MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING
Monday, May 7, 2001
9:00 a.m.
Betty King Committee Room
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on
Redistricting was held on Monday, May 7, 2001, in the Betty
King Committee Room in the Capitol at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Jeff Wentworth None
Senator Mike Jackson
Senator Kenneth Armbrister
Senator David Cain
Senator Robert Duncan
Senator Rodney Ellis
Senator Florence Shapiro
Senator Judith Zaffirini
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 9:17 a.m. There
being a quorum present, the following business was
transacted:
The following members arrived after the roll was called:
Senator Duncan
Senator Zaffirini moved to adopt the committee minutes from
the previous hearing on Friday, May 4, 2001. There being
no objection, the minutes were adopted.
At 9:18 a.m. Senator Jackson assumed the chair.
The chair laid out CSSB 499. Senator Shapiro sent up and
explained her committee amendment identified as PLAN 01040S
on the Texas Legislative Council's REDAPPL system. The
amendment changed Senate districts in Dallas and Denton
Counties: Districts 8, 9, 16, 23, and 30. Committee
members and Senator West questioned Senator Shapiro about
her amendment. Senator Cain voiced his opposition to the
amendment. The committee amendment was left as pending
committee business.
The chair recognized Senator Wentworth to send up a
committee amendment identified as PLAN 01037S on the Texas
Legislative Council's REDAPPL system. The amendment
changed three Senate districts in Bexar County: District
19, District 25, and District 26. Committee members and
Senator Fraser questioned Senator Wentworth. Senator
Wentworth's amendment was left as pending committee
business.
The chair recognized Senator Zaffirini to send up a
committee amendment. Senator Zaffirini discussed a
proposed committee amendment identified as ZAFF 01038S.
The amendment changed Senate Districts 18, 19, 21, 25, 26,
and 29. She also discussed an alternative proposed
amendment, identified as ZAFF 01043S, which changed Senate
Districts 18,19, 21, 25, 26, and 29. Senator Zaffirini
decided to modify her plan identified as ZAFF 01043S and
send it to the Texas Legislative Council for preparation as
a committee amendment.
Senator Wentworth moved the committee recess until 30
minutes after adjournment in the Betty King Committee Room.
There being no objection, the motion passed and the
committee recessed.
At 4:09 p.m., the committee reconvened.
The chair announced that the committee would stand in
recess until 5:00 p.m. because Texas Legislative Council
was still preparing Senator Zaffirini's amendment.
At 4:10 p.m., the committee recessed.
At 5:12 p.m. the committee reconvened.
Senator Jackson assumed the chair once again.
Senator Wentworth announced committee amendments identified
as PLAN 01034S and PLAN 01037S would be left pending in
committee because Senator Zaffirini had a new committee
amendment that incorporated the changes made in those
plans.
Senator Shapiro moved adoption of her amendment identified
as PLAN 01040S on the Texas Legislative Council's REDAPPL
system. The chair recognized Senator Shapiro to explain
her committee amendment and state which senators affected
by her committee amendment support her committee amendment.
The motion carried with a record vote of 8 ayes, 0 nay, 0
present not voting, and 0 absent.
Senator Armbrister moved adoption of his amendment
identified as PLAN 01032S on the Texas Legislative
Council's REDAPPL system. The chair recognized Senator
Armbrister to explain his committee amendment. The motion
carried with a record vote of 8 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not
voting, and 0 absent.
The chair recognized Senator Zaffirini to explain her new
committee amendment, identified as PLAN 01046S on the Texas
Legislative Council's REDAPPL system. Senator Armbrister
asked for an explanation of the plan numbering process.
Donna Kay McKinney, Director of the Senate Committee on
Redistricting, and Karen White, Assistant Director of
Research for the Texas Legislative Council, explained the
Texas Legislative Council's process of numbering plans and
amendments. Senator Zaffirini's amendment changed Senate
Districts in Frio, El Paso, and Bexar Counties: Districts
19, 21, 25, 26, and 29. Senator Zaffirini stated that all
senators affected by her committee amendment supported her
committee amendment. Senator Zaffirini moved adoption of
her new amendment. Senator Zaffirini's motion carried
with a record vote of 8 ayes, 0 nay, 0 present not voting,
and 0 absent.
The chair recognized Senator Lucio, who expressed his
opposition to Senator Zaffirini's amendment.
Senator Wentworth moved that the Senate Redistricting
Committee adopt the working plan identified as PLAN 01028S
on the Texas Legislative Council's REDAPPL system as
modified by the amendments adopted during the May 7, 2001,
meeting and roll the amendments into the Committee
Substitute for Senate Bill 499. The changes to senate
districts would take effect for the election of members to
the Senate starting with the 78th Legislative Session. The
motion carried with a record vote of 7 ayes, 1 nay, 0
present not voting, and 0 absent.
Senator Wentworth moved that the staff be instructed to
produce bill text and make technical corrections that
reflect the committee substitute and the redistricting map
that the committee had just adopted. There being no
objection, the motion passed.
Senator Wentworth moved that the Committee Substitute for
Senate Bill 499 be passed, printed, and reported favorably
as amended to the Senate. The motion carried with a record
vote of 7 ayes, 1 nay, 0 present not voting, and 0 absent.
At 5:33 p.m. Senator Wentworth resumed the chair.
Senator Wentworth announced that the Senate Committee on
Redistricting would meet again on Wednesday, May 9, 2001,
in the Senate Chamber at 1:30 p.m. or upon adjournment. He
also announced the Lt. Governor would call a meeting of the
Committee of the Whole Senate on the same day at an
undetermined time.
Senator Zaffirini asked what the chair's plans were for
consideration of new Congressional district lines. The
chair announced that bills affecting Congressional and
State Board of Education district lines were on the agenda
for the May 9, 2001, meeting. He informed the committee
that Senator Armbrister, private citizens, and committee
staff have been working on plans. Senator Shapiro asked
about the time frame for passing the bills. Senator
Wentworth confirmed that the bills dealing with
Congressional and State Board of Education district lines
would need to be passed out by the committee by Friday, May
11, 2001 to avoid a special session.
Senator Ellis thanked the chair for his committee
leadership.
There being no further business, at 5:36 p.m. Senator
Jackson moved that the committee stand recessed subject to
the call of the chair. Without objection, the committee
recessed.
____________________________
Senator Jeff Wentworth, Chair
____________________________
Erica Sadlon, Clerk