The 84th Legislature started Tuesday with Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, easily winning re-election to a fourth term. A challenger from the conservative wing of the GOP, Scott Turner, made news by pushing for a record vote for speaker, the first time that's happened in 40 years. The final tally was 128-19 in favor of Straus.

Amid growing furor over a Medicaid fraud detection contract awarded under problematic circumstances, a state senator, Houston Democrat John Whitmire, asked via letter for Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Kyle Janek to resign. Gov.-elect Greg Abbott, meanwhile, returned a $10,000 contribution from the CEO of 21CT, the company that had been awarded the contract.

The House on Thursday released a $202.4 billion base budget for the upcoming two-year budget cycle. It would raise spending by 0.4 percent and leave $13 billion unspent. The base budget is a starting point for negotiations.

A Brownsville federal judge heard arguments Thursday on a request to halt a White House immigration policy that could affect hundreds of thousands of Texans living in the country illegally.

Newly installed Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller declared amnesty for parents to bring cupcakes and other baked goods to their children's schools. That prompted a rebuke from former Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs, who said an exemption for bringing sweet treats to birthday parties at school has existed for 10 years.