Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst wants Texas senators to return to Austin next year ready to work on plans to slow the growth in property tax appraisals, develop recommendations for a tamper-proof state identification card and contain the state's rapidly rising costs for Medicaid.

That's just a partial list of the so-called interim charges for the nearly 20 committees and subcommittees that make up the 31-member Senate to work on before the next legislative session convenes in January 2009.

"These charges focus on keeping Texas safe, improving our Texas economy while keeping taxes low," Dewhurst said in a statement issued with the extended to-do list. Here are some of the highlights:

Property appraisals

Dewhurst joins fellow Republicans like Gov. Rick Perry and House Speaker Tom Craddick in calling for at least the study of whether the state should require local governments to seek voter approval before property appraisals could rise by more than a certain percent each year. Officials from counties, cities and school districts across the state have consistently fought such initiatives by the Legislature.

Security and law enforcement

Several Senate committees will be examining the effectiveness of programs enacted last year to help combat illegal activities along the border, including drug smuggling and human trafficking. They will also push efforts to develop driver's licenses and other state-issued identification that contain citizenship information while complying with tamper-proof requirements in the federal Read ID Act. The Senate is also being asked to examine conditions inside private prisons and evaluate whether they are achieving the promised cost savings. Dewhurst is also asking for a progress report on the measures enacted last year in response to reports of widespread abuse against juveniles in the custody of the Texas Youth Commission.

Health programs

The Senate Health and Human Services Committee, headed by Lewisville Republican Jane Nelson, is being asked to review policies to prevent child abuse and improve the foster care system. It must also examine ways to improve nursing and home-healthcare options for the elderly and ensure fair compensation for those who bear the cost of proving healthcare to low-income and indigent Texans. "I am working to make sure our community is involved in this process because it has an enormous impact on issues to be decided in the next legislative session -- issues such as mobility, education, security and healthcare," Nelson said.

Education

The Senate Education Committee will review the state's public school accountability system, which will include measuring campus performance, the public's expectations and individual student achievement. The committee will also make recommendations to improve the academic success of students with limited proficiency in English.