MINUTES

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Thursday, March 15, 2007

8:30 a.m.

Capitol Extension, Room E1.028

 

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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Education was held on Thursday, March 15, 2007, in the Capitol Extension, Room E1.028, at Austin, Texas.

 

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MEMBERS PRESENT:		MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Florence Shapiro Senator Kyle Janek Senator Kip Averitt Senator Dan Patrick Senator Leticia Van de Putte Senator Royce West Senator Tommy Williams Senator Judith Zaffirini		Senator Steve Ogden

 

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The chair called the meeting to order at 8:36 a.m.  The following business was transacted: 

 

The chair laid out SB 530 and recognized the author, Senator Nelson, to explain the bill. 

 

There being a quorum present, the clerk called the roll.  Senator Shapiro moved adoption of the minutes from the previous hearing held on March 6, 2007; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Van de Putte sent up Committee Amendment 1, the amendment was left pending.  Senator Van de Putte sent up Committee Amendment 2, the amendment was left pending.  Senator Van de Putte sent up Committee Amendment 3, the amendment was left pending.  Senator Shapiro moved that SB 530 be left pending; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

 

 

The chair laid out SB 670 and recognized Senator West, in the absence of the author, to explain the bill.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.

 

At 1:39 p.m. Senator Janek assumed the chair. 

 

The chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Janek moved that SB 670 be left pending to await a quorum; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

At 1:40 p.m. Senator West assumed the chair. 

 

The chair laid out SB 158 and recognized Senator Janek, in the absence of the author, to explain the bill.  Senator Janek sent up a committee substitute; the chair recognized Senator Janek to explain the difference between the committee substitute and the senate bill as filed.  Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list.  The chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

At 1:48 p.m. Senator Shapiro resumed the chair. 

 

Senator Janek moved adoption of the committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Janek moved that SB 158 do not pass but that CSSB 158 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 7 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 2 absent. 

 

The chair laid out SB 553 and recognized the author, Senator Shapleigh, to explain the bill. 

 

At 2:21 p.m. Senator Janek assumed the chair. 

 

Witnesses testifying and registering on the bill are shown on the attached list. 

 

At 2:41 p.m. Senator Shapiro resumed the chair. 

 

The chair moved that the public testimony be closed; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Shapiro moved that SB 553 be left pending; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

As a matter of pending business, the Chair brought SB 530 back before the committee.  Senator Van de Putte sent up Committee Amendment 4, the amendment was left pending.  Senator Shapiro moved that SB 530 be left pending; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

The chair laid out SB 403 and recognized the author, Senator Van de Putte, to explain the bill.  Senator Van de Putte sent up a committee substitute; the chair recognized Senator Van de Putte to explain the difference between the committee substitute and the senate bill as filed.  Senator Van de Putte moved adoption of the committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Van de Putte sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Van de Putte requested unanimous consent to incorporate the amendment into the committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Van de Putte then moved that the new committee substitute be adopted; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Van de Putte moved that SB 403 do not pass but that CSSB 403 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 6 aye, 1 nay, 0 present not voting, and 2 absent.  Senator Van de Putte moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.  Due to a nay vote contained in a motion in writing read and adopted by unanimous consent later in the hearing, Senator Van de Putte’s motion that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar failed.*

 

As a matter of pending business, the Chair brought SB 670 back before the committee.  Senator West moved that SB 670 be reported favorably to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 7 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 2 absent.  Senator West moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered. 

 

At 3:07 p.m. Senator West assumed the chair. 

 

As a matter of pending business, the Chair brought SB 4 back before the committee.  Senator Shapiro sent up a committee substitute; the chair recognized Senator Shapiro to explain the difference between the committee substitute and the senate bill as filed. 

 

At 3:22 p.m. Senator Van de Putte assumed the chair. 

 

Senator West sent up Committee Amendment 12 and moved adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted. 

 

At 3:25 p.m. Senator West assumed the chair. 

 

Senator Shapiro sent up Committee Amendment 13 and moved adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Shapiro sent up Committee Amendment 14 and moved adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Van de Putte sent up Committee Amendment 15 and moved adoption.  The motion failed by a record vote of 2 ayes, 4 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.  Senator Van de Putte sent up Committee Amendment 16.  Senator Van de Putte withdrew Committee Amendment 16.  Senator Van de Putte sent up Committee Amendment 17 and moved adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Shapiro moved to reconsider the votes by which Committee Amendments 1, 3, 4a, and 6 were adopted, without objection the Amendments were brought back before the Committee.  Senator Shapiro moved to withdraw Committee Amendments 1, 3, 4a, and 6; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Shapiro moved adoption of the committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Shapiro requested unanimous consent to incorporate the adopted amendments into the committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Shapiro then moved that the new committee substitute be adopted; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Shapiro moved that SB 4 do not pass but that CSSB 4 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 7 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 2 absent. 

 

As a matter of pending business, the Chair brought SB 9 back before the committee.  Senator Shapiro sent up a committee substitute; the chair recognized Senator Shapiro to explain the difference between the committee substitute and the senate bill as filed.  Senator Shapiro sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Shapiro sent up Committee Amendment 2 and moved adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.  Senator Shapiro requested unanimous consent to incorporate amendments into the committee substitute; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Shapiro then moved that the new committee substitute be adopted; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Shapiro moved that SB 9 do not pass but that CSSB 9 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. 

 

At 3:57 p.m. Senator Shapiro resumed the chair. 

 

Senator Zaffirini requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on CSSB 158, CSSB 403, SB 670, CSSB 9; there being no objection, it was so ordered.

 

Senator Williams requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on CSSB 4, CSSB 9, SB 670, CSSB 158 and nay on CSSB 403; there being no objection, it was so ordered.

 

There being no further business, at 3:58 p.m. Senator Shapiro moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.  

 

 

* On March 20, 2007, Senator Shapiro laid out SB 403.  Senator Williams moved to reconsider the vote by which the Committee Substitute to SB 403 was passed out of the committee; without objection, it was so ordered.  Senator Van de Putte moved that SB 403 do not pass but that CSSB 403, previously adopted, be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be printed.  The motion carried with a record vote of 6 aye, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and 3 absent.  Senator Van de Putte moved that the bill be recommended for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.

 

 

 

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Senator Florence Shapiro, Chair

 

 

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Zac Padgett, Clerk