Amarillo Judge Appointed to Texas Supreme Court

Gov. Rick Perry has named Philip Johnson, chief justice of the 7th District Court of Appeals, to the Supreme Court of Texas. The vacancy on the bench was created by the appointment of Justice Michael Schneider as a federal judge. Johnson's appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.

Johnson has served as a justice on the 7th District Court of Appeals since 1999 and was named chief justice in 2003. Prior to his service as an appeals court justice, Johnson was a partner with Crenshaw, Dupree & Milam in Lubbock. A native of Lubbock, Johnson is a graduate of Texas Tech University and a cum laude graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law.

DIR Director Joins TxDOT

Edward Serna, director of Service Delivery at the Department of Information Resources (DIR), has been named Assistant Executive Director for Support Operations at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). In this capacity, he will assist in overseeing and coordinating support operations to ensure the department operates in an efficient and effective manner. Serna will assume his new position April 18.

Serna has more than 21 years of government experience at three state agencies including Comptroller of Public Accounts and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. He has supervised the development and implementation of human resource, purchasing and information resource policies and procedures at all the agencies. In his current position at DIR, he is responsible for negotiating and managing all statewide contracts for hardware and software services as well as managing the TexasOnline and State Data Center contracts.

John Fitzpatrick Named ED of Texas High School Project

The Communities Foundation of Texas has appointed John Fitzpatrick as executive director of the Texas High School Project, a $130 million public-private initiative. Fitzpatrick will direct the project in its creation of 50 new and redesigned high schools in urban areas and on the Texas-Mexico border. For more information on the project, click here.

Fitzpatrick recently was executive director of the Capital Area Training Foundation, an Austin nonprofit organization that develops employer-led education and workforce initiatives. He also was vice president for workforce development at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce.

WCIT 2006 Selects New Leaders

The World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT 2006) has hired former Dell Inc. executive and state Senate candidate Ben Bentzin as its new CEO and Glyn Meek, a former vice president at Tivoli Software, as president.

The World Congress brings together global leaders from business, government and academia to impact economic and social development through the exchange of policies, ideas and technology. WCIT 2006 is expected to attract approximately 2,000 global leaders from 75 countries to Texas. The five-day forum begins May 1, 2006 in Austin. For more information, click here.

Bentzin currently serves as president of Austin private equity firm Boxcar Holdings Inc. While at Dell, he held such positions as director of marketing for the Dell Public Online Division and director of worldwide product marketing for Dell Dimension desktop computers. He led the early fundraising for the transformation of Palmer Auditorium into the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin.

Glyn Meek brings to WCIT 2006 more than 35 years of technology industry experience, having held executive management positions in early stage companies, such as Triactive, and global corporations, including Dell and IBM/Tivoli. Meek's extensive technology experience and business acumen will provide WCIT 2006 with the insight and direction that is sure to position the forum among the very best, according to a WCIT 2006 press release.

Two With Texas Ties Nominated to BRAC Panel

President Bush has announced the nomination of eight individuals, including two with ties to Texas, to serve as Members of the Defense Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. The commission will make recommendations to the president on how the nation's military should be configured. The two with ties to Texas are:

• Brigadier General Sue Ellen Turner, USAF (Ret.) of San Antonio. General Turner is a member of the American Battle Monuments Commission. She served in the U.S. Air Force for 30 years, most recently as the director of nursing services in the Office of the Air Force Surgeon General at Bolling Air Force Base. She also served at Lackland AFB in Texas.
• General James T. Hill, USA (Ret.), an El Paso native and graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio. Hill served in the U.S. Army for 36 years. His last assignment was as Combatant Commander of the U.S. Southern Command.

For information on the other nominees, click here.

UT System Selects Members of Presidential Library Special Advisory Committee

The University of Texas System announced this week the appointment of several individuals to serve on a special advisory committee to spearhead work on a proposal for the Presidential Library of President George W. Bush. The committee is co-chaired by Tom Loeffler, former chairman of the UT Board of Regents and a former U.S. Congressman; and Dr. Peter T. Flawn, president emeritus of The University of Texas at Austin and former president of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Loeffler and Flawn were selected last month to lead the committee. For more information, click here.

The appointments made today include:

Other universities, such as Baylor and Southern Methodist University, are also working on proposals for the library.

Perry Creates Criminal Justice Advisory Council

Gov. Rick Perry has issued an executive order creating the Governor's Criminal Justice Advisory Council to advise him on the adequacy of criminal procedures from the initial stage of investigation into a crime to appellate and post-conviction proceedings. Perry said that the council will represent a broad perspective and receive input from diverse sources, including: legislators, state law schools that have entities reviewing criminal convictions, law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, defense attorneys and victims rights advocates. This kind of criminal justice advisory council has been recommended by Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson and members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. For more information click here.

UT Health Science Center Receives Nation's Highest Library Award

First Lady Laura Bush presented the University of Texas Health Science Center's Regional Academic Health Center Medical Library with the 2004 National Award for Museum and Library Service this week. The awards are conferred annually by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to institutions that have demonstrated a perpetual, long-term commitment to public service through innovative programs and community partnerships. For more information, click here.

Lens on the Legislature: Update on Some Previous Subjects

Last week's article was published on legislative day 60 and noted that a very large number of bills could be expected to be filed that day. In fact, 863 bills and resolutions were filed, which means that about 13% of all the bills and resolutions filed through that date were filed on that date. The following day only 42 resolutions (and no bills) were filed.

The January 28th Lens on the Legislature explained how to monitor specific legislation. A new feature has since been added: vote counts. Here are some ways the public can now check on legislative votes:

• Many of the inquiries given in the January 28th article will ultimately lead to the vote count. For instance, inquiring on a bill by number and then hitting "actions," will bring up a screen that includes a link to the votes within the list of actions.
• A new nominees confirmed link shows the nominees confirmed (and the vote) by date.
• House passage votes by Date and Senate passage votes by Date links are now available.

The February 18th Lens on the Legislature focused on Impact Statements. HB3 provides a great example. Using previously described inquiries, the reader will see that 6 of the 8 types of impact statements were prepared for this bill alone. It should also be noted that most were prepared for the bill as introduced and then revised to reflect the bill as actually passed by the house. This online inquiry also shows a new term not yet discussed in this column - engrossment.

The engrossing process is one of retyping a bill to include all amendments, typographic error corrections, etc. House Rule 2, Section 1(a)(9), for example, instructs the chief clerk that all engrossed documents "shall be prepared without erasures, interlineations, or additions in the margins." A bill is said to be engrossed when it has been passed by the chamber in which it was filed and all amendments to the bill have been incorporated into the text of the bill. The engrossed bill is then forwarded to the second house for consideration. In this example, the engrossed version of HB3 is the version that ultimately passed the House and was sent to the Senate.

The March 4th Lens on the Legislature noted the resolutions designating various things as "the official XYZ of Texas." Add to that list HCR 93 designating Schulenburg the Official Home of Painted Churches, HCR 98 designating pan de campo as the Official State Bread of Texas, HCR 108 designating the Blue Lacy as the official Dog Breed of Texas and HCR 115 designating June as Texas Picnic Month.

Now that legislative day 60 has passed, virtually all new bills have been introduced. A few have gone through the committee process and then been passed by their originating chambers. Future Lens on the Legislature articles will explain the process as the successful bills move to the other chambers, then often to conference committees, and on to enrollment.

Perry Awards $169,313 in Local Law Enforcement Grants

Gov. Rick Perry has awarded $169,313 in grants to local law enforcement programs. These grants are distributed by the Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD).

Through such grants, local law enforcement agencies are able to purchase necessary equipment and technology as well as provide increased training and education for new law enforcement personnel. In addition, task forces and crime prevention programs are established, security in and around schools is increased, drug courts receive support, and aftercare services and treatment programs are provided to offenders.

Grant recipients are:

• Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC): $129,835 to increase patrol activities.
• City of Hearne: $17,091 to purchase radar systems.
• Armstrong County: $14,000 for new law enforcement equipment.
• City of Wilmer: $8,387 to replace outdated and inoperative equipment.

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a research and consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services. Founded in 1994, SPI has offices in Texas and California. To learn more about SPI services click here or contact Crystal Kuhs at 512-531-3900.

Focus on SPI Consultants

Steve Robinson joined SPI in 2004 after serving as Executive Director of the Texas Youth Commission (TYC) for more than 9 years. Steve began his career in juvenile corrections at TYC in 1975 and held various positions with the agency including hearings examiner, internal auditor, halfway house administrator, and institution superintendent. For seven years, he was chief of the Travis County Juvenile Probation Department in Austin. To read Steve's full bio, click here.

More Border Agents Proposed For Texas

The U.S. Senate approved an amendment yesterday to provide funds for 2,000 new Border Patrol agents in next year's budget. It is expected that Texas would receive the largest number of new agents. The amendment is headed to a joint House-Senate committee and could be sent to the president for signature in the fall.

Texas Ranks High on Nanotech List

Texas tied with Michigan for fifth place on an annual list of the top 10 micro-technology and nanotechnology states in the country. Small Times magazine's fourth annual rankings measure activities in six categories: research, industry, venture capital, innovation, workforce and costs. Texas' high ranking was due to support from the venture capital community, an increase in the number of micro-tech and nanotech companies, and significant workforce improvements, according to the magazine. Ahead of Texas were California, Massachusetts, New Mexico and New York.

State Should Assist Immigrant Work Force, Study Says

In order to prosper in the future, Texas must invest in education, job training and health services for its growing Hispanic and immigrant work force, according to a report on the economic relationship between Mexico and Texas by Justino De La Cruz, an international economist at Trinity University in San Antonio. De La Cruz's report, The Economic Integration of Mexico and Texas, supports previous research on the shifting demographics of Texas showing that Hispanics will soon replace non-Hispanic whites as a majority. For more information on state population estimates and projections, click here.

Event Links

44th Annual Emergency Management Training Conference - 3/21/05 - 3/24/05

25th Annual Association of Texas Professional Educators State Conference - 3/31/05 - 4/2/05

Texas Library Association Annual Conference - 4/5/05 - 4/8/05

5th Annual Internet Security Forum for Texas State Government - 4/13/05

Texas Public Health Association's 80th Annual Education Conference - 04/24/05 - 04/26/05

Texas Association of Secondary School Principals Summer Workshop - 6/8/05 - 6/10/05

TASB Summer Leadership Institute - 06/23/05 - 06/24/05

Government Finance Officers Association 99th Annual Conference - 6/26/05 - 6/29/05

8th Annual Texas Transportation Summit - 8/9/05 - 8/12/05

SPI Offers Clients Full Range of Service Offerings

When Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) was launched almost 11 years ago, there was only one service plan for clients. As SPI has expanded and grown, it has increased its service offerings. The company now offers clients a full range of service offerings instead of just a "one size fits all" service. Clients can now choose from services ranging from new business lead-generation to specific engagement contracts to multi-state representation. For more details on how SPI can assist you with growing your company's public-sector market share, contact Crystal Kuhs at ckuhs@spartnerships.com.

Past ABJ articles by Mary Scott Nabers

Tiny radio tags could create plenty of big contract chances - 2/25/2005

Government construction contracts could yield millions for businesses - 2/11/2005

Government agencies often look outside for training help - 1/14/2005

Texas Government Insider Archives

Last Issue - 3/11/05

Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 Archives - 11/7/03 - 3/4/05

Resources

Child Protective Services Reform Overview

Budget and Performance Assessments: State Agencies and Institutions, Fiscal Year 2004

Legislative Budget Board's Contracts Reported by Texas State Agencies and Institutions of Higher Education in 2004

Legislative Workforce Summaries

TxDOT's 2006 Project Selection Process

Resources for Electronic Government

Diagram of Legislative Process

HUB Forms Library

State Contract Management Guide

State Procurement Manual

TBPC Facilities Master Plan

Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle

Texas Fact Book 2004

Public Hearings/Meetings

Upcoming Senate Committee Meetings

Upcoming House Committee Meetings

Subscribe to the Texas Government Insider™

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2005 Texas Business Conference

The Texas Workforce Commission will host one day seminars entitled 2005 Texas Business Conference at various locations around the state during March, April and September. Seminar topics include employee policy handbooks: creating a human resources roadmap, employee privacy rights and the new wage and hour regulations. For more information or to register, click here.

44th Annual Emergency Management Training Conference

The Governor's Division of Emergency Management will hold the 44th Annual Emergency Management Training Conference at the Waco Convention Center March 21 - 24. The conference attracts about 1,200 local, state and national officials from the emergency management community including first responders, fire and law enforcement personnel, county emergency management coordinators, and members of voluntary agencies providing disaster assistance. The training conference is intended to give professionals the tools they need to respond to, and recover from, any type of emergency in Texas. For more information, click here.

OAG Hub Forum

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will hold a Hub Forum on April 26 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Participants will find out what Information Technology, service related and other procurement opportunities will be coming up for FY05-06 at the Attorney General's Office. They will also meet the purchasers and new purchasing director and learn about planned projects. The forum will be held at the William Clements Building, 300 W. 15th Street, Austin. For more information, contact Mindy Sue Cohen at 512-475-4411 or mindy.cohen@oag.state.tx.us.

GFOA 99th Annual Conference

The Government Finance Officers Association 99th Annual Conference will be held June 26 - 29 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Seminars will be held on topics such as How to Develop an Effective Fiscal Monitoring System and Back to School: Accounting and Financial Reporting for School Districts.