Special session agenda already muddled
New biz tax eyedLegislators will consider a new business tax during the  special session. Click here to read about the proposal being pushed by former Texas comptroller John Sharp.
So what exactly will state lawmakers do when they return to the Capitol on April 17 for a special legislative session? It depends on which state leader is asked.
Gov. Rick Perry said legislators must stay focused solely on tax reform to meet a Texas Supreme Court order to fix school financing before he'll put anything else on the 30-day session agenda. But Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst insisted that both tax and education-improvement proposals must be addressed at the same time, regardless of whether or not Perry gives his blessing. He said the Senate, which he leads, will approve legislation "to improve public education" and send it to the House whether or not Perry puts the issue on the agenda.The Senate's push to improve education will likely entail, among other things, hotly contested financial matters such as teacher salaries. House Speaker Tom Craddick reportedly told teachers and business leaders in Houston yesterday that he would like to see additional money for teachers coming out of the upcoming special session.
Lawmakers face a June 1 deadline to overhaul the state's school property tax system or face a possible shutdown of Texas schools. The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the current system amounts to a statewide property tax, which violates the Texas Constitution.
TEA: All federal hurricane funds going to schools
All federal impact aid sent to Texas to help cover the cost of educating Hurricane Katrina evacuees will be promptly sent to affected school districts and charter schools, Commissioner of Education Shirley J. Neeley announced Thursday. Last month, when there had been some hope that the federal funding would more fully cover costs, the Texas Education Agency had announced that it would retain about half of the hurricane impact aid in order to repay state expenses.
"Our schools have acted in good faith by taking in about 46,000 evacuees. They shouldn't be penalized financially for this act of kindness. We appreciate every dollar the federal government is sending to us to help cover the cost of educating hurricane evacuees, but it is clear that the federal funds appropriated so far will fall short of covering all costs incurred by local districts and the state," Neeley said. "Consequently, I believe the right thing to do is to flow all the federal impact aid funds to the schools who are dealing directly with the children and we are going to do that. We hope Congress will consider appropriating additional federal funding so that the state too can be made whole financially."
State to solidify process for hurricane evacuations
Six months after Hurricane Rita prompted a massive and messy coastal evacuation, Gov. Rick Perry issued an executive order Tuesday requiring state officials to develop more detailed hurricane evacuation plans. The executive order includes most of the recommendations made recently by a task force Perry charged with figuring out what went wrong in September and how to handle evacuations more efficiently.
The governor ordered that the state come up with a plan for opening major highways to one-way outbound traffic as storms bear down on the Texas coast, and also called on the Texas Department of Transportation to find a way to provide fuel for evacuees. Additionally, the order directs the state's emergency management division to create a computer database of people with special needs so officials will know who needs help evacuating and where they live. The division also must work with school districts and universities to find buses to use in evacuations.
The order does not include the evacuation panel's top suggestion: That the governor be put in charge of ordering hurricane evacuations. To do that, the Legislature would have to change a state law that leaves evacuation decisions up to county judges. Some city and county officials along the coast said they don't want the law changed because local officials, not leaders in Austin or Washington, can better respond to major weather threats.
[Editor's note: Be sure to check out the "Calendar of Events" at the bottom of this issue to learn about an upcoming hurricane conference.]
Trans-Texas Corridor likely to be built east of Metroplex
The Trans-Texas Corridor would be more profitable and traveled in North Texas if it were built to the east of Interstate 35, a project official told a state committee this week. In the next few weeks, state officials are expected to unveil a map outlining a 10-mile-wide study area, stretching from the Red River to the Rio Grande, where the Trans-Texas Corridor could be located.
Project developer Cintra-Zachry told the Trans-Texas Corridor Advisory Committee that initial traffic and toll revenue predictions show that an eastern route has the greatest potential. An easterly route - which could go as far east as North Texas towns Kaufman and Terrell - could begin construction by 2010, while a route west of Fort Worth as far as Weatherford might not be needed until 2025 or later, according to Cintra's preliminary plans. The state has been reviewing 180 variations of the corridor route for months. Officials expect to make a final decision on the route by summer 2007, but its location could change noticeably after public hearings this summer. In April, the Texas Department of Transportation will begin requesting concept proposals from private businesses that would like to build the project.
A&M will compete for $450M defense facility
Texas A&M University announced this week that it plans to compete for a national research facility that would study diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans. University President Robert Gates (pictured) and other high-ranking A&M officials recently held two public forums to announce the university's plans to seek a $450 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security that would be used to build a 500,000-square-foot National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility on 30 acres in College Station. Garry Adams, who is coordinating the project, said A&M wants to locate the site within a 110-acre area near Research Park at the corner of Harvey Mitchell Parkway South and Raymond Stotzer Parkway.
The center would study emerging diseases of both humans and animals - developing early-detection systems, vaccines and other ways to prevent either natural or terror-related spread of those pathogens. The facility would have the capability to handle diseases and pathogens at the highest biosafety levels - BSL 3 and 4. A&M's team will compete with numerous other teams, some of which have been announced and others are expected to announce soon. Competition for this facility is expected to be significant.
DOT seeks funding requests from small businesses
Companies are now able to compete for close to $1 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for development of research and technology solutions to transportation challenges facing the nation, U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta (pictured) announced this week. Past grant winners have developed, among other things, innovative technologies including safer emergency exit windows for rail passenger cars, devices used by highway maintenance departments to measure pavement strength and resiliance, and an automated system to reduce congestion and manage access on America's highways.
"Although small businesses are a frequent source of technological innovation, many lack the necessary funding to support their research," Mineta said. "We are looking for small businesses and entrepreneurs across the country who will provide the next transportation technology breakthrough."
A&M will open S. Texas pharmacy school
A South Texas pharmacy school that has sat empty for a year because of state spending disputes will open next fall, the chairman of the state House Appropriations Committee said. Rep. Jim Pitts (pictured) of Waxahachie said Texas A&M University officials agreed to place the school - which is located at the Texas A&M campus in Kingsville - under its health science center. That frees up about $5 million in funding that was not available for the school as a stand-alone program. The Irma Lerma Rangel College of Pharmacy is one of the first professional schools for the fast-growing Texas-Mexico border region.
Shapleigh asks Perry for med school funding
State Sen. Eliot Shapleigh of El Paso this week asked Gov. Rick Perry to take the lead in securing money for Texas Tech faculty at the medical school in El Paso. "Texas Tech Medical School has been forced to consider postponing its August 2008 entering class as it waits for your leadership," Shapleigh wrote in the letter to Perry.
He asked the governor to add the $38.5 million Texas Tech University needs to hire faculty to the agenda for the 30-day legislative session scheduled to start April 17, but Perry recently said that he would not take up any other issues until all tax reform and school finance issues are resolved, and many question whether that will be accomplished during the upcoming special session, which begins April 17.
Brownsville touts state aid as bond election nears
As part of his message to voters, Brownsville Independent School District Superintendent Michael Zolkoski said the state may pay 75 percent of the costs associated with a $135 million bond proposal on the May 13 bond election. Zolkoski said that Brownsville is a "property poor district" so it can take advantage of state funding from the Instructional Facilities Allotment, which is provided by the Texas Legislature. The practice is commonly called Robin Hood because rich districts ultimately send money to poorer districts. Under the formula, Zolkoski said taxpayers in his district would only have to pay 25 cents for every dollar approved in the bond election.
Brownsville's bond proposal contains four separate propositions, including $30 million for two new elementary schools; $25 million for a new middle school; $50 million for a new high school and $30 million for renovations and additional facilities.
DIR seeks input from agency IT professionals
The Texas Department of Information Resources is soliciting participation in a one-time focus group for state agency IT professionals to provide input into DIR Instructions for Agency IRSPs. This focus group will be held on April 5 at the William P. Clements State Office Building in Austin. Space is limited to 18 participants. If you are interested in participating, please register online.
Harris County jails overflowing with juveniles
Crowding in Harris County's juvenile detention facilities is forcing Houston authorities to release youths before they have completed their sentences or counseling for such issues as anger management. The average sentence in a secure facility is four months, but youths are being released after two and a half to three months. The juvenile probation department has faced crowding in its facilities for years. Possible solutions include building a facility solely for girls and a new, larger facility on West Dallas near Shepherd. The opening of a new Juvenile Justice Center downtown next month will not reduce crowding unless the current West Dallas facility remains open while its replacement is built next to it, officials said.
San Antonio's chance to be a major league city growing
Within weeks after Bexar County took a bold step to lure Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins to San Antonio - offering to put up $200 million toward an estimated $300 million ballpark if voters approve extending a tax on hotel and car rentals - the prospect of that happening is getting better by the day. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan (pictured) recently endorsed Bexar County's efforts to hook the Marlins and said he might invest in them if they do move. San Antonio billionaire and sports magnate Red McCombs said he might become a minority investor, too, and a new survey shows that 72 percent of San Antonio residents that responded want a big league team.
Goolsby takes aim at unpaid parking fines
Government officials could withhold vehicle registration stickers from motorists with unpaid parking tickets, under a bill state Rep. Tony Goolsby of Dallas says he will file next year. Although a similar bill he filed in 1999 never mustered much support, Goolsby said a Dallas Morning News report last month, which revealed that companies and private motorists owed Dallas City Hall more than $40 million in outstanding parking tickets, will spark interest in his proposal.
USDA offers help to ranchers affected by wildfires
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas announced this week that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has established Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) guidelines which will bring critical assistance to livestock producers in the Texas Panhandle. These guidelines will help cattle producers in 27 North Texas counties and six Oklahoma counties by allowing producers to remove dry grass in, and move cattle to, CRP acreage to address the wildfire effects. CRP participants in the Texas and Oklahoma counties will be able to voluntarily remove excess dry grass cover on CRP-enrolled land to reduce fire potential. In addition, many livestock producers in affected counties which are CRP participants will be granted permission to move cattle to CRP land for the next 60 days on a case-by-case basis, while they begin repairing fences. The USDA will not penalize participating producers for the value of removed forage.
FEMA sends another $40M to Houston
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved the latest installment of funding to reimburse Houston for housing Hurricane Katrina victims, about $40 million, federal authorities announced Thursday. This latest grant brings the total reimbursement from FEMA to Houston for housing needs to $183 million to date, according to a press release from the office of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who along with U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, announced the grant.
NGAT converging in Austin
The 47th annual National Guard Association of Texas (NGAT) Conference begins today and ends Sunday at the Renaissance Hotel in North Austin. In addition to serious business sessions, the conference offers other events, including a golf tournament free to Soldiers and Airmen returning from overseas deployments, a fun run and walk, a skeet and trap tournament, and a bowling tournament. NGAT was founded in 1959 as the professional organization for members and retirees of the Texas National Guard.
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Projects in the pipeline
By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
SPI's Research Division is constantly scouring the state for business opportunities in the public sector and uncovers dozens every day. Click here for this week's hot opportunities.
England appointed to committees
Speaker Tom Craddick this week announced the appointment of Rep. Kirk England of Grand Prairie to the Corrections Committee and the County Affairs Committee. England was recently voted state representative in a special election for House District 106 in Dallas County.
Dallas suburb eyes five candidates for manager
Flower Mound officials have released the names of five applicants for the town manager job. The post, which opened in October when Van James left to become city administrator in Bridgeport, could be filled quickly, officials said. The applicants are: Ronald L. Olson, deputy city manager in Arlington; Richard Torres, assistant city manager in North Richland Hills; Jimmy Stathatos, city manager in Roanoke; Ray Gosack, acting city manager in Fort Smith, Ark.; and David M. Willard, assistant city manager in Odessa.
UTD may freeze tuition
Many incoming college students may soon get a tuition freeze at the University of Texas at Dallas if regents accept the proposal later this month. The plan would lock in tuition prices for four years for incoming freshmen and for transfer students from community colleges in Collin and Dallas counties, UTD administrators said. If UTD's leaders accept the proposal March 28, the university would join others around the country in taking measures to hold the line on tuition. The freeze would take effect in fall 2007.
NASCAR salutes Longhorns
NASCAR driver Michael Waltrip is about to commemorate the Texas Longhorns' national football championship in a whole new way. When NASCAR's Busch Series comes to Texas Motor Speedway on April 8, Waltrip's No. 99 car will feature an orange-and-white paint scheme saluting the Longhorns' title. It's part of a promotion by Waltrip's sponsor, Aaron Rents Inc., which will show off the car at some of its Texas stores and sell diecast replicas. The full-size version will make a stop in Austin on April 1 at the Longhorns' spring football game.
| Ask the experts |
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Q: Does last year's controversial Supreme Court ruling over eminent domain allow Texas cities to condemn land for economic development purposes?
A: A measure to restrict government's power of eminent domain was passed by state lawmakers last year just after the U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Senate Bill 7, authored by Sen. Kyle Janek of Houston, bars governments in Texas from seizing land strictly for commercial purposes. Although the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Connecticut town could lawfully seize homes so a developer could build a biomedical research facility, the Court left the door open for states to set their own rules and Texas did so quickly. Click here to learn more about the issue.
-Colin Pope,
Communications Manager at Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
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Procurement articles online
Click here to view recent articles on government procurement authored by Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., and published in the Austin Business Journal and Houston Business Journal.
[Editor's note: Mary Scott Nabers' procurement columns run regularly in the Austin Business Journal, Houston Business Journal, San Antonio Business Journal and the Dallas Business Journal]
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During the special session, should legislators focus solely on tax reform as mandated by the Supreme Court?
(Non-scientific results next week)
Last week, 60% of respondents said they favor favor repealing the law that grants automatic admission to the top 10 percent of Texas high school grads to state colleges and universities. 40% were opposed to the idea.
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Event Links
HUB Forums in April
DIR's Internet Security Forum - 3/28/06
TASSCC Technology Education Conference - 3/29/06
CAPCOG's Austin-San Antonio Conference on Entrepreneurship and Regional Competitiveness - 4/7/06
Fiesta Informacion 2006 - 4/24/06-4/27/06
2006 Lone Star Conference - 5/2/06-5/5/06
TCEQ's Environmental Trade Fair and Conference - 5/9/06-5/11/06
TAGITM Annual Conference - 5/16/06-5/19/06
Texas Hurricane Conference - 5/23/06-5/25/06
ICMA conference in San Antonio - 9/10/06-9/13/06
Upcoming Executive Women in Texas Government events
Texas Government Insider Archives
Volume 1, 2, 3 and 4 Archives - 11/7/03 - 3/24/06
Resources
LBB Budget and Performance Assessments - NEW!
HRO’s Interim News
Senate Interim Charges
House Interim Charges
2006 Election Calendar
Texas Fact Book '06-'07
LBB's Fiscal Size-up '06-'07
SAO report on full-time state employees for fiscal 2005
Texas Human Resources Management Statutes Inventory
TBPC Vendor Guide
State Budget Resources
HUB Forms Library
State Contract Management Guide
State Procurement Manual
Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address
Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle
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