Lt. Gov. lists out state senate priorities

AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick expanded on an initial list of priorities that included “preventing Sharia law” and looking into Medicaid fraud by directing state senators to research a wide range of policy issues ahead of next year’s legislative session, including prediction markets, data centers, THC, and more.

Patrick’s priorities included data centers three times. The Lieutenant Governor, who is in charge of the state senate, gave various committees instructions to evaluate the water requirements of “energy-intensive technologies,” such as data centers, and to think about how to meet their electricity needs. Additionally, Patrick charged the Health and Human Services Committee with researching “the impact of THC on increased health care costs, mental health emergency detentions, and the risk of being diagnosed with a THC-induced psychotic disorder,” indicating a continued focus on outlawing hemp-based THC products.

Patrick expressed interest in prediction market gambling because, despite the state’s ban on sports betting and casinos, markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have grown thanks to a federal loophole. Regarding property taxes, Patrick reiterated “Operation Double Nickel,” his plan to lower property taxes by raising the portion of a home’s value that is exempt from taxes in order to fund public education.