Governor appoints new insurance czar

Mike Geeslin of Austin was appointed Tuesday by Gov. Rick Perry as the state's new insurance commissioner. The appointment expires in February 2007. Geeslin, 36, has been deputy commissioner for policy at the Texas Department of Insurance since 2003. Before that, he was a budget and policy adviser on insurance and regulatory matters for Perry in the governor's and lieutenant governor's offices. He also was chief of staff for state Sen. Tom Haywood, a legislative aide to state Sen. Florence Shapiro and an assistant to U.S. Rep. Joe Barton. Geeslin replaces Jose Montemayor, who spent six years as TDI's commissioner before deciding not to seek reappointment.

CAMPO approves $22.3B transportation plan

A $22.3 billion road and rail system for 2030 was approved Monday night by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

The CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan is a long-range plan that looks at several regional transportation projects within the three county CAMPO region - Travis, Williamson and Hays counties. The 25-year plan, approved by a 18-5 vote, includes an interregional passenger rail system connecting Austin and San Antonio, 971 additional lane miles of freeways, toll ways and completion of State Highway 45 North and South, State Highway 130 and US 183 A, as well as upgrades and improvements to I-35, US 183, US 290, State Highway 71, MoPac Boulevard and Capital of Texas Highway.

Also included in the plan is about $262 million of bicycle and pedestrian projects. Many of the state roadway projects in the region will be analyzed and considered for toll feasibility.

NCTCOG shuffles board

Kaufman County Judge Wayne Gent has been elected President of the North Central Council of Government's (NCTCOG) Executive Board. Gent (pictured) has served as a board member for at least three years. Oscar Trevino, the mayor of North Richland Hills, was elected vice president of the board and Ellis County Judge Chad Adams is now the secretary/treasurer. NCTCOG members also elected Bobby Waddle, the mayor pro-tem in DeSoto, to the 13-member board.

San Antonio elects mayor

Retired San Antonio judge Phil Hardberger edged out Julian Castro on Tuesday to secure the city's top elected post. Hardberger, who has lived in San Antonio for about 50 years, is a former trial lawyer and former chief justice of the 4th Court of Appeals.

State assumes management of homeland security funds

Responsibility for millions of dollars in federal homeland security grants was removed from Texas A&M University last month by the office of Gov. Rick Perry. The governor said his Division of Emergency Management can run the programs more efficiently.

Steve McCraw, the governor's director of homeland security, said he had determined that "economies of scale" could be achieved by transferring the programs to an agency already equipped to monitor federal grants. The Division of Emergency Management, he said, has 23 regional auditors stationed around the state who have extensive knowledge of federal grant programs.

A recent state audit found that the Texas Engineering Extension Service at College Station had inadequately monitored its programs for waste, fraud and abuse. The grant programs have awarded a combined $530.7 million to cities and counties in Texas since 2002. The grants are used by police, fire and emergency service providers to buy equipment to help them prepare for a possible terrorist attack.

Austin attorney named Texas A&M board vice chairman

Bill Jones, a partner in the Austin office of Locke Liddell & Sapp LLP, has been elected vice chairman of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents. Jones was general counsel for Gov. Rick Perry's office. Perry appointed Jones to the Board of Regents in November 2003 for a term that expires in February 2009. A graduate of Texas A&M, Jones serves on the Board of Regents' Committee on Finance and the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs. At Locke Liddell & Sapp, Jones focuses on commercial litigation and public law cases. Prior to that he spent three years as Gov. Rick Perry's general counsel.

CPS, APS prepare to ramp up

Officials at the state's Department of Family and Protective Services are rolling up their sleeves to ramp up operations now that lawmakers have added $250 million to the Child Protective Services (CPS) budget and $34 million to the Adult Protective Services (APS) budget. State officials said they intend to hire more than 2,500 child protection workers in the next two years. Much of the money authorized by the legislature will go toward training and acquiring new technology.

Select cities in line for economic boost from state fund

Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio, Dallas-Fort Worth, El Paso and the middle and lower Rio Grande Valley are potential hubs for a state-funded initiative to develop new-technology industries.

The initiative, recently approved by the Legislature, will create Regional Centers of Innovation and Commercialization - partnerships of universities, companies and nonprofit groups. As proposed, the centers are a key part of the state's new $200 million Emerging Technology Fund, which is designed to expand and expedite new research. The more wide-ranging Texas Enterprise Fund received an additional $185 million in state money this year.

Beginning as early as this fall, the centers will coordinate research and development programs - and the commercialization of the results - provide incubators for new businesses and expansion of existing ones, and offer work force training for businesses resulting from research and development initiatives.

Under the new law governing the new Emerging Technology Fund, projects will be screened by the centers and a new statewide council, but the final decisions on who gets money will remain with Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick - just as with the Enterprise Fund.

The state seed money will go to a variety of targeted industries: semiconductors, information, computer and software technology, energy, manufactured energy systems, micro-electromechanical systems, nanotechnology, biotechnology, medicine, life sciences, petroleum refining and chemical processes, aerospace, defense and "other pursuits as determined by the governor in consultation with the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the House of Representatives."

Dallas names city attorney

Tom Perkins is Dallas' new city attorney. Perkins, who has been the interim city attorney for more than a month, vowed to aggressively administer the legal aspects of the Dallas City Council's overarching goals for Dallas, which include crime prevention, staff accountability, economic development and the Trinity River Corridor Project. Perkins' appointment was expected after most council members last month indicated they were pleased with his service as a top assistant city attorney under Madeleine Johnson, who resigned April 1 to enter private practice.

Lens on the Legislature: Proposed Constitutional Amendments

Readers of this column undoubtedly vote in every election, so the nine proposed constitutional amendments should be of interest. Recall from the March 4th Lens on the Legislature that the vehicle for the legislature to propose such a change is the joint resolution.

Joint resolutions to amend the Texas Constitution must receive the approval of two thirds of all the members elected to each legislative chamber and are not subject to gubernatorial veto. In a public meeting later this month, the Secretary of State will drawn the nine numbers from a bin and that drawing will determine the sequence in which they appear on the November 8th ballot.

Here are the nine joint resolutions:

• HJR6 provides that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman.
• HJR54 creates the Texas rail relocation and improvement fund and authorizes grants of money and issuance of obligations for financing the relocation, construction, reconstruction, acquisition, improvement, rehabilitation, and expansion of certain rail facilities.
• HJR 79 authorizes the legislature to provide for a six-year term for a board member of a regional mobility authority.
• HJR80 clarifies that certain economic development programs do not constitute a debt.
• HJR87 relates to the membership of the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
• SJR7 authorizes line-of-credit advances under a reverse mortgage.
• SJR17 authorizes the denial of bail to a criminal defendant who violates a condition of the defendant's release pending trial.
• SJR21 authorizes the legislature to define rates of interest for commercial loans.
• SJR40 clears land titles by relinquishing and releasing any state claim to sovereign ownership or title to interest in certain land.

Last week's article used procurement bills as an example of how to search for bills that passed in a field of interest. Next week's article will analyze some of those bills and should be of special interest to readers who deal with procurement matters.

[Editor's Note: Archives of past Lens on the Legislature articles are available online]

Changing of the guard - Texas style

The Texas National Guard will officially say goodbye to its 48th Adjutant General during a change-of-command ceremony at Camp Mabry in Austin on Sunday, June 12. Lt. Gen. Wayne D. Marty will relinquish command of the Texas Military Forces to Maj. Gen. Charles G. Rodriguez (pictured). The Adjutant General of Texas is responsible for leading more than 21,000 members of the Texas Military Forces, which includes the Texas Army National Guard, the Texas Air National Guard, the Texas State Guard and the civilian employees of the Adjutant General's Department.

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 our sales department at 512-531-3900.

Focus on SPI Consulting Staff

Libby Martinez is Director of Consulting at SPI. Prior to joining the SPI team she spent years working at the Texas Capitol, most recently as chief of staff to a senator. To read Libby's full bio, click here.

Special alert: SPI researchers and budget analysts are prepared to deliver extremely valuable information regarding recently approved legislative initiatives.

As has been SPI's model since 1994, the Information Service Division of SPI is dissecting the final Appropriations Bill. SPI is able to provide a total breakout of all funded opportunities for the next two years.

SPI's experienced researchers and consultants also analyze new statutes that will produce upcoming opportunities and other important information gained from planning documents, legislative requests, and federal mandates. Information gained from watching budget hearings, agency board meetings and changing sector trends also is being analyzed. Government vendors and contractors interested in learning more about how to obtain such information and insight should contact SPI's sales division at 512-531-3900

Calling all HUB vendors and contractors

The Texas Health and Human Services System is sponsoring the "Health and Human Services HUB Vendor Fair 2005" on Wednesday, June 29, 2005 from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. at the Brown-Heatly Building in Austin. This free one-day event, targeting HUB qualified vendors and prime contractors from markets across the state, is designed to provide vendors with information about the newly transformed Health and Human Services System and how to do business with the HHS agencies. Pre-registration is not required. More information is available here.

UT's McDonald Observatory gets $750,000 gift

The McDonald Observatory at the University of Texas has received a gift of $750,000 to finance dark-energy research and astronomy education. A project led by a team of UT astronomers will receive $500,000 to study dark energy, which comprises most of the universe's matter-energy content. The project will map distant galaxies in the largest galaxy survey ever undertaken. About $250,000 of the money will create the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation Education Endowment, which will finance the observatory's programs for kindergarteners through 12th-graders.

Event Links

Western Governors' Annual Meeting - 6/12/2005 - 6/14/2005

Texas State Agency Business Administrators' Association 36th Annual Summer Conference - 6/12/05 - 6/15/05

DIR / TASSCC Government Portals seminar - 6/17/05

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

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

Western States Land Commissioners Association Summer Conference- 7/24/2005-7/28/2005

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

Texas Association of Counties 2005 Post Legislative Session Conference - 8/10/05 - 8/12/05

4th Annual San Antonio Transportation Leadership Forum - 9/7/05 - 9/8/05

Recent ABJ articles by Mary Scott Nabers

Opportunities flying for contracts at airports across Texas - 5/30/2005

State's renewed emphasis on education offers possibilities - 5/16/2005

Millions to be spent on connecting Texas' first responders - 4/22/2005

Texas Government Insider Archives

Last Issue - 6/3/05

Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 Archives - 11/7/03 - 6/3/05

Resources

Helpful Legislative Links

State Budget Resources

Diagram of Legislative Process

HUB Forms Library

State Contract Management Guide

State Procurement Manual

Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle

Texas Fact Book 2004

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County Tax Assessor-Collectors of Texas Annual Conference

The state's county tax assessor-collectors will convene in Round Rock on June 11-16 for their annual conference. The event will be at the Marriott, 2600 La Frontera Boulevard, (512) 733-6767. For more information, contact Hays County Tax Assessor Collecter Luanne Caraway at (512) 393-5545.

GFOA's 99th annual conference

The Government Finance Officers Association will hold its 99th annual conference in San Antonio June 26-29. Visit the GFOA's Web site for on-line registration and conference details.

South Texas Judges' and Commissioners' Annual Conference

On June 27-30 county judges and commissioners in South Texas will meet in Austin for their annual conference at the DoubleTree Hotel, 6505 North IH-35, (512) 454-3737. For more information, contact Duval County Judge Edmundo Garcia, Jr. at (361) 279-3322 ext. 204.

Alliance Texas Small Business Procurement Fair

Business and government officials will converge at the Arlington Convention Center on July 19 for the Alliance Texas Small Business Procurement Fair. The event offers opportunities to meet buyers and contracting officers from governments of all sizes, major military bases, the surrounding states and large companies to discuss business opportunities. Early registration runs through June 15 (cost: $95). The fee goes to $120 after that date. For more information click here.