Texas' 86th Legislative Session Begins Today

It's opening day for Texas' 86th Legislature, with the Texas House and the Texas Senate both convening at noon. 

The 31-member Senate will seat five new senators and have a partisan makeup of 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. The House will welcome 29 freshmen, a 19 percent turnover rate after the 2018 midterms, and have a partisan makeup of 83 Republicans and 67 Democrats.

Early bill filing began in November and, to date, the House has filed more than 600 bills while the Senate has filed close to 300. 

All bills are reviewed and monitored in keeping with the Cornerstone Credit Union League Board of Directors' legislative priorities for 2019. Those priorities include protecting the credit union tax status and lienholder interests, improving data security, mitigating regulatory burdens, and supporting an independent credit union department with SDSI (self-directed, semi-independent) status.

"It's important that credit unions, both state and federal, encourage and prepare their staff and members to engage with lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session," said Cornerstone President/CEO Caroline Willard. "We look forward to educating Texas lawmakers about the credit union difference and ensuring they understand the concerns of their constituent credit unions and members."

The Texas Credit Union Association Governmental Affairs Conference, which will be held in Austin, Feb. 20-21, 2019, is an opportunity for Texas credit unions to visit Austin and advocate on behalf of the credit union system.

Get Texas GAC conference and registration information. 

Contact Jeff Huffman at 469-385-6488 or jhuffman@txcua.coop for more information.