Eleven Texas House districts comprise the five-county Austin metro area: Travis has six, Williamson is split among three, Hays makes up most of one, and Bastrop and Caldwell together anchor another. (State House districts, unlike state Senate or U.S. congressional districts, are drawn to respect county lines.) When this map debuted in 2012, Republicans captured six of those 11 seats; today, Democrats hold nine, which between them include the entire city of Austin.

Bee Cave City Council voted down a resolution seeking a speed study from the TX DoT. Also on the agenda was a resolution to endorse House Bill 2814, a bill from state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, that calls for safety corridors on certain segments of state roads deemed highly dangerous.

The careful choreography of the session's marquee budget, property tax, and school finance measures advanced Tuesday, April 30, with the House's approval of Senate Bill 2, the revenue cap plan opposed vociferously by local mayors, county judges, and other elected officials.