During the 83rd Legislative Session, lawmakers worked to pass more than 1,400 new laws. Below is a roundup of some of what DFW-area lawmakers pushed for, passed or had rejected by their peers during the 140-day session.

Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake

As chairman of the newly formed House Freshmen Republican Caucus, Capriglione was a sort of party whip for the first-termers of his party. The first item that brought anger from some of the more senior members: Legislation strengthening personal financial disclosure requirements for extended family members of elected officials.

A watered-down version of the bill passed, but not before Capriglione withstood heavy criticism from those who did not want to be scrutinized, tempered by some major praise from taxpayer and open government groups.

He also made national headlines when he filed legislation that would have established the Texas Bullion Depository to house and safeguard $1 billion worth of gold bars owned by the Lone Star State that are currently being kept at the Federal Reserve of New York. The bill did not pass.

Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas

As chairman of the Senate Business and Industry Committee, Carona worked to broker a deal between distributors and the craft brew industry that helped pass a major package of legislation supporting the artisan beer industry in Texas.

He also authored a constitutional amendment that would allow voters to decide whether to allow full-scale resort style casinos in Texas. The bill did not pass, but Carona vowed to keep hitting the issue until it wins support.

Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth

Davis passed legislation bringing Texas in line with the recently passed federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which allows victims of pay discrimination to more easily seek retribution in court. The bill barely squeaked through the male-dominated Legislature, but then was vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry on June 14.

Davis, credited with finding $180 million in additional funding for pension and health benefits for the state's retired teachers, also added to a bill that gave retirees their first cost-of-living adjustment in 12 years.

During the Legislature's first special session, Davis successfully staged a filibuster of the abortion bill being considered, killing the bill and forcing the legislature into a second special session.

Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills

Hancock passed a bill regarding the Major Events Trust Fund, ensuring that the National Collegiate Athletics Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, or its successor, be able to qualify for incentives through the fund. Events previously supported through the Major Events Trust Fund include the 2004 Super Bowl and the NCAA's 2004 and 2008 men's Final Four basketball championships.

Hancock also signed on to legislation that would have allowed students with concealed handgun licenses to carry weapons on college and university campuses. The bill was the flagship legislation in a package of proposals designed to increase gun rights, but it did not pass.

Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound

As chairwoman of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, Nelson passed a package of legislation helping victims of domestic violence, including a provision allowing victims to file restraining orders in the county in which the offense occurred instead of in the county where they live.

The bill protects victims who may work in a different county, and those who leave the county to visit family or for other reasons.

Nelson pushed for and nearly passed legislation that would have required applicants for welfare assistance to undergo drug screening exams and potentially drug tests.

Impoverished families with children who apply for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families would be affected by the bill, which was lauded as helpful to the recipients and to the state, but Democrats said it was discriminatory. The bill failed.

Rep. Tan Parker, R-Flower Mound

As chairman of the House Corrections Committee, Parker oversaw hearings and legislation regarding the state's massive prison system, with its $3.1 billion budget, 37,000 employees and more than 150,000 inmates.

Parker partnered with the Senate Criminal Justice Committee chairman to pass legislation abolishing the state's underused, ineffective and costly inmate boot camps. The bill removes a judge's ability to sentence convicts to correctional boot camps.

Rep. Bennett Ratliff, R-Carrollton

A former school board member, Ratliff was active on school reform issues and filed legislation supporting local control, a better testing system and a school start date that aligned with college and university start dates. Not all of it passed, but Ratliff's support of school reforms paid off with the passage of legislation decreasing the number of end-of-course exams from 15 to five.

Ratliff also passed a bill providing for a multidimensional assessment tool that evaluates literacy in kindergarten students, as well as other indicators that could help educators identify strengths, weaknesses and gaps in learning, and focus curricula to better meet students' needs.

Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford

The freshman was quickly known for being unafraid to take on the establishment. Stickland fought attempts by senior Republicans and municipal governments to expand government, increase licensing requirements and step on constitutional rights. A bill he filed that would have prohibited cities from enacting knife bans did not pass.

Stickland also passed legislation that protects old emails from police scrutiny, requiring law enforcement personnel to get a warrant before they can demand that hosts like Yahoo hand over emails they have stored for longer than 180 days. New emails already have the protection, but the law has not been revised since the 1980s.