MINUTES 
                                           
                        SENATE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SENATE 
                               Thursday, May 13, 2004 
                                      10 a.m. 
                                   Senate Chamber 
                                           
                                       ***** 
         Pursuant to a notice posted in accordance with Senate Rule  
         11.18, a public hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole  
         Senate was held on Thursday, May 13, 2004, in the Senate Chamber  
         at Austin, Texas. 
          
                                       ***** 
                                           
         MEMBERS PRESENT:                        MEMBERS ABSENT: 
         Senator Kenneth Armbrister              John Carona 
         Senator Kip Averitt                     Juan Hinojosa 
         Senator Gonzalo Barrientos 
         Senator Kim Brimer 
         Senator Bob Deuell 
         Senator Robert Duncan 
         Senator Rodney Ellis 
         Senator Craig Estes 
         Senator Troy Fraser 
         Senator Mario Gallegos, Jr. 
         Senator Chris Harris 
         Senator Mike Jackson 
         Senator Kyle Janek 
         Senator Jon Lindsay 
         Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. 
         Senator Frank Madla 
         Senator Jane Nelson 
         Senator Steve Ogden 
         Senator Florence Shapiro 
         Senator Eliot Shapleigh 
         Senator Todd Staples 
         Senator Leticia Van de Putte 
         Senator Jeff Wentworth 
         Senator Royce West 
         Senator John Whitmire 
         Senator Tommy Williams 
         Senator Judith Zaffirini 
         Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst 
                                           
                                       ***** 
         Dean Whitmire called the meeting to order at 10:58 a.m.  There  
         being a quorum present, the following business was transacted. 
          
         Dean Whitmire opened the floor to public testimony. 
          
         The following persons registered and provided oral testimony: 
          
              Hal Porter, Cisco ISD, Cisco, Texas; 
              Steve Bresnen, Coalition to Revive Charitable Bingo,  
  
         Austin, Texas (written testimony                    submitted); 
              Donna Howard, Common Cause and Texas Education Crisis  
         Coalition, Austin, Texas; 
              Cyrus Reed, Texas Center for Policy Studies, Austin, Texas  
         (written testimony                                 submitted); 
              Paul Colbert, self and El Paso ISD, Houston, Texas (written  
         testimony submitted). 
          
         The following persons provided written testimony, but did not  
         testify: 
          
              Brock Gregg, Association of Texas Professional Educators,  
         Austin, Texas; 
              Bill Wolters, Texas Automobile Dealers Association, Austin,  
         Texas. 
          
         Dean Whitmire moved that the Committee of the Whole Senate stand  
         recessed until 3 p.m. 
          
         Dean Whitmire reconvened the Committee of the Whole Senate at  
         3:48 p.m. 
          
         Dean Whitmire recognized President Pro Tempore Jeff Wentworth at  
         3:48 p.m., who moved that the Committee of the Whole Senate rise  
         and report progress.  Without objection, it was so ordered. 
          
         _________________________________________ 
         Dean John Whitmire, Chair 
          
         __________________________________________ 
         Patsy Spaw, Secretary of the Senate