For 140 days, starting on Jan. 8, 2019, the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives and 31 members of the Texas Senate, under the leadership of Governor Greg Abbott, will gather for the 86th Texas Legislative Session. As is often said, when the Texas Legislature is in session – your life, liberty and property are at stake – as new laws, rules, regulations, taxes and fees will be proposed and will receive substantive debate and deliberation before Texas legislators ultimately vote on your behalf.

Most legislators agree that the main issues driving the agenda for the session are public education (including school finance, school safety, workforce development and teacher pay) and property tax relief. Additionally, there is no question that the legislature will spend considerable time on what is sure to be a complicated and challenging state budget cycle. With school finance, healthcare, infrastructure funding and Hurricane Harvey recovery looming large on the horizon, this legislative session will present unique fiscal challenges – and also great opportunities – to ensure Texas remains strong and prosperous.

In terms of “construction” legislation, general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, owners, developers, lenders and lawyers all have reason to pay particularly close attention as several important issues have seemed to gain the attention of Texas Legislators. To name a few:…
Continue Reading What’s Ahead for the Construction Industry in the 86th Texas Legislative Session