Conroe council members want the planned comeback of the city’s planning commission to focus on giving citizens better awareness of development projects proposed in their neighborhoods.

What they’re saying: Council member Kristin Hoisington said citizens are “craving the ability” to see development projects early on and have the opportunity to give input.

“I have a CarMax in front of my neighborhood,” Hoisington said. “I would have loved to have some input on that, as well as many of my neighbors.”

Items worth mentioning:

• Conroe will replace its 21-year-old hazmat truck. The city will pay $1.59 million for the replacement truck that’s expected to be delivered in fiscal year 2028-2029. Fire Chief Paul Sims in a memo said the current truck “has experienced several extended out-of-service periods.”

• Conroe police's SWAT team will be getting $227,500 in new night vision gear. Police Chief Jon Buckholtz said on a recent SWAT search warrant operation he accompanied, he discovered “that we didn’t have equipment to have an advantage at night time. They didn’t have anything other than a flashlight.”

LongHorn Steakhouse opened on Nov. 2 in Willis off Interstate 45 North.

Two-minute impact: LongHorn Steakhouse, which is a part of Darden Restaurants, has several cuts of steak on its menu and also offers seafood, chicken, pork chops, salads and burgers.

• 12140 Interstate 45 North, Willis

Texas lawmakers and legislators-elect began filing new bills on Nov. 9, unofficially kicking off the 90th state legislative session. By noon, they had submitted more than 1,000 legislative proposals that they hoped would be considered at the state Capitol next year.

The overview: When the 90th legislative session begins Jan. 12, Texas will be led by all Democratic statewide officials. Democrats also won control of the Texas House during the Nov. 3 election, while Republicans retained Senate control.

Zooming in: Democratic lawmakers were the first to file bills in both legislative chambers, signaling some of the party's priorities as Texans prepare for the first Democratic-led state government and divided legislature in a generation.

State Rep. John Bucy, D-Austin, filed bills to expand who is eligible for Medicaid in the state, while Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, proposed tightening regulations on the booming data center industry.

More details: Lawmakers had filed at least 57 constitutional amendments before press time Nov. 9, including measures on property taxes, sports betting and term limits for elected officials.

Democrats saw decisive wins up and down the ballot in Texas and across the nation in the Nov. 3 election, flipping the Lone Star State to Democratic control for the first time in a generation.

The big picture: Texas has had a Republican governor, state Senate and state House since 2003. Next year, the state will be led by a Democratic governor, with a Democratic lieutenant governor presiding over the Senate and House lawmakers likely electing a Democrat to lead the chamber—however, the senators themselves will remain majority-Republican.

More details: How much power Lt. Gov.-elect Vikki Goodwin will have over the Texas Senate is largely up to senators, who will approve the chamber's new rules when the legislature convenes in January.

Sam Hooper, a legislative attorney and consultant, said he was "hopeful" that the election results would lead to "a more collegial Senate" and cooperation among lawmakers of both political parties.

The majority-Republican Senate and majority-Democrat House will have to find a balance, as bills cannot become law without approval from both chambers.