MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
Monday, February 10, 1997
9:30 am
Capitol Extension, Room E1.036
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance was
held on Monday, February 10, 1997 in the Capitol Extension,
Room E1.036, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Bill Ratliff
Senator Carlos Truan
Senator Kenneth Armbrister
Senator Gonzalo Barrientos
Senator Teel Bivins
Senator J.E. Brown
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Senator Mike Moncrief
Senator Jane Nelson
Senator Jeff Wentworth
Senator Royce West
Senator Judith Zaffirini
The following members arrived after the roll was called:
Senator David Sibley
*****
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:35 am. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The Chair laid out SB 211 and recognized the author, Senator
Ellis, to explain the bill.
Senator Lucio, Jr. sent up a committee substitute; the Chair
recognized Senator Ellis to explain the difference between the
committee substitute and the bill as filed. Senator West sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption.
Senator Brown sent up an amendment to Amendment 1; without
objection, the amendment to Amendment 1 was adopted. Senator
West moved adoption of Committee Amendment 1 as amended;
without objection, Amendment 1 was adopted. Senator Lucio,
Jr. requested unanimous consent to incorporate Amendment 1
into the committee substitute. Senator Lucio, Jr. then moved
that the new committee substitute be adopted. Senator Lucio,
Jr. moved that SB 211 do not pass but that CSSB 211 be
reported back to the Senate with the recommendation that it do
pass and be printed. The motion carried with a vote of 13
ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.
Ed Bloom, Executive Director, representing Texas
Association for the Education of Young Children,
testified in favor of the bill.
Melanie Rubin, representing The Child Care Group,
testified in favor of the bill.
Jeannette Watson, representing Self, testified in favor
of the bill.
Cindy Alexander, representing Office of the Comptroller
of Public Accounts, testified on the bill.
Charles Martin, representing Texas Workforce Commission,
testified on the bill.
Patrick Bressette, representing Center For Public Policy
Priorities, registered but did not testify in favor of
the bill.
Nancy Engman Holman, representing Texans Care For
Children, registered but did not testify in favor of the
bill.
Robert Kamm, representing Texas Assn. of Business and
Chambers of Commerce, registered but did not testify in
favor of the bill.
Phyllis Coombs, representing Office of the Comptroller of
Public Accounts, registered but did not testify on the
bill.
Leona Person, representing Office of the Comptroller of
Public Accounts, registered but did not testify on the
bill.
The Chair laid out SB 203 and recognized the author, Senator
Shapiro, to explain the bill.
Senator Bivins sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved
adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.
Senator Bivins sent up Committee Amendment 2 and moved
adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.
Senator Barrientos sent up Committee Amendment 3 and moved
adoption; without objection, the amendment was adopted.
Senator Zaffirini requested unanimous consent to incorporate
amendments into the committee substitute. Senator Zaffirini
then moved that the new committee substitute be adopted.
Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 203 do not pass but that CSSB
203 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation
that it do pass and be printed. The motion carried with a
vote of 12 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 1 absent.
After the vote was recorded, Senator Lucio, Jr. requested
unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on the previous
motion; there being no objection, the final vote was 13 ayes,
0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.
Terry Box, representing Self, testified in favor of the
bill.
Wayne Scott, representing Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, testified on the bill.
David McNutt, representing Texas Department of Criminal
Justice, registered but did not testify on the bill.
Clint Waters, representing Office of Comptroller of
Public Accounts, registered but did not testify on the
bill.
The Chair laid out SB 263 and recognized the author, Senator
Zaffirini, to explain the bill.
Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute; the Chair
recognized Senator Zaffirini to explain the difference between
the committee substitute and the bill as filed. Senator
Wentworth sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption;
without objection, the amendment was adopted. Senator
Zaffirini requested unanimous consent to incorporate the
amendment into the committee substitute. Senator Zaffirini
then moved that the new committee substitute be adopted.
Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 263 do not pass but that CSSB
263 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation
that it do pass and be printed. The motion carried with a
vote of 10 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent
After the vote was recorded, Senators Barrientos, Lucio, and
Moncrief requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye on
the previous motion; there being no objection, the final vote
was 13 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.
Justice Paul W. Green, representing Fourth Court of
Appeals, testified in favor of the bill.
Chief Justice Phil Hardberger, representing Fourth Court
of Appeals, registered but did not testify in favor of
the bill.
The Chair laid out SB 303 and recognized the author, Senator
Brown, to explain the bill.
Senator Brown moved that SB 303 be reported favorably to the
full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be
printed. The motion carried with a vote of 10 ayes, 0 nays, 0
present not voting, and 3 absent. After the vote was
recorded, Senators Moncrief and West requested unanimous
consent to be shown voting aye on the previous motion; there
being no objection, the final vote was 12 ayes, 0 nays, 0
present not voting and 1 absent. Senator Brown requested
unanimous consent to certify the bill for Local & Uncontested
Calendar; without objection, it was so ordered.
Samuel Bier, representing Veterans of Foreign Wars,
testified in favor of the bill.
No action was taken on Senate Bill 95.
There being no further business, at 11:10 am Senator Ratliff
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the Chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.
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Senator Bill Ratliff, Chair
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Patricia Hicks, Clerk