MINUTES
SENATE COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS
Tuesday, February 27, 2001
1:30 p.m. or upon adjournment
Capitol Extension, Room E1.016
*****
Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule
11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Nominations
was held on Tuesday, February 27, 2001, in the Capitol
Extension, Room E1.016, at Austin, Texas.
*****
MEMBERS PRESENT: MEMBERS ABSENT:
Senator Jane Nelson None
Senator Leticia Van de Putte
Senator Gonzalo Barrientos
Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr.
Senator Tom Haywood
Senator Jon Lindsay
Senator Jeff Wentworth
*****
The chair called the meeting to order at 1:36 p.m. There being
a quorum present, the following business was transacted.
The following members arrived after the roll was called:
Senator Gallegos
Senator Wentworth
Senator Van de Putte
Senator Barrientos moved that the minutes from the previous
meeting be approved. There being no objection, the minutes were
adopted.
The Chair announced that the committee would consider the
nomination of Henry Cuellar at the hearing on March 6, 2001
instead of this hearing as listed on the agenda.
The Chair laid out the nominees to the Teacher Retirement
System, Board of Trustees.
The Chair recognized Senator Shapiro to introduce Linus D.
Wright.
The Chair introduced Terence S. Ellis and Mary A. Baker.
Mary A. Baker and Linus D. Wright made opening remarks.
The Chair recognized Senator Bernsen to speak on behalf of Mary
A. Baker.
Terrence S. Ellis made opening remarks.
The nominees responded to questions by the members of the
Committee.
The Chair announced that the consideration of these nominations
would be left pending the arrival of a quorum.
The Chair laid out the nominee to the Texas Commission on Human
Rights.
The Chair recognized Senator Lindsay to introduce Mary E. Banks.
The nominee made remarks and then responded to questions by the
members of the Committee.
At 2:24 p.m., Senator Lindsay moved to recommend to the full
Senate that Mary E. Banks be confirmed to the Texas Commission
on Human Rights.
Senator Gallegos seconded the motion.
The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes and 0 nays. Senators
Haywood, Wentworth, and Van de Putte asked to be shown as voting
aye. Without objection, the motion carried.
The Chair laid out the nominees to the Emergency Services
Personnel Retirement Fund.
The Chair recognized Senator Armbrister to introduce Allen J.
Scopel.
Senator Lindsay moved that the appearance of Maxie L. Patterson
be waived due to an emergency. Without objection, the motion
carried.
The Chair recognized Senator Barrientos to introduce Francisco
R. Torres.
The Chair introduced Robert Weiss.
Senator Wentworth moved that he be shown voting with the Chair
on all the nominees being considered by the committee. Without
objection, the motion carried.
The nominees made opening statements and then responded to
questions by Senator Gallegos.
The Chair recognized Senator Ogden to speak on behalf of Robert
Weiss and ask questions.
At 2:50 p.m., Senator Lindsay moved to recommend to the full
Senate that the nominees to the Emergency Services Personnel
Retirement Fund be confirmed.
The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes and 0 nays. Senators
Haywood, Wentworth, and Van de Putte asked to be shown voting
aye. Without objection, the motion carried.
At 2:51 p.m., Senator Gallegos moved to recommend to the full
Senate that the nominees to the Teacher Retirement System, Board
of Trustees be confirmed.
The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes and 0 nays. Senators
Haywood, Wentworth, and Van de Putte asked to be shown voting
aye. Without objection, the motion carried.
The Chair laid out the nominee for Fire Fighters' Pension
Commissioner.
The Chair recognized Senator Staples to introduce Morris E.
Sandefer.
The nominee made an opening statement and then responded to
questions by Senator Gallegos.
At 2:59 p.m., Senator Gallegos moved to recommend to the full
Senate that the nominee to the Fire Fighters' Pension
Commissioner be confirmed.
Senator Van de Putte seconded the motion.
The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes and 0 nays. Senators
Haywood and Wentworth asked to be shown voting aye. Without
objection, the motion carried.
The Chair laid out the nominee to the Employees Retirement
System, Board of Trustees.
The Chair recognized Senator Barrientos to introduce Carolyn
Gallagher.
The nominee made an opening statement and then responded to
questions by the Committee members.
At 3:12 p.m., Senator Barrientos moved to recommend to the full
Senate that the nominee to the Employees Retirement System,
Board of Trustees be confirmed.
The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes and 0 nays. Senators
Haywood and Wentworth asked to be voting aye. Without
objection, the motion carried.
The Chair laid out the nominee to the Telecommunications
Infrastructure Fund Board and introduced Mart D. Nelson.
The nominee made an opening statement and then responded to
questions by the Committee members.
At 3:23 p.m., Senator Van de Putte moved to recommend to the
full Senate that the nominee to the Telecommunications
Infrastructure Fund Board be confirmed.
Senator Lindsay seconded the motion.
The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes and 0 nays. Senators
Haywood and Barrientos asked to be voting aye. Without
objection, the motion carried.
The Chair laid out the nominees to the Texas State Board of
Pharmacy.
The Chair recognized Senator Shapleigh to introduce Rosemary F.
Combs.
The Chair introduced Roger W. Anderson and Oren M. Peacock, Jr.
The nominees made opening statements then responded to questions
by the Committee members.
The Chair announced that the vote on this board would be delayed
until next week. The nominations of Rosemary F. Combs, Roger W.
Anderson, and Oren M. Peacock, Jr., nominees to the Texas State
Board of Pharmacy were left pending.
The Chair laid out the nominees with waived appearances and
announced that a request had been made to leave the Texas State
Board of Examiners of Psychologists pending and scheduled for a
future hearing.
Senator Van de Putte requested that the Texas State Examiners in
the Fitting and Dispensing of Hearing Instruments and the State
Commission on Speech Language Pathology and Audiology be
stricken from the list of boards with waived appearances and
requested those boards appear before the Committee in the
future. There was no objection.
At 3:38 p.m., Senator Van de Putte moved, with the exception of
the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, Texas State
Examiners in the Fitting and Dispensing of Hearing Instruments,
and State Commission on Speech Language Pathology and Audiology,
which were left pending, that the nominees to boards with waived
appearances be recommended to the full Senate for confirmation
to their respective boards as listed on the attached agenda.
Senator Wentworth seconded the motion.
The motion carried with a vote of 7 ayes and 0 nays. Senators
Barrientos, Haywood, and Lindsay asked to be voting aye.
Without objection, the motion carried.
There being no further business, at 3:39 p.m. Senator Wentworth
moved that the Committee stand recessed subject to the call of
the chair. Without objection, it was so ordered.
______________________
Senator Jane Nelson, Chair
______________________
Cheri Huddleston, Clerk