Changes

==Political life==

==Political life==

Ashby is a former president of the nonpartisan Lufkin Independent School District.<ref name=ttribune/>​  In the Republican [[primary]] election held on May 29, 2012, Ashby unseated one-term Representative Marva Black Beck (born 1944) of Centerville in Leon County, 11,730 votes (58.1 percent) to 8,454 (41.9 percent), in the reconfigured District 57.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns (House District 57), May 29, 2012.<ref> Beck was supported by the [[TEA Party]] movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intelius.com/results.php?ReportType=1&formname=name&qf=Marva&qmi=&qn=Beck&qcs=Centerville%2C+TX&focusfirst=1|title=Marva Beck of Centerville, TX|publisher=intelius.com|accessdate=March 17, 2014}}</ref> During her brief tenure, the district included Leon, Madison, [[Falls County, Texas|Falls]], part of [[McLennan County, Texas|McLennan]], and [[Robertson County, Texas|Robertson]] counties but not Ashby's home base of Lufkin in Angelina County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=5700&searchparams=chamber=H~city=~countyID=0~RcountyID=~district=~first=Marva~gender=~last=Beck~leaderNote=~leg=82~party=~roleDesc=~Committee=|title=Marva Beck|publisher=Legislative Reference Library|accessdate=March 17, 2014}}</ref> ​

Ashby is a former president of the nonpartisan Lufkin Independent School District.<ref name=ttribune/>​  In the Republican [[primary]] election held on May 29, 2012, Ashby unseated one-term Representative Marva Black Beck (born 1944) of Centerville in Leon County, 11,730 votes (58.1 percent) to 8,454 (41.9 percent), in the reconfigured District 57.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns (House District 57), May 29, 2012.</ref> Beck was supported by the [[TEA Party]] movement.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intelius.com/results.php?ReportType=1&formname=name&qf=Marva&qmi=&qn=Beck&qcs=Centerville%2C+TX&focusfirst=1|title=Marva Beck of Centerville, TX|publisher=intelius.com|accessdate=March 17, 2014}}</ref> During her brief tenure, the district included Leon, Madison, [[Falls County, Texas|Falls]], part of [[McLennan County, Texas|McLennan]], and [[Robertson County, Texas|Robertson]] counties but not Ashby's home base of Lufkin in Angelina County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=5700&searchparams=chamber=H~city=~countyID=0~RcountyID=~district=~first=Marva~gender=~last=Beck~leaderNote=~leg=82~party=~roleDesc=~Committee=|title=Marva Beck|publisher=Legislative Reference Library|accessdate=March 17, 2014}}</ref>

 

In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Beck had toppled seven-term [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Representative [[Jim Dunnam]], a lawyer from [[Moody, Texas|Moody]], Texas, but no Democrat ran in 2012 for the District 57 seat, which includes territory historically friendly to that party.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Election Returns (House District 57),  November 6, 2012.</ref>

In the general election held on November 2, 2010, Beck had toppled seven-term [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] Representative Jim Dunnam a lawyer from Moody, Texas, but no Democrat ran in 2012 for the District 57 seat.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Election Returns (House District 57),  November 6, 2012.</ref>

 

Ashby serves on the House committees of (1) Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III - Chair  (2) Natural Resources - Vice Chair  (3) Appropriations and  (4) House Administration.<ref name=votesmart/>​

Ashby serves on the House committees of (1) Appropriations Subcommittee on Article III - Chair  (2) Natural Resources - Vice Chair  (3) Appropriations and  (4) House Administration.<ref name=votesmart/>​

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A [[pro-life]] legislator, Ashby supported in 2013 the ban on [[abortion]] after twenty weeks of [[gestation]]; the measure passed the House, 96-49. He also co-sponsored companion legislation to increase medical and licensing requirements of abortion providers.<ref name=votingrecords/> These issues brought forth an unsuccessful [[filibuster]] in the state Senate led by Wendy Russell Davis of [[Fort Worth]], who in 2014 as the Democratic nominee lost the governor's race to the Republican [[Greg Abbott]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Filibuster in Texas Senate Tries to Halt Abortion Bill|author=Manny Fernandez|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/us/politics/senate-democrats-in-texas-try-blocking-abortion-bill-with-filibuster.html|newspaper=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=June 25, 2013|accessdate=March 9, 2014}}</ref> The Texas [[Right to Life]] Committee rated Ashby 73 percent favorable.<ref name=ratings/>​

A [[pro-life]] legislator, Ashby supported in 2013 the ban on [[abortion]] after twenty weeks of [[gestation]]; the measure passed the House, 96-49. He also co-sponsored companion legislation to increase medical and licensing requirements of abortion providers.<ref name=votingrecords/> These issues brought forth an unsuccessful [[filibuster]] in the state Senate led by Wendy Russell Davis of [[Fort Worth]], who in 2014 as the Democratic nominee lost the governor's race to the Republican [[Greg Abbott]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Filibuster in Texas Senate Tries to Halt Abortion Bill|author=Manny Fernandez|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/26/us/politics/senate-democrats-in-texas-try-blocking-abortion-bill-with-filibuster.html|newspaper=''[[The New York Times]]''|date=June 25, 2013|accessdate=March 9, 2014}}</ref> The Texas [[Right to Life]] Committee rated Ashby 73 percent favorable.<ref name=ratings/>​

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Ashby voted for legislation to establish a taxpayer-funded breakfast program for [[State school|public schools]]; the measure passed the House, 73-58. He supported legislation to provide marshals for school security as a separate law-enforcement entity. He voted to extend the [[franchise tax]] exemption to certain businesses. He voted for the adoption of the biennial state budget. Ashby voted to prohibit [[texting]] while driving, which nevertheless passed the House, 97-45. He voted to require testing for [[narcotics]] of those individuals receiving [[unemployment compensation]]. He voted against the "equal pay for women" measure, which nevertheless passed the House, 78-61, but was [[veto]]ed by [[governor of Texas|Governor]] [[Rick Perry]].<ref name=votingrecords/>​

Ashby voted for legislation to establish a taxpayer-funded breakfast program for [[State school|public schools]]; the measure passed the House, 73-58. He supported legislation to provide marshals for school security as a separate law-enforcement entity. He voted to extend the [[franchise tax]] exemption to certain businesses. He voted for the adoption of the biennial state budget. Ashby voted to prohibit [[texting]] while driving, which nevertheless passed the House, 97-45. He voted to require testing for [[narcotics]] of those individuals receiving [[unemployment compensation]]. He voted against the "equal pay for women" measure, which nevertheless passed the House, 78-61, but was [[veto]]ed by then [[Governor]] [[Rick Perry]].<ref name=votingrecords/>

 

Ashby backed the measure to forbid the state from engaging in the enforcement of federal regulations of firearms. He voted to allow college and university officials to [[Concealed carry|carry concealed weapons]] in the name of campus security. He co-sponsored the measure to reduce the time required to obtain a concealed-carry permit. He backed the [[redistricting]] bills for the state House and Senate and the [[United States House of Representatives]]. Ashby voted for [[term limits]] for certain state officials.<ref name=votingrecords>{{cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/138345/trent-ashby#.UyeOOstOUfg|title=Trent Ashby's Voting Records|publisher=Project Vote Smart|accessdate=July 8, 2020}}</ref>​

Ashby backed the measure to forbid the state from engaging in the enforcement of federal regulations of firearms. He voted to allow college and university officials to [[Concealed carry|carry concealed weapons]] in the name of campus security. He co-sponsored the measure to reduce the time required to obtain a concealed-carry permit. He backed the [[redistricting]] bills for the state House and Senate and the [[United States House of Representatives]]. Ashby voted for [[term limits]] for certain state officials.<ref name=votingrecords>{{cite web|url=https://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/138345/trent-ashby#.UyeOOstOUfg|title=Trent Ashby's Voting Records|publisher=Project Vote Smart|accessdate=July 8, 2020}}</ref>​

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