From the Desk  of Travis Clardy

The Texas Legislature convenes in Austin every two years, and I was excited to begin the 86th Legislative Session on Tuesday, Jan. 8. I am ready to work with my colleagues to improve the lives of my fellow Texans, and the Texas House will tackle many important issues. I am genuinely humbled to represent the hardworking people of Cherokee, Nacogdoches, and Rusk counties this session.
On the first day of the legislative session, the members of the Texas House elect one of our peers to serve as Speaker of the House. I was honored to cast my vote for Representative Dennis Bonnen. I look forward to a productive session under the leadership of Speaker Bonnen.
On Monday, Jan. 7, I was honored by to be named the Deep East Texas Legislator of the Year by the Deep East Texas Coalition of Government and the Deep East Texas Commissioners and Judges Association. I have enjoyed working with this group of elected, business and community leaders from across East Texas and look forward to continuing to improve the way of life, and economy opportunities, East Texans value.
This session, I look forward to working with colleagues in both the House and Senate as we prepare to address school finance and work to make schools safer for the young people of Texas. I believe in the vision of the framers of the Texas Constitution who wrote that the state is responsible for providing an efficient and free education to its citizens. This must be a priority so we can promote a successful, safe, and prosperous public school system for generations of Texans.