MINUTES 
          
                           SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE 
                             Friday, August 7, 1998 
                                   10:00 a.m. 
                            Capitol Extension E1.030 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.11, a joint public hearing of the Senate Committee on  
         Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations was held on  
         Friday, August 7, 1998 in Capitol Extension E1.030, at Austin,  
         Texas. 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Bill Ratliff                    Senator Carlos Truan 
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos              Senator Kenneth  
                                                 Armbrister 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.                Senator Teel Bivins 
         Senator Mike Moncrief                   Senator J.E. Brown 
         Senator Jane Nelson                     Senator Judith  
                                                 Zaffirini 
         Senator David Sibley 
         Senator Jeff Wentworth 
         Senator Royce West 
          
                                      ***** 
          
         Senator Bill Ratliff and Representative Robert Junell served  
         as co-chairs.  Chairman Junell called the meeting to order at  
         10:05 a.m.  There being a quorum present, the following  
         business was transacted. 
          
         The Chair recognized Speaker Pete Laney to give opening  
         remarks on the purpose of the joint  hearing on drought  
         issues.  Chairmen Ratliff and Junell made additional opening  
         remarks. 
          
         The Chair recognized the following invited witnesses to give  
         expert testimony on the statewide impact of the 1998 drought: 
          
              Commissioner Rick Perry, representing the Texas  
              Department of Agriculture, provided  testimony on the  
              agricultural impact of  the drought. 
          
              Tom Millwee, representing the Division of  Emergency  
              Management of  the Texas Department of Public Safety,  
              provided testimony on the Drought Response and Monitoring  
              Committee. 
          
              State Comptroller John Sharp, representing the Office of   
              the  Comptroller of  Public  Accounts, provided testimony  
              on the fiscal impact of the drought. 
          
              Senator Stephen Ogden, representing Senate District 5,  
              provided testimony on a drought recovery proposal. 
          
              Edward A. Hiler, representing the Texas A&M University  
              System, provided testimony on the drought responses of  
              the agriculture program of  Texas A&M University. 
          
              Ronald D. Knutsen, representing the Texas A&M University  
              System, provided  testimony on the drought responses of   
              the Texas Agricultural Extension Service. 
          
              John Beverly, representing the Texas Agricultural  
              Experiment Station, registered as a resource witness, but  
              did not testify. 
          
              Carl G. Anderson, representing Texas A&M University at  
              College Station, registered as a resource witness, but  
              did not testify. 
          
              Chester P. Fehlis, representing the Texas Agricultural  
              Extension Service, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Travis D. Miller, representing the Texas Agricultural  
              Extension Service, provided oral testimony. 
          
         The Chair recognized the following state agency  
         representatives to provide testimony as follows: 
          
              John Baker, representing the Texas Natural Resource  
              Conservation Commission, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Jeff Saitas, representing the Texas Natural Resource  
              Conservation Commission, provided oral testimony. 
          
              George Bomar, representing the Texas Natural Resource  
              Conservation Commission, provided oral testimony. 
          
              James Kowis, representing the Texas Natural Resource  
              Conservation Commission, registered as a resource  
              witness, but did not testify. 
          
              Craig D. Pederson, representing the Texas Water  
              Development Board, provided oral testimony. 
              James B. Hull, representing the Texas Forest Service,  
              provided oral testimony. 
          
              Andrew Sansom, representing the Texas Parks and Wildlife  
              Department, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Dr. Earl Chilton, representing the Texas Parks and  
      
              Wildlife Department, provided  testimony on the impact of  
              the drought in the Rio Grande. 
          
              Ron George, representing the Texas Parks and Wildlife  
              Department, registered as a resource witness, but did not  
              testify. 
          
              Dr. Jerry L. Cooke, representing the Texas Parks and  
              Wildlife Department, registered as a resource witness,  
              but did not testify. 
          
              Wayne Register, representing the Association of Texas  
              Soil and Water Conservation Districts, provided oral  
              testimony. 
          
              James K. "Rooter" Brite, representing the Texas Soil and  
              Water Conservation Board, registered as a resource  
              witness, but did not testify. 
          
              Gene Sollock, representing the Texas Soil and Water  
              Conservation Board, registered as a resource witness, but  
              did not testify. 
          
              James M. Moore, representing the Texas Soil and Water  
              Conservation Board, registered as a resource witness, but  
              did not testify. 
          
              Robert G. Buckley, representing the Texas Soil and Water  
              Conservation Board, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Paul Hammerschmidt, representing the Texas Parks and  
              Wildlife Department, registered as a  resource witness,  
              but did not testify. 
          
              Hugh L. Stone, representing the Texas Soil and Water  
              Conservation Board, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Larry Paul Manley, representing the Texas Department of  
              House and Community Affairs, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Gus Garcia, representing the Texas Department of  Housing  
              and Community Affairs, registered as a resource witness,  
              but did not testify. 
          
              Ruth Cedillo, representing the Texas Department of   
              Housing and Community Affairs, registered as a resource  
              witness, but did not testify. 
          
              J. "Al" Almaguer, representing the Texas Department of  
              Housing and Community Affairs, registered as a resource  
              witness, but did not testify. 
          
         Invited public testimony was provided as follows: 
          
              Bob Stallman, representing the Texas Farm Bureau,  
              provided oral testimony. 
          
              Tony Williams, representing the Texas Cotton Ginners  
              Association, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Bill Kubecka, representing the Texas Grain Sorghum  
              Association, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Lindy Patton, representing the Texas Boll Weevil  
              Eradication Foundation, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Alan Vander Horst, representing the Texas Association of   
              Dairymen, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Ed Small, representing the Texas and Southwestern Cattle  
              Raisers Association, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Bill Webb, representing the Texas Motor Transportation  
              Association, provided oral testimony. 
          
              Jerry Clark, representing the Dairy Farmers of America,  
              provided oral testimony. 
          
         There being no further business, at 4:15 p.m. Chairman Junell  
         announced that the Committee would stand recessed subject to  
         the call of the Chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Bill Ratliff, Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Patricia Hicks, Clerk