WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL)—With just one month left in the 88th Legislative Session, our state leaders are working around the clock to hear and pass the bills that matter most to Texans.

“The world depends on a strong America and America depends on a strong conservative, Republican led Texas,” Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick said.

Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick’s goal of keeping Texas strong is evident in his work to make progress on pocketbook issues and immigration.

“Our Senators are 30 for 30, we’ve already passed out all of our 30 priorities plus a number of other bills, on top of those bills, so I’m very pleased with the hard work the Senators have put in,” Patrick said.

Those 30 priority bills are what he’s calling the people’s priorities

“Property tax relief, we have to focus on the grid, we need more natural gas plants. If you cross the border illegally you’re a criminal you could get up to life in jail, that’s the strongest bill we’ve ever had on the border,” Patrick said.

“Our School Choice bill of course which the governor is traveling around the state supporting, we passed that bill out to education saving accounts and people support that the Republicans, Independents and Democrats,” Patrick said. “We are looking at our education and school safety, putting a billion and a half into more school safety with the events that we’ve had in schools over the last many years and here in Texas.”

Those bills now go off to the house for consideration, and] while there is agreement on bills like the school safety one, there is still a feud over spending.

“Were in sync with the house on spending the money for property tax relief, the difference is we put our money into homestead exemptions and compression, and they put their money just into compression, so were gonna stick with our plan,” Patrick said.

The Senate’s plan is to increase the Homestead Exemption to $70,000, and for the over $2-million homeowners over the age of 65, the exemption will be $100,000. The house proposal would lower the cap from 10% to 5% — and expand the benefit to owners of business properties like grocery stores and restaurants

“We passed all these bills out of the Senate were waiting to see them take action now, send us their House bills or send us our Senate bill back so that we can negotiate a final piece of legislation, so we can get out of here without a special session but there’s a lot to do,” Patrick said.

Patrick adds that another area he’s hoping to have more bills that help rural Police Departments and Rural Hospitals.