MINUTES
SENATE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ELECTRIC UTILITY RESTRUCTURING
Monday, March 1, 1999
9:30 am
Senate Chamber
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Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.11, a public hearing of the Senate Special Committee on
Electric Utility Restructuring was held on Monday, March 1,
1999 in the Senate Chamber at Austin, Texas.
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MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBER ABSENT:
Senator David Sibley, Chairman Senator Gonzalo
Barrientos
Senator David Cain, Vice Chairman
Senator Kenneth Armbrister
Senator Teel Bivins
Senator Troy Fraser
Senator Jane Nelson
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The Chairman called the meeting to order at 9:35 am. There
being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
Chairman Sibley advised that a proposal would be laid out for
the members concerning the air standards in the non-attainment
and near non-attainment areas of emissions from plants, an
issue relating to Senate Bill 7 pending in Committee.
The Chairman recognized Pat Wood, Chairman of the Public
Utility Commission, to speak to the members concerning this
issue. Chairman Wood was joined by Commissioner Ralph Marquez
of the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission.
Upon completion of testimony by Chairman Wood and Commissioner
Marquez, Chairman Sibley advised that the Committee would
begin consideration of a proposed substitute to SB 7 which had
previously been delivered to the members. The Chairman called
Karina Casari, Committee Director, to explain the major
differences between the bill as filed and the committee
substitute, as set forth in a side by side distributed to the
members.
Chairman Sibley called Kristie Flippo of Senator Cain's
office, and Craig Smith of Senator Sibley's office who have
been working with David Anderson, General Counsel of the Texas
Education Agency, to testify on the school funding loss
mechanism in the substitute. The Chairman also called David
Anderson to present his testimony. The witnesses responded to
members' questions on the issue.
Upon completion of testimony by Mr. Anderson, Kristie Flippo
and Craig Smith, Karina Casari continued with explanation of
the side by side.
Following completion of Ms. Casari's testimony, the Chairman
announced the procedure for members to submit committee
amendments to the substitute, and advised that members would
vote on the amendments at the next meeting of the Committee.
There being no further business, at 11:30 am Chairman Sibley
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the Chairman. Without objection, it was so ordered.
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Senator David Sibley, Chairman
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Barbara Henderson, Clerk.