Education-related bills make up the largest share of bills filed by Texas lawmakers so far. Nearly 17%, or 400 bills, relate to things like education funding and school safety. HB 351 would adjust public school funding to keep up with inflation. And then there are bills that are somewhat unconventional, such as HB 462, which would boost funding for school safety upgrades and let schools deploy drones for defense.

In the education arena, Gov. Greg Abbott also has continued to tug at legislative puppet strings behind the scenes. He said in November that he has the votes to pass his school vouchers plan that would allow parents to access state funds for private school tuition, transportation, uniforms and other expenses. The governor also pledged in November to “fully fund” public schools, give teacher pay raises, increase funding for a state merit pay raise program and invest in workforce readiness programs for high school students who don’t wish to attend college.