Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick prioritizing grid reliability, property tax relief, border security for 88th legislative session

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick talked Wednesday at a press conference about the upcoming Legislative Session, and what Texans can expect of the next four years after the midterm elections.

Patrick held the press conference Wednesday afternoon at the State Capitol in Austin. He did not say what the topic of the press conference was beforehand, but he said at the conference he called it to talk about Wednesday's vote at the Legislative Budget Board Meeting and lay out a vision for the upcoming 88th Legislative Session.

The Lieutenant Governor said to him, electric grid reliability is most important, and he wants to "level the playing field with renewables," and incentivize more natural gas production. Some other priorities included property tax relief, border security and law enforcement, education and continuing funding of school security, and election integrity.

Listen to the full press conference in the player below:

Legislative session priorities

Property Tax Relief:

• Raise the Homestead Exemption for more homeowner tax relief
• Cut taxes for business by expanding the Personal Property Exemption

Electric Grid Reliability:

• Build more natural gas power plants to add needed megawatts
• Level the playing field between renewable energy and dispatchable energy to ensure reliability

Border Security and Law Enforcement:

• Rural law enforcement fund
• Sheriff pay enhancement
• 10-year mandatory minimum sentence to those who use a firearm while committing a crime
• Recall district attorneys and judges who refuse to follow Texas law
• Continue border security funding

Education and school security:

• New fund for non-PUF schools
• Expand usage of current scholarship programs for teachers and law enforcement
• Increase teacher pay
• 13th check or COLA for retired teachers
• Empower parents by giving them a voice in their children's education
• Continue school safety funding
• Reform tenure in higher education

'Moving Texas Forward'

• Continued investment in the state mental health system
• Finish Alamo restoration
• Retire debt where it saves state money

Election Integrity

• Restore voter fraud to a felony crime
• Ensure timely counting of votes and review of machines

Nov. 14 was the first day bills could be filed for the upcoming session. Some of those address the sales of firearms, emergency response in rural areas, what students are being taught in schools, criminal offense penalties, child abuse, school funding, public information and access, election penalties and sales tax exemptions.