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The 88th Texas Legislature is now in session. The 2023 legislative session started at noon on Tuesday in Austin. As the 140-day session gets under way, Gov. Greg Abbott is returning for a third term, the Senate is still controlled by his fellow Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and the state treasury has a huge surplus. The main order of business on Tuesday was in the 150-member House of Representatives, where members overwhelmingly reelected Republican Dade Phelan of Beaumont to a second term as Speaker.