MINUTES 
                                           
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE 
                             Tuesday, February 15, 2005 
                                     9:00 a.m. 
                      Betty King Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Business and  
         Commerce was held on Tuesday, February 15, 2005, in the Betty  
         King Committee Hearing Room, 2E.20, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Troy Fraser, Chairman           None 
         Senator Kip Averitt, Vice Chairman 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister 
         Senator Kim Brimer 
         Senator John Carona 
         Senator Kevin Eltife 
         Senator Craig Estes 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Chairman Fraser called the organizational meeting of the Senate  
         Committee on Business and Commerce to order at 9:05 a.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted:   
          
         The Chairman welcomed the Committee members, and announced that  
         the Committee's regular meeting schedule will be Tuesdays and  
         Thursdays, starting at 9:00 a.m. in the Betty King Committee  
         Room.  Chairman Fraser advised that the Committee will begin its  
         regular meetings on Tuesdays and will add Thursdays to the  
         schedule as the workload increases. 
          
         Chairman Fraser laid out the Committee Rules which were  
         previously provided to the members for their review.  Senator  
         Estes moved adoption of the Committee Rules.  Without objection  
         it was so ordered. 
          
         Senator Averitt assumed the chair, laid out SB 332 and  
         recognized the author, Senator Fraser, to explain the bill.   
         Witnesses testifying on SB 332 were as follows: 
              Paul Hudson, Chairman, Public Utility Commission, resource  
         witness,  
              Pam Whittington, Public Utility Commission, resource  
  
         witness,  
              and Jan Newton, SBC, resource witness. 
          
         At 11:05 a.m. Chairman Fraser moved that the committee stand  
         recessed until 30 minutes after adjournment; without objection,  
         it was so ordered. 
          
         At 1:09 p.m. the committee reconvened.  Senator Averitt assumed  
         the chair and recalled Jan Newton, SBC, resource witness, to  
         respond to additional questions.   
          
         Senator Averitt then called the following witnesses to continue  
         testifying on SB 332: 
              Howard Siegel, Logix Communications, in favor of the bill, 
              Carl Erhart, Verizon Southwest, resource witness,  
              Kathy Grant, Texas Cable and Telecommunications  
         Association, in favor of the bill, 
              Weldon Gray, Texas Statewide Telephone Cooperative & Eastex   
              Telephone Cooperative, resource witness,  
              Mike Hunsucker, Sprint Corporation, resource witness, 
              Thomas Ratliff, Western Wireless, in favor of the bill, and 
              Bill Morrow, Grande Communications, in favor of the bill.  
          
         Witnesses registering for the bill, but not testifying, are  
         shown on the attached list.  Following the invited testimony,  
         Senator Carona moved that SB 332 be left pending; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Senator Fraser resumed the chair, laid out SJR 7 and recognized  
         the author, Senator Carona, to explain the bill.  Senator Carona  
         sent up the proposed substitute, provided to the members, and  
         explained the difference between the bill and the substitute. 
          
         Chairman Fraser called the first witness, Scott Norman, Texas  
         Association of Reverse Mortgage Lenders, in favor of the bill.   
         Following Mr. Norman's testimony, the Chairman called Roger  
         Doggett, Texas Low Income Housing Information Service, to  
         testify in favor of the bill.  Witnesses registering for the  
         bill, but not testifying, are shown on the attached list.  The  
         Chairman moved that the public testimony be closed; without  
         objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         Senator Averitt moved that SJR 7 do not pass but that CSSJR 7 be  
         reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do  
         pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 8  
         ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.  Senator  
         Averitt moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the  
         Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so   
         ordered.    
          
         The Chairman read Motions in Writing:  Unanimous Consent to Vote  
         submitted by Senator Estes voting aye on CSSJR 7.  Without  
         objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         There being no further business, at 3:30 p.m. Chairman Fraser  
  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chairman.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ________________________________ 
         Senator Troy Fraser, Chairman 
          
         ________________________________ 
         Tatum Baker, Clerk