MINUTES 
                                           
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE 
                       Subcommittee on Workforce Development 
                                           
                            Tuesday, September 10, 2002 
                                     10:00 a.m. 
                                 Fort Worth, Texas 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a joint public hearing of the Senate Committee on  
         Business & Commerce, Subcommittee on Workforce Development, and  
         the Governor's Task Force for Economic Growth was held on  
         Tuesday, September 10, 2002, at Hillwood Properties at Alliance  
         Airport, Fort Worth, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Troy Fraser, Chairman           Senator John Carona 
         Senator Mike Jackson                    Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte            Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
                                           
                                       ***** 
         Senator Troy Fraser, Chairman, called the Senate Business and  
         Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Workforce Development to  
         order, and Ross Perot, Jr., Chairman, called the Governor's Task  
         Force for Economic Growth to order at 10:15 a.m.  The following  
         business was transacted. 
          
         Chairman Fraser thanked everyone for traveling to Fort Worth for  
         the second hearing of the Subcommittee on Workforce Development.   
         He stated that he was very honored that the subcommittee was  
         able to meet jointly with the Governor's Task Force for Economic  
         Growth, and he thanked Chairman Perot for hosting the joint  
         hearing at his Hillwood facility.  Chairman Fraser mentioned  
         that one of the state's economic development tools, the Smart  
         Jobs program, was dissolved in sunset legislation last session.   
         The Chairman's intent, through this subcommittee, was to assess  
         the impact to Texas of the loss of that program and to assess  
         the need for creation of a new program and/or an expansion of  
         current programs. 
          
         Chairman Perot welcomed the subcommittee members present,  
         including Senator Jane Nelson.  Senator Nelson made opening  
         remarks and welcomed everyone to her district. 
         Chairman Fraser introduced Texas House of Representatives  
         members present, including Representatives Charlie Geren and Jim  
         Keffer, who welcomed everyone to the district. 
          
         Chairman Fraser advised that at the first meeting, the  
  
         subcommittee heard from various agencies involved in workforce  
         development and job training.  Their message was that any new  
         program should have clearly defined benchmarks for program  
         evaluation and a clearly defined focus.  The subcommittee would  
         hear from the stakeholders at this hearing. 
          
         Chairman Perot called the first invited witness, Mayor Kenneth  
         Barr, City of Fort Worth, who welcomed everyone to north Fort  
         Worth, and noted some issues of importance for the area. 
          
         Upon completion of Mayor Barr's testimony, Chairman Perot called  
         the following witnesses, who welcomed everyone and presented  
         their testimony on behalf of the Metro Eight Chambers coalition.   
         These witnesses were: 
          
              Jan Hart Black, President, Greater Dallas Chamber, and 
              Bill Thornton, President, Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce. 
          
         Following the Metro Eight Chambers panel, the Chairman called  
         the Aerospace Panel to present their testimony.  The panelists  
         were: 
          
              William Looke, Executive Director, Texas Aerospace  
         Commission, Austin, 
              Vernon Broomall, Corporate Vice President, Vought Aircraft  
         Industries, Dallas, 
              Diana Cross, President, ICE Contractors, Inc., Mesquite, 
              Arnold Vedlitz, Associate Dean, George Bush School, College  
         Station, and 
              Roger Williams, Director Administration, Bell Helicopter,  
         Amarillo. 
          
         The JSF Panel was then called to testify.  The panelists were: 
          
              Ralph Heath, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, and 
              Joseph Maly, President Fort Worth Opportunity Center, Fort  
         Worth. 
          
         At 12:30 p.m., Chairman Perot announced a brief lunch break.  At  
         1:05 p.m. the subcommittee and Task Force reconvened. 
          
         Chairman Perot then called Jim and Ellen Ellison, representing  
         the Green Industry and Texas Nursery & Landscape Association,  
         Brenham, Texas, to present their testimony. 
          
         Following the above testimony, Chairman Fraser called Bill  
         Hammond, President of the Texas Association of Business, to  
         testify. 
          
         The Chairman then called General Terry Dake, Senior Vice  
         President, U. S. Government & International Military Programs,  
         Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth, to present testimony on the V-22. 
          
         Following General Dake's testimony, the Airline Industry Panel  
         was called to testify.  The panelists were: 
  
              Dan Hagan, American Airlines, Dallas, 
              Nene Foxhall, Vice President State and Civic Affairs,  
         Continental Airlines, Houston, and 
              Joseph Lopano, Executive Vice President Marketing, DFW  
         Airport, Dallas. 
          
         Upon completion of the Airline Industry Panel's testimony, the  
         Chairman called the final witnesses: 
          
              Ron Lehman, Commissioner Representing Employers, Texas  
         Workforce Commission, 
                   Austin, and 
              Bill Ehrie, Texas Strategic Military Planning Commission,  
         Abilene. 
          
         There being no further business, at 3:07 p.m. Chairman Fraser  
         moved that the subcommittee stand recessed subject to the call  
         of the chairman.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
         Chairman Perot moved that the Governor's Task Force for Economic  
         Growth also be recessed. 
          
         _________________________ 
         Senator Troy Fraser, Chairman 
          
         _________________________ 
         Barbara Henderson, Clerk