A Look at the Priority Bills for Straus and Patrick

Along with their bully pulpits and control over the legislative process, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus have another valuable weapon in their efforts to influence the legislative session: low bill numbers.

While most bill numbers are assigned sequentially based on when they are filed, the speaker and the lieutenant governor traditionally award the lowest bill numbers to measures they view as priorities.

With just over a month left in the legislative session, here’s an updated look at Senate Bills 1-20 and House Bills 1-20. This legislation provides a window into where Patrick and Straus are placing their political capital and where the two chambers could find themselves at odds as the session's end draws closer. Patrick has passed most of his priority bills out of the Senate, while the House has several priority bills waiting to receive a vote on the House floor. Three of the House bills have not been filed.

Scroll down to see the various categories, the related bills and links to descriptions of related issues in our Texas Legislative Guide.