By Melissa Laurent, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX –
The House Appropriations Committee met early this morning and took up changes and additional riders for numerous agencies on the proposed budgets for the next biennium.
Rep. Fred Brown (R-College Station) gave the recommendations for Article 8, regulatory agencies. There was some discussion about a rider dealing with licensed electricians under the Department of Licensing and Regulation. The amendment was to increase funding and add an additional 10 FTE's. Rep. Betty Brown (R-Terrell) explained to the committee the need for the FTE's which are for inspection and how they will be funded. Bill Koonce, executive director, was present and elaborated on the needs of the agency. He told the committee there was a dramatic increase in the licensing of electricians in the state.
Rep. Tracy King (D-Batesville) addressed the committee regarding a contingency rider for a weather modification program. King said the program seeds clouds and has been proven to increase rainfall substantially. He said the program needs additional funding to continue the 50% match they have contributed in the past. King stated that this is the cheapest way for the state to get more water. This rider is contingent on TDLR generating additional funding.
Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) briefly listed the changes and rider additions for agencies under Criminal Justice. Among these additions were Public Integrity Unit funding, gas allowance increases and a district office for the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Innocence Project, felony prosecutor's payments, and pre-parole transfer beds. There was a lengthy discussion about an inmate phone system pilot project. Turner explained this would be revenue generating and would only be in minimum security facilities. He said 100% of the funds generated will go to the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. Turner described the program that puts phones in minimum security facilities and allows inmates only five numbers that they may call and all conversations are taped. He said a similar program was proving very successful in Florida. Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) elaborated on an item for future consideration regarding burglary of motor vehicles. Branch said there has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of this crime not only in the inner cities but rural areas, too. Branch stressed the importance of these changes that would make this crime a felony instead of a misdemeanor. He said he hears from constituents about this problem every day.
Rep. Warren Chisum (R-Pampa) presented several recommendations falling under General Government. Some of these included the purchase of an underwater archeological boat for the Historical Commission, performance measure changes for the Library and Archives Commission, and decreases in funding for the Texas State Cemetery building design and construction projects.
Chisum also gave recommended changes to the Bovine Brucellosis Testing Program. Rep. Ruth Jones McClendon (D-San Antonio) asked for an explanation of just what Bovine Brucellosis was and why the program was needed. Chisum explained to McClendon that this program provides for testing of cattle for this very serious disease. He said the funding is needed to draw down federal dollars in support of these efforts.
Rep. Vilma Luna (D-Corpus Christi) elaborated on the proposed desalinization project recommendations. Luna explained that the desalinization project is an important item for future consideration that will increase the water supply. She went on to say that the project has a lot of potential and although it is primarily in coastal areas it is moving into brackish water desalinization.
Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) presented a rider for the Small Business Assistance Program. She proposed funding to leverage these small business loans. Dukes said there is no other program that provides these types of loans and she listed several areas of the state that have benefited from these loans. She asked for members to support this rider as an item for future consideration.
Rep. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) presented the changes and riders under Education. She said all Tuition Revenue Bonds and exceptional items for universities are for future consideration. Kolkhorst then present the riders and a lengthy list of additional items for future consideration.
Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) asked if a University of Texas at Tyler item at no cost to the bill was to be moved to the rider. This dealt with the Small School Supplement. Kolkhorst wanted to keep it as a future consideration. She explained as a college grows out of the Small School Supplement they considered if it should it be phased out over time or removed completely. The Legislative Budget Board (LBB) representative stated that UT-Tyler is the only school approaching the level at this time. This item was pended.
Several items on this list with blanks were pended at the request of the Chairman, Rep. Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie). Turner asked about unexpended balance authority for Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University that dealt with OCR. Kolkhorst said this item was at a cost to the bill. She said this is an exceptional item that will be an item for future consideration. Turner said he wanted to highlight this item. Chairman Pitts asked that these items be moved to the bill.
A Texas A&M faculty reinvestment recommendation was presented by Brown. This was adopted but then reconsidered due to an error. There was some confusion about the funding amounts requested. The LBB explained that this is in addition to funds already adopted. It was asked if tuition deregulation was funding faculty increases at all institutes of higher learning. It was explained that the teacher-to-student ratio was higher at Texas A&M. An item for future consideration was the restoration of the $20 million total for the biennium that was removed from the base bill. There were objections and due to the confusion the motion was withdrawn.
There was an item for future consideration providing for Galveston Community College to be given a hold-harmless clause that was not previously requested but was given to other community colleges. West stated that the college should be treated the same as the other two in the same group, Ranger and Claredon Colleges. The LBB explained that the formula funding placed these colleges below the '04-'05 levels. However, Galveston was presented as having funding from the community that was not available to the other two. Kolkhorst stressed that this is what was recommended by the Texas Association of Community Colleges. This item was pended.
The committee adjourned for the day for the House to meet on the floor. Chairman Pitts said they would continue at 7 a.m. Thursday and complete their business. He stressed that any additional riders must be in by 3 p.m. today or they will not be heard tomorrow.