How to keep up with the Texas Legislature

The big picture: Lawmakers meet every other year for 140 days.

• The only bill they have to pass, per the Texas Constitution, is a budget. But, there's plenty more the legislators will want to get done.

In other words: Things move fast, especially as the deadline approaches, and most bills don’t stand a chance.

By the numbers: Republicans hold a firm grip on both chambers and statewide offices.

• The 150-member House is made up of 86 Republicans and 64 Democrats, while Republicans in the 31-member Senate outnumber Democrats 19 to 12.
• Last regular session, lawmakers filed nearly 10,000 bills but less than 40%, or 3,803, made it to the governor’s desk.
• Not to mention, Gov. Greg Abbott loves a veto. The governor vetoed 21 bills in 2021, 58 in 2019 and 51 in 2017.

How to watch: You can watch the House, Senate and committee hearings online at capitol.texas.gov.

• Plus, you can create an account on the same website to track specific bills or receive email alerts for committee hearings, floor calendars and more.

Pro tip: Find frequent updates on Twitter at the #txlege hashtag.