The 86th Session of the Texas Legislature will be gaveled to order in about a month, on Jan. 8, but legislators are already at work pre-filing bills and resolutions to be considered over 140 days in 2019.

Pre-filings opened on Nov. 12 and already 427 items have been filed in the Texas House and 191 have been filed in the Texas Senate. That is just a drop in the bucket, as legislative proposals will tally 10,000-12,000. In the last legislative session, in 2017, there were 10,672 bills and resolutions filed.

A few new faces will represent Wylie in Austin next year, the result of 2018 elections. New to the Texas House are State Rep. Candy Noble, Dist. 89, and state senators Angela Paxton, Dist. 8, and Pat Fallon, Dist. 30. None of the three has filed a bill, so far.

Shaping up to be top issues are school finances and property tax reform, but another unrelated issue could pop up to steal the limelight, such as the so-called “Bathroom Bill” did two years ago.

For the full story, see the Dec. 12 issue or subscribe online.

By Joe Reavis • [email protected]