MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON BORDER AFFAIRS - SPECIAL
Thursday, May 25, 2000
9:00 a.m.
Brownsville Public Library
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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, May 25, 2000, in the
Brownsville Public Library, Brownsville, Texas.
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MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. Senator Teel Bivins
Senator David Sibley Senator Robert Duncan
Senator Eliot Shapleigh Senator Carlos Truan
Senator Judith Zaffirini
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The Chair called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. The
following business was transacted:
Chairman Lucio gave opening remarks.
Senator Zaffirini and Senator Sibley gave opening remarks.
Mayor Blanca Vela, representing the City of Brownsville, gave
welcoming remarks.
Mayor Connie de la Garza, representing the City of Harlingen,
gave welcoming remarks.
Mr. Bill Summers, representing the Rio Grande Valley
Partnership, gave welcoming remarks.
Dr. Juliet Garcia, representing The University of Texas at
Brownsville and Texas Southmost College, testified on higher
education issues.
Mr. George Avellano, representing The University of Texas Pan
American, testified on higher education issues.
Dr. Shirley Reed, representing South Texas Community College,
testified on higher education issues and interim charge #4.
Mr. Richard Adauto, representing The University of Texas at El
Paso, testified on higher education issues.
District Attorney Rene Guerra, representing Hidalgo County,
testified on law enforcement issues.
Ms. Yolanda de Leon, representing the U.S. District Attorney's
Office and Ad Hoc Committee of Texas Border Prosecutors,
testified on law enforcement issues.
District Attorney Heriberto Silva, representing the 229th
Judicial District, testified on law enforcement issues.
District Attorney Jaime Esparza, representing the 34th Judicial
District, testified on law enforcement issues.
At 10:57 a.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.
At 11:01 a.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair.
Senator Lucio asked the State Office of Court Administrations to
provide a report to the Committee in regards to case load and
docket level along the border region.
Dr. Lorenzo Pelly, representing the Valley Doctor's Clinic,
testified on interim charge #3.
At 12:45 p.m. Senator Shapleigh arrived.
Dr. John Howe, representing the University of Texas Health
Science Center in San Antonio, testified on interim charge #3.
Dr Leone L. Vela, representing the University of Texas Health
Science Center at San Antonio, testified on interim charge #3.
Commissioner Don Gilbert, representing the Texas Health and
Human Services Commission, testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. William Perry, representing Texas A&M University, testified
on interim charge #3.
At 1:00 p.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.
Dr. Gene Schroder, representing the University of Texas Health
Science Center - Houston, testified on interim charge #3.
At 1:01 p.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair.
Senator Shapleigh made a motion that Dr. Gene Schroder research
information regarding how many research dollars line up in
Houston.
Chairman Lucio asked for approval of the minutes from the
previous meeting on April 27th. Senator Zaffirini moved
adoption of the minutes; without objection, the minutes were
adopted.
Senator Zaffirini moved that the Committee draft a letter to the
Texas Congressional Delegation regarding the importance of
federal reimbursement for border drug prosecutions, which as of
July 1 no longer will be handled by local district attorneys on
the border. Without objection, it was so ordered.
Chairman Lucio announced that the Committee stand at ease until
2:15 p.m.
At 2:22 p.m. the Committee reconvened.
Dr. Lars Folke, representing the Baylor College of Dentistry,
testified on interim charge #3.
Ms. Dianna Prachyl, representing the Texas Dental Hygienists
Association, testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. Jeff Saitas, representing the Texas Natural Resource
Conservation Commission, testified on interim charge #2.
At 2:33 p.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.
Commissioner Jose Montemayor, representing the Texas Department
of Insurance, testified on interim charge #3.
At 2:42 p.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair.
Dr. Pete Duarte, representing the El Paso Hospital District,
testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. Larry Tonn, representing Tonn & Associates, testified on
interim charge #3.
Dr. Gordon McGee, representing the Texas Medical Association,
testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. Harold Siglar, representing the South Texas Health System,
testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. Jorge Trevino, representing the Texas Department of
Health/Public Health Region II, testified on interim charge #3.
Senator Shapleigh asked Mr. Trevino to provide the Committee
with a current accurate study of the water quality in the Rio
Grande.
Dr. Maria Alen, representing the Texas Diabetes Council,
testified on interim charge #3.
Mr. Ron Tupper, representing the Texas A&M University Health
Science Center, testified on interim charge #3.
Senator Shapleigh asked for additional information relating to
Mr. Tupper's testimony.
Commissioner Diane Rath, representing the Texas Workforce
Commission, testified on interim charge #4.
Mayor Elizabeth Flores, representing the Texas Border
Infrastructure Coalition and the City of Laredo, testified on
the status of the Texas Border Infrastructure Coalition and
interim charge #5, SB 913.
Senator Zaffirini moved that the Committee draft a letter to the
Secretary of State and to the Governor opposing TxDOT's plan to
construct state inspection stations at the border. Without
objection, it was so ordered.
Senator Shapleigh read into the record an agreement made by the
Honorable Dolores Briones, County Judge of El Paso, the
Honorable Carlos M. Ramirez, Mayor of El Paso, and the Honorable
Sylvester Reyes, U.S. Congressman, and himself relating to SB
913. Is was so ordered and read into the record.
Mr. Larry Dovalina, representing the City of Laredo, testified
on interim charge #5, SB 913.
Mr. Jorge Garces, representing the Office of the Texas Secretary
of State, testified on interim charge #5, SB 913.
Chairman Lucio asked for Mr. Garces to provide an update on the
Laredo inspection sites.
At 4:44 p.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.
Ms. Keta Caballero, representing the Texas Office of the
Secretary of State, testified on interim charge #5, SB 1421.
Mr. Ignacio Madera, representing the Texas Water Development
Board, testified on interim charge #2.
Mr. John Henneberger, representing the Texas Low Income Housing
Information, testified on interim charge #5, SB 1421.
Mr. Reymundo Ocanas, representing the Texas Association of
CDC's, testified on interim charge #5, SB 1421.
Mr. Don Currie, representing the Community Development
Corporation of Brownsville, testified on interim charge #5, SB
1421.
Ms. Petra Perez, representing the Valley Interfaith, testified
on interim charge #5, SB 1421.
Ms. Judy Vera, representing the Valley Interfaith, testified on
interim charge #5, SB 1421.
Father Alfonso Guevara, representing the Valley Interfaith,
testified on interim charge #5, SB 1421.
Judge Jeff Mosley, representing the Texas Department of Economic
Development, testified on interim charge #4.
Mr. Abdu Megateli, representing the Cross Border Institute for
Regional Development, testified on interim charge #4.
Mr. David Gibson, representing the IC2 Institute, testified on
interim charge #4.
Ms. Jeannene Fox, representing the Texas Alcoholic Beverage
Commission, testified on interim charge #5, SB 913.
Ms. Marie McDermott, representing the Brownsville Economic
Development Council, testified on interim charge #4.
Mr. Hank Folke, representing Cameron Works, testified on interim
charge #4.
Mr. Ralph Cowen, representing Cameron Works, testified on
interim charge #4.
At 6:21 p.m. Senator Sibley assumed the chair.
At 6:30 a.m. Chairman Lucio resumed the chair.
Mr. David Mudd, representing the Texas Office of Court
Administration, testified on law enforcement issues.
Ms. Denise Donnelly, representing the Office of the Attorney
General, testified on law enforcement issues.
Mr. Scot Campbell, representing the Valley Association for
Quality Development, testified on interim charge #2.
Mr. Larry Brown, representing the City of Brownsville, testified
on interim charge #2.
Mayor Miguel Castillo, representing the Texas Border
Infrastructure Coalition and the City of Mercedes, thanked the
Committee for their hard work and interest in the Border.
There being no further business, at 7:28 p.m. Chairman 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
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Stephanie R. Hoover, Clerk