MINUTES

SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON STATE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Friday, December 13, 2002
10:00 a.m.
City Hall, Lufkin, Texas

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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.18, a public
hearing of the Senate Special Committee on State Employee Compensation and
Benefits was held on Friday, December 13, 2002, in the City Hall, 
Lufkin, Texas.

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MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Jeff Wentworth Senator Gonzalo Barrientos
Senator Todd Staples Senator Jon Lindsay
Mr. Gary Anderson Senator John Whitmire
 Mr. Roger Williams

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The chair called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m.  The following business
was transacted:  

Senator Staples moved that the minutes from the previous hearing be adopted
with corrections; there being no objection, the minutes were adopted as 
corrected.

The chair provided opening remarks.  The chair then recognized the other
members of the committee to offer opening comments, and they did so.

The chair called upon State Representative Jim McReynolds (D-San Augustine),
 who welcomed the committee to East Texas.
 SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON STATE EMPLOYEE
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
Minutes
Friday, December 13, 2002
page 2

Public testimony took place and committee members questioned the witnesses.

The chair then recognized Mr. Gary Anderson, committee member and Executive
Director of the Texas Public Employees Association, who had concerns regarding
two reports released by the State Auditor's Office:  a biennial report on the
recommended adjustments to the classification salary schedule released in
October of 2000; a biennial report on the recommended changes to the state's
compensation system for fiscal years 2004-2005, released in September of 2002.

Mr. Anderson had several questions regarding the methodologies used by the
State Auditor's Office in the development of the two reports.  He also had
concerns about some of the conclusions and recommendations discussed in the
most recent report.  Mrs. Kelli Vito, State Classification Officer with the
State Auditor's Office, and Mr. Wade McDonald, Fiscal Analyst with the
Legislative Budget Board, responded to the questions.

Closing remarks were provided by Senator Wentworth and Senator Staples.  There
being no further business, at 12:17 p.m. Senator Wentworth announced that the
committee would stand in recess subject to the call of the chair.  Without
objection, the committee recessed.



_________________________
Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chair



_________________________
Robert Haley, Clerk