MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
Monday, March 5, 2001
8:00 a.m.
Capitol Extension, Room E1.036
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was
held on Monday, March 5, 2001, in the Capitol Extension, Room
E1.036, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Rodney Ellis Senator Tom Haywood
Senator Chris Harris
Senator Gonzalo Barrientos
Senator Robert Duncan
Senator Troy Fraser
Senator Mike Jackson
Senator Jon Lindsay
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Senator Steve Ogden
Senator Carlos Truan
Senator John Whitmire
Senator Judith Zaffirini
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 8:05 a.m. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted:
The Committee continued its markup session on the General
Appropriations Bill (Senate Bill 1). Senator Ellis recognized
Senator Truan, Chairman for the work group for the Attorney
General's Office (Article I), to present the work group
recommendations to the full committee.
GENERAL GOVERNMENT (ARTICLE I)
Office of the Attorney General: The Committee adopted
specific items included in the Legislative Budget Board
(LBB) markup documents for the Office of the Attorney
General. The workgroup recommendations were adopted.
Final action will be taken on adopted items at the end of
the markup process.
Action taken on items not included in the LBB markup documents
regarding the Office of the Attorney General included the
following:
Rider 1 - LBB; Proposed Rider Revision Victims Assistance
Grants; Without objection the rider with the two LBB
technical adjustments was left pending.
Rider 2 - Senator Truan; Proposed Funding for Child Support
Enforcement Rider. Without objection.
Rider 3 - Senator Duncan; rider specifies funds for the
Attorney General's Office for water rights disputes with
New Mexico. Without objection, the rider was adopted and
put in Article XI.
Rider 4 - Senator Duncan; Elephant Butte litigation
regarding water right disputes. Without objection, the
rider was adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider 5 - Senator Lindsay; exceptional item #8 in the
agency's LAR. Left pending
Rider 6 - Senator Lindsay; exceptional item #7 in the
agency's LAR. Left pending
Rider 7 - Senator Lindsay; exceptional item #9. Left
pending
The chair laid out SB 180 and recognized the author, Senator
Fraser, to explain the bill at 9:45.
Senator Fraser sent up a committee substitute; the chair
recognized Senator Fraser to explain the difference between the
committee substitute and the bill as filed. Senator Fraser
moved adoption of the committee substitute; without objection,
it was so ordered. Senator Ellis moved that SB180 be left
pending; without objection, it was so ordered.
Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on
the attached list.
The chair continued the markup process by taking up Article VII.
Senator Ellis recognized senator Lucio, Chairman of the work
group for Business and Economic Development (Article VII), to
present the work group recommendations to the full committee on
the following agencies:
BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (ARTICLE VII)
Texas Aerospace Commission
Texas Department of Economic Development
Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Department of Transportation
Texas Workforce Commission
Reimbursements to the Unemployment
Compensation Benefit Account
The Committee adopted specific items included in the Legislative
Budget Board (LBB) markup documents for each agency. Final
action will be taken on adopted items at the end of the markup
process.
Action taken on items not included in the LBB markup documents
included in the following:
Texas Aerospace Commission:
Senator Lucio laid out the work group recommendation.
Without objection, the recommendation was adopted.
Texas Lottery Commission:
Senator Lucio laid out the work group recommendation.
Without objection, the recommendation was adopted.
Texas Department of Economic Development:
Senator Lucio laid out the work group recommendations and
motioned for the LBB technical adjustments to be adopted.
Without objection the work group recommendation and the
technical adjustments were adopted.
Senator Fraser proposed two riders.
Rider 1 - To amend Rider 9 (SB 1), Defense Infrastructure
Support, to add language. Without objection the rider was
adopted and put in Article XI.
Rider 2 - Reimbursement of Advisory Committee Members.
Without objection, the rider was adopted.
Department of Housing and Community Affairs:
Senator Lucio laid out work group recommendations. Without
objection, work group recommendation was adopted.
Rider 1 - Proposed by Senator Ogden concerning Local Site
Visits. The rider was adopted without objection.
Rider 2 - Proposed by Senator Lucio concerning
Collateralized Mortgage Obligation Funds. The rider was
left pending.
Rider 3 - Proposed by Senator Lucio to amend rider 2. The
rider was left pending.
Rider 4 - Proposed by Senator Lucio to amend rider 6. The
rider was left pending.
Texas Department of Transportation:
Lucio laid out work group recommendation. Work group
recommendation was adopted along with 3 technical
adjustments made by the LBB. The following riders were
considered:
Rider 1 - Senator Fraser; Rider Amendment for Summer Hire
Program FTEs. Without objection the rider was adopted.
Rider 2 - Proposed by Senator Lucio regarding the Proposed
Ferry System and Causeway Construction. The rider was
pulled down by Senator Lucio
Rider 2 - Proposed by Senator Fraser to amend Rider 36.
Without objection, the rider was adopted.
Rider 3 - Proposed by Senator Whitmire concerning an
exceptional item request. The rider was pulled down by
Senator Whitmire.
Rider 4 - Proposed by Senator Ogden designating a new state
funded category for highway safety improvements. Without
objection, the rider was adopted.
Rider 5 - Proposed by Senator Ogden concerning a pilot
warranty program. Senator Ogden revised the rider and
without objection it was adopted.
Rider 6 - Proposed by Senator Ogden concerning
discretionary funds received by the Department. The rider
was pulled down by Senator Ogden.
Texas Workforce Commission:
Senator Lucio laid out the work group recommendation.
There was one technical adjustment made by LBB. There
being no objection, the work group recommendations along
with the technical adjustment were adopted. The Committee
also adopted the LBB recommendations for the Reimbursements
to the Unemployment Compensation Benefit Account.
Rider 1 - Proposed by Senator Lindsay concerning a study on
State Personnel Cost. Left pending.
Rider 2 - Proposed by Senator Zaffirini concerning Wage
Level Accountability. The rider was left pending.
Rider 3 - Proposed by Senator Zaffirini concerning Adult
Public Assistance Recipients. The rider was left pending.
There being no further business, at 3:52 p.m. Senator Ellis
moved that the Committee be adjourned. Without objection, it was
so ordered.
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Senator Rodney Ellis, Chair
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Amber Martin, Assistant Clerk