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Dan Shelley

Shelley To Serve as Governor's Legislative Director

Gov. Rick Perry today announced the appointment of Dan Shelley, a former state representative and state senator from Houston, as his new legislative director. He replaces Patricia Shipton, who returned to the private sector last month after serving as Perry's legislative director for three years. Shelley's appointment takes effect Monday.

Shelley, an attorney who most recently has worked as a government consultant and lobbyist, previously served as legislative director for former Gov. George W. Bush. Shelley served in the House of Representatives from 1987 to 1993, where he served on the Science and Technology, Natural Resources, Energy and Transportation committees. In 1993 he was elected to the Texas Senate. As a member of the Senate, he served on the State Affairs, Natural Resources, and Health and Human Services committees. He left the Senate in 1995 to work for Bush as legislative director. In 1996, he returned to the private sector to work as a legislative and business consultant.


DHS Announces $49 Million To Secure America's Ports

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will give 154 ports around the country a total of $49 million for security enhancements as part of the fourth round of port security grants.

The Port Security Grant Program provides resources for projects to improve dockside and perimeter security at critical national seaports. Award money will be used for security upgrades such as surveillance equipment, access controls to restricted areas, communications equipment, and the construction of new command and control facilities.

In addition to this round of awards totaling $49 million, DHS awarded $92 million in June 2002, $168 million in July 2003, and $179 million in December 2003, under the Port Security Grant Program, and $75 million from the Urban Areas Security Initiative Program for port security in August 2003.

Texas ports receiving funds include:

  • Port of Houston Authority - $1.5 million for access controls
  • Port of Corpus Christi Authority - $2.1 million for physical enhancements
  • Port of of Galveston - $1 million for access controls

For a complete list of grant recipients, click here.


Wallace Jefferson

Jefferson Appointed Chief Justice of Texas Supreme Court

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Wallace Jefferson as the new Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Jefferson was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court in 2001 and won election to the court in 2002. Jefferson is the first African-American to serve as Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Jefferson has successfully argued two cases before the United States Supreme Court. He also has argued cases before the Supreme Court of Texas, intermediary Texas appellate courts and the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Federal Circuit.

Jefferson has previously served as a Director of the San Antonio Public Library Foundation, the San Antonio Bar Foundation and the Alamo Area Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. His professional activities have included serving on the Supreme Court of Texas Advisory Committee, the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct and chairing the host committee for the 2000 Fifth Circuit Judicial Conference. He previously served as President of the San Antonio Bar Association. A graduate of Michigan State University and the University of Texas School of Law, Jefferson practiced law with Groce, Locke and Hebdon in San Antonio and later helped found Crofts, Callaway & Jefferson.

Texas Awarded $33.3 million Grant for Bioterrorism Preparedness Program

Texas has been awarded a $33.3 million federal grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for its Bioterrorism Hospital Preparedness Program, according to Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. The grant will help communities throughout Texas with equipment and training as well as other aspects of the state's terrorism preparedness plan.


Texas Ethics Commission Hires New ED

The Texas Ethics Commission has hired David Reisman to serve as Executive Director. Reisman is currently a Special Assistant to the General Counsel of the U.S. Army. In this position, he is primarily responsible for providing opinions and advising the General Counsel and the Army Secretariat on fiscal and policy issues involving the financial management of the Army. He is also responsible for assisting in the management of the Army ethics program. Reisman will begin work at the Ethics Commission next month.


Mike Hachtman

TWCC Chairman Disagrees With Sunset Panel's Proposal To Abolish Workers' Comp Commission

Mike Hachtman, Chairman of the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission (TWCC), has announced his opposition of the Sunset Advisory Commission's proposal to abolish TWCC. The Sunset Commission has proposed a plan to dismantle TWCC and shift many of its responsibilities to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). Under the plan, the Office of Employee Assistance (OEA) would be created. The OEA would be connected with TDI, but would work independently. It would operate under the leadership of one director appointed by the governor.

In a news release, Hachtman said TDI oversees some workers' compensation issues but is "not set up to administer disputes on medical issues, settle issues on injury compensability or income benefits." Texas lawmakers will address the Sunset's proposal during next year's legislative session.

The Sunset Advisory Commission reviews and analyzes state agencies for relevance and functionality. They make recommendations to the Texas Legislature on whether a particular agency needs to be abolished or if fundamental changes to the agency's mission or operations are needed. Most state agencies undergo a review every 12 years.



Representative Chisum

Chisum To Participate in Upcoming Legislative Conference

The sponsors of the 2005 Legislative Communications have announced that Representative Warren Chisum will join Representatives Vilma Luna and Jim Pitts on a panel on working with legislators and throughout the year. The panel will be moderated by Lynn Nabers, who served in the Texas House of Representatives for 14 years. The conference, which is jointly sponsored by SPI and the LBJ School of Public Affairs, will be held on October 7th at the JJ Pickle Center in Austin. Over 200 people have registered for the event.

For more information on the conference or to register, click here. Questions on the program contents can be addressed to Len Riley at lriley@spartnerships.com.

Warren Chisum was elected to the Texas Legislature in November 1988. Chisum represents House District 88, which includes nineteen counties located in the Texas Panhandle. He is presently serving his eighth term. Chisum is a member of the House Committee on Environmental Regulation, having served 10 years as chairman. He also serves as Vice-Chair on the House Committee on County Affairs and recently served as Vice-chair of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.

Chisum is a founding member and President of the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute, a not-for-profit entity which acts as a source of legislative policy information for the public. Additionally, he served three years as president and currently serves on the board of directors of the Texas Conservative Coalition (TCC), a non-partisan organization of over 95 state legislators who work together to uphold the principles of limited government, free enterprise, individual liberties and traditional family values.

Chisum is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which is a national research organization whose bipartisan membership is comprised of state legislators. He currently serves on ALEC's Task Force on Energy, Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture; ALEC's Homeland Security Working Group and is Chair of ALEC's sub-committee on air quality. Chisum also serves as Chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee for the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC). He is a member of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL), where he serves as Vice-chair of the Environment and Natural Resources committee. Chisum is active in Energy Council, an organization of legislators from ten energy-producing states, who address energy and environmental policy issues.

To view bios of the other panelists, click here.


Sunset Commission Votes to Maintain OPUC

This week, countering a recommendation that it be abolished as deregulation of the utility industry continues, the Sunset Commission voted to maintain the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC), the office that represents consumers in dealings with the Public Utility Commission (PUC). In voting to keep the OPUC, the commission issued requirements to make the office more efficient. Among the recommendations were that OPUC present its annual reports to the Legislature, undergo a state audit and consider strategic changes. The Sunset Commission also made several recommendations for the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) which manages the state's electric grid. Those recommendations included making ERCOT meetings more accessible to the public and requiring ERCOT members to disclose conflicts of interests and recuse themselves from votes directly related to those conflicts.


State Sales Tax Growth Highest in Six Years

Texas' sales tax grew at its highest annual rate since 1998 during the 2004 fiscal year, which ended August 31, according to Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn. Rising consumer confidence and increased business spending helped general revenue-related sales tax collections climb to $15.3 billion for the year. Compared to FY03, sales tax collection was up 7.9 percent.

The Comptroller has also announced the delivery of $327 Million in September sales tax payments to local governments, a 7 percent increase compared to September 2003. Texas cities received sales tax allocations of $222.4 million, while Texas counties received $19.4 million, 87 special purpose taxing districts around the state received $9 million and nine Texas transit systems received $76.5 million in September sales tax rebates. For details of September sales tax payments to individual cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose districts, click here. The Comptroller's next local sales tax allocation will be made on October 8.


State Procurement Manual Revisions

Four sections of the State of Texas Procurement Manual were recently revised:


Vendor Seminar: Accessing Texas Homeland Security Funding

The agenda for Vendor Seminar: Accessing Texas Homeland Security Funding has been finalized. The seminar, which is jointly sponsored by SPI and the Councils of Governments of Texas, will be held this coming Tuesday, September 21, at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio in conjunction with the Texas Conference on Regionalism, sponsored by the Texas Association of Regional Councils (TARC) which will be held from September 22 - 24. Designed for vendors interested in understanding and accessing the regional and local government markets developing as local governments, councils of governments, and the state devote more federal and Texas resources to homeland security, this seminar will review procurement processes and give you the tools to make your products available to this growing group of local, regional, and state government purchasers. For more information, visit http://www.txregionalcouncil.org or to view the seminar information packet, click here.

Agenda

1:00 p.m.: Welcome - The Honorable Patrick Heath, TARC President, Mayor, City of Boerne and Mary Scott Nabers, President and CEO, Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

1:10 p.m.: "Where the Dollars Are" - Moderator: Gerry Dube, Federal Funds Analyst Team, Legislative Budget Board (Before moderating the first panel, Dube will provide brief remarks about homeland security funding in Texas). Presenters: Erin McCormack, Associate Director, TARC. (McCormack will discuss federal pass-through dollars to local governments and "big-picture" estimates on direct local spending); Charley Todd, Director of Domestic Preparedness, Texas Engineering Extension Service (Todd will highlight the Texas Homeland Security Program with an overview of local and regional funds being spent in Texas for homeland security products and services); and Don McFarland, Emergency Preparedness Manager, Alamo Area Council of Governments (McFarland will will provide participants with a regional perspective on where homeland security dollars are going, how they are being spent, and what councils of governments are preparing for in 2005)

2:45 p.m.: "Homeland Security Procurement: How your Company Can Participate" - Moderator: Jack Steele, Executive Director, Houston-Galveston Area Council. Presenters: Sanita Alrey-Debose, Regional Homeland Security Coordinator, Houston-Galveston Area Council (Alrey-Debose will discuss the Houston-Galveston Cooperative Purchasing Program, their role in the procurement process for homeland security products and services, and the qualifying and bidding specifications for product and service providers) and Elizabeth Ferrero, Customer Liaison, Defense Logistics Agency (Ferrero will address the process of making homeland security products and services available through the national homeland security contracting system -- "prime vendor" program. An overview of the Defense Logistics Agency's role in the homeland security procurement process will be discussed). A third presenter, either a representative from a city or county procurement program, will address local procurement channels, systems, and processes.

4:00 p.m.: "What's Ahead: Question and Answer Session" - Moderator: Jim Ray, Executive Director, Texas Association of Regional Councils. Presenters: Charley Todd, Director of Domestic Preparedness, Texas Engineering Extension Service and John Milstead, Sales Manager - Gulf Coast Region, Fisher Safety. A representative from one of Texas' Councils of Governments will also present. This panel will discuss next steps for 2005 through a question and answer session.

Participants will be given an opportunity to ask panelists about federal, state, regional, and local procurement opportunities, as well as predictions for future homeland security funding for Texas.


TDA Awards City of Buda a $600,000 Economic Development Grant

The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has awarded a $600,000 economic development grant to the city of Buda near Austin for infrastructure activities supporting economic development. The grant money will be used for sewer and water line construction and the construction of a new 30,000-square-foot YMCA facility. According to the TDA, the project will create about 24 jobs.

The grant was given through the Texas Capital Fund, which is part of the federal Community Development Block Grant program. The Fund provides around $12.5 million in competitive awards every year to small Texas cities and counties for economic development.


Debate Over Commuter Rail Rages On

More than 500 business executives and policy-makers gathered this week at a Real Estate Council of Austin luncheon to hear a debate on the Capital Metro commuter rail proposal that will be on the November ballot.

Speaking in favor of the $60-million passenger rail plan was Rep. Mike Krusee, who opposed light rail in 2000. Krusee said the rail plan offers a cheaper solution than some transportation projects already under construction such as Texas 130, a toll road being built east of the Austin area. The road could cost up to $2 billion to build.

Speaking against the plan was Jim Skaggs, a long-time opponent of light rail. Skaggs was a last-minute substitute for Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty. Skaggs argues that the plan is inefficient and that few people will utilize the rail system.

Governor's Latest Appointments

North Central Texas Regional Review Committee: B. Glen Whitley and Thomas B. Oliver

Brazos Valley Regional Review Committee: A. Randy Sims

Heart of Texas Regional Review Committee: Stacy Loeffler Garvin, Ray Meadows, Jerry Wayne Smith and Connie Johnson

Capital Area Regional Review Committee: Clara Beckett, Caroline Murphy, John Trube, R.G. Floyd and Howard Benton

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Texas: Justice Wallace B. Jefferson

State Board for Educator Certification: John Cleveland Shirley

Event Links

NASCIO 2004 Annual Conference - 9/19/04 - 9/22/04

82nd Annual County Judges & Commissioners Association of Texas Conference - 9/20/04 - 9/23/04

Texas Conference on Regionalism - 9/22/04 - 9/24/04

Legislative Communications Conference - 10/7/2004

Texas Municipal League Annual Conference - 10/27/04 - 10/29/04

Fall 2004 Biometrics Summit - 10/26/04 - 10/28/2004

Mobile & Wireless Technology Forum for Texas Government - 10/28/04

Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Fall Institute - 11/7/04 - 11/9/04

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


WIN TEXAS GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

For a FREE TRIAL of SPI's Future Opportunity Analysis and Bid Monitoring services click here.

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.


  • Customized Research - specific intelligence on entities, opportunities, markets, trends, products, competitors, etc.


  • The Guide to the Texas State Government Marketplace - This comprehensive report identifies funding allocations and projected timelines for projects as well as historical spending data in 20 key state agencies. The Guide also offers explanations and insight to potential opportunities in significant legislation from the Regular Session of the 78th Legislature.


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

Past ABJ articles by Mary Scott Nabers

Contractors can capitalize on military growth - 8/27/2004

Keeping country secure also can be profitable - 8/6/2004

Texas Government Insider Archives

Volume 2 Issue 36 - 09/10/04

Volume 1 and Volume 2 Archives - 11/7/03 - 9/02/04

News from Strategic Partnerships, Inc.

2005 Legislative Communications Conference

registration is now open for Legislative Communications for the 2005 Session, a conference jointly sponsored by SPI and the LBJ School of Public Affairs. The conference will be held October 7th at U.T.'s J.J. Pickle Center. For more information on the conference or to register, visit SPI's website.


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 http://www.ewtg.org/conference.

Resources

TBPC Master Plan

Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Legislative Glossary

Audit Report on Contract Administration in the Department of Criminal Justice's Community Justice Assistance Division

Financial Review of Two Cost Recovery Programs at the Department of Information Resources

NASBO Fiscal Survey of the States

Diagram of Legislative Process in Texas

Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle

Texas Fact Book 2004


Public Hearings/Meetings

Senate Finance Committee--9:00am, September 20 and 21, Capitol Extension, E1.036

Senate Subcommittee on State Contracting Practices--3:00pm (or upon recess of Senate Finance Committee), September 20, Capitol Extension, E1.036

Senate State Affairs Committee--10:00, September 20 and 21, Senate Chamber, 2E.8

Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Long-Term Care--9:00am, September 22, Capitol Extension, E1.014

House County Affairs Committee --2:00pm, September 23, Tucker Hall, Lee College

House Committee on Public Education--10:00am, September 24, Capitol Extension, E2.036

Helpful Phone Numbers

Some Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC) phone numbers that might be helpful include:

CMBL Hot Line: 512-463-3459

TBPC’s Coop Purchasing Program: 512-463-3368

TXMAS Program: 512-463-3384

TBPC’s Coop Purchasing Program: 512-463-3368


Signing Up for the Texas Government Insider™

We welcome you to add your friends and co-workers to the Texas Government Insider™ distribution. Simply click the Sign up for our mailing list icon near the top of this issue. Occasionally, we learn about people who signed up, but didn’t get the Texas Government Insider™. In nearly all cases, the problem turned out to be spam filtering on the receiving end. We strongly support the elimination of undesired email and applaud the use of technology to filter it. Occasionally, however, such filters prevent email that the recipient wanted to receive. If you have been unable to receive the Texas Government Insider™ or suddenly stop receiving it, we urge you to contact your information technology department to see if this was the cause.

2004 Texas Conference on Regionalism

The Texas Association of Regional Councils is sponsoring the 2004 Texas Conference on Regionalism September 22 - 24 at the Omni Hotel in San Antonio. The Alamo Area Council of Governments is hosting the event, which will feature a series of dialogues and consensus building sessions on regional solutions to issues raised by economic, population, social, and political trends in Texas. Over 600 representatives from key state and federal agencies, decision-makers from regional councils of governments, civic leaders, executives and vendors are expected to attend. For more information on the conference, visit www.txregionalcouncil.org/.

3rd Annual San Antonio Transportation Leadership Forum

The San Antonio Mobility Coalition, Inc. (SAMCo) will host the 3rd annual San Antonio Regional Area Transportation Leadership Forum on September 29 at the City of San Antonio Convention Center. Topics for this year's Forum include: "Today and Beyond: Economic Impact in Relationship to Transportation in San Antonio" and "Linking San Antonio to the Region - Looking to the Future." Featured speakers include Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ric Williamson and Texas Transportation Commissioner Hope Andrade. The deadline for registration is Friday, September 24. For more details, visit www.samobilitycoalition.org.

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.