MINUTES 
                                           
                      SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE 
                             Tuesday, January 30, 2001 
                                     9:00 a.m. 
                           Lt. Governor's Committee Room 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Business &  
         Commerce was held on Tuesday, January 30, 2001, in the Lt.  
         Governor's Committee Room, at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator David Sibley, Chairman          None 
         Senator Troy Fraser, Vice Chairman 
         Senator John Carona 
         Senator Mike Jackson 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte 
                                           
                                       ***** 
                                           
         Chairman Sibley called the organizational meeting of the  
         Business and Commerce Committee to order at 9:00 a.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted.  
          
         The Chairman conducted the meeting in Spanish to emphasize the  
         growing importance of being bilingual as Texas-Mexico business  
         relations increase.  There was an interpreter present to  
         translate for committee and audience members. 
          
         Chairman Sibley welcomed the Committee members and advised that  
         the Committee will meet every Tuesday at 9:00 a.m.  The  
         Committee will have only two hours to transact business before  
         the Senate goes into Session, so bills not requiring extensive  
         testimony will be heard in the morning and the Committee will  
         reconvene after Session to hear bills with lengthier testimony.   
         The Chairman advised that the Committee will also meet on  
         Thursdays, beginning in March when the workload increases. 
          
         Senator Lucio commented that the meeting was historical because,  
         to his knowledge, there had never been a committee hearing in  
         Spanish at the Texas capitol.  Senator Lucio thanked the  
         Chairman and stated that the Committee's work will be very  
         important to the future of Texas. 
          
         Senator Van de Putte thanked the Chairman and also expressed her  
         pleasure that the meeting was being held in Spanish.  She stated  
         that it would send a very important message to the people of  
  
         Texas. 
          
         Chairman Sibley laid out the Committee Rules.  There being no  
         questions or comments on the rules, Senator Van de Putte moved  
         adoption.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         The Chairman advised that Texas will have much closer ties to  
         Mexico in the next twenty years.  He stated that it is only  
         necessary to go to the Texas-Mexico border to see the future of  
         commerce in Texas; and that Texas children need to be bilingual  
         in order to prosper in the future. 
          
         The Chairman then asked if other members wished to make a  
         statement.  Senator Shapleigh expressed his pleasure in being a  
         part of the Committee and stated that the investments to be made  
         in the Border will be important accomplishments in Texas. 
          
         There being no further business, at 9:15 a.m. Chairman Sibley  
         moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of  
         the chair.  Without objection, it was so ordered.   
          
         __________________________ 
         Senator David Sibley, Chairman 
          
         __________________________ 
         Barbara Henderson, Clerk