Subcommittee on Articles IV and V
Minutes
Tuesday, February 10, 1998
Page
MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
Subcommittee on Articles IV and V
Tuesday, February 10, 1998
9:00 a.m.
Senate Finance Committee Room
Capitol Extension, Room E1.036
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Interim Finance
Subcommittee on Articles IV and V was held on Tuesday,
February 10, 1998, in the Senate Finance Committee Room,
Capitol Extension, Room E1.036, Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chairman None
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Senator David Sibley
*****
The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. There
being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
Chairman Wentworth explained the purpose of the meeting,
made remarks regarding committee charges and the day's
schedule, and invited committee members to make brief remarks.
The Chair then called invited panelists to brief
committee members on the budget process and subcommittee
resources. The following panelists presented testimony as
follows:
Mr. John O'Brien, Assistant Director of the Legislative Budget
Board, provided an overview of the state's strategic planning
structure and answered questions from the committee.
Mr. John Barton, representing the Legislative Budget Board,
gave an overview of the state's performance measurement system
and answered questions from the committee.
Mr. Bill Pharr, representing the Legislative Budget Board,
provided background on the state's budgeting system and
answered questions from the committee.
Lawrence F. Alwin, State Auditor, provided an overview on
State Auditor reports and agency accountability, and answered
questions from the committee.
Andrea Claire, representing the State Auditor's Office,
provided an overview on performance measures certification and
answered questions from the committee.
Matthew Levitt, representing the State Auditor's Office,
provided an overview on full-time-equivalent employee trends
and answered questions from the committee.
The Chair called representatives from the Article IV
agencies to answer questions of the committee regarding the
committee charges. Invited witnesses appeared as follows:
The Honorable Thomas R. Phillips, Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of Texas, provided oral and written testimony.
The Honorable Michael J. McCormick, Presiding Judge of the
Court of Criminal Appeals, provided oral and written
testimony.
The Honorable John T. Boyd, Chief Justice of the Seventh Court
of Appeals and Chairman of the Council of Chief Justices,
provided oral and written testimony.
The Honorable Michael Schneider, Chief Justice of the First
Court of Appeals, provided oral and written testimony.
The Honorable John Cayce, Chief Justice of the Second Court of
Appeals, provided written testimony.
The Honorable Marilyn Aboussie, Justice of the Third Court of
Appeals, provided oral and written testimony.
The Honorable Phil Hardberger, Chief Justice of the Fourth
Court of Appeals, provided oral and written testimony.
The Honorable Linda Thomas, Chief Justice of the Fifth Court
of Appeals, provided oral testimony.
The Honorable William J. Cornelius, Chief Justice of the Sixth
Court of Appeals, provided oral and written testimony.
The Honorable Rex Davis, Chief Justice of the Tenth Court of
Appeals, provided oral and written testimony.
The Honorable Tom B. Ramey, Chief Justice of the Twelfth Court
of Appeals, provided oral testimony.
The Honorable Robert J. Seerden, Chief Justice of the
Thirteenth Court of Appeals, provided oral and written
testimony.
The Honorable Paul Murphy, Chief Justice of the Fourteenth
Court of Appeals, provided oral and written testimony.
The committee recessed for lunch at 12:20 p.m. and reconvened
at 1:35 p.m.
Mr. Jerry L. Benedict, Director of the Office of Court
Administration, provided written and oral testimony.
Mr. Doug Rybacki, Deputy Administrative Director of the Office
of Court Administration, provided oral testimony.
Mr. Matthew Paul, State Prosecuting Attorney, provided oral
and written testimony.
Ms. Kay Schlueter, Director of the State Law Library, provided
oral and written testimony.
The Honorable Sid Harle, Chairman of the Court Reporters
Certification Board, provided written and oral testimony.
Ms. Peg Liedtke, Executive Secretary of the Court Reporters
Certification Board, provided oral testimony.
Mr. Robert Flowers, Executive Director of the State Commission
on Judicial Conduct, provided oral and written testimony.
There being no further business, at 2:10 p.m., Chairman
Wentworth announced that the Senate Interim Finance
Subcommittee on Articles IV and V would stand recessed subject
to the call of the Chair. Without objection, it was so
ordered.
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Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chair
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Joe Morris, Chief Clerk