SEVENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE — THIRD CALLED SESSION
AUSTIN, TEXAS
PROCEEDINGS
THIRD DAY
(Wednesday, September 17, 2003)
The Senate met at 10:00 a.m. pursuant to adjournment and was called to order by the President.
The roll was called and the following Senators were present:iiArmbrister, Averitt, Barrientos, Bivins, Brimer, Carona, Deuell, Duncan, Ellis, Estes, Fraser, Gallegos, Harris, Hinojosa, Jackson, Janek, Lindsay, Lucio, Madla, Nelson, Ogden, Ratliff, Shapiro, Shapleigh, Staples, VanideiPutte, Wentworth, West, Whitmire, Williams, Zaffirini.
The President announced that a quorum of the Senate was present.
The Reverend Albert Laforet, Saint Mary's Cathedral, Austin, offered the invocation as follows:
God most high, our father in heaven, You are the source, the source of all love, truth, and justice. We come before You this day thanking You for all of Your good gifts to us. We ask You to bless the work of this Senate today. May all be filled with Your gifts so that all the citizens of Texas would benefit from their work. We ask You to bless all the people of Texas. In Your name we pray. Amen.
Senator Whitmire moved that the reading of the Journal of the proceedings of yesterday be dispensed with and the Journal be approved as printed.
The motion prevailed without objection.
MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE
HOUSE CHAMBER
Austin, Texas
September 17, 2003
The Honorable President of the Senate
Senate Chamber
Austin, Texas
Mr. President:
I am directed by the House to inform the Senate that the House has taken the following action:
THE HOUSE HAS PASSED THE FOLLOWING MEASURES:
HB 1, Relating to the dates of certain elections, the procedures for canvassing the ballots for an election, and the counting of certain ballots voted by mail.
HB 2, Relating to the construction, acquisition, financing, maintenance, management, operation, ownership, and control of transportation facilities and the progress, improvement, policing, and safety of transportation in the state; making appropriations.
HB 3, Relating to the composition of the districts for the election of members of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Texas.
HB 7, Relating to the reorganization of, efficiency in, and other reform measures applying to state government.
HB 23, Relating to appropriating the fees relating to the office of patient protection collected by certain licensing agencies for the Health Professions Council under Chapter 305 (House Bill No. 2985), Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003.
HB 24, Relating to appropriating the fees relating to the licensing and regulation of certain electricians collected by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation or the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation under House Bill No. 1487, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003.
HB 25, Relating to appropriating the fees collected by the Texas Animal Health Commission under House Bill No. 2328, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003.
HB 28, Relating to state fiscal management; making related appropriations.
HB 29, Relating to appropriating amounts received from the increase in the amount of lobby registration fees under Chapter 249, Acts of the 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003.
HB 35, Relating to the membership of the electric utility restructuring legislative oversight committee.
HB 36, Relating to compliance histories for and incentives to reward compliance performance by entities regulated by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
HB 37, Relating to contracts and grant programs related to the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan.
HCR 3, Honoring the members of the Irving Rat Pack.
HCR 4, Honoring BP Solvay Polyethylene North America as the 2003 Industry of the Year.
HCR 6, Designating Kilgore as the official Texas City of Stars.
HCR 9, Granting the legislature permission to adjourn for more than three days.
10 78th Legislature — Third Called Session 3rd Day
HCR 11, Urging U.S. Department of Homeland Security to designate a university-based center for homeland security in the State of Texas.
Respectfully,
/s/Robert Haney, Chief Clerk
House of Representatives
PHYSICIAN OF THE DAY
Senator Lucio was recognized and presented Dr. Barbara Estment of Corpus Christi as the Physician of the Day.
The Senate welcomed Dr. Estment and thanked her for her participation in the Physician of the Day program sponsored by the Texas Academy of Family Physicians.
GUESTS PRESENTED
Senator Averitt was recognized and introduced to the Senate fourth- and fifth-grade students from First Woodway Christian School in Woodway.
The Senate welcomed its guests.
HOUSE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS ON FIRST READING
The following bills and resolutions received from the House were read first time and referred to the committees indicated:
HB 1 to Committee on Jurisprudence.
HB 2 to Committee on Infrastructure Development and Security.
HB 3 to Committee on Jurisprudence.
HB 7 to Committee on Finance.
HB 23 to Committee on Finance.
HB 24 to Committee on Finance.
HB 25 to Committee on Finance.
HB 28 to Committee on Finance.
HB 29 to Committee on Finance.
HB 35 to Committee on Finance.
HB 36 to Committee on Finance.
HB 37 to Committee on Finance.
HCR 3 to Committee on Administration.
HCR 4 to Committee on Administration.
HCR 6 to Committee on Administration.
HCR 11 to Committee on Infrastructure Development and Security.
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 9
On motion of Senator Whitmire and by unanimous consent, all necessary rules were suspended to take up for consideration HCR 9 at this time.
Wednesday, September 17, 2003 SENATE JOURNAL 11
The President laid before the Senate the following resolution:
HCR 9, Granting the legislature permission to adjourn for more than three days.
The resolution was read.
On motion of Senator Whitmire and by unanimous consent, the resolution was considered immediately and was adopted without objection.
RESOLUTIONS OF RECOGNITION
The following resolutions were adopted by the Senate:
Memorial Resolution
SR 18 by Hinojosa, In memory of William Kelley Looney of Edinburg.
Congratulatory Resolutions
SR 16 by West, Commending James T. Bailey for his service to the National Panhellenic Council, Incorporated.
SR 17 by Ogden, Congratulating Central Baptist Church in College Station on the dedication of its new worship center.
SR 19 by Nelson, Commending the Denton Record-Chronicle for its contributions to its community.
SR 20 by Ellis, Recognizing the dedication of Normandy Crossing Elementary School in Galena Park.
ADJOURNMENT
On motion of Senator Whitmire, the Senate at 10:46 a.m. adjourned until 11:00ia.m. tomorrow.
12 78th Legislature — Third Called Session 3rd Day