@?2= 7F?5:?8]k^Am

kAm“(9:=6 x H:== 2=H2JD D6CG6 2D 2 492>A:@? 7@C @FC AF3=:4 D49@@=D[ x 2=D@ 9@?@C E96 7F?52>6?E2= C:89ED @7 A2C6?ED E@ 49@@D6 E96 65F42E:@? E92E H@C<D 36DE 7@C E96:C 49:=5C6?[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAmw6 92D 2=H2JD AC@F5=J DFAA@CE65 AF3=:4 D49@@=D[ DEF56?ED 2?5 65F42E@CD[ 96 D2:5] %96 4FCC6?E DJDE6> @776CD A2C6?ED @AE:@?D 36EH66? AF3=:4[ AC:G2E6 2?5 9@>6D49@@=:?8 2?5 E96 C:89E E@ 49@@D6 H92E H@C<D 36DE 7@C E96>] qFE E96 :562 @7 5:G6CE:?8 E2IA2J6C 5@==2CD 7C@> AF3=:4 2?5 492CE6C D49@@=D 5@6D 8:G6 9:> A2FD6]k^Am

kAm“s:G6CE:?8 E2IA2J6C 5@==2CD 7C@> AF3=:4 2?5 492CE6C D49@@=D[ H:E9@FE 2?J 244@F?E23:=:EJ @C @G6CD:89E @? 9@H @C H96E96C E9@D6 7F?5D 2C6 DA6?E 7@C 65F42E:@?2= AFCA@D6D[ :D 4@?46C?:?8 E@ >6 2?5 D9@F=5 36 E@ 2== E2IA2J6CD[” 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96C6 :D 2 =@E @7 5:D4FDD:@? @7 6I6>AE:?8 CFC2= 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 D49@@=D 7C@> 2?J =68:D=2E:@? @? E96 E@A:4] qFE 96 92D ?@E D66? 2?J DA64:7:4 =68:D=2E:@? 2?5 D2:5 “E96 56G:= :D 2=H2JD :? E96 56E2:=D]”k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m#FC2= :?7C2DECF4EFC6k^DEC@?8mk^Am

kAm“pD:56 7C@> AC@A6CEJ E2I6D[ x 9@A6 E@ H@C< @? 2 ?F>36C @7 :?:E:2E:G6D E92E H:== 36?67:E CFC2= %6I2D[” pD93J D2:5] “|@C6 DA64:7:42==J[ x 36=:6G6 H6 D9@F=5 AC:@C:E:K6 C6G:E2=:K:?8 CFC2= C@25D[ H2E6C 2?5 3C@2532?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6]”k^Am

kAmp== E9C66 :DDF6D 92G6 C624965 DE2E6 ?6HD D@FC46D 2D >@C6 2?5 >@C6 4@>>F?:E:6D 6IAC6DD 5:D4@?E6?E] pD93J 2?5 DE2E6 $6?] #@36CE }:49@=D AFD965 7@C 3C@2532?5 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 :>AC@G6>6?ED :? E96 =2DE =68:D=2E:G6 D6DD:@?[ C6DF=E:?8 :? E96 4C62E:@? @7 E96 %6I2D qC@2532?5 s6G6=@A>6?E ~77:46 2?5 E96 %6I2D qC@2532?5 !=2?]k^Am

kAm“~FC C68:@? :D D@ 3=6DD65 E@ 92G6 $6?] }:49@=D H@C<:?8 @? @FC 3692=7 :? E96 $6?2E6[ 2?5 :E’D 2? 9@?@C E@ H@C< H:E9 9:> E@ 56=:G6C >62?:?87F= C6DF=ED 7@C @FC D92C65 4@?DE:EF6?ED 2?5 E96 6?E:C6 DE2E6[” pD93J D2:5]k^Am

kAmw6 6IA64ED E96J H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ H@C< E@86E96C @? =68:D=2E:@? E@ 255C6DD 3C@2532?5]k^Am

kAmq6J@?5 3C@2532?5[ E96C6 2=D@ :D 2 ?665 7@C :>AC@G6>6?ED E@ CFC2= %6I2D’ 28:?8 H2E6C :?7C2DECF4EFC6[ 2DD:DE:?8 G@=F?E66C 7:C6 56A2CE>6?ED[ 6?92?4:?8 ;@3 4C62E:@? 2?5 EC2:?:?8 2?5 =@@<:?8 7@C H2JD E@ D64FC6 E96 3@C56C]k^Am

kAm“pE AC6D6?E[ x 92G6 ?@E J6E 7:=65 2 3:==] (9:=6 x 2> H@C<:?8 @? 2 ?F>36C @7 =68:D=2E:G6 AC@A@D2=D[ E96 @C56C :? H9:49 x 7:=6 =68:D=2E:@? H:== 36 :? ?@ A2CE:4F=2C @C56C @7 :>A@CE2?46[” 96 D2:5]k^Am