![]() ![]() But with rising costs due to inflation, lawmakers will also have to factor in how much more they'll have to spend in the state budget to cover infrastructure and staffing costs that keep the state running. With a record-breaking budget surplus, lawmakers will be putting out their hands for funding for their pet projects across the state, and top leaders will no longer have the ready excuse of limited means. Just how conservative they go will be the main question, as the battle between far-right, socially conservative Republicans and business-oriented GOP legislators, who have tried to move away from fights over social issues, continues within the party.ĭemocrats, who have been in the minority in both chambers of the Legislature for 20 years, will have limited tools to fend off Republican advances and will have to choose their battles wisely. That means Texans can expect the Legislature to continue to swing conservative on both fiscal and social matters. Republicans maintained their nearly 30-year dominance over Texas politics in last November's midterm elections, growing their majorities in both legislative chambers and keeping their grasp on every statewide elected office. Lawmakers returned to Austin on Tuesday for their biennial assembly to pass new laws and decide how to spend the state's money for the next two years. They'll debate over the state budget, school issues, border security and property taxes, among other issues. She expects him to share those in a few weeks, though the timing could change depending on what the governor would like to do.Lawmakers begin work on Tuesday for their biennial legislative session. McGaughy noted Abbott is the one person who can name emergency items for lawmakers to debate during the first few weeks of the session. Abbott will include on his list of legislative priorities. What remains unclear a day before the session begins is what Gov. “That’s something the Texas Republican Party is opposed to, but it’s historically always taken place,” she said, “so we’ll see if those fights play out on the sidelines.” Abbott’s legislative priorities McGaughy said she anticipates to see pushback this time in the tradition of naming Democrats as committee chairs. The rules also allow the speaker to appoint conference committees, to create select committees, and to direct committees to conduct interim studies when the legislature is not in session.” Under the rules, the speaker is responsible for referring all proposed legislation to committee, subject to the committee jurisdictions set forth in the rules. The Texas Constitution lays out some procedures, but both chambers can add on other rules if they’re passed by a majority of the members.Īccording to the Texas House of Representatives website, the “members give the speaker the authority to appoint the membership of each standing committee, subject to rules on seniority, and to designate the chair and vice chair for each committee. The first thing the speaker and the lieutenant governor, who presides over the Texas Senate, will ask the two legislative bodies to do is to decide on rules they will follow during the session. “There’s much more agreement over who’s going to take the helm of the House here in the state.” here in Texas,” McGaughy said during an interview Monday afternoon with KXAN Live’s Will DuPree. “It’s very, very unlikely that we would see a repeat of what happened in D.C. Kevin McCarthy, R-California, finally secured enough votes to take the speaker’s gavel late Friday night after an historic 15 ballots in Congress. Lauren McGaughy, a political investigate reporter with The Dallas Morning News, said Texans should not expect the same level of drama and delay that it took to elect the speaker of the U.S. Texas Legislative history: How long do sessions last and how many bills are typically passed? ![]()
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