TRENT ASHBY

Once a tool of journalists and concerned citizens to hold government accountable, open records requests have been increasingly used by political opponents and conspiracy theorists to slow down the pace of government.

The federal money will be added to the $1.5 billion investment made by state lawmakers this session to increase broadband availability across Texas.

On the eve of a historic investment in connecting the Lone Star State, advocates worry maps that will help establish which communities get funding have bad information.

Voters will be asked to approve a state constitutional amendment to create the Broadband Infrastructure Fund.

The legislation — which falls short of the $10 billion needed to ensure all Texans have reliable internet access — must still win approval in the state Senate.

Rural communities face compounding reasons they can’t improve their water infrastructure, including inflation and a lack of human resources.

Greg Abbott on Monday held a press conference at Hamshire-Fannett Elementary School in Beaumont on expanding broadband access across Texas. Abbott was joined by Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan, State Rep. Trent Ashby, and Hamshire-Fannett ISD Superintendent Dwaine Augustine to discuss the importance of reliable broadband for education, business, and health care. Earlier this year, Abbott named broadband access an emergency item for the 87th legislative session. Ad“Broadband access is no longer a luxury, it is an essential tool for all Texans,” Abbott said. “Schools need broadband to connect with students, businesses need it to remain competitive, and our doctors and nurses and their patients need it for telemedicine purposes.

Evan Smith, CEO of The Texas Tribune. (Audio unavailable. Click here to listen on texastribune.org.) Hear Texas Tribune CEO Evan and state Rep. Trent Ashby discuss his bill to create a state broadband plan.

State Rep. Trent Ashby, R-Lufkin, and state Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall. Credit: Illustration by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneTwo Republicans declared their candidacies for speaker of the Texas House on Thursday, becoming the first from their party to enter the race. State Reps. Trent Ashby of Lufkin and Chris Paddie of Marshall join two Democrats in seeking the gavel: Senfronia Thompson of Houston and Trey Martinez Fischer of San Antonio. Candidates are vying to replace Republican House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, who will retire after serving one term thanks to a political scandal last year. Thompson, the longest-serving woman and Black person in the history of the Texas Legislature, filed Friday to run for the gavel.