Texas Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, who was elected to the Senate District 4 seat on Aug. 5, said he is working to prepare the district office for the 84th legislative session, which gets underway in January.

Creighton is filling the unexpired term of former state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, who resigned from the seat in October 2013. The term runs through 2016. Previously, Creighton served in the Texas House of Representatives and has a background in business and law.

Creighton said border security, limiting federal government overreach and job creation are among his top priorities in the upcoming legislative session.

What are the biggest issues Texas faces in the 2015 legislative session?

We will take a serious look at our options to secure the border and to make sure that this [Texas Department of Public Safety] surge operation has the support and resources it needs going forward.

I know that we will also be working on many different ideas and solutions to improve our public school system.

Are there any measures that should be taken with regard to border security other than what Gov. Rick Perry has already imposed?

I support the governor's efforts to not only reinstate the DPS surge operation but also to call the National Guard in to provide assistance. I am proud to have been working on a pilot program with the Oak Ridge North Police Department to provide local officers and law enforcement personnel to border counties that are limited in resources to further an effort to assist the border counties with peace officers that can receive training down in those areas.

We also need to provide the assistance that local law enforcement needs down there so they can return here better trained to tackle the issues that we in Montgomery County and throughout Senate District 4 continue to experience with the influx of illegal immigration. These officers will come back from the border region better trained to work on all of the issues. It is a dual track and dual purpose win for everybody, and it is revenue neutral to the state.

What are some initiatives you plan to work on to help District 4?

Improving public education, working on making sure the energy industry is supported—which ties directly to job creation—and making sure that government stays limited and taxes are low so that small businesses can thrive and succeed.

What can be done to further encourage the economic growth Montgomery County has seen in recent years?

First and foremost, we have to protect our long-term water supply. I have made the development of long-term sustainable water a top priority since I have been in the Legislature. Protecting our water will protect our economy.

Another thing that needs to be done is making sure that we have the transportation infrastructure in place to handle the influx of growth—as 1,300 people a day move to Texas.

What are some of the funding needs for transportation?

I think first we have to decide what our priorities truly are in the Texas budget. In the 1960s, transportation was over 30 percent of our state budget. Now, it is less than 6 percent. We have to make sure that we maximize the use of the revenue that the state currently has within the priorities that the government should be tackling first. Transportation infrastructure and water infrastructure are at the top of that list.

What can the state do to improve standardized testing guidelines and Texas public education?

We need the dollars that we allocate to public education to be maximized and used in the classroom. We have to continue to reduce our reliance on standardized testing. We have to continue to create relevance for our students so that they stay in school rather than dropping out, and we need to further enhance our career and technology training so that our workforce is enhanced and kids have a chance to enter the workforce right after high school.