MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE
Subcommittee on Interim Charge #4
Thursday, March 14, 2002
10:00 a.m.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board Room, Dallas, Texas
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Business &
Commerce, Subcommittee on Interim Charge #4, was held on
Thursday, March 14, 2002, in the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board
Room, Dallas, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Eliot Shapleigh, Chairman Senator Troy Fraser
Senator John Carona Senator Mike Jackson
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.
*****
Chairman Shapleigh called the meeting to order at 10:05 a.m.
There being a quorum present, the following business was
transacted.
Senator Carona welcomed the members to Dallas, and Senator Lucio
made a brief opening statement. Sue Bauman, Vice President of
Marketing and Communications for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit
(DART), welcomed the members and those attending the hearing on
behalf of the DART board members. Chairman Shapleigh expressed
his appreciation to the DART board members for allowing the
Subcommittee to meet in the Board Room.
The Chairman advised that, pursuant to Interim Charge #4, the
Subcommittee would be looking at all aspects of lending and
access to capital in all areas of Texas. The first issue to be
addressed at the hearing was Mortgage and Personal Lending. The
invited witnesses were:
Mike Hernandez, Fannie Mae, Dallas,
Rob Schneider, Consumers Union, Austin, and
Elizabeth Wolff, Association of Community Organizations for
Reform Now (ACORN), Dallas.
Following testimony and response to members' questions, Chairman
Shapleigh called Joshua Silver, representing National Community
Reinvestment Coalition, Washington, DC, to testify on Business
Lending Issues. At 11:55 a.m. Chairman Shapleigh moved that the
Subcommittee stand recessed for a thirty minute lunch break;
without objection, it was so ordered.
At 12:30 p.m. the Subcommittee reconvened. The Chairman called
the following public witnesses who wished to testify regarding
their experiences with lending issues:
Nelda Olvera, ACORN, San Antonio, and
Mary Salas, San Antonio.
Invited testimony on Business Lending Issues resumed with David
Pinkus, representing Small Business United of Texas, Austin,
Texas.
Following Mr. Pinkus' testimony, Chairman Shapleigh advised that
the next topic was Lending Services, Programs and Solutions, and
called the invited witnesses as follows:
Ken Greer, Independent Bankers Association of Texas, Mt.
Vernon, Texas,
Mario Riojas, Accion Texas, Inc., San Antonio,
Bettye Banks, Consumer Credit Counseling Center, Dallas,
and
Charles English, Southern Dallas Development Corp. and
Texas Mezzanine Fund, Inc.
Upon completion of invited testimony, the Chairman called for
public testimony to commence. The witnesses testifying were:
Bill White, Cash America International, Ft. Worth, Texas,
Ronald Abbott, Peoples National Bank, Paris, Texas,
Eric Norrington, Ace America's Cash Express, Irving, Texas,
and
DeVera Allen, representing herself, Dallas, Texas.
There being no further business, at 3:38 p.m. Chairman Shapleigh
moved that the Subcommittee stand recessed subject to the call
of the chairman. Without objection, it was so ordered.
_______________________________
Senator Eliot Shapleigh, Chairman
_____________________________
Barbara Henderson, Clerk