From the Capitol...
March 17, 2005
Throughout the 79th Legislative Session, Senator Eliot Shapleigh will be writing a notes column from the Capitol that will allow you to see what is happening behind the scenes in Austin.
Written by Senator Eliot Shapleigh,
On the Senator’s desk....
A group of El Paso business leaders and Senator Shapleigh have begun working on an economic development plan for El Paso that will coattail into Texas’ new Emerging Technology Fund. The Texas Emerging Technology Fund, created through Senate Bill 831, is a proposed $300 million fund for research and development activities in emerging technology industries. The Fund would be part of the Texas Enterprise Fund and shall be used to: expedite innovation and commercialization; attract, create, or expand private sector entities that will drive a substantial increase in high quality jobs, and increase higher education applied technology research capabilities. If the bill passes, the governor’s office will begin accepting applications for use of this fund in September, which is when El Paso's plan will be ready.
Chamber echoes...
Now that the House has moved its school finance and tax bill to the Senate, expect the bills to drastically change. “I expect the Senate to start from scratch. House Bill 2 and 3 are deeply flawed legislation. However, the framework of sales and business income taxes will be the center of the Senate tax code,” Shapleigh said. This framework is what Sen. Shapleigh has expressed concerns about during the past 18 months.
Among those who visited Austin this week ...
Dave Cortez a student from St. Edwards University and a native El Pasoan. He had a sit down visit with the senator. Also seen in Austin this week, were Ronnie Rodriguez, Joy Ann Rucker, Evelyn Loya, Eva Gonzalez, Alberto Delgado, and Noel and Patty Candelaria all from the TSTA of El Paso.
In Committee this week... The State Affairs committee next week is expected to discuss, SB 506, which deals with the predatory sale of insurance to military. The bill prohibits an insurer or an insurer's agent from selling a life insurance policy to a member of the United States armed forces or a member of the Texas National Guard without notifying the member of less expensive policies that may be available through the federal government.
Upcoming News... Coming up for debate soon is the issue of what to do with the thousands of Texans who are on waiting lists to get services from the state. Currently, there are more than 153,000 people waiting for services. The agency with the largest waiting list is the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.
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