The 2013 Texas Legislature is running behind last session when it comes to bill filings, according to legislative reporting service Telicon.
The firm reports 476 fewer bills have been filed this legislative session, compared to this time in the 2011 session. The 27 percent drop is partially to blame on 2011 being a big year for ideological legislative filings, said UT government professor Jim Henson.
Henson, who is also the director of the Texas Politics Project, points to the timing of last session, which was on the heels of the 2010 election and the height of the Tea Party's impact. Last session saw bills relating to immigration, abortion and government spending, but Henson said this session is seeing different kind of bills.
"You got people looking at a range of practical budget issues; there have been lots of talk about very practical infrastructure issues like water and immigration," Henson said. "There is just much less of an ideological feel going into the session this time."
The deadline for legislators to file bills is March 8.
