MINUTES 
                                           
                    SENATE COMMITTEE ON BORDER AFFAIRS - SPECIAL 
                               Thursday, May 25, 2000 
                                     9:00 a.m. 
                             Brownsville Public Library 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         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 Thursday, May 25, 2000, in the  
         Brownsville Public Library, Brownsville, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.                Senator Teel Bivins 
         Senator David Sibley                    Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh                 Senator Carlos Truan 
         Senator Judith Zaffirini 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m.  The  
         following business was transacted:   
          
         Chairman Lucio gave opening remarks. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini and Senator Sibley gave opening remarks. 
          
         Mayor Blanca Vela, representing the City of Brownsville, gave  
         welcoming remarks. 
          
         Mayor Connie de la Garza, representing the City of Harlingen,  
         gave welcoming remarks. 
          
         Mr. Bill Summers, representing the Rio Grande Valley  
         Partnership, gave welcoming remarks. 
          
         Dr. Juliet Garcia, representing The University of Texas at  
         Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, testified on higher  
         education issues. 
          
         Mr. George Avellano, representing The University of Texas Pan  
         American, testified on higher education issues. 
          
         Dr. Shirley Reed, representing South Texas Community College,  
         testified on higher education issues and interim charge #4. 
          
         Mr. Richard Adauto, representing The University of Texas at El  
         Paso, testified on higher education issues. 
         District Attorney Rene Guerra, representing Hidalgo County,  
  
         testified on law enforcement issues. 
          
         Ms. Yolanda de Leon, representing the U.S. District Attorney's  
         Office and Ad Hoc Committee of Texas Border Prosecutors,  
         testified on law enforcement issues. 
          
         District Attorney Heriberto Silva, representing the 229th  
         Judicial District, testified on law enforcement issues.    
          
         District Attorney Jaime Esparza, representing the 34th Judicial  
         District, testified on law enforcement issues. 
          
         At 10:57 a.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.   
          
         At 11:01 a.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair.   
          
         Senator Lucio asked the State Office of Court Administrations to  
         provide a report to the Committee in regards to case load and  
         docket level along the border region. 
          
         Dr. Lorenzo Pelly, representing the Valley Doctor's Clinic,  
         testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         At 12:45 p.m. Senator Shapleigh arrived. 
          
         Dr. John Howe, representing the University of Texas Health  
         Science Center in  San Antonio, testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Dr Leone L. Vela, representing the University of Texas Health  
         Science Center at San Antonio, testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Commissioner Don Gilbert, representing the Texas Health and  
         Human Services Commission, testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Mr. William Perry, representing Texas A&M University, testified  
         on interim charge #3. 
          
         At 1:00 p.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.   
          
         Dr. Gene Schroder, representing the University of Texas Health  
         Science Center - Houston, testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         At 1:01 p.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair.       
          
         Senator Shapleigh made a motion that Dr. Gene Schroder research  
         information regarding how many research dollars line up in  
         Houston. 
          
         Chairman Lucio asked for approval of the minutes from the  
         previous meeting on April 27th.  Senator Zaffirini moved  
         adoption of the minutes;  without objection, the minutes were  
         adopted. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that the Committee draft a letter to the  
         Texas Congressional Delegation regarding the importance of  
  
         federal reimbursement for border drug prosecutions, which as of  
         July 1 no longer will be handled by local district attorneys on  
         the border. Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         Chairman Lucio announced that the Committee stand at ease until  
         2:15 p.m. 
          
         At 2:22 p.m. the Committee reconvened. 
          
         Dr. Lars Folke, representing the Baylor College of Dentistry,  
         testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Ms. Dianna Prachyl, representing the Texas Dental Hygienists  
         Association, testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Mr. Jeff Saitas, representing the Texas Natural Resource  
         Conservation Commission, testified on interim charge #2. 
          
         At 2:33 p.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.    
          
         Commissioner Jose Montemayor, representing the Texas Department  
         of Insurance, testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         At 2:42 p.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair.   
          
         Dr. Pete Duarte, representing the El Paso Hospital District,  
         testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Mr. Larry Tonn, representing Tonn & Associates, testified on  
         interim charge #3. 
          
         Dr. Gordon McGee, representing the Texas Medical Association,  
         testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Mr. Harold Siglar, representing the South Texas Health System,  
         testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Mr. Jorge Trevino, representing the Texas Department of  
         Health/Public Health Region II, testified on interim charge #3. 
         Senator Shapleigh asked Mr. Trevino to provide the Committee  
         with a current accurate study of the water quality in the Rio  
         Grande. 
          
         Dr. Maria Alen, representing the Texas Diabetes Council,  
         testified on interim charge #3. 
          
         Mr. Ron Tupper, representing the Texas A&M University Health  
         Science Center, testified on interim charge #3.   
          
         Senator Shapleigh asked for additional information relating to  
         Mr. Tupper's testimony. 
          
         Commissioner Diane Rath, representing the Texas Workforce  
         Commission, testified on interim charge #4. 
          
         Mayor Elizabeth Flores, representing the Texas Border  
         Infrastructure Coalition and the City of Laredo, testified on  
         the status of the Texas Border Infrastructure Coalition and  
         interim charge #5, SB 913. 
          
         Senator Zaffirini moved that the Committee draft a letter to the  
         Secretary of State and to the Governor opposing TxDOT's plan to  
         construct state inspection stations at the border.  Without  
         objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         Senator Shapleigh read into the record  an agreement made by the  
         Honorable Dolores Briones, County Judge of El Paso, the  
         Honorable Carlos M. Ramirez, Mayor of El Paso, and the Honorable  
         Sylvester Reyes, U.S. Congressman, and himself relating to SB  
         913.  Is was so ordered and read into the record. 
          
         Mr. Larry Dovalina, representing the City of Laredo, testified  
         on interim charge #5, SB 913. 
          
         Mr. Jorge Garces, representing the Office of the Texas Secretary  
         of State, testified on interim charge #5, SB 913. 
          
         Chairman Lucio asked for Mr. Garces to provide an update on the  
         Laredo inspection sites.  
          
         At 4:44 p.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.   
          
          Ms. Keta Caballero, representing the Texas Office of the  
         Secretary of State, testified on interim charge #5, SB 1421. 
          
         Mr. Ignacio Madera, representing the Texas Water Development  
         Board, testified on interim charge #2. 
         Mr. John Henneberger, representing the Texas Low Income Housing  
         Information, testified on interim charge #5, SB 1421. 
          
         Mr. Reymundo Ocanas, representing the Texas Association of  
         CDC's, testified on interim charge #5, SB 1421. 
          
         Mr. Don Currie, representing the Community Development  
         Corporation of Brownsville, testified on interim charge #5, SB  
         1421. 
          
         Ms. Petra Perez, representing the Valley Interfaith, testified  
         on interim charge #5, SB 1421. 
          
         Ms. Judy Vera, representing the Valley Interfaith, testified on  
         interim charge #5, SB 1421. 
          
         Father Alfonso Guevara, representing the Valley Interfaith,  
         testified on interim charge #5, SB 1421. 
          
         Judge Jeff Mosley, representing the Texas Department of Economic  
         Development, testified on interim charge #4. 
          
         Mr. Abdu Megateli, representing the Cross Border Institute for  
  
         Regional Development, testified on interim charge #4. 
          
         Mr. David Gibson, representing the IC2 Institute, testified on  
         interim charge #4. 
          
         Ms. Jeannene Fox, representing the Texas Alcoholic Beverage  
         Commission, testified on interim charge #5, SB 913.      
          
         Ms. Marie McDermott, representing the Brownsville Economic  
         Development Council, testified on interim charge #4. 
          
         Mr. Hank Folke, representing Cameron Works, testified on interim  
         charge #4. 
          
         Mr. Ralph Cowen, representing Cameron Works, testified on  
         interim charge #4. 
          
         At 6:21 p.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.     
          
         At 6:30 a.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair. 
          
         Mr. David Mudd, representing the Texas Office of Court  
         Administration, testified on law enforcement issues. 
          
         Ms. Denise Donnelly, representing the Office of the Attorney  
         General, testified on law enforcement issues. 
          
         Mr. Scot Campbell, representing the Valley Association for  
         Quality Development, testified on interim charge #2. 
          
         Mr. Larry Brown, representing the City of Brownsville, testified  
         on interim charge #2. 
          
         Mayor Miguel Castillo, representing the Texas Border  
         Infrastructure Coalition and the City of Mercedes, thanked the  
         Committee for their hard work and interest in the Border. 
          
         There being no further business, at 7:28 p.m. Chairman Lucio  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Stephanie R. Hoover, Clerk