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Special session: Act IIAfter the end of the first 30-day special session on Wednesday, lawmakers returned to the capitol on Thursday to start a second special session again aimed primarily at overhauling education funding. House and Senate committees wasted no time on Thursday and passed education measures that, in part, increase education spending by more than $2 billion over two years. Gov. Rick Perry has also opened the latest special session up to address higher education issues, namely tuition revenue bonds for institutions of higher education. University officials across the state have said such legislation, which would approve bonds for campus construction, is essential to colleges' and universities' needs to expand to accommodate growth. Also on the agenda for the second special session are telecommunications issues. Lawmakers continue to work on legislation that would let phone companies set their own local phone rates and obtain a statewide franchise for Internet-based TV service. [Editor's note: Details about the current special session and the one that ended earlier in the week can be found below in the Lens on the Legislature column.] 
Lindsay says he won't run for another termLong-time Harris County Senator Jon Lindsay confirmed recently that he will not run for another term in the Senate. Lindsay, a former Harris County Judge, said he would like to do "other things" in the latter years of his life. Lindsay said he came to the decision about two months ago but decided to announce it at the end of the most recent legislative session. Texas takes steps to retain, grow film industryFor four straight years Austin has grabbed one of the top spots on MovieMaker Magazine's list of top cities for film making, and cities such as Dallas and Houston have not been far behind. But officials at the Texas Film Commission, which provides production crews with free support services such as location information, say incoming calls to their office have dropped by about 25 percent since last year. State officials blame the decline on neighboring states such as New Mexico and Louisiana, which have been offering financial incentives for filming that could save productions up to 20 percent of their production costs. 
In response, Texas is ready to roll out its own financial incentive program for filmmakers. Starting September 1, filmmakers shooting in Texas are eligible for a grant of up to $750,000. The grant program was established by Senate Bill 1142, which was authored by Sen. John Carona (pictured). State officials say this will complement Texas' current offering of a sales tax exemption for projects filmed in the Lone Star State. Officials say it's well worth the investment. Texas' film industry contributed more than $150 million to the Texas economy in 2004 alone. UT, state to make bid for $1B energy project
The University of Texas will help state government prepare Texas' bid for FutureGen, a $1 billion federal program to develop the power plant of the future, according to Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams (pictured). FutureGen is a research initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy to build the cleanest fossil fuel-based power plant in the world. The prototype will produce electricity with near-zero emissions, capture carbon dioxide for use in enhanced oil recovery, and capture hydrogen gas for use in the refining, chemical and transportation fuel industries, according to UT. President Bush announced FutureGen in 2003, and Congress has approved initial funding. Project definition and site selection are set to be discussed in late 2005 through 2006, with construction to begin as early as 2008. The power plant could start operating as early as 2012. State gives $50M to fund genome researchThe Texas Enterprise Fund will give $50 million to form a new Texas Institute for Genomic Medicine. Funding for the new nonprofit institute will be given to the Texas A&M University System and Lexicon Genetics Inc. Research will focus on issues such as diabetes, obesity, infectious diseases, heart disease and cancer. Gov. Perry estimates that the institute will create 5,000 jobs with an average salary of $60,000 over the next decade. Lexicon Genetics will use $35 million to create two copies of its mouse cell line library and provide them to the institute, which will house the world's largest library of genetically-altered mouse cell lines. About 99 percent of all human genes have a mouse genome counterpart. Another $15 million will be used to remodel the Texas A&M University System Health Science Center's Institute of Biosciences and Technology in Houston, and to construct a new building in College Station. Northside ISD sells bonds, prepares for next offeringNorthside Independent School District in San Antonio is selling $220 million worth of 2005 series school-building bonds. Northside voters in February 2004 authorized the district to sell $439 million in general obligation bonds to build 11 new schools and renovate a number of existing schools. The latest bond sale represents the second installment of the 2004 bond authorization. The school district is already planning its next bond issue, which could be put before voters in 2007. Early estimates indicate that Northside could ask for $300 million to build eight new elementary schools, one middle school and a new high school. Northside is the state's sixth largest school district with an enrollment of more than 74,000 students. US, Mexico to look at adding border crossingsIn a move that could affect Texas, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (pictured) signed a letter recently with Baja California Governor Eugenio Elorduy Walther that encourages the Secretaries of Homeland Security in the United States and Mexico to expedite work on a bi-national plan to create special border crossing lanes. 
The SENTRI (Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection) lanes are designed to allow low-risk commuters quick access at ports between the countries. The goal is to reduce the long lines at most border crossings that result from necessary, but time-consuming border inspections. "While we respect the need to inspect vehicles as they cross our borders, we must move forward with a plan to move low-risk traffic, including commuters, across the border more efficiently," Governor Richardson said. Leander ISD to receive $879,000 federal grantThe Leander Independent School District outside Austin will receive more than $879,000 in funding from the US Department of Education under its Smaller Learning Communities Program. The grants help large public high schools with at least 1,000 students implement or expand smaller student groups, which the government hopes will improve student achievement. Strategies include creating schools within schools and career academies. The department hands out $142 million annually under the program, but no other Texas schools received funding this year. Potential of 3,000 new Texas jobsU.S. Congressman Kevin Brady of The Woodlands gathered with several other Houston-area government officials and business executives recently at the Port of Houston Authority to rally congressional support, particularly from Houston-area representatives, for the passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). 
Already approved by the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives is likely to vote on the trade deal in the coming days. Approval in the House would send the deal to President George W. Bush's desk. The trade pact is expected to create 3,000 new jobs for Texas during its first year and an additional 16,000 in its first decade, according to Brady. In 2004, Texas was the third-largest exporter to CAFTA countries -- sending exports totaling nearly $1.7 billion. Brady (pictured) said that the Port of Houston, Houston Airport System, and more than 1,200 local companies employing thousands of the workers in the Houston region already doing business in Central America would benefit if the trade agreement passes. Texas universities to create digital library
The state's most prominent universities are working together to create what will be known as the Texas Digital Library, which will be a free online resource that will feature faculty and student research projects and papers from four state university systems and Rice University. The University of Texas at Austin will be the headquarters for the new cyberspace library, which will contain information from the Texas A&M, Texas Tech and University of Houston systems as well as Rice. Fred Heath (pictured), UT-Austin vice provost and library director, said he isn't sure yet how much the effort will cost because its still in the early planning stages. Texas Medical Foundation changes nameIn a move to reflect the changing emphasis of the organization, the Texas Medical Foundation has changed its name to TMF Health Quality Institute. The organization was founded in 1971 as a physician peer review organization, but over the years it has broadened its scope. TMF now conducts medical peer reviews of health care organizations and offers consulting and program management services. TMF has contracts with the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and a variety of county and state health care organizations. Lens on the Legislature: One Special Session Ends; Another Begins
By Len Riley, Strategic Partnerships This column has previously discussed the rules for calling a special session, the proclamation ordering the first special session, and the observation that, presumably in anticipation of the scope being broadened, legislators were filing bills on a variety of subjects. The first special session ended Wednesday. Apart from the two highly publicized education and tax bills (neither of which passed), 200 additional bills were filed:
There has been no word from the governor's office yet on what action he will take on the two bills that passed. On Wednesday, the governor issued a proclamation for a 2nd special session, which began Thursday. Three tax-related items comprised the scope of the special session. On Thursday, the governor issued three additional proclamations expanding the scope of the special session to include education, judicial pay raises, and telecommunications. By Thursday evening, 16 Senate Bills and 9 House bills had already been filed. Not all of these bills are within the current scope of the session. For instance, SB 15 relates to contracting and ethics issues of governmental entities and several bills relate to eminent domain. Both chambers have adjourned until Monday. [Editor's Note: During the 79th Session of the Texas Legislature, we brought you a 27 article series called Lens on the Legislature, which discussed key legislation and processes and provided nearly 300 links to important legislative information and resources. It is archived online. Additional articles in that series will continue from time-to-time as legislative events occur that we think will interest our audience. Today we begin a new series, Lens on State Government, which will discuss other state government agencies, policies, and processes with emphasis again on providing links to important information or resources. This column will appear bi-monthly.] Lens on State Government: HR UpdateA new biennium is about to begin and that always means lots of changes for state employees. Actions in the recent legislative session are reflected in new salary schedules. A history of legislatively-directed salary increases is also available online. The new holiday schedules for FY2006 and FY 2007 list both the dates that agencies are closed and those during which skeleton crews must work. Chapter 654 of the Government Code deals with position classification. There are many changes in job classifications that will go into effect on September 1. Here are some key links:
Updated Job Descriptions are also available online. Certain executive-level positions are exempt from the general Classification Plan. They are specified in the agencies' bill patterns in SB1. The amounts listed are not-to-exceed salaries set by the Legislature. A list of these exempt positions is available online and further information may also be found in Section 3.5 of Article IX in SB1. Other HR-related statutes and rules will be summarized by SAO in the coming weeks and the Insider will provide a link at that time. |
Contracting opportunities on the horizon
By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships Slogans such as "Click it or Ticket" and "Don't Mess With Texas" are quickly recognized as slogans associated with state government. What most Texans don't realize is how many millions are spent each year on advertising. In fact, Texas spends more on advertising than any other state in the nation. And, the spending goes to private sector contractors who deliver advertising services. That makes governmental entities an extremely attractive market for advertising agencies. Texas spent about $16 million on tourism advertising last year, but the state's advertising efforts expand well beyond tourism. Here is some notable business on the horizon:
Of course, public sector contracts for advertising aren't limited to state agencies. The cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, for example, are on the verge of launching a new tourism campaign for the Metroplex. They have plans to set aside $1 million annually for at least the next three years. Recent Austin Business Journal articles by Mary Scott NabersGovernment bond packages present a 'grab bag' of contract opportunities - 7/8/2005 Communication needs mean big spending for government - 6/27/2005 Federal officials release $1.3 billion to help fight bioterrorism - 6/10/2005
Do you have what it takes to be part of our stellar team?
HHS awards $1.9 million to UT in San AntonioThe University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio have received $1.88 million in medical research funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. UTSA will receive $1.7 million to support research into microbiology, infectious diseases and mental health. The UT Health Science Center will receive $191,685 for ongoing research related to health care and neurological disorders. List of bidders for presidential library growingThe list of contenders for George W. Bush's presidential library is growing. The University of Texas, the City of Arlington, Southern Methodist University, Baylor University, Texas A&M and Texas Tech are all said to have asked for and received bid criteria in the past week. Proposals must be submitted by September 15. Texas highlights problem of uninsuredAbout 17 percent of the U.S. population doesn't have health insurance. In Texas, the percentage is even higher. In fact, every major city in Texas exceeds the national average of uninsured residents, according to a recent report by state's comptroller. Most major Texas cities have an uninsured population that hovers around 25 percent. The situation is even more critical in border cities such as Brownsville, where 75 percent of the population is uninsured. Economic updateEconomic recovery in Texas continues to tread forward as the state nears the second half of 2005, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. While the nation has grown at 1.6 percent annualized year-to-date through May, Texas is slightly behind at 1.2 percent annualized - equivalent to 47,500 jobs added. Event LinksWestern 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 Texas Municipal League Legislative Roundup - 8/11/05 Annual Meeting of Retired State Employees Association - 8/19/05 4th Annual San Antonio Transportation Leadership Forum - 9/7/05 - 9/8/05 Texas Municipal League Technology Summit - 9/15/05-9/16/05 International City/County Management Association's 91st Annual Conference - 9/25/05-9/28/05 Texas Government Insider ArchivesLast Issue - 7/15/05 Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 Archives - 11/7/03 - 7/15/05 ResourcesDiagram of Legislative Process State Contract Management Guide Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle 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. |
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TML Legislative wrap-upThe Texas Municipal League will host a 2005 Legislative Wrap-Up Workshop on August 11 in Sugar Land at the Marriot Town Square. The event is open to all TML members - elected and appointed. For more information visit TML's Web site. Central, South Texas transportation meetingThe San Antonio Mobility Coalition will host the 4th Annual San Antonio Regional Transportation Leadership Forum on September 7-8. The focus of the meeting is will be on regional transportation issues affecting Central and South Texas, including regional funding issues, transit, rail, corridors, and related transportation issues. More information can be found here. |
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