MINUTES 
                                           
                    SENATE COMMITTEE ON BORDER AFFAIRS - SPECIAL 
                             Friday, November 19, 1999 
                                     10:00 a.m. 
                                   UT at El Paso 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Border  
         Affairs - Special was held on Friday, November 19, 1999, in the  
         UT at El Paso at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.                Senator David Sibley 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh                 Senator Teel Bivins 
         Senator Carlos Truan                    Senator Robert Duncan 
                                                 Senator Judith Zaffirini 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The Senate Committee on Border Affairs and the Senate Committee  
         on State Affairs held a joint hearing.  Senator Shapiro chaired  
         the Joint Committee. 
          
         The chair called the meeting to order at 10:10 a.m.  The  
         following business was transacted:  
          
         Senator Shapiro gave opening remarks. 
          
         Senator Lucio gave opening remarks. 
          
         Senator Shapleigh gave opening remarks. 
          
         Mayor Carlos Ramirez, representing the city of El Paso, gave  
         opening remarks. 
          
         Senator Wentworth and Senator Haywood gave opening remarks. 
          
         Senator Lucio asked for a moment of silence for the eleven A&M  
         students who lost their lives during the recent tragedy. 
          
         The Clerk for the Senate Committee on State Affairs called   
         roll.    
             
         Senator Lucio moved adoption of the Senate Committee on State  
         Affairs minutes from their previous hearing on October 28, 1999;   
         without objection, it was so ordered. 
  
         Mr. Bernard L. Weinstein, with the University of North Texas,  
         testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Dr. Katherine Turnbull, representing Texas Transportation  
         Institute, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Mr. David Laney, representing Texas Department of  
         Transportation, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Mr. Charles W. Heald, representing Texas Department of  
         Transportation, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Senator Lucio asked Mr. Heald for a breakdown that would outline  
         how much commercial traffic is domestic, how many are  
         interstate, and how many are international.   
          
         Senator Shapiro requested that Commissioner Robert Nichols with  
         the Texas Department of Transportation address the Committee at  
         a later date on rail issues. 
          
         Senator Shapleigh asked that the Department have rail  
         information available from Mexico and other border states. 
          
         Mr. Roy Gilyard, representing El Paso Metropolitan Planning  
         Organization, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Mr. Manuel R. Flores, representing El Paso Metropolitan Planning  
         Organization, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Judge Dolores Briones, representing El Paso County, testified on  
         interim charge #1. 
           
         At 12:30 p.m. Senator Shapiro moved that the committee stand  
         recessed until 1:30 p.m; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         At 1:50 p.m. the committee reconvened.   
          
         Ms. Linda Harper-Brown, representing TEX 21, testified on  
         interim charge #1. 
          
         Mr. Don Brady, representing TransCore, testified on interim  
         charge #1. 
          
         Mr. Charles W. Heald , representing Texas Department of  
         Transportation, testified on interim charge #1.  
          
         Mr. Thomas Doebner, representing Texas Department of  
         Transportation, testified on interim charge #1. 
         Mr. Alvin R. Luedecke, representing Texas Department of  
         Transportation, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Senator Shapiro asked the Texas Department of Transportation to  
         send a memo to the Committee explaining why Texas inland ports  
         are not in the harbor fund, and if they can they be put into the  
         fund. 
  
         Ms. Maribel P. Chavez, representing Texas Department of  
         Transportation - El Paso, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Ms. Kathleen Walker, representing El Paso Forge in Trade  
         Association, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Mr. Terry Lee Scott, representing City of El paso, testified on  
         interim charge #1. 
          
         Mr. Augustin Redwine, representing Texas Comptroller of Public  
         Accounts, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         At 5:40 p.m. Senator Shapleigh moved that the Committee stand  
         recessed until January; without objection, it was so ordered.      
          
         Mr. Arthur Ward, representing self, testified on interim  
         charges. 
          
         At 5:50 p.m. Senator Shapiro moved that the Committee stand  
         recessed; without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Stephanie R. Hoover, Clerk