MINUTES 
          
                         SENATE COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS 
                            Wednesday, March 24, 1999 
                                    1:00 p.m. 
                          Capitol Building, Room 2E.20 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Nominations  
         was held on Wednesday, March 24, 1999, in the Capitol  
         Building, Room 2E.20, Austin, Texas.   
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chairman        Senator Gonzalo  
                                                 Barrientos 
         Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr., Vice Chairman 
         Senator David Bernsen 
         Senator J. E. Brown 
         Senator Tom Haywood 
         Senator Mike Jackson 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 1:15 p.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.   
          
         Chairman Wentworth announced that two small corrections   
         needed to be made in the Minutes from the previous meeting. 
          
         Senator Brown moved that the Minutes from the previous meeting  
         be approved with corrections.  There being no objection, the  
         Minutes were adopted. 
          
         At 1:20 p.m., Senator Bernsen moved to leave consideration of  
         the nominees to the Lower Neches Valley Authority pending.   
         Without objection it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chairman laid out the names of the nominees to the Finance  
         Commission of Texas. 
          
         Senator Ogden introduced Deborah Hinton Kocacevich. 
          
         Chairman Wentworth introduced Victor "Buddy" Puente, Jr. and  
         John Nixon. 
          
         Senator Shapleigh introduced Robert V. Wingo. 
          
         Nominees made opening statements and then responded to  
  
         questions by members of the Committee.  
          
         At 1:50 p.m., Senator Gallegos moved to recommend to the full  
         Senate that Deborah Hinton Kovacevich, Victor "Buddy" Puente,  
         Jr., John Snider and Robert V. Wingo be confirmed as Members  
         of the Finance Commission of Texas. 
          
         The motion carried with a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nays. 
          
         The Chairman laid out the names of the nominees for the Board  
         of  Directors of the Texas Healthy Kids Corporation. 
          
         Senator Moncrief introduced Thomas A. Howeth. 
          
         Senator Shapleigh introduced Rene Daniel Pena. 
          
         Senator Shapiro introduced Gwyn Shea. 
          
         Senator Sibley introduced Dr. Dorothy "Dot" Nelson Snyder. 
          
         Senator Gallegos introduced Dr. Kenneth D. Wells. 
          
         Nominees made opening statements and then responded to  
         questions by members of the Committee.  
          
         At 2:33 p.m., Senator Brown moved to recommend to the full  
         Senate that Thomas A. Howeth. Rene Daniel Pena, Gwyn Shea, Dr.  
         Dorothy "Dot" Nelson Snyder, and Dr. Kenneth D. Wells be  
         confirmed as Members of the Board of Directors of the Texas  
         Healthy Kids Corporation. 
          
         The motion carried with a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nays. 
          
         The Chairman laid out the names of the nominees to the Texas  
         Commission on Human Rights. 
          
         At 2:34 p.m. Senator Gallegos assumed the Chair.  
          
         Senator Gallegos introduced Anna Maria Farias and Officer  
         David J. Manning. 
          
         Nominees made opening statements and then responded to  
         questions by members of the Committee.  
          
         At 2:46 p.m., Senator Brown moved to recommend to the full  
         Senate that Anna Maria Farias and Officer David J. Manning be  
         confirmed as Members of the Texas Commission on Human Rights. 
          
         The motion carried with a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nays. 
          
         The Chairman laid out the names of the nominees to the  
         Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board. 
          
         Senator Gallegos introduced Roger J. Benavides and Tomas R.  
         Powers. 
  
         Senator Brown introduced Kay F. Karr. 
          
         Nominees made opening statements and then responded to  
         questions by members of the Committee. 
          
         At 3:15 p.m., Senator Brown moved to recommend to the full  
         Senate that Roger J. Benavides, Kay F. Karr and Thomas R.  
         Powers be confirmed as Members of the Telecommunications  
         Infrastructure Fund Board.  Senator Bernsen seconded the  
         motion. 
          
         The motion carried with a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nays. 
          
         The Chairman laid out the names of the nominees for the  
         Veterans Land Board. 
          
         Senator Gallegos introduced Lieutenant General Neal "Tom" Jaco  
         and Darryll Ladd Pattillo. 
          
         The nominees made  opening statements and then responded to  
         questions by members of the Committee. 
          
         At 3:35 p.m., Senator Haywood moved to recommend to the full  
         Senate that Lieutenant General Neal "Tom" Jaco and Darryll  
         Ladd Pattillo be confirmed as Members of the Veterans Land  
         Board. 
          
         The motion passed with a vote of 6 ayes, 0 nays. 
          
         The Chairman laid out the names of the nominees for the Texas  
         Judicial Council. 
          
         Senator Shapiro introduced James Boswell. 
          
         Senator Shapleigh introduced Kathleen Cardone. 
          
         Nominees made opening statements and then responded to  
         questions by members of the Committee. 
          
         At 3:50 p.m. Senator Wentworth resumed the Chair.   
          
         At 4:01 p.m., Senator Brown moved to recommend to the full  
         Senate that James Boswell and Kathleen Cardone be confirmed as  
         Members of the Texas Judicial Council. 
          
         The motion carried with a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nays. 
          
         At 4:04 p.m., Senator Gallegos moved to recommend to the full  
         Senate that the nominees to the Canadian River Compact  
         Commission, the State Board of Registration for Professional  
         Engineers, the Family Practice Residency Advisory Committee,  
         the Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority Board of Directors,  
         the Health Care Information Council, the State Committee of  
         Examiners in the Fitting and Dispensing of Hearing  
  
         Instruments, the Statewide Health Coordination Council, the  
         District Review Committees of the State Board of Medical  
         Examiners for Districts One, Two, Three, and Four, the Texas  
         Council on Offenders with Mental Impairments, the Upper Neches  
         River Municipal Water Authority and the School Land Board be  
         confirmed. 
          
         The motion carried with a vote of 6 ayes and 0 nays. 
          
         There being no further business, at 4:05 p.m. Senator Brown  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the Chairman.  Without objection it was so ordered. 
          
         Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chairman 
          
         Jennifer Ahrens, Clerk