The Lege
The Texas Legislature, (The Lege), makes the laws that govern Texas. Similar to U.S. Congress, the Texas Lege has two chambers- a Senate and a House of Representatives. There are 31 State Senators and 150 State House Representatives. The Lege meets once every two years for 140 days from January through May in odd-numbered years for a regular session. Beyond that, the Texas Lege does not convene unless the governor calls for a special session that must then follow the governor's agenda.
Special sessions last 30 days, and the governor may call as many as s/he likes. For more background information, check out this website: https://texapedia.info/legislature/
Curious about a specific bill? Look it up on the official website for the Texas Lege: https://capitol.texas.gov/
Who Represents Me in the Texas Legislature?
Find out who your reps are: https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home
The 89th Legislature Regular Session Closed
Regular Session ended in early June, 2025. Here is an article that discusses what policy and laws were established. Legislation was passed on school vouchers, THC/Marijuana, Vaccines, DEI, Bathroom/Gender, Ten Commandments in the Classroom, Gambling, Bail, Water Infrasture, Homestead Exemptions, and More.
Two Special Sessions Were Called After the Regular Session in 2025
Governor Abbott called two special sessions this summer. Both sessions garnered national attention for platforming President Trump's directive to find 5 more Republican seats in Texas by redrawing voting maps (without new census data) in an effort to retain Republican domination of the U.S. House of Representatives for the 2026 midterm elections. Secondary focus was on bipartisan flood response. A law passed that allows for a citizen to sue any person or entity that provides abortion pills to a Texan, even if the provider is out-of-state. More punitive measures were put in place should legislators decide to break quorum again, even though the last ditch messaging move is provided for in the Texas constitution and has been used since the late 1800s. Further regulation on the hemp industry was stalled. More information on what was passed and not passed can be found HERE.