Editor's Note: Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, the next issue of the Texas Government Insider™ will be published on Friday, December 3.

Governor Names New Secretary of State

Gov. Rick Perry has selected Roger Williams, a Weatherford businessman and former pro baseball player, as Texas' 105th Secretary of State. As secretary of state, Williams will serve as the state's chief elections officer. The Office of Secretary of State also serves as the official repository for official and business records, publishes government rules and regulations, and attests to the governor's signature on official documents. In addition, the secretary of state serves as liaison for the governor on border and Mexican affairs. Perry last week named Buddy Garcia, the former Senate liaison for the governor's legislative division and a key Perry advisor on Mexican and border issues, as assistant secretary of state.

Regarding Williams, Perry said: "Roger is a well respected businessman whose business acumen has been recognized nationally. He will be a powerful salesman for the people of Texas, marketing our state to businesses at home and abroad, maintaining our strong ties to Mexico, and overseeing Texas elections."

Williams is chairman of the board of Roger Williams AutoMall in Weatherford and Vestry Financial Corp. of Fort Worth. From 1974 to 1995 he was president and chief executive officer of Jack Williams AutoMall. A former professional baseball player, Williams played for the Atlanta Braves farm team from 1971 to 1974 and owned and operated the San Antonio Brewers professional baseball club from 1972 to 1975. He also served as assistant head coach and later head coach for the baseball team at Texas Christian University, his alma mater.

Bush Selects Two More Texans for Top Posts

President George Bush has nominated two Texans for high level positions within his administration: Margaret Spellings as Education Secretary and Harriet Miers as White House counsel. Spellings has been serving as a domestic policy adviser for Bush while Miers has been serving as his deputy chief of staff for policy.

Spellings, a former education lobbyist from Houston who was instrumental in crafting the No Child Left Behind Act, will replace outgoing education secretary Rod Paige. She joined Bush 10 years ago as political director of his first gubernatorial campaign and went on to become his chief education adviser in Austin. After Bush became president in January 2001, she joined the White House team to oversee his domestic agenda.

Miers, a former Dallas lawyer, will replace Alberto Gonzales as White House counsel. Bush has nominated Gonzales, another Texan, for attorney general. In her new position, Miers will handle all major legal matters the White House confronts. She will also oversee all judicial nominations. Before teaming with Bush, Miers was president of the Dallas Bar Association and Texas State Bar, a member of the Dallas City Council and of the Dallas law firm Locke Liddell & Sapp. After Bush won the gubernatorial race in 1994, he named her to his transition team and later appointed her chairwoman of the Texas Lottery Commission.

Lake Travis Considering $129 Million Bond Election

With the Lake Travis school district's student population expected to double over the next decade, the Lake Travis school board is considering a $129 million bond election that would pay for new schools and upgraded or new athletic facilities. The board this week reviewed a demographic study which projects that the West Travis County district will grow from 5,412 students now to 11,390 students by the 2014-15 school year. Trustees are expected to begin forming a citizen bond committee at its next meeting on December 13. The election would be held next September. The total price tag on the bond package will not be finalized until after an architectural study of the district's current buildings is completed early next year.

The bond plan includes:

• $79 million for construction (an expanded high school, additional middle school and two new elementary schools);
• $14.8 million to purchase land for a second high school site, elementary and middle school sites, and possible athletic and transportation sites;
• $12.3 million for technology upgrades;
• $11.7 million for expanded fine arts facilities;
• $9.7 million for renovations to food services, transportation and maintenance and operations; and
• $1.3 million for classroom instruction materials.

Two Texas Counties Awarded Grants for Spaceport Planning

Gov. Rick Perry has announced that two Texas counties, Willacy County and Pecos County, have each been awarded $175,000 to pursue "spaceports" - launching and landing sites for commercial spacecraft. The funds will go to the South Texas Spaceport Project Center in Willacy and the Pecos County Spaceport. The Legislature has previously awarded the spaceport initiative $1.5 million.

Regarding the awards, Perry said: "Spaceports offer the potential for job growth and the opportunity to expand the boundaries of science and math for Texas school children will be of great benefit to all Texans."

UH Receives $1 Million for 'Smart' Police Cars

The National Institute of Justice has awarded the University of Houston (UH) $1 million to provide campus law enforcement with the latest in patrol car technology. In addition to providing new patrol cars, the grant will support research into future improvements to the cars. UH researchers are currently developing advanced technologies to equip these vehicles -- known as "smart" cars -- with the latest law enforcement technologies.

$1.2 Million in Grants to Help Crime Victims

Crime victim programs statewide will share $1.2 million in grants, according to the governor's office. The grants are awarded under the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). VOCA funds are distributed by the Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD) to programs across the state dedicated to aiding crime victims and their families. These programs address such issues as domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. For more information on the awards, click here.

State's GIS Programs

The Texas Geographic Information Council (TGIC) is required by the State Legislature to submit a biennial report that inventories known state agency geographic information systems (GIS) projects and recommend initiatives to improve the state's GIS programs. Digital Texas 2004 is the second biennial report published by TGIC.

Testing of Biometric ID Cards for Transportation Workers Begins

The Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has begun testing the technology and business processes involved in the Transportation Worker Identity Credential (TWIC) Program. The Prototype will expand to 34 sites in six states and will last seven months. Up to 200,000 workers from maritime, rail, aviation, and ground modes of transportation are expected to participate in the testing process.

The TWIC is a tamper-resistant credential that contains biometric information about the holder that renders the card useless to anyone other than the rightful owner. Using this biometric data, each transportation facility can verify the identity of a worker and prevent unauthorized individuals from accessing secure areas.

The TSA and the U.S. Coast Guard are beginning work on a joint rulemaking for the implementation of the TWIC for maritime workers. TSA will be working with other agencies to develop complementary rules for the other transportation modes. For more information, click here here.

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a Texas-based, ten year old research and knowledge based consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services. To learn more about SPI services click here or contact Crystal Kuhs at 512-531-3900.

Event Links

EWTG 18th Annual Professional Development Conference - 11/22/04

I-35 Corridor Growth Summit - 12/03/04

TASA/TASB Pre-Legislative Seminar - 12/03/04

State of the State Conference - 12/07/04

Texas Association of Regional Councils Quarterly Meeting - 12/07/04 - 12/08/04

Office of the Attorney General 2004 Open Government Conference - 12/07/04 - 12/09/04

2004 UST Management & Compliance Assistance Seminar 12/09/04

WSLCA Winter Conference 2005 - 01/09/05 - 01/13/05

WIN TEXAS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

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SPI has a dedicated Information Services (IS) Division that researches governmental entities and analyzes data for future and current business opportunities. Our team studies and reviews strategic plans, legislative appropriations requests, appropriations bills, and budgets to identify potential business projects. IS provides these key services and products:

• Future Opportunity Analysis - email notification of new opportunities as they are discovered and updates to opportunities as new information becomes available



• Bid Monitoring - timely email notification of current procurement opportunities for over 500 state agencies, institutions of higher education, cities, counties, school districts, airports, and ports.



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Please contact SPI's Crystal Kuhs at ckuhs@spartnerships.com for more details.

Past ABJ articles by Mary Scott Nabers

Growth of government outsourcing likely will create more opportunities - 11/12/2004

Texas ports searching for more security help - 10/29/2004

Texas Government Insider Archives

Volume 2 Issue 45 - 11/12/04

Volume 1 and Volume 2 Archives - 11/7/03 - 11/05/04

News from Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

Upcoming Event: Mary Scott Nabers, SPI's CEO and President, will be a keynote speaker at the Executive Women in Texas Government (EWTG) 18th Annual Professional Development Conference

The conference will be held on Monday, November 22 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. The 2004 conference theme is "Leadership in a Changing Texas."

EWTG is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to developing and encouraging women in Texas government and higher education by offering educational, interactive and professional growth opportunities. EWTG has over 400 members representing more than 100 state agencies and institutions of higher learning throughout Texas.

For more information, visit www.ewtg.org.

Resources

Digital Texas: 2004 Biennial Report on Geographic Information Systems Technology

Texas Education Links

HUB Forms Library

State Contract Management Guide

TBPC Facilities Master Plan

Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Legislative Glossary

Diagram of Legislative Process in Texas

Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle

Texas Fact Book 2004

Public Hearings/Meetings

Far West Texas Water Planning Group --1:00pm, November 23, Sul Ross State University in the Pete P. Gallego Center, Room 129

Texas Transportation Commission--9:00am, December 16, Dewitt C. Greer Building, 125 East 11th Street, Austin

Signing Up for the Texas Government Insider™

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EWTG 18th Annual Professional Development Conference

The 18th Annual Executive Women in Texas Government (EWTG) Professional Development Conference will be held on November 22 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. EWTG is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that develops and encourages leadership among women in Texas government and higher education. The theme of this year's conference is: Leadership for a Changing Texas. Texas Commissioner of Education Dr. Shirley J. Neeley will be the morning keynote speaker and Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc., will give the afternoon keynote address. For more information on the conference, click here.

I-35 Corridor Growth Summit: The Road to Opportunity!

The Austin Business Journal and the San Antonio Business Journal will host the I-35 Corridor Growth Summit: The Road to Opportunity! December 3 from 11am - 1:30pm at at the LBJ Student & Visitors Center at Texas State University, San Marcos. The Summit will address the opportunities for growth and development in the Corridor. Dr. Steve Murdock, the state demographer, will address the changing demographics in the Corridor and how that translates into the economic environment. A panel discussion will provide insight into why the Corridor is the place to grow your business. For more information or to register, click here. Individual tickets are $40, or tables of 8 are available for $320. Please note that the reservation deadline is November 24.

2004 Open Government Conference

The Office of the Attorney General will host the 2004 Open Government Conference on December 7-9 at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. The conference will provide attendees with information concerning the state's Open Records Act and provide them with practical tips on writing effective open records requests and briefs. For more information or to register, click here.

State of the State Conference

The Texas Association of State Systems for Computing and Communications (TASSCC) in conjunction with the Department of Information Resources (DIR) will be holding its seventh annual State of the State Conference on December 7. The event will be held at the Doubletree Hotel in Austin. This year's event will explore "New Directions" in procurement, HR trends, direction from DIR, and the future of IT in state government. Speakers include Larry Olson, Texas Department of Information Resources; James Olson, Bush School of Government, Texas A&M University; Judy Windler, Health and Human Services Commission; and Billy Hamilton, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. To register or view the conference agenda, visit the TASSCC Web site. Please note the early-bird registration deadline has been extended to Tuesday, November 16. Online registration will conclude Monday, December 3.

Business World Series - 2004 Heavy Hitter Day

At the 2004 Heavy Hitter Day to be held on December 9 from 9:00am - 5:00pm at the Austin Hilton North, owners and key staff of small businesses will have the opportunity to hear business success tips and advice from prominent business leaders including CEOs of large public companies and international and Internet experts. Discussions will focus on money, marketing, management and cashing out. For more information, click here.