Forty-Ninth Day
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Thursday, April 5, 2001SENATE JOURNAL 1061 FORTY-NINTH DAY THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2001 PROCEEDINGS The Senate met at 10:00 a.m. pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by Senator Harris. The roll was called and the following Senators were present: Armbrister, Bernsen, Bivins, Brown, Cain, Carona, Duncan, Fraser, Gallegos, Harris, Haywood, Jackson, Lindsay, Lucio, Moncrief, Nelson, Ogden, Shapiro, Shapleigh, Sibley, Staples, Truan, Van de Putte, Wentworth, West, Whitmire, Zaffirini. Absent-excused: Barrientos, Ellis, Madla, Mr. President. The Presiding Officer announced that a quorum of the Senate was present. The Reverend William F. Sipes, North Mesquite Assembly of God, Mesquite, offered the invocation as follows: Almighty God, as we come before You on this day we ask Your wisdom and guidance for all those assembled here in these chambers, wisdom to know what is best under God for the citizens of this great state, guidance to have courage to defend the moral principles upon which this great nation was founded. May every decision be given long and serious thought without caving in to special interests to try to buy their vote and thereby the rights of the people be violated. May the heart and mind of each one who serves this assembly be clear in their conscience at the close of this day and every day, that they have followed godly principles. We ask this all in the name of God in whom we must trust. Amen. On motion of Senator Truan and by unanimous consent, the reading of the Journal of the proceedings of yesterday was dispensed with and the Journal was approved. LEAVES OF ABSENCE On motion of Senator Truan, Senator Barrientos was granted leave of absence for today on account of illness. On motion of Senator Cain, Senator Ellis was granted leave of absence for today on account of important business. On motion of Senator Lucio, Senator Madla was granted leave of absence for today on account of important business. On motion of Senator Cain, President Ratliff was granted leave of absence for today on account of important business. 1062 77th Legislature — Regular Session 49th Day CO-AUTHOR OF SENATE BILL 372 On motion of Senator Barrientos and by unanimous consent, Senator Duncan will be shown as Co-author of SB 372. CO-AUTHOR OF SENATE BILL 1782 On motion of Senator Shapiro and by unanimous consent, Senator Nelson will be shown as Co-author of SB 1782. PERMISSION TO INTRODUCE BILL Senator Truan moved to suspend Senate Rule 7.07(b) and Section 5, Article III of the Texas Constitution to permit the introduction of the following bill: SB 1793. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 0. Absent-excused: Barrientos, Ellis, Madla, Mr. President. HOUSE BILL ON FIRST READING The following bill received from the House was read first time and referred to the committee indicated: HB 906 to Committee on Natural Resources. MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR The following Message from the Governor was read and was referred to the Committee on Nominations: Austin, Texas April 4, 2001 TO THE SENATE OF THE SEVENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, REGULAR SESSION: I ask the advice, consent and confirmation of the Senate with respect to the following appointments: TO BE MEMBERS OF THE TEXAS BOARD OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE for terms to expire February 1, 2007: Adrian A. Arriaga 116 Bluebird McAllen, Texas 78504 (replacing John David Franz of McAllen whose term expired) Christina Melton Crain 6220 Orchid Lane Dallas, Texas 75230 (replacing Carole Young of Dallas whose term expired) Pierce Miller 5807 Pecan Valley Lane San Angelo, Texas 76904 (Mr. Miller is being reappointed) Respectfully submitted, /s/Rick Perry Governor Thursday, April 5, 2001SENATE JOURNAL 1063 SENATE RESOLUTION 643 Senator Wentworth offered the following resolution: WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to recognize the citizens of San Antonio on the grand occasion of Fiesta San Antonio, which takes place April 20-April 29, 2001; and WHEREAS, Managed by the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, Fiesta is a 10-day celebration of our state's heritage and of the culture of San Antonio; the celebration entails more than 150 events organized by over 90 nonprofit organizations; approximately 75,000 volunteers participate in sponsoring Fiesta's vast array of activities; and WHEREAS, The annual Fiesta tradition began in 1891 when a parade to honor the heroes of the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto was organized by a group of San Antonio women; entitled the Battle of Flowers Parade, the event later blossomed into a major yearly festival; and WHEREAS, Today, the Battle of Flowers Parade continues to be a major Fiesta highlight, along with other popular traditions that have developed over the years, such as the Fiesta Flambeau Parade, the largest illuminated parade in the country, and the Texas Cavaliers' River Parade; and WHEREAS, Other entertainment includes A Night in Old San Antonio, a four-day celebration that takes place in the restored 17th-century quarter known as La Villita; the celebration recreates the dress, food, and music of the early days of San Antonio and is sponsored by the San Antonio Conservation Society; and WHEREAS, Fiesta offers music concerts, sports tournaments, historic neighborhood tours, and attractions such as the Fiesta River Art Show, Fiesta San Fernando, and the Mission San Jose Spring Fiesta; this year's Fiesta opens with an all-day conference at San Antonio College entitled "The Ethnic Community in History"; and WHEREAS, Fiesta is a treasured San Antonio tradition that emphasizes the culture and history of the city and brings its citizens together in a festive community spirit; many of its sensational events benefit charities, and the entire 10-day celebration is a source of pride and enjoyment to San Antonians and Texans across the state; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 77th Legislature, hereby commend the sponsors and organizers of Fiesta San Antonio on their hard work and generous spirit and extend best wishes to all for a highly successful festival in 2001. WENTWORTH MADLA VAN DE PUTTE ZAFFIRINI The resolution was read. On motion of Senator Truan and by unanimous consent, the names of the Lieutenant Governor and Senators were added to the resolution as signers thereof. On motion of Senator Wentworth, the resolution was adopted by a viva voce vote. 1064 77th Legislature — Regular Session 49th Day GUESTS PRESENTED Senator Wentworth, joined by Senators Van de Putte and Zaffirini, was recognized and introduced to the Senate Robert Reed, President-elect of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, and his wife, Susan; Pat Lee, Executive Director of the Fiesta San Antonio Commission, and her husband, Jimmy; Irma Flores; and Megan Augustine; accompanied by a delegation of citizens from the City of San Antonio. The Senate welcomed its guests. (Senator Brown in Chair) SENATE RESOLUTION 667 Senator Sibley offered the following resolution: WHEREAS, Billy Hamilton, Deputy Comptroller of Public Accounts, has had a long and distinguished career that has spanned three decades and three Texas Comptrollers: Bob Bullock, John Sharp, and Carole Keeton Rylander; and WHEREAS, Billy has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills as Deputy Comptroller for over nine years, during which he was given the Administrator of the Year Award by the Texas State Agency Business Administrators Association; he has also served as Executive Director for the Select Committee on Tax Equity and as Chief Revenue Estimator of Texas; and he survived the tax reform session of the 75th Legislature!; and WHEREAS, Billy organized and managed the nationally recognized Texas Performance Reviews of 1991, 1993, 1994, and 1996, identifying a combined total of more than $11.5 billion in potential savings, along with numerous improvements in the performance and services of state government; and WHEREAS, Billy designed, planned, and directed the Texas Information Technology (IT) Academy, a collaborative effort between state government agencies and the private sector to help the state recruit, train, and retain IT workers, while also expanding the private IT labor pool in Texas; and WHEREAS, Billy created the Agency's Renaissance Project: Rethinking the Way We Do Business, invoking a new period of employee creativity, inventiveness, and innovation to improve service to the citizens of Texas, which was expanded to include the annual Idea Fair; and WHEREAS, Billy is recognized for his expertise in tax administration and financial management; Billy is a past president and current board member of the National Tax Association and the National Federation of Tax Administrators; Billy was the first recipient of the Bob Bullock Award for Public Stewardship presented by the Government Technology Conference; and WHEREAS, A native of McGregor, Texas, Billy is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with highest honors and the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs; he was recognized as the first recipient of the L.B.J. School's Distinguished Alumni Award; and WHEREAS, Billy and his wife, Chris, have raised three outstanding children: Kelly, Michael, and Mark; and WHEREAS, Referencing Billy's contributions to the State of Texas is reminiscent of an analogy he sometimes uses: "It's like eating potato chips (or Krispy Kreme Doughnuts): Once you start, it's hard to stop."; now, therefore, be it Thursday, April 5, 2001SENATE JOURNAL 1065 RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 77th Legislature, hereby extend best wishes to Billy Hamilton on the grand occasion of his 50th birthday on April 7, 2001; and, be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for Billy as a token of high regard from the Texas Senate. The resolution was read. On motion of Senator Truan and by unanimous consent, the names of the Lieutenant Governor and Senators were added to the resolution as signers thereof.