MINUTES 
                                           
                    SENATE COMMITTEE ON BORDER AFFAIRS - SPECIAL 
                             Wednesday, April 12, 2000 
                                     10:00 a.m. 
                            Red Lion Hotel, Houston, TX 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         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 Wednesday, April 12, 2000, at the  
         Red Lion Hotel in Houston, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.                Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator David Sibley                    Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Teel Bivins                     Senator Carlos Truan 
                                                 Senator Judith Zaffirini 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         The Senate Committee on Border Affairs and the Senate Committee  
         on State Affairs held a joint hearing.  Senator Shapiro and  
         Senator Lucio chaired the joint hearing. 
          
         Senator Shapiro called the meeting to order at 10:15 a.m.  The  
         following business was transacted:   
          
         Senator Lucio and Senator Shapiro gave opening remarks. 
          
         Senator Whitmire, Senator Gallegos, Senator Ellis, and Senator  
         Brown gave welcoming remarks. 
          
         Mr. Ned Holmes, representing the Port of Houston Authority,  
         testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Mr. James Dannenbaum, representing the Greater Houston  
         Partnership, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Senator Lucio asked for a copy of Mr. Dannenbaum's testimony. 
          
         Mr. Tom Johnson, representing the Associated General Contractors  
         of Texas, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         The Committee asked that the Associated General Contractors  
         gather the following information: 
         -  information on other states using GARVEEs 
         -  comparison of garvees debt payment vs. inflation 
         -  other bonding options 
         Ms. Tamar Henkin, representing Hagler Bailly  
  
         Services/Comptroller's Office, testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         Senator Cain asked for more information as to what Hagler Bailly  
         Services is doing, who is involved, and when they expect the  
         study to be done.  Senator Shapiro asked that Ms. Henkin gather  
         the information and send it to the Committee. 
          
         Mr. Thomas Boast, representing the First Union Securities, Inc.,  
         testified on interim charge #1. 
          
         At 12:27 p.m. Senator Lucio assumed the chair.     
          
         There being no further business, at 12:43 p.m. Senator Lucio  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         ______________________ 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair 
          
         ______________________ 
         Stephanie R. Hoover, Clerk