MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON BUSINESS & COMMERCE
Subcommittee on Border Affairs
Wednesday, March 27, 2002
9:00 a.m.
University of Texas at El Paso
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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 Wednesday, March 27, 2002, at the
University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, Texas.
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MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. Senator John Carona
Senator Eliot Shapleigh
Senator Leticia Van de Putte
The following member arrived after the roll was called:
Senator Frank Madla
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The chair called the meeting to order at 9:15 a.m. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted:
Chairman Lucio and members gave opening remarks.
El Paso County Judge Dolores Briones gave welcoming remarks and
testified on the interim charges.
El Paso County Commissioner Carlos Aguilar testified on the
implementation of Proposition 2 (Border Colonia Access Program).
Mr. Alberto Lopez, representing the University of Texas at El
Paso, gave welcoming remarks.
The first order of business was to approve the minutes from the
previous hearing held on February 5, 2002. Without objection,
the minutes were approved.
The chair recognized the following witnesses:
Commissioner Diane Rath, representing the Texas Workforce
Commission, testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Martin Aguirre, representing the Upper Rio Grande Workforce
Board, testified on the interim charges.
Dr. Richard Rhodes, representing El Paso Community College,
testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Don Bostic, representing El Paso Community College,
testified on the interim charges.
Dr. Arturo Alonzo, representing the Texas Engineering Extension
Service, testified on the interim charges.
Dr. Edward Cain, representing the Texas Engineering Extension
Service, testified on the interim charges.
Mayor Ray Caballero, representing the City of El Paso, gave
welcoming remarks and testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Jeff Moseley, representing the Texas Department of Economic
Development, testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Hector Holguin, representing e.holguingroup, LLC, testified
on the interim charges.
Ms. Cindy Ramos-Davidson, representing the El Paso Hispanic
Chamber of Commerce, testified on the interim charges.
Mr. David Macias, representing the Melek Corporation, testified
on the interim charges.
Mr. Tom Thomas, representing the Greater El Paso Chamber of
Commerce, testified on the interim charges.
Governor Albert Alvidrez, representing the Ysleta del Sur
Pueblo, testified on the interim charges.
Ms. Veronica Callaghan, representing the Border Trade Alliance,
testified on the interim charges.
Dr. Donald Michie, representing the El Paso Foreign Trade
Association, testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Michael Breitinger, representing the El Paso Central
Business Association, testified on the interim charges.
Dr. Dennis Soden, representing the Institute for Policy and
Economic Development at the University of Texas at El Paso,
testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Luis Garcia, representing the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service, testified on the interim charges.
Mr. David Longoria, representing the U.S. Customs Service,
testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Charles Berry, representing the Texas Department of
Transportation, testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Roy Gilyard, representing the El Paso Metropolitan Planning
Organization, testified on the interim charges.
Ms. Leticia Paez, representing the Kellogg Community
Partnership, testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Frank Apodaca, representing Access Health Source and Insure
El Paso, testified on the interim charges.
Dr. William McGee, representing the Border Health Institute,
testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Jose Manuel de la Rosa, representing Texas Tech University
Health Service Center, testified on the interim charges.
Dr. Juan Fitz, representing the El Paso County Medical Society,
testified on trauma care liability issues.
Father Ed Roden-Lucero, representing the El Paso Inter-Religious
Sponsoring Organization (EPISO), testified on the interim
charges.
Mr. Jose Rodriguez, with the El Paso County Attorney's Office,
testified on the interim charges.
Mr. Amadeo Saenz, representing the Texas Department of
Transportation, testified on the interim charges.
Mr. John Davenport, representing the Texas Building and
Procurement Commission, testified on the interim charges.
Following invited testimony, Chairman Lucio called for public
testimony, The following witnesses testified:
County Judge Jerry Agan, representing Presidio County and the
Texas Border Trade Coalition.
Mayor Oscar Martinez, representing the City of Marfa.
Mr. Guillermo Glenn, representing Border Workers.
Ms. Divia A. Lopez, representing el Comit Desplazados de V.F.
(Committee of the V.F. Displaced Workers).
Ms. Olga Rodriguez, representing el Comit Desplazados de V.F.
(Committee of the V.F. Displaced Workers).
Mr. Antonio Scandiffio, representing the Texas Workforce
Commission (in response to questions raised during public
testimony).
Ms. Carol Tures, representing El Pasoans Against the Death
Penalty.
Mr. Carl Starr, representing himself.
Dr. Elaine Barron, representing El Paso physicians and citizens.
There being no further business, at 7:05 p.m., Chairman Lucio
moved that the subcommittee stand recessed subject to the call
of the chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.
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Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., Chair
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Laura Garcia, Clerk