Texas legislators opened their 140-day session Tuesday poised to debate how to pay for public schools, decide whether to drug test unemployment recipients and possibly confront a mounting water crisis under the strain of a rapidly growing population. Hot-button issues over abortion access and gun laws also were expected to generate widespread attention during the 83rd legislative session, which featured a unique political backdrop due to the high number of newcomers. With 43 freshmen in the 150-member House , the most in four decades, it will be one of the most inexperienced Legislatures in recent history. The comptroller has set $101.4 billion in available spending for the next two-year budget cycle, which Democrats say is a healthy enough forecast to reverse the slashed spending of two years ago, but Republicans are already signaling they want to hold the line on spending. Other top issues for 2013 include public education, water conservation, gun rights and cancer research.