MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
Thursday, April 3, 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 Thursday, April 3, 1997 in the Capitol Extension, Room
E1.036, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Bill Ratliff None
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 David Sibley
Senator Jeff Wentworth
Senator Royce West
Senator Judith Zaffirini
*****
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:30 am. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The following members arrived after the roll was called:
none.
The Chair laid out SB 630 and recognized the author, Senator
Duncan, to explain the bill.
Senator Zaffirini sent up a committee substitute; the Chair
recognized Senator Duncan to explain the difference between
the committee substitute and the bill as filed. Senator
Zaffirini moved adoption of the committee substitute, without
objection, it was so ordered.
Judge Bill Aleshire, representing Travis County,
testified in favor of the bill.
Betty Armstrong, representing County Judges and
Commissioners, testified in favor of the bill.
Carl Borchers, representing Harris County Sheriff,
testified in favor of the bill.
Melinda Bozarth, representing Texas Department of
Criminal Justice, testified on the bill.
Tony Fabelo, representing Criminal Justice Policy
Council, testified on the bill.
Margo Frasier, representing Sheriff's Association of
Texas; Travis County, testified in favor of the bill.
John Johnson, representing Jefferson County, testified in
favor of the bill.
Donald Lee, representing Conference of Urban Counties,
testified in favor of the bill.
Lt. Gregory W. Leveling, representing Denton County
Sheriff's Department, testified in favor of the bill.
Judge Jim Lewis, representing McLennan County, testified
in favor of the bill.
Larry Oliverez, representing Nueces County Sheriff's
Department, testified in favor of the bill.
Craig Pardue, representing Dallas County, testified in
favor of the bill.
Rebecca Rentz, representing Harris County Commissioners
Court, testified in favor of the bill.
Carla Stone, representing Kaufman County Sheriff's
Department, testified in favor of the bill.
Wane Davis, representing McLennan County Commissioners,
registered in favor of the bill but did not testify.
Christopher W. Lawrence, representing Nueces County,
registered in favor of the bill but did not testify.
David Hays, representing Williamson County, registered in
favor of the bill but did not testify.
J. Edgar Ruiz, representing Hidalgo County Commissioners
Court, registered in favor of the bill but did not
testify.
Debbie Fillmore, representing Commission on Jail
Standards, registered on the bill but did not testify.
Susan Wendel, representing Texas Association of Counties,
registered in favor of the bill but did not testify.
The Committee recessed at 10:50 am until 30 minutes upon
adjournment of the Senate. The Committee reconvened at 2:40
pm.
Senator Ratliff moved that SB 630 be left pending; without
objection, it was so ordered.
At 2:55 pm Senator Zaffirini assumed the chair.
The Chair laid out SB 645 and recognized Senator Ratliff, in
the absence of the author, to explain the bill.
Senator Ratliff sent up a committee substitute; the Chair
recognized Senator Ratliff to explain the difference between
the committee substitute and the bill as filed. Senator
Ratliff sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption;
without objection, the amendment was adopted. Senator Ratliff
sent up Committee Amendment 2 and moved adoption; without
objection, the amendment was adopted. Senator Ratliff sent up
Committee Amendment 3 and moved adoption; without objection,
the amendment was adopted. Senator Ratliff requested
unanimous consent to incorporate amendments into the committee
substitute. Senator Ratliff then moved that the new committee
substitute be adopted.
Larry Janecek, representing Comptroller of Public
Accounts, testified on the bill.
Kenny McLeskey, representing Comptroller of Public
Accounts, testified on the bill.
Senator Ratliff moved that SB 645 do not pass but that CSSB
645 be reported back to the Senate with the recommendation
that it do pass and be printed. The motion carried with a
vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 6 absent.
Senators Bivins and Lucio, Jr., requested unanimous consent to
be shown voting aye on the previous motion; without objection,
the final vote was 9 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 4
absent. Senator Ratliff moved that the bill be recommended
for placement on the Local & Uncontested Calendar, without
objection, it was so ordered.
At 3:00 pm Senator Ratliff assumed the chair.
The Chair referred the following bills to the Subcommittee on
Tuition Exemptions: SB 178, SB 244, SB 666, SB 678, SB 716,
SB 1092, SB 1476, SB 1776, and SB 1788. The Chair announced
that members of the subcommittee will be named at a later
date.
The Chair laid out pending bill, CSSB 126, and recognized the
author, Senator Bivins. Senator Bivins requested unanimous
consent to reconsider previous action on CSSB 126; without
objection, it was so ordered. Senator Bivins sent up
Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption; without objection,
the amendment was adopted. Senator Bivins requested unanimous
consent to incorporate the amendment into the committee
substitute. Senator Bivins then moved that the new committee
substitute be adopted. Senator Bivins moved that CSSB 126 be
left pending; without objection, it was so ordered.
The Chair laid out SB 696 and recognized Senator Zaffirini, in
the absence of the author, to explain the bill. Senator
Zaffirini sent up Committee Amendment 1 and moved adoption;
without objection, the amendment was adopted.
E. Phillip Cannon, representing St. John's School,
testified in favor of the bill.
Drew Masterson, representing St. John's School, testified
in favor of the bill.
Senator Zaffirini moved that SB 696 be reported favorably to
the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be
printed. The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0
present not voting, and 6 absent. Senators Truan, Lucio, Jr.,
and Nelson requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye
on the previous motion; without objection, the final vote was
10 ayes, 0 nays, 0 present not voting, and 3 absent.
The Chair laid out SB 874 and recognized the author, Senator
Wentworth, to explain the bill.
Tom Milholland, representing Texas State Board of
Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists, registered in
favor of the bill but did not testify.
Bobby D. Schmidt, representing Texas State Board of
Examiners of Marriage & Family Therapists, registered on
the bill but did not testify.
Senator Wentworth moved that SB 874 be reported favorably to
the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass and be
printed. The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes, 0 nays, 0
present not voting, and 6 absent. Senators Truan, Lucio, Jr.,
and Nelson requested unanimous consent to be shown voting aye
on the previous motion; without objection, the final vote was
10 ayes, 0 present not voting, and 3 absent. Senator
Wentworth moved that the bill be recommended for placement on
the Local & Uncontested Calendar, without objection, it was so
ordered.
The Chair laid out SB 1099 and recognized the author, Senator
Wentworth, to explain the bill. Senator Wentworth sent up a
committee substitute; the Chair recognized Senator Wentworth
to explain the difference between the committee substitute and
the bill as filed. Senator Wentworth moved adoption of the
committee substitute, without objection, it was so ordered.
April Bacon, representing Travis County Auditor,
testified in opposition to the bill.
D. August Boto, representing Texas District & County
Attorneys Association, testified on the bill.
Jim Huff, representing Live Oak County Judge, testified
in favor of the bill.
Raymond H. Reese, representing De Witt County Attorney's
Office, testified in favor of the bill.
David Aken, representing Self, registered in favor of the
bill but did not testify.
Thomas M. Goff, representing Tom Green County Attorney's
Office, registered in favor of the bill but did not
testify.
VaLinda Hathcox, representing Self, registered in favor
of the bill but did not testify.
Cheryll Mabrey, representing Llano County Attorney's
Office, registered in favor of the bill but did not
testify.
C.H. "Terry" McCall, representing Comanche County
Attorney's Office, registered in favor of the bill but
did not testify.
Mark F. Pratt, representing TDCAA and the Hill County
Attorney's Office, registered in favor of the bill but
did not testify.
Robert B. Scheske, representing Gonzales County
Attorney's Office, registered in favor of the bill but
did not testify.
David A. Sheffield , representing Hardin County
Attorney's Office, registered in favor of the bill but
did not testify.
Eugene Taylor, representing Williamson County Attorney's
Office, registered in favor of the bill but did not
testify.
Senator Wentworth moved that CSSB 1099 be left pending;
without objection, it was so ordered.
The Chair laid out SB 964 and recognized the author, Senator
Ratliff, to explain the bill.
Ron Allen, representing Texas State Board of Veterinary
Medical Examiners, testified on the bill.
Senator Ratliff moved that SB 964 be left pending; without
objection, it was so ordered.
There being no further business, at 4:00 pm Senator Ratliff
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the Chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.
______________________
Senator Bill Ratliff, Chair
______________________
Patricia Hicks, Clerk