Texas lawmakers will gather in Austin this week to open the new state legislature.
While a lot of attention will go to the coronavirus, local families have many more concerns.
The 87th Texas Legislature will convene to consider more than 750 different bills that could change our lives.
We begin with the story of a Waco man, concerned for his family and his neighbors.
"I wanna see work done for the people," explained Sterling Hill, a Waco family man, who believes government, like his family, must live within its means.
That's why he plans to watch every penny lawmakers spend.
"There's a lot of work to be done with the budget and what everything orbits around...right now...the pandemic," he said.
A pandemic that's put a huge hole in the budget at a time when Central Texas cities need help keeping pace with fast growth.
Thanks to Fort Hood Road, Killeen has practically become an Austin bedroom community.
"You're right a lot of our growth has been contributed because of 195. We have a lot of people who live here and work in Georgetown or Round Rock and it's easier to get to work from Killeen than it is from the other side of Austin," said Killeen Mayor Jose Segarra.
But families insist education remains a big priority too.
"I have young kids. I want to be careful about education, I know that was a big win for a lot of people in the last session...and so I'd like to see a lot of that funding protected, especially early childhood," said Hill.
Lawmakers say they hear us, and plan to act.
"I filed a number of bills this week that are property taxpayer friendly,” said TX State Representative Hugh Shine, R-Temple.
Families like Sterling Hill's say lawmakers must continue making Texas attractive while keeping the cost of living attractive.
"I know that's a big, big issue and a big task," said Hill.
