MINUTES 
                                           
                            SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 
                         Subcommittee on Crime Victims Fund 
                               Tuesday, July 9, 2002 
                                     10:00 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 Tuesday, July 9, 2002, in the Capitol Extension, Room  
         E1.036, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator John Whitmire, Chair            None 
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos               
         Senator Jon Lindsay                      
         Senator Todd Staples                     
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Senator John Whitmire, the acting chair, called the meeting to  
         order at 10:12 a.m.  Senator Ellis was also present for a  
         portion of the hearing.  There being a quorum present the  
         following business was transacted:   
          
         The following invited witnesses answered questions and provided  
         oral testimony: 
          
              Verma Elliot, Auditor, representing the State Auditor's  
         Office. 
               
              Howard Baldwin, First Assistant Attorney General,  
              representing the Office of the Attorney General. 
          
         The following witnesses provided public testimony: 
          
              David Montague, Assistant District Attorney, representing  
              Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas. 
          
              Bill Lewis, Publisher for The Keller Citizen, representing  
              Mother's Against Drunk Driving. 
          
              Miriam Kessler, Supervisor of Verizon, representing  
         herself. 
          
              Megan Ferland, Chief Executive Officer, representing  
         C.A.S.A. 
              Kristen Vassallo, provided written testimony on behalf of  
         Kirk Watson. 
          
             Sherry Murphy, Financial Director, representing Family  
         Crisis Center. 
          
              Eugene Brown, Psycho Therapist, representing Family  
              Violence Prevention Services and the Texas Council on  
              Family Violence. 
          
              Brenda Garison, Certified Sexual Assault Nurse,  
              representing Child Abuse & Forensic Services. 
          
              Dean J. Johnson, Police Legal Advisor, representing  
         Beaumont Police Department. 
          
              Annette Clay, Executive Director, representing Texas  
              Association Against Sexual Assault. 
          
              Laura Wolf, General Counsel/Chief Development Officer,  
         representing SafePlace. 
          
              Verna Lee Carr, Advocate for Victim's of Crime,  
              representing victim's of crime and service providers. 
          
              Raven Kazen, Director of Victim Services, representing  
              Texas Department of Criminal Justice. 
          
              Victoria Trinidad, representing Texas  Department of  
         Criminal Justice. 
          
              Joyce Cleveland, representing victim's of crime. 
          
              Janice Sager, Victim Advocate, representing victim's of  
         crime. 
          
         There being no further business, at 1:35 p.m. Senator Whitmire  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ____________________________ 
         Senator John Whitmire, Chair 
          
         ____________________________ 
         Amber Martin, Clerk