US House Approves Transportation Bill, $16.6 Billion Targeted for Texas

Texas would get more than $16.6 billion for highway projects in a $284 billion, six-year transportation bill the U.S. House passed yesterday. A Senate committee is scheduled to start work on its version next week. Then a House-Senate conference committee will have to reconcile the different versions.

Morrow to Continue Serving on DIR Board

Gov. Rick Perry has reappointed Keith Morrow to the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2011. The appointment is subject to senate confirmation.

Morrow is chief information officer and vice president of information systems for 7-Eleven Inc. He is a board member of Partners in Education, the Dallas Arboretum and the Southern Methodist University Cox School Associate Board.

Rowling Reappointed to UT System Board

Gov. Rick Perry has reappointed Robert B. Rowling to the University of Texas System Board of Regents to serve for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2011. His appointment is subject to senate confirmation.

Rowling is chairman and CEO of TRT Holdings, Inc., and has served as chairman of Omni Hotels since 1996. He chairs the Southern Methodist University Tate Lecture Series. Rowling is a former board member of NationsBank of Texas, M. D. Anderson Hospital, the St. Paul and Zale Lipshy University Hospital in Dallas, and the University of Texas College of Business Administration Foundation. He is also former chairman of the Corpus Christi Area Economic Development Corporation.

San Antonio CIO Hired

Interim City Manager J. Rolando Bono has selected Richard Varn as San Antonio's Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO). Varn comes to the City with more than 16 years of experience in Information Technology and 25 years of experience in the public sector. In his new role, Varn will be responsible for providing key strategic advice and direction to City staff on best practices for technology and organizational management, which includes the City's Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) system, as well as structuring of a permanent CIO position. As a member of the City's Management Team, he will provide leadership and alignment between public policy, operations and technology.

New UTIMCO Board Member Appointed

The Board of Regents of The University of Texas System has appointed Texas A&M System Board of Regents Vice Chairman Erle Nye of Dallas to the board of directors of the University of Texas Investment Management Company (UTIMCO). Nye is currently chairman of the board of Dallas-based TXU Corp. For more information on Nye, click here.

UTIMCO is governed by a nine-member board of directors appointed by the UT System Board of Regents. The UTIMCO board of directors includes three members of The University of Texas System Board of Regents, one member of The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, the Chancellor of The University of Texas System, and three outside investment professionals.

Former Texas Senator to Receive Profile in Courage Award

Former Texas Lt. Governor and State Senator Bill Ratliff has been named one of the two recipients of the 2005 John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. The other award winner is Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation is honoring Ratliff for a distinguished career as a courageous bipartisan leader in Texas. For more information, click here.

Mexico Agrees to Pay Texas Entire Water Debt

Gov. Rick Perry announced yesterday that Mexico has agreed to pay off its entire water debt to Texas by September under terms of an agreement reached between the United States and Mexico. The agreement ends a 12-year international dispute over Mexico's water debt. Mexico currently owes Texas approximately 733,000 acre feet of water under terms of the 1944 Water Sharing Treaty. At one point, Mexico's water debt had reached 1.5 million acre feet.

House OKs School Finance Plan

The Texas House narrowly approved House Bill 2 this week. If House Bill 2 becomes law:

• Texas will spend $1.5 billion more on schools each year
• Teachers would receive $3,000 in across-the-board pay raises
• Private companies could take over low-performing schools
• The state's school rating system will be toughened

The Senate is working on their own version of a school finance plan. Once they've approved a plan, a conference committee comprised of members from each house will try to iron out the differences between the two plans.

Cisneros, Kemp to Receive Awards for Bipartisan Cooperation

Former U.S. Housing Secretaries Henry Cisneros and Jack Kemp are to be honored next week with awards for bipartisan cooperation in conflict resolution and community building. Cisneros and Kemp were chosen for the award by Search for Common Ground, a nonpartisan group and the world's largest nongovernmental organization. Kemp and Cisneros were selected for the bipartisan cooperation award for a national housing agenda that calls for a non-partisan approach to helping neglected areas. Cisneros is a former San Antonio mayor who served as housing secretary under President Clinton. Kemp served under former President George Bush and was the Republican nominee for vice president in 1996.

Dallas Love Field Receives $13 Million Grant

Dallas Love Field has won a $13.8 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration's Airport Improvement Program. The money will be used for improvements to the terminal building and other airport rehabilitation.

Austin Airport Awarded $8.2 Million

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded the City of Austin $8.2 million in grant money to improve Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Austin will receive $4.7 million to modify the terminal building and purchase an aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle, and $3.5 million to buy surrounding land for "noise compatibility."

Chairman of Commuter Rail District Named

Sid Covington has been named chairman of the board of the Austin-San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District. Covington, who was the board's vice chairman, replaces Tullos Wells as chairman. Wells now is the vice chairman. The district is working on a regional commuter rail line that would stretch from Georgetown to San Antonio.

Stem Cell Debate Heats Up in Texas

Last year, California voters approved a bill that will provide up to $300 million a year in grants for stem cell research for the next 10 years. This year, Texas lawmakers are grappling with the controversial issue. A number of bills have been filed this session that would affect stem cell research in Texas.

Some of the bills are:

House Bill 2081 would prohibit the use of state money for embryonic stem cell research.

House Bill 2269 would authorize the issuance of revenue bonds by The University of Texas System for an adult stem cell research center at the Texas Medical Center.

House Joint Resolution 71 proposes a constitutional amendment establishing the Texas Institute for Regenerative Medicine, authorizing the issuance of bonds for the purposes of the institute, and prohibiting the legislature from prohibiting stem cell research.

Proposed UTMB Research Facility Receives $750,000

The Brown Foundation Inc. has contributed $750,000 to the planned $167 million national biocontainment research laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. The money will be used for construction of the proposed Galveston National Laboratory and help pay for scientific equipment. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring.

In 2003, UTMB received a $110 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to build one of two national biocontainment laboratories that will allow researchers to study the pathogens responsible for a number of dangerous emerging infectious disease threats. A $57 million local match is needed for the lab's construction. UTMB says the Brown Foundation's contribution is a step toward fulfilling that goal.

State Public Schools Could Lose Federal Funding

Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley plans to continue to challenge U.S. Department of Education standardized testing rules, a move which could mean the loss of federal funding for state public schools. The dispute involves the No Child Left Behind law's cap on the percentage of students who take alternative tests because they have severe learning disabilities. The federal guidelines says only 1 percent or less of students should be allowed to take alternative tests. Last year, Texas allowed 9 percent of its students to take the special tests. If Texas exceeds the guidelines this year, the Department of Education can withhold an unspecified amount of federal education funding from Texas, whose request for a waiver from the testing rules was denied. The Texas education system gets more than $1 billion a year from the federal government.

Lens on the Legislature: Day 60

Today is the 60th day of the 79th Session of the Texas Legislature. That's a very important milestone in the legislative process.

Both House Rule 8, Section 8 and Senate Rule 7.07 allow bills to be introduced only during the first 60 days, except for:

• emergency appropriations;
• emergency matters specifically submitted by the governor in special messages to the legislature;
• local bills (as defined by the House and Senate's respective rules); or
• bills for which the rules are waived by a 4/5 vote. In the Senate, which has a tradition of granting the waivers, 4/5 of the total membership (i.e. 25 of 31 Senators) is required. In the House, which often will not waive the rule, 4/5 of those members present and voting must agree.

The Senate rule does not apply to resolutions. There is precedent in the House, however, for subjecting joint resolutions to the 4/5 vote requirement.

News reports about the millions of taxpayers who wait until April 15th to file and similar stories of Christmas shoppers who wait until December 24th to do their buying make it obvious that many humans are deadline driven. It should come as no surprise, therefore that in the last legislative session, 21.7% of all bills and resolutions were filed on days 58 through 60. The comparable percent was 16.9% and 17.6% in the two prior sessions.

So how is this session looking? As a point of reference, there were an average of 112 bills and resolutions filed each filing day in February. On Wednesday of this week (day 58), 350 bills were filed. Yesterday saw 590 bills filed. Through 3 p.m. today, 265 bills had already been filed. Next week's Lens on the Legislature will give the final tally.

Some of the databases supporting online inquiries, e.g., search by subject, are not updated real time (because each bill must be categorized), so it will probably be next week before those tools can be effectively used for today's filings.

Additional procedural deadlines begin to kick in on and following the 120th day (May 10th), leading to adjournment of the 79th session on the 140th day (May 30th). These will be more fully described in a later column.

Southeast Texas Transportation Projects Now Qualify for Federal Funding

The Southeast Texas Regional Planning Commission announced this week that proposed transportation projects for the area are in compliance with federal clean air standards, making it possible for the area to qualify for federal funds for highway renovations. The cost of the projects is more than $100 million.

University Health System One of the Nation's Best Teaching Hospitals, Study Says

Solucient LLC, a provider of information resources to health care and pharmaceutical firms nationwide, named University Health System in San Antonio as one of the top 15 teaching hospitals in the United States for 2004. This is the second consecutive year, and the third time since 1997, that Solucient recognized University Health System, which is a partnership between Bexar County and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

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

Len Riley joined SPI in 2001 after serving for three years as Executive Director of the Texas Workers' Compensation Commission. Before entering public service, Len was the Texas Instruments site director for both its Austin and Temple sites. To read Len's full bio, click here.

Legislative Watch

Bills filed recently of interest to our readers:

Senate Bill 1574 relates to the benefits and compensation of retired state employees who return to state employment.

House Bill 2248 relates to salary increases, equity adjustments, and merit payments for certain state employees.

House Bill 2237 relates to certain prerequisites for the Texas Department of Transportation or a regional mobility authority to construct or finance a new toll project or convert a segment of a free state highway to a toll project.

House Bill 2252 relates to state purchases from foreign corporations.

Senate Bill 1520 relates to prescription drug insurance benefits provided through or by the Employees Retirement System of Texas or the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.

House Bill 2169 relates to ethics requirements for state agency purchasing personnel.

House Bill 2247 relates to state contract management, including the training of personnel, the negotiation of contracts, and the standardization of practices.

House Bill 2447 relates to the establishment of a pilot program for the implementation of the redesigned health and human services program eligibility and benefits determination system.

House Bill 2860 relates to the creation and implementation of performance measures for the purpose of evaluating state agencies.

New Reports

The Texas Workforce Commission has released January 2005 Employment Statistics.

The Legislative Budget Board has released Management and Performance Review of the University of Texas at Austin.

The Comptroller's Office has released Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority: A Need for a Higher Standard.

NASCIO Releases IT Procurement Recommendations on IP

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has released Negotiating IP on the Way to the Win-Win: NASCIO's Intellectual Property Recommendations. The Committee's Recommendations identify state and contractor interests regarding the ownership of intellectual property (IP) and suggest realistic considerations to help make the negotiation of IP rights easier and more successful for states and the corporate community.

UT Engineer Awarded $400,000 to Evaluate Wireless Networks

The fundamental capacity limits of wireless networks may finally be characterized thanks to a $400,000 National Science Foundation Early Career Development (CAREER) award given to Sriram Vishwanath, the lead investigator of the grant and an assistant professor with UT-Austin's Wireless Networking and Communications Group. For more information, click here.

Texas Heart Institute Affiliates With UT System

The Texas Heart Institute (THI) will collaborate on cardiovascular disease research and education with The University of Texas System. The affiliation with UT will allow THI to expand its research capacities. The UT System operates six health institutions, which include four medical schools, two dental schools and three nursing schools.

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

TASSCC Technology Education Conference (TEC) - 4/14/05

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

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

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

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 - 3/4/05

Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 Archives - 11/7/03 - 2/25/05

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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Outstanding Women in Texas Government Awards

The Outstanding Women in Texas Government Awards luncheon ceremony will be held March 18. The guest speaker is Texas Supreme Court Justice Harriet O'Neill. The Outstanding Women in Texas Government Awards recognize women who have helped shape Texas by contributing their talents and skills to state service. To learn more about this year's award recipients, click here. The luncheon will be held from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Doubletree Hotel located at 6505 Interstate 35 North. Complimentary parking is provided at the hotel. The cost to attend the luncheon is $25 per person. For more information, contact Lesley Guthrie at 512-475-2615 or lguthrie@governor.state.tx.us.

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.

TASSCC Technology Education Conference (TEC)

The 4th Annual TASSCC Technology Education Conference (TEC), Contracting - Texas Style!, will be held on April 14 at the J.J. Pickle Center in Austin. This conference will feature practical tips on negotiating and contracting from respected experts including State Auditor John Keel and Cindy Reed, Executive Director - Texas Building & Procurement Commission. For online registration and additional information regarding the agenda, speakers, scholarships, and sponsorship opportunities, visit: www.tasscc.org.

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.