MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING
Wednesday, April 11, 2001
1:30 p.m. or upon adjournment
Senate Chamber
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate
Rule 11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on
Redistricting was held on Wednesday, April 11, 2001, in
the Senate Chamber at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Jeff Wentworth Senator Kenneth
Armbrister
Senator Mike Jackson
Senator David Cain
Senator Robert Duncan
Senator Rodney Ellis
Senator Florence Shapiro
Senator Judith Zaffirini
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The chair called the meeting to order at 1:34 p.m.
There being a quorum present, the following business
was transacted:
The following members arrived after the roll call was
called:
Senator Duncan
Senator Zaffirini moved to adopt the committee minutes
from the previous hearing on Thursday, April 5, 2001.
The motion was seconded by Senator Jackson. There
being no objection, the minutes were adopted.
The chair announced that maps of his working senate
district plan were available at the hearing for
senators and media. The chair provided an analysis of
the working plan, comparing his plan to the current
plan. The chair explained that in his plan, no
senators are paired, every senator lives in his or her
own district, each district population falls within the
allowable population deviation, districts are more
compact, each district is contiguous, no voter
tabulation districts are split, and only ten counties
are split. The chair stated that, according to his
committee legal staff, his plan complies with all
applicable statutory and constitutional guidelines.
Senator Jackson assumed the chair, laid out SJR 35, and
recognized Senator Wentworth to explain the bill.
Senator Wentworth sent up a committee substitute and
explained the difference between the committee
substitute and the bill as filed. Public testimony was
taken on the bill as substituted, and committee members
questioned witnesses. The chair closed public
testimony on the bill. Senator Wentworth moved
adoption of the committee substitute. The motion was
seconded by Senator Shapiro. Without objection, the
motion was adopted. Senator Wentworth moved CSSJR 35
be passed, printed, and reported favorably as
substituted to the Senate. The motion carried with a
record vote of 5 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting, and
1 absent. Senator Ellis was not present when the vote
was taken, but he asked to be shown in favor of the
vote. Without objection, the motion passed.
Senator Wentworth assumed the chair.
Invited testimony on demographic growth patterns was
provided by Dr. Steve Murdock, Chief Demographer for
the Texas State Data Center, and committee members
asked questions.
A briefing on the status of pending lawsuits was
provided by committee staff counsels Jonathan Snare and
Michael Hemer. Committee members asked questions.
Public testimony was taken, and witnesses were
questioned.
The chair laid out HB 1754 and recognized Senator
Zaffirini, on behalf of Senator Van de Putte, to
explain the bill. The chair recognized Ray Garcia,
Executive Director of the Texas Association of
Community Colleges, as a resource witness. No
questions were asked of Mr. Garcia. Senator Wentworth
stated that HB 1754 would be left pending due to a lack
of a quorum.
The chair announced the Senate Committee on
Redistricting would meet on Wednesday, April 18, 2001
at 1:30 p.m. or upon adjournment to hear testimony on
his working plan. At the request of Senator Zaffirini,
the chair discussed the process of making changes to
his working plan. The chair stated public testimony at
the next meeting would be open to all persons and could
involve his plan or any other redistricting topic.
There being no further business, at 2:41 p.m., Senator
Duncan moved the committee stand in recess, subject to
the call of the chair. Without objection, the
committee recessed.
____________________________
Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chair
____________________________
Erica Sadlon, Clerk