THCA Notes

Volume XXXI, Number 12
January 2017

85^TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION SET TO BEGIN

Members of the Texas House and Senate are converging on Austin as they prepare for the opening of the 85^th Legislative Session at noon on January 10.

This Legislature will look very much like the one that convened in 2015. Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick will begin their second sessions in their respective positions. House Speaker Joe Straus (R-San Antonio) is expected to remain in his leadership role when that chamber votes on Tuesday.

The makeup of the membership also will be very similar. There will only be three new members in the 31 seat Senate and the partisan makeup will remain unchanged (20 Republicans, 11 Democrats). Republicans lost four seats in the House but maintain a 95-55 edge in that chamber, where two dozen new members will take the oath of office.

But the outlook will be very different when the Legislature sets out to perform its constitutionally mandated duty of writing a budget. Because of a slowing economy and low oil prices, the state is expected to face a budget shortfall after holding a significant surplus before last session.

The session will adjourn on May 29. The Governor may call members back after that date for one or more special sessions if he believes additional items need to be addressed.