THE BATTALION
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1981
Page 9
State
Fish bill
attle in
has upstream
Texas Senate
United Press International
AUSTIN — The House passed and sent to the
enate Thursday a bill banning commercial fishing of
fcdfish and speckled trout, but one of the sponsors
aid he was unsure of the legislation’s fate.
Minutes after the House gave tentative approval
the bill Wednesday, the Senate Natural Resources
lommittee voted 6-5 to table an identical bill.
The only way for the House version -— sponsored
)y Reps. Stan Schleuter, D-Salado, and Hugo Ber-
anga, D-Corpus Christi — to get consideration in
l he Senate is for Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby to refer the bill
;o another committee other than Natural Resources.
Neither Hobby nor Sen. O.H. Harris, R-Dallas,
indicated what might happen to the House bill.
Schleuter said he had not talked to Hobby about
mshing the bill through in the Senate.
“I haven’t talked to him. I’ll just leave it up to
iim,” Schleuter said shortly before the House finally
sed the bill on a voice vote.
Harris said that parliamentarily the bill is not
^uite dead.
“But philosophically it is dead in that committee,
fthe House bill goes to the same committee when it
mes over, we re in trouble,” Harris said.
Although the bill was controversial and hundreds
f commercial fishermen and sport fishermen
ittended several hearings in both legislative cham
bers, Schleuter and Berlanga had little problem
pushing the bill through the House.
The sponsors were able to turn back an attempt by
Rep. Paul Elizondo, D-San Antonio, to compromise
the legislation by setting seasons in which commer
cial fishing of redfish and speckled trout would be
allowed.
Sport fishing of the two species would still be
allowed under the proposal, but the Texas Parks and
Wildlife Department would be authorized to set
seasons for sport fishing if the number of redfish and
speckled trout continue to decline.
The House also tentatively approved a bill mod
ifying the shock probation statutes. The bill by Rep.
Bennie Bock, D-New Braunfels, would extend from
120 days to 180 days the maximum time a person
could serve in prison before being released on shock
probation.
Only first time offenders would be eligible for
shock probation and public officials would not be
included in the statute. The modification was prop
osed because former State District Judge Garth
Jones of Houston, who was convicted of accepting a
bribe, was allowed shock probation by a judge who
had originally sentenced him.
Under the new proposal, only the judge doing the
sentencing could grant a first offender shock proba
tion.
Habitual offender law attacked
United Press International
AUSTIN — A lawyer asked a
House committee to change the
habitual offender law so that
petty thieves do not receive
harsher sentences than murder
ers, rapists and armed robbers.
Houston attorney Scott
Atlas, whose client was sent
enced to life imprisonment for
thefts totalling $230, said,
“Something is remiss when
someone who has committed
only minor offenses, where no
one is hurt and no one is
threatened, receives a harsher
sentence than someone who has
two rapes or two
two armed rob-
committed
murders c
beries.”
Atlas defended William
James Rummel, who received
an automatic life sentence in
San Antonio on his third felony
conviction.
Atlas said the first conviction
was for forging a $29 check, the
second was for buying four tires
with someone else’s credit card
and the third was for accepting a
$120 check for repairing an air
conditioner that he failed to re
pair.
“It
seems to me there’s a
tremendous difference be
tween somebody who commit
ted an armed robbery and
somebody like my client who
forged a $29 check,” Atlas said.
He said the district attorney
decided to proceed with the
habitual offender charge be
cause Rummel refused to plea
bargain until the day of the trial,
when he saw that his lawyer had
brought no witnesses to the
trial.
Atlas, who was appointed for
Rummel’s appeal, finally freed
his client on the issue of ineffec
tive counsel. He said Rummel is
now employed in the Midwest
repairing air conditioners.
Atlas supported a bill by Rep.
Joe L. Hernandez, D-San Anto
nio, that would remove the
automatic life sentence and sub
stitute instead a system of in
creasing minimum sentences
for previous convictions.
Every previous third degree
felony would add two years to
the minimum sentence, every
second degree felony would add
five years and every first degree
felony would add ten years.
The bill was referred to a sub
committee.
Senate doesn't want
drinking bill change
pirl abducts children but
later surrenders to police
T Ann Six
P s display!
Public,
United Press International
PLEASANTON — Atascosa
unty sheriff deputies Thursday
iked a 17-year-old girl who held
| gunpoint two children she had
lucted while babysitting them,
eing the San Antonio children
iharmed.
A sheriffs spokesman said the
jirl was in custody and the chil-
en had been safely returned to
e parents, the Oscar Gonzalez’s
San Antonio.
Steve Gonzalez, son of Rep.
B - Gonzalez, D-Texas, but
'fenrelated to the kidnap family, re-
lrawhisc«r r . ted ! yc l iased the teen : a S e ? irl
wiinationlJ
le r of Hotisl
brought ii
s of the m
1 that heals
ber’s repoit
ml helped negotiate the deal that
led to their release, a deputy said.
Gonzalez was able to get the
teenager, who stood on top of her
wrecked vehicle with a gun
pointed on the children, to agree
to trade Xaviar Gonzalez, 3, and
Crystal Gonzalez, 1, for a car. As
the trade was being made, officers
seized the girl, officials said.
The negotiations took place on
U.S. Highway 281, three miles
south of Pleasanton and 30 miles
south of San Antonio. Police took
the teenager to the hospital and
she was later transferred to Bexar
County officials in San Antonio.
The teenager was recently
Wednesday
lie! childret''
less of
m, but tlsl
3ss if thejuiyf
iship.
children re{
Daniel, tkf
■m pyscMfr
mid onlysif
rt” if the) 1
Farmers lobby wants
foreign buying halt
ml
n
their consti
•ords, hadi
lections. ;
/ere tallied,
e r than tbf
jared to b |
ay ' by two I
United Press International
AUSTIN — Texas Farmers Union President Mike Moeller Thurs
day called on the Legislature to pass bills prohibiting foreigners from
buying Texas agricultural land and exempting gasohol from the state
motor fuel tax.
In a news conference on the Capitol’s south steps, Moeller said the
Texas Farmers Union will lobby the Legislature to pass the two most
important bills for farmers and ranchers this session.
Moeller said the bill by Rep. L. P. Patterson, D-Brookston, would
prohibit foreign investors from further investing in Texas farm and
ranch land.
The higher land values which are being driven up by foreign
purchases in Texas are making it more difficult for young farmers to go
into business,” Moeller said.
He said a gasohol bill sponsored by Rep. Dan Kubiak, D-Rockdale,
is “essential” for the state. He said the state will not produce the fuel
unless it is exempted from the state motor fuel tax.
hired as a five-in maid in the Gon
zalez home and apparently had
kept the gun without anybody’s
knowledge, officers said. They
said she also took $200 from the
home.
While the parents attended the
NBA playoff game between San
Antonio and Houston Wednesday
night, the girl reportedly loaded
the children in the family’s station
wagon.
Sherriflfs officers said they had
not determined a motive in the
abduction or where the three
spent the night. Apparently the
vehicle overturned on the high
way Thursday around noon and
when authorities arrived, the girl
was standing atop the car and
threatened to shoot the children.
Sheriffs deputies from Bexar
County and law enforcement offi
cials from nearby towns con
verged at the scene and were able
to talk the teen-ager into making
the deal that led to her capture.
The girl was believed to have
escaped from a youth center in
Austin, authorities said.
United Press International
AUSTIN — The Senate Thurs
day refused for the third time to
accept a House amendment to a
bill raising the minimum legal
drinking age in Texas to 19.
The House and Senate
appointed members of a third con
ference committee to come up
with a new version of the bill.
The House amendment,
opposed by retail dealers, would
require anyone selling alcoholic
beverages to check the drivers
license or other identification of
the buyer.
“Apparently some members
could not support that amend
ment,” Sarpalius said as he asked
for appointment of a new confer
ence committee. “They feel like
it’s probably too strict. It’s obvious
the House wants stricter enforce
ment.
“I personally support the
amendment but I don’t think we
have the votes on the floor.”
The vote to send the bill to a
new conference committee was
28-1. Sen. Ed Howard, D-
Texarkana, voted no.
Sen. W. E. Snelson, D-
Midland, suggested that constitu-
rson
(ectedtobe
Senate passes bill
on melting wait
at***
4^
00
United Press International
AUSTIN — The Senate passed
and sent to the House today a bill
to protect silver and jewels that
are stolen from being melted
lown before they can be identi
fied as stolen.
The bill, by Sen. John Leedom,
R-Dallas, would require dealers to
wait a week before melting down
precious metals. Dealers who do
not have permanent locations
would have to be registered 30
days before buying precious met
als or precious or semiprecious
accused
of hit man
hire dies
nited Press International
NEWTON — A man accused of
rying to hire someone to kill an
iast Texas judge fatally shot him-
elfin the heart Wednesday, New-
on County officials said.
Hoyt Rector, 58, a liquor store
owner from the Newton-Jasper
rea, shot himself on the patio of
his mobile home with a 9mm pis-
ol. Rector’s sister said she witnes-
«d the incident.
Newton County Sheriff Robert
; Woods said the shooting was ruled
a suicide.
Rector was arrested Monday
md charged with soliciting the
nurder of Newton County Judge
loy Fillyaw. Investigators said an
mdercover man posing as a con-
ract killer foiled the plot.
Fillyaw said he had no idea why
lector would want him killed. He
iaid he had denied Rector a beer
icense for his liquor store.
Dealers would be prohibited
from buying such items from any
one less than 18 years old without
the permission of their parents.
“Coin dealers have supported
this because the bill does not in
clude coins,” Leedom said.
ABU DHABI NATIONAL OIL COMPANY
and its affiliates are announcing employment oppor
tunities available in the United Arab Emirates for
unsponsored Arab Nationals who will be Spring or
Summer 1981 graduates in the field of Petroleum
Engineering. In addition they announce several oppor
tunities for Arab Nationals who will be Spring or
Summer 1981 graduates in the fields of Chemical,
Mechanical or Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science.
For more information please contact Ahmad
Ramahi at: (812) 334-2219.
OH,
MOTHER
I’LL
JUST
pie
LF IJON^ get TO SE E
©
*****
and
APRIL 10, 8I
8 pm
TICKETS: 4
AT box off.ci
brave
COMBO
IN
THE GROVE
tents are blaming the Senate for
failure to pass the bill.
“People say the Senate won’t
agree, yet only the House has had
an opportunity to vote,” he said.
“The amendments that are
coming out of the conference com
mittees are all House amend
ments,” replied Sen. Bob Glas
gow, D-Stephenville. “So it’s the
House of Representatives that’s
holding up this bill.”
“What is the difficulty in writing
19 in places in the law where 18 is
now written?” asked Sen. Walter
Mengden, R-Houston.
“All I can tell you is there comes
a time in the legislative process
when logic and reason don’t al
ways prevail,” said Sen. Bill
Meier, D-Euless.
Coming
Friday...
'The Fanciest Mew
Might Club
In 100 Miles!"
Specials 5 Nights A Week!
(Across from Texas World Speedway)
THE
Appearing
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Friday &
Saturday
Night
Cover g l 50
4410 CoUegeMaia
84«-9438
THE NEW MADRIGAL
DINNER COMMITTEE
ANNOUNCES
openings for student positions in 1981 Madrigat Dinners
Director of Finance
Director of Public Relations
Director of Costume Design
All students interested in joining Madrigal Dinner Committee or applying for
leadership positions are invited to an orientation meeting Tuesday April 14,
in the Council Conference Room 216T in the Student Programs Office in
the MSC.
For More information call 693-6098, 696-
2757, or 845-1515.
THE FOURTH ANNUAL
WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP
CONFERENCE
HAbwen in uftansition"
APRIL 13,1981 301 RUDDER
o Round -Table Discussions
°Career Enhancement
’Much More!
’Professional Women Panel
’The Male Viewpoint
Limited Registration. Information and Registration at
221 MSC, 845-1133. $7 Fee Includes
Materials and Luncheon.
Sponsored by the Office of Student Activities