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