MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON BORDER AFFAIRS - SPECIAL
Thursday, November 18, 1999
11:00 a.m.
UT at El Paso
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Border
Affairs - Special was held on Thursday, November 18, 1999, in
the UT at El Paso at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. Senator David Sibley
Senator Teel Bivins Senator Judith Zaffirini
Senator Robert Duncan
Senator Eliot Shapleigh
Senator Carlos Truan
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The Chair called the meeting to order at 11:05 a.m. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted:
Chairman Lucio asked for approval of the minutes from the
previous hearing on October 13, 1999. Senator Truan moved
approval of the minutes.
Chairman Lucio gave opening remarks.
Senator Shapleigh, Senator Duncan, Senator Bivins, and Senator
Truan gave opening remarks.
Chairman Lucio read a letter from Senator Zaffirini.
Chairman Lucio asked for a moment of silence for the students at
A&M University.
Regent Woody Hunt, representing University of Texas System,
gave opening remarks.
Mr. Jim Manley, representing El Paso County Judge's Office,
gave opening remarks.
Mr. Luis Sarinana, representing District #7 of the city of El
Paso, gave opening remarks.
Chairman Lucio provided an update on the A&M student tragedy.
He asked that during the course of the day everyone join
together in silent prayer for the families.
Chairman Lucio recognized the Committee Clerk, Stephanie Hoover,
and the Committee Director, Daniel Esparza. He also recognized
former State Senator Dan Shelley and former State Representative
Eddie Cavasos.
Mr. Mike Sheridan, representing Texas Workforce Commission,
testified on interim charge #4.
Senator Truan asked that Mr. Sheridan provide the Committee with
statistical data in regards to the success of the training
programs provided by the Commission.
Chairman Lucio asked Mr. Sheridan to provide the Committee with
information on unemployment for veterans per capita as compared
to the general citizen population.
Senator Bivins asked Mr. Sheridan if there is more emphasis
today on childcare than a decade ago.
Chairman Lucio asked if the state of Texas were to strengthen
its efforts to the level that it would comprehensively and
appropriately address the workforce needs of the border in terms
of curriculum, programs, what would be the associated cost of
such an effort. He also asked if the current level of funding
from federal funds is sufficient for such a comprehensive
effort. Chairman Lucio asked the Workforce Commission look at
these matters and get back to the Committee before the end of
the interim study. He stated there might be a need to create a
state fund to compliment federal funds.
Chairman Lucio asked that the Committee stand at ease for a
short lunch break.
At 1:15 pm the Committee reconvened. Chairman Lucio announced
that the Committee would continue hearing invited testimony and
then hear public testimony.
Mr. Manny Pacillas, representing UTEP, El Paso Empowerment Zone,
testified on interim charge #4.
Mr. Hugo Bustamante, representing Upper Rio Grande Workforce
Development, testified on interim charge #4.
Ms. Cynthia Arnold, representing La Mujer Obrera, testified on
interim charge #4. Chairman Lucio asked Ms. Arnold for her
remarks in writing.
Mr. Don Hoyte, representing Office of the Texas Comptroller of
Public Accounts, testified on interim charge #4.
Mr. Martin Aguirre, representing Upper Rio Grande Workforce
Board, testified on interim charge #4.
Chairman Lucio recognized Commissioner Carlos Aguilar of El Paso
County.
At 2:55 p.m. Senator Shapleigh assumed the chair.
Dr. Jorge Maea a, representing El Paso County City County Health
& Environment District, testified on interim charge #3.
Dr. Jose Manuel de la Rosa, representing Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center - El Paso, testified on interim charge
#3.
Dr. Miguel Escobedo, representing Texas Department of Health,
testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. Pete Duarte, representing Thomason Hospital, testified on
interim charge #3.
Dr. Gordon MiGee, representing TMA, El Paso County Medical
Society, testified on interim charge #3.
Senator Bivins asked Senator Truan, as Vice Chairman of Finance,
to ask the Legislative Budget Board to do an inequity analysis
on reimbursement rates for medicaid managed care and for the
CHIPS program in hopes to get a better distribution of dollars.
Chairman Lucio stated he would be happy to make that request.
Ms. Verlaine Stewart-Ray, representing El Paso Diabetes
Association/Thomason Hospital, testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. Kermit Heimann, representing Texas Diabetes Program/Council,
testified on interim charge #3.
At 4:15 p.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair.
Chairman Lucio asked Ms. Stewart-Ray to report to the Committee,
of the over 2200 cases of diabetes diagnosed in the United
States everyday how many of those cases are along the Border.
Mr. Tim Lubbers, representing Community Voices of El Paso,
testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. Bill Schlesinger, representing Community Voices of El Paso,
testified on interim charge #3.
Ms. Diana Borja, representing Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission, testified on interim charge #2.
Mr. Ignacio Madera, Jr., representing Texas Water Development
Board, testified on interim charge #2.
Mr. Frank Espino, representing Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission, testified on interim charge #2.
Ms. Jennifer Allis, representing Office of the Secretary of
State, testified on interim charges #2 and #5.
Mr. Hector Gonzalez, representing El Paso Water Utilities,
testified on interim charge #2.
Mr. Luis Mario Gutierrez, representing Junta Municipal de Agua y
Saneamiento, testified on interim charge #2. Mr. Alberto
Ramirez translated for Mr. Guteirrez.
Mr. Ricardo Castanon, representing Border Environment
Cooperation Commission, testified on interim charge #2.
Chairman Lucio asked Mr. Madera to report to the Committee on
how many grant proposals have been asked of the Texas Water
Development Board and how many have been approved over the last
5 years.
Mr. Andres Mares, representing Rio Valley Rainbow, testified on
interim charges.
Mr. Guillermo Glenn, representing Border Workers, testified on
interim charges.
Ms. Magdalena Portillo, representing self, testified on interim
charges.
Dr. Christine Brenner, representing self, testified on interim
charges.
Senator Truan made a motion that Comptroller Rylander be
commissioned to evaluate the issue of adult education and adult
literacy under the capacity of the Border Affairs Committee.
The motion was seconded by Senator Shapleigh. Without
objection, the motion was adopted.
Mr. Alfredo Alvarado, representing self, testified on interim
charges.
Ms. Maria Villalba, representing La Mujer Obrera, testified on
interim charges.
Mr. Roberto Perez, representing self, testified on interim
charges.
At 7:30 p.m. Chairman Lucio moved that the committee stand
recessed until Friday morning; without objection, it was so
ordered.
At 9:10 a.m. Friday, November 19, 1999 the committee reconvened.
Ms. Jennifer Allis, representing Office of the Secretary of
State, testified on interim charge #5.
Ms. Becky Pestana, representing Office of the Attorney General,
testified on interim charge #5.
Mr. David Laney, representing Texas Department of
Transportation, testified on interim charge #5.
Mr. Ed Wueste, representing Texas Department of Transportation,
testified on interim charge #5.
Captain Tom Cummings, representing Texas Department of Public
Safety, testified on interim charge #5.
Captain Coy Clanton, representing Texas Department of Public
Safety, testified on interim charge #5.
At 10:05 p.m. Chairman Lucio moved that the committee stand
recessed until the call of the Chair; without objection, it was
so ordered.
______________________
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair
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Stephanie R. Hoover, Clerk