The Look Ahead: What to Expect in the Texas Legislature the Week of April 17

AUSTIN — Good morning, y'all, and welcome to The Dallas Morning News' weekly political preview: The Look Ahead. Join us here every Monday morning for a peek at the week to come in the Texas Legislature.I know, I know. You think you know everything there is to know about the session. You think you're up to date on the latest happenings in the House and Senate, but are you reading The 85th? If not, you don't know as much as you could. Let us help you! Bookmark us. Mark your calendars The House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence on Monday will hear testimony on bills to abolish the death penalty and to increase penalties for crimes committed against a law enforcement official and first responder. Want updates? Follow James Barragán @James_Barragan for timely updates. Crack open a cold one and follow along with the Senate Business and Commerce Committee on Tuesday as they hear testimony on bills regulating licensing for brewpubs and their distribution rights. Can't make the live stream? Follow along avec moi: @madlinbmek. Wednesday is going to be a busy day in the Texas House. Lawmakers are scheduled to debate bills on school finance, regulations for companies like Uber and Lyft and whether 17-year-olds should be treated as adults in the criminal justice system. Don't worry, we'll help you through it. You can follow @RobertTGarrett, @EvaMarieAyala, @brandigrissom and @madlinbmek for updates throughout the day. House lawmakers on Wednesday will debate their own version of the bathroom bill in Rep. Byron Cook's State Affairs committee. The House will set aside a stricter version of the bill passed by the Senate and championed by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. The House bill is expected to be supported by the Dallas Cowboys and is intended to be more business friendly, although the state's biggest business group still isn't on board. Who else would you follow but Lauren McGaughy for updates? Finde@lmcgaughy. Want to catch the action live at the Capitol? You can watch House and Senate live streams online. You can also find full calendars for both chambers and all committees. By the numbers: Rainy Day FundA national revenue expert has said that letting dollars in the state's Rainy Day Fund — or Economic Stabilization Fund — earn more through an endowment-type fund could help the state pay off future debts. But don't take my word for it. Robert Zahradnik, a fiscal expert at Pew Charitable Trusts, said it's important to have "an evidence-backed basis for how much money you need to make sure that you can weather a typical downturn."   Continue reading...