HuTube: First to File

State Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, wasn't above spending two nights at the Capitol to be the first to file bills for the next legislative session. After camping out at the Capitol since Saturday afternoon, the House clerk's office opened to an eager Riddle this morning, who filed nine bills — many of them cracking down on illegal immigration — before any other Texas members. As we post this, already more than 250 bills have been filed.

The prizes Riddle and other early birds get for showing up early are low bill numbers. While the House reserves bill numbers 1 through 15 for the appropriations bill and sunset legislation, the rest of the bills are numbered as they come in. Traditionally, if several versions of the same bill are filed, the version with the lowest bill number will be the one to run through the process.

So, for our latest HuTube video, we spent some time in the front of the line to see the action in Clerk Robert Haney's office this morning.