SENATE HOUSING MEETING HELD IN DALLAS

DALLAS - Senator Eddie Lucio of Brownsville chaired a meeting of the Senate Interim Committee on Housing at the Dallas Convention Center on Tuesday, February 24. Serving alongside Lucio are Senators Carlos F. Truan of Corpus Christi, Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio, Rodney Ellis of Houston, and Florence Shapiro of Plano. The members are charged for conducting a study of current state programs that provide low and moderate income Texans access to affordable housing.

The committee was welcomed to Dallas by Mayor Pro Tempore Steve Salazar. Invited testimony was taken from the City of Plano Community Development, Maple Avenue Economic Development Corporation, the Consumer Control Enterprise Foundation, the Mental Health Housing Development Corporation, and the Texas Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. The committee then heard public testimony.

The next meeting will held on Friday, March 20, in Houston.

SENATE FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETS AT STATE CAPITOL

AUSTIN - Members of a Senate Interim Finance Subcommittee met in a public hearing at the state capitol on Tuesday, February 24. This particular subcommittee is responsible for reviewing the operations and performance measures of agencies under Articles I, VI, and VII. Included under these articles are General Government, Natural Resources, and Business and Economic Development agencies.

Chairing the committee is Senator Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin and members include Senators Teel Bivins of Amarillo and Ken Armbrister of Victoria.

Testifying in accordance with the committee's interim charges were representatives from the Department of Agriculture, the Animal Health Commission, the General Land Office, the Low-Level Radio Active Waste Disposal Authority, the Natural Resource Conservation Commission, the Parks and Wildlife Department, the Railroad Commission, and the River Compact Commission. Also testifying were representatives from the Soil and Water Conservation Board, the Water Development Board, the Firefighters Pension Commission, and the Veterans Commission.

Both committees will gather their findings and present a report to the 76th Legislature which convenes in January of next year.

###