Abbott urges unity ahead of potentially contentious session

A cash crunch and a potential policy showdown over a North Carolina-style transgender bathroom bill are already raising tensions as economic realities clash with promises to cut taxes and fix a broken child welfare system.

A prolonged oil slump has badly chewed away at the state budget, leaving a revenue gap that one top Republican and budget observers say is at least $5 billion short of what Texas needs over the life of its two-year budget just to preserve the status quo.

Democrats say the spending baseline is already insufficient for crowded public schools and strained social services.

In December 2015, a federal judge found that children were leaving the state system "more damaged than when they entered" and some lawmakers are pushing to boost salaries and hire more case workers.

Other issues loading up the agenda include Republican initiatives on school vouchers, an immigration crackdown on so-called "sanctuary cities" that don't require police to enforce federal immigration policies and further restrictions on abortion providers.

Tuesday's headiest piece of business was electing the speaker of the House, but that didn't feature the drama of previous sessions as San Antonio Republican Joe Straus was unanimously elected to his fifth term as the chamber's presiding officer.