Quitman’s driver’s license office is among the 87 offices recommended to close statewide.

Texas Department of Public Safety is one of the agencies being reviewed by the Sunset Advisory Commission. DPS is following the recommendation to “develop and implement a plan to close inefficient driver license offices.”

Sunset is a commission that reviews agencies to determine their success and if they should continue or not, according to the commission’s website.

Recommendations will be considered at the commission’s meeting on Aug. 29 at 9 a.m. in the Capitol Extension, Senate Finance Committee Room in Austin, according to the agenda. This meeting will be open to the public. No action has been taken as of now. Go to this link to live stream the meeting when it starts: https://bit.ly/2BUkfeU.

If the Quitman office were to close, the nearest offices would be in Sulphur Springs or Gilmer. For voter registration, county residents can go to the Wood County courthouse in Quitman. According to the county election office, changes for voter registration can also be made at the driver’s license offices in Sulphur Springs or Tyler.

Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes (District 1) along with 23 other members of the state legislature have written a letter against the closures to Sunset Commission Chair Sen. Brian Birdwell (R-Grandbury).

The letter says in part: “As we continue to see the urbanization of the state, and with the reduction of services, infrastructure and healthcare to rural Texas to accommodate the urban services needs we are being, ‘penny wise, a pound foolish.’”

See the full list of closure recommendations here: https://bit.ly/2NoJuaf.