MINUTES
Committee on Veteran Affairs &
Military Installations
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
1:30 p.m. (or upon adjournment of the Senate--whichever is
later)
Betty King Committee Room
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Texas Senate Committee on Veteran
Affairs and Military Installations was held on Wednesday,
February 19, 2003, in the Betty King Committee Room (2E.20) of
the State Capitol Building, behind the Senate Chamber, at
Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Chair Senator Troy Fraser
Senator Craig Estes, Vice Chair Senator Frank Madla
Senator Eliot Shapleigh (Fraser arrived later)
*****
The Chair called the hearing to order at 2:36 p.m. The Clerk
called the roll. There being a quorum present, the following
business was transacted:
The Chair laid before the Committee the proposed Rules of the
Committee. On motion of Senator Estes, seconded by Senator
Shapleigh, the Rules of the Committee were adopted.
The Chair made a statement relative to prohibiting the use of
cellular telephones during the hearing.
The Chair introduced to the Committee, and to the audience, the
staff of the Committee.
Senator Fraser now present (2:40 p.m.)
The Chair laid before the Committee the minutes of the hearing
of Wednesday, February 12, 2003, and moved that they be
approved. Senator Shapleigh seconded the motion, and those
minutes were approved.
General Eugene Habiger President & CEO of the San Antonio Water
System (SAWS), presented to the Chair a commemorative gavel.
The Chair expressed her gratitude and accepted the gift.
Senator Shapleigh, Chair of the Standing Subcommittee on Base
Realignment and Closure (BRAC), spoke of legislation relative to
base realignment and closure. He expressed his procedural
intentions that the full Committee hear verbal testimony and
receive documentation, so that verbal testimony and
documentation need not be duplicated by going first through the
Subcommittee and then through the full Committee. The Chair
agreed that having verbal testimony and documentation presented
to the full Committee would be an appropriate course of action.
The Vice Chair requested clarification from Senator Shapleigh.
Senator Shapleigh clarified for the Vice Chair the anticipated
procedure proposed and expected to be followed relative to BRAC
legislation requiring action by the Subcommittee and by the full
Committee.
Senator Shapleigh introduced to the Committee, and to the
audience, his staff present at today's hearing.
Senator Estes introduced to the Committee, and to the audience,
his staff present at today's hearing.
The Chair noted the importance of reliable, talented,
experienced staff. The Chair noted that Senators will have the
need to temporarily leave committee hearings in order to further
legislative activities occurring elsewhere--and that doing so
should not be misconstrued as disrespectful. The Chair noted
that the hearings are public and are transmitted via television
and other means.
Major General Wayne D. Marty, Adjutant General of the Texas
National Guard, presented invited testimony to the Committee
relative to recent mobilization and activation of the Texas
National Guard. He spoke also of legislation, pre-dating the
78th Legislature, relative to education tuition assistance for
members of the military forces. He expressed concern that
funding to implement that prior legislation is in jeopardy and
is ranked as a low priority during the current 78th Legislature.
He noted that failure to fund that program will result in
difficulty retaining and in recruiting men and women into Texas
National Guard.
Brigadier General Bill Goodwin, Assistant Adjutant General for
Army, presented invited testimony to the Committee likewise
relative to recent mobilization and activation of the Texas
National Guard. His testimony was accompanied by a slide
presentation. A hand-out was presented to the Committee and was
distributed to its members.
Brigadier General Allen Dehnert, Assistant Adjutant General for
Air, presented invited testimony to the Committee likewise
relative to recent mobilization and activation of the Texas
National Guard. His testimony was accompanied by a slide
presentation. He noted that the recent Space Shuttle Columbia
explosion and gubernatorial inaugural make 2003 already an
unusually active year for them.
The Chair expressed the gratitude of the public, and local
officials, for the fine work of the Texas National Guard at the
space shuttle tragedy over Eastern Texas. She noted also the
cost implications of the Texas National Guard's mission.
Mr. James E. Nier, Executive Director, Texas Veterans Commission
(TVC), presented testimony to the Committee relative to the
budget of that Commission and to the administrative activities
of that Commission. He noted that the TVC recently filed more
than 60,000 U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA) benefits
claims during Fiscal Year 2002 on behalf of some of the
estimated 1.7 million Texas veterans and their families. He
asserted that the active caseload for veterans, widows and
orphans, was in excess of 113,400. He pointed out that TVC was
able--on behalf of those veterans and family members--to recover
from the VA some $885 million in benefits payments of which $594
million was paid to service-connected veterans, $181 million was
paid to widows and orphans of veterans, and $110 million was
paid to totally-disabled/impoverished war-time veterans. He
asserted that TVC provided training to 232 veterans county
service officers. He stated that TVC met 100% of its key
performance objectives, as audited, as set out in the
Appropriations Act. He noted the devastating effects of a 12.5%
budget reduction to TVC for the next biennium. He asserted that
at an 87.5% budget level, the TVC would have to close offices,
lay-off eleven counselors and support personnel, terminate the
veterans hotline, and severely curtail training. He maintained
that some 26,000 new original claims would not be filed during
the biennium and that an estimated $260 million would be lost to
the Texas economy because TVC would not be able to represent
veterans in their claims against the VA. He requested that
current funding levels be continued during the upcoming fiscal
biennium. A hand-out was presented to the Committee and was
distributed to its members.
The Vice Chair and the Chair made statements sympathetic to the
needs of veterans and their families, but noted that the
budgetary realities facing the 78th Legislature will necessitate
cuts in the TVC's appropriations.
Mr. Jim Duncan, Chairman, Texas Veterans Commission, presented
testimony to the Committee likewise relative to the budget of
that Commission. He pointed out that the TVC actually provides
to state government, and to the Texas economy, a very
significant return-on-investment. He noted that 3.46% of the
average Texas family's income goes back into the economy and,
therefore, the state government coffers. He noted that $22
million in sales tax revenue came into the state coffers during
1998 as a result of spending by veterans and their families.
The Vice Chair and the Chair noted the importance of the
information and testimony provided by the TVC. The Chair
thanked the TVC for its assistance in the Military Recognition
Day on Wednesday, February 12, 2003, and noted her forthcoming
visit on Friday, February 21, 2003, to Fredericksburg, Texas,
Minutes
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
page 4
for a tour of the Nimitz Museum and for the unveiling there of a
replica of the bronze sculpture of the Iwo Jima memorial--the
original of which is situated in the Washington, D.C. area.
Mr. Ed P rez, Executive Director, Texas Office of State-Federal
Relations (OSFR), presented testimony to the Committee relative
to national defense and base realignment and closure (BRAC) and
activities of the OSFR on the subject of BRAC. He noted that
OSFR has worked cooperatively with the U.S. Department of
Defense, the Texas Congressional Delegation, and the executive
branch Administration, to bridge the information gap between
Washington, D.C., Austin, and local communities. He noted that
OSFR provided alerts, and conducted meetings, at regular
intervals, to apprise interested parties of relevant happenings,
and pledged that same shall continue.
The Vice Chair noted the value of having the OSFR in Washington,
D.C.
The Chair expressed concern about the Texas Congressional
Delegation and whether or not they were in strategic legislative
circumstances to defend Texas' interests with respect to the
BRAC process.
Mr. P rez promised to send to the Committee a listing of the
Texas Congressional Delegation's committee assignments, and
other relevant information.
On motion of the Vice Chair, the Chair, at 3:50 p.m., recessed
the Committee subject to the call of the Chair.
_____________________________________________
LETICIA VAN DE PUTTE, R.Ph., Chair
______________________________________________
GREGORY D. WATSON, Committee Clerk