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What to expect as the 89th Texas legislative session gets underway

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What to expect as the 89th Texas legislative session gets underway


AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) -The 89th Texas legislative session kicks off Tuesday, with lawmakers set to address major issues ranging from school vouchers and immigration to water policy and sports gambling. With a Republican-dominated legislature and more than 2,300 pre-filed bills, experts predict a high-stakes 140 days.

Legislative makeup and new members

Republicans maintain control of both chambers, holding 20 of 31 seats in the Senate and 88 of 150 seats in the House. Democrats control 11 Senate seats and 62 House seats. The Senate gained one additional Republican member since the last session, and three senators are serving their first term.

The House welcomes 32 new representatives, including Brazos Valley’s District 14′s Paul Dyson, and District 12′s Trey Wharton, while also flipping two seats in November’s elections.

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“This session could bring significant changes,” said Kirby Goidel, a political science professor at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. “What the state legislature does in Texas is probably even more important to you than what happens in Washington, D.C.”

Key issues on the agenda

Among the most debated topics this session is school vouchers, a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott. Lawmakers have struggled to pass a bill in the last session which included five special sessions, but experts say momentum is growing.

“This should be something that would be easy for them to get done,” Goidel said. “The challenge is really in the details. Should vouchers be everywhere? If they are everywhere, do they hurt rural school districts without as many private school choices?”

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Another focal point will be immigration. Republican lawmakers are considering creating a state agency to handle border security and immigration policies independently of federal initiatives.

“There’s a feeling, I think, on the Republican side that now that you have a Republican in the White House, maybe that maybe there’s a dividend that we that we get back because we don’t have to spend as much time as an energy on immigration,” Goidel said. “Republicans also feel like they owe their voters to show that they are addressing the immigration issue.”

Focus at Four: Sports betting to break $35 billion this football season

Sports gambling is also likely to spark debate, with advocates pushing for legalization to recapture millions of dollars currently spent in other states.

“We know people in Texas are gambling on sports,” Goidel said. “There is going to be a big push to try to make that legal.”

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Infrastructure and budget surplus

Water export from the Brazos Valley is expected to be a significant issue as lawmakers address statewide water policy during the 89th legislative session. With the region sitting atop critical water resources, local leaders and residents have voiced concerns about plans to transport water to urban areas outside the Brazos Valley. These exports could strain local supplies and impact long-term sustainability for agriculture and growing communities within the region.

“This is gonna be a session that’s going to have to deal with some of the water resources confronting the state,” Goidel said.

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Lawmakers will also contend with a budget surplus, with a key update from the state’s revenue estimating commission expected Monday. The surplus could influence property tax relief and other funding priorities.

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“Many people are expecting [the surplus] to be very big—we may all get some property tax relief,” Goidel said.

A busy session ahead

The pre-filing of more than 2,300 bills—over 1,600 in the House and 700 in the Senate—gives a glimpse of the legislative priorities. Topics such as public education funding, social issues, and infrastructure are expected to emerge alongside the core debates.

Incoming state Rep. Paul Dyson weighs in on speaker race splitting House Republicans

The speaker’s race has revealed divisions within the Republican Party, with lawmakers split between the establishment faction and the MAGA-aligned wing, a dynamic that could influence the tone and priorities of the 89th session.

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“We walk into the Texas legislative session this year not really sure who the speaker is going to be because there is a division within the Republican Party—between what I don’t really like these terms, but I’ll use them anyway—sort of between the establishment side of the Republican Party and the MAGA side,” Goidel said. “That’s got to be resolved before anything gets done, and how that gets resolved could affect everything else that follows.”

Looking ahead

With a packed agenda and a Republican-controlled legislature, experts say this session will shape Texas’ future on multiple fronts. The session, which runs for 140 days, begins Tuesday. Lawmakers are required to pass a budget before the term concludes, but political observers will also watch closely to see how key debates unfold.

KBTX News 3 will have a team in Austin on Tuesday, bringing you the sights and sounds from opening day.

CONTINUING 89TH LEGISLATIVE SESSION COVERAGE
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Austin, TX

Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death

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Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death


The parents of Brianna Aguilera have filed a lawsuit against two organizations, alleging that they served alcohol to their underage daughter which contributed to her death in Austin.

Before Aguilera fell to her death from the Rio 21 Apartments in West Campus, the lawsuit states that she attended a tailgate at the Austin Blacks Rugby Club’s facility, organized by the UT Latin Economics and Business Association.

Both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

>> What we know about Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera’s death in Austin

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Even though the lawsuit states Aguilera was “noticeably intoxicated” at the tailgate, her parents argue that the defendants continued to serve her alcohol.

According to court documents, Aguilera allegedly began stumbling at the tailgate and needed help standing at times. At some point, the lawsuit said she fell into the woods and lost her phone.

After leaving the tailgate at approximately 10 p.m., court documents state Aguilera died around two hours later.

The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of negligence and gross negligence for serving alcohol to Aguilera despite her age and allegedly overserving her.

In the suit, Aguilera’s parents demanded a trial by jury and sought at least $1 million plus interest, costs and punitive damages.

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Aguilera’s parents also seek damages for wrongful death, citing the defendants’ alleged misconduct.

Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who’s representing the Aguilera family, commented on the lawsuit in a Tuesday news conference.

Watch the full news conference below:

“Brianna was obviously overserved,” Buzbee said. “Even the police have concluded that she was overserved at that tailgate. She was not 21.”

Buzbee also stated that the Austin Police Department has allegedly told multiple witnesses not to talk with him and Aguilera’s parents.

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“They told the three, the three individuals that were in that apartment that night when this young girl died. They told them, do not speak to Brianna’s mother or her lawyers,” Buzbee said.

He said that the lawsuit could provide a way for the witnesses to eventually come forward with information.

“By filing this lawsuit, not only will we hold accountable an entity or entities that were involved in overserving Brianna and other minors, but we will also be able to subpoena individuals and documents and video and data so we can continue our investigation,” Buzbee said.

KSAT’s sister station, KPRC, has reached out to both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association for comment on the lawsuit. This story will be updated once the organizations provide a statement.


More coverage of this story on KSAT:

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Austin, TX

Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas

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Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas


Although record-breaking heat and spring-like warmth dominated the first few days of the new year, cooler — but still warmer than normal —temperatures settled in to start the first work week of 2026.

The heat will ramp up yet again Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures about 20 degrees above the normal early-January high of 62 degrees. 

Expect a blanket of low stratus clouds and some patchy dense fog Tuesday morning, but skies should begin clearing around lunchtime.

“In the meantime, a surface trough (of low atmospheric pressure)/dry line will push from the southern Edwards Plateau into the I-35 corridor, bringing temperatures into the lower to mid-80s,” meteorologists with the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast discussion Monday. “It is going to be very warm for this time of year, and some daily high temperature records could be broken.”

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Those temperatures could rival record highs at both Austin climate observation sites, Camp Mabry and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where the standing record is 84 degrees, set in 1989.

Behind the dry line Tuesday, drier air will move into Central Texas, leading to a slightly cooler start Wednesday under mostly to partly cloudy skies.

Morning temperatures will dip into the 50s around sunrise before climbing into the upper 70s to mid-80s by the afternoon. Those highs would surpass the record of 80 degrees set in 2008 at Camp Mabry.

Temperatures the rest of the week will remain above normal with mostly cloudy mornings but sunny afternoons. 

A cold front is forecast to move across the region later in the week with a slight rain chance Thursday and Friday, but most of the rain will fall north and east of Austin. However, cooler and more seasonable weather is expected this weekend. 

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This past weekend, Austin experienced the highest cedar pollen counts so far this season with a count of 3,200 grains per cubic meter Saturday and a peak of 4,000 grains per cubic meter on Sunday. However, the count dropped to just over 1,000 grams per cubic meter on Monday. Humidity has been on the rise in the past few days, and winds have been much lighter. Those factors have helped “settle” the cedar pollen for the time being. 

Luckily, the winds have turned southerly and are much lighter, so the pollen has settled a bit. A small chance of rain on Thursday and Friday should also help dampen cedar pollen before it becomes airborne. However, above-normal temperatures will allow tree pollen cones to continue opening, setting the stage for another pollen surge when the next breezy cold front arrives.



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Venezuelan oil reboot not expected to spur windfall in Texas

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Venezuelan oil reboot not expected to spur windfall in Texas


With former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power, President Trump said he wants to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. 

That idea has raised questions about whether it could cause a price spike at the gas pump and a downturn in the Texas oil patch region. 

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Now, a spike at the pump and a production slump in the Texas oil patch may not happen this year, but with oil prices down, a budget crunch for state lawmakers may be waiting when they return to Austin in 2027.

What they’re saying:

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The situation in Venezuela is creating a lot of political uncertainty, but a Texas energy expert said he is not expecting that uncertainty to cause an oil patch crash or a gas pump pike in 2026.

Prices at the pump are low and despite some recent big swings, up and down, analysts say 2026 could see the lowest prices since the pandemic. That prediction has people like Dale Owens cautiously optimistic.

“Things change so drastically nowadays. I mean, look what’s happening with the government, so anything can affect the price. But right now I’m really happy that it’s stable,” said Owens.

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There are big reasons for that local gas price stabilization, and it predates the leadership change in Venezuela, according to Ed Hirs, an Energy Fellow at the University of Houston.

“The first is that the president has asked MBS (Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) and OPEC nations to continue pumping a pace. Number one. Number two, this helps hamstring the Russian economy and its war effort. And that’s also one of the goals of not only the European Union, but of the Trump administration. And number three, we’ve got the midterm elections coming up,” said Hirs.

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The price of a barrel of oil is expected to increase slightly because of the uncertainty regarding Venezuela. Texas crude oil production, according to an update released Monday, was stable in December, but state data also showed drilling permits for 2025 were at 369 and that’s down from 459 in 2024.

“When President Trump took office, oil was about $80 a barrel, today it’s under $60 a barrel. We are the high-cost producers in the global commodity oil market, and the cost of drilling these wells has gone up by between 5% and 12%, primarily because of Trump’s steel tariffs. Not only does the imported steel now cost a lot more, but domestic producers raise their So the producers in West Texas and across the Permian Basin are getting squeezed by much lower revenues, $20 a barrel less and much higher cost. It’s not a good capital investment for Wall Street,” said Hirs.

Dig deeper:

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The oil industry remains a big part of the Texas economy and the state budget. State lawmakers will return to Austin in 2027 to crunch numbers for a new two-year budget.

“I think they need to be looking at the budget. So the state comptroller needs to be running the numbers now based on lower oil revenues, not only for state lands, for example, for the universities, but for the state tax receipts. And that applies to the counties and cities that rely on these revenues to keep their budgets balanced. It’s going to be lower for longer,” said Hirs. 

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There are also doubts about whether the Texas refineries will get a financial windfall if the Trump Administration is able to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. There are about six refineries in Texas and Louisiana that can process the heavy crude that is located in Venezuela.

“Well, it might help keep them open. But Lyondell just closed down a 100-plus-year-old heavy crude refinery on the Houston Ship Channel because it just doesn’t make any sense to reinvest in it. And it was going to require $750, $800 million of new capital investment just to keep the plant operating at par,” said Hirs.

What’s next:

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Stocks for several oil companies did increase on Monday. Chevron, at one point, had a 10% stock price surge, mainly because Chevron is the only U.S. company operating in Venezuela. Other energy-related companies also saw an increase, like Exxon, as well as industry suppliers like Baker-Hughes and Halliburton. 

The action on Wall Street came after President Trump said he wants energy producers to pay for the oil production rebuild. Hirs described the administration’s plans as being “naive.”

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Past attempts to rebuild another country’s oil infrastructure seem to back up the doubts raised by Hirs. In 1989, after the Soviet Union collapsed, companies like Exxon went in to rebuild — only to get kicked out later by the Russians. Hirs also noted the rebuilding effort in Iraq, started by President George W. Bush, hasn’t returned production there to pre-war levels. And it’s the same story for Libya, which was done under President Obama.

The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski and previous coverage

AustinTexas PoliticsDonald J. Trump
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