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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1984)
■■ . " '• v v V; ' • ’ ' >}■•?; ■■ ; ■ * /e.r. . • • ■ Thursday, January 26, 1984/The Battalion/Page 3 Death row Inmates say court ruling gives state 'green iighf for executions United Press International HUNTSVILLE — Texas death row inmates aid Wednesday the Supreme Court has given he state a “green light” for more executions by efusing to require proportionality review of Heath sentences. I think it’s kind of a green light,” said fhomas Barefoot, 39, convicted of the 1978 hooting of a central Texas police officer. “I hink they’d like to get everybody killed off as astas possible . but I don’t think it’s going to be !no flood like some people think.” By a 7-2 ruling, the Supreme Court rein stated the death sentence for Robert Alton Harris, a California killer whose appeal was based on the so-called proportionality issue. The court ruled death sentences do not have to be automatically reviewed to be sure they are proportional to penalties in other cases. A last-minute appeal based on that same issue dramatically halted the Oct. 4 execution ofTexas killer James David Autry. Autry, con victed of killing a convenience store clerk, lay strapped to a hospital cart and hooked up to intravenous needles for over an hour before he won a stay. Autry, 29, who refused to meet reporters Wednesday, Barefoot, and Ronald Clark O’Bryan are considered the three Texas in mates closest to execution following the Sup reme Court action. “I think it moves everyone one step closer because it eliminated one issue that had held everyone’s cases up,” said O’Bryan, 39, who was convicted of feeding his 8-year-old son poison candy on Halloween 1974 to collect in surance money. “I know my appeals are getting fewer but I’m never going to give up,” said O’Bryan, who maintains his innocence. When asked if he fears death, O’Bryan said: “No . My son has died. My wife has remarried. My family has been broken up, and for a man like myself that’s all but killing me.” Inmate Jimmy Vanderbilt, 31, a former Amarillo policeman condemned to die for the 1975 killing of a teen-age girl in Amarillo, pre dicted four to six executions would occur in Texas by the end of 1984 because appeals in those cases have been exhausted. “It used to be when you got a (execution) date, it didn’t count, it didn’t mean anything. Now, when they set a date, it means some thing,” said Vanderbilt, who spends his time studying death penalty cases. “I’m beginning to get nervous.” Billy Hughes, 31, convicted of killing a DPS troooper near Sealy, Texas, in 1976, said in mates on death row felt a chill upon hearing news of the Supreme Court ruling. “I don’t want to say the men are running scared or they’re fearful, but I know they’re terribly worried. I can see the worry in their faces,” Hughes said. Jaoanese government OKs military spending increase United Press International TOKYO — The Japanese government bowed to pressure from the Reagan administration Wednesday and approved a fis cal 1984 budget that calls for a hefty increase in military spending. The budget plan, approved in a special Cabinet session, ear marks some $ 12.5 billion for de fense spending — an increase of 6.55 percent or $771 million over the 1983 Defense Agency budget, officials said. The Cabinet’s decision came on the eve of Foreign Minister Shin taro Abe’s arrival in Washington for an eight-day official U.S. visit in which milit ary spending was expected to be an important topic of discussion. In contrast to the military spending increase, the total na tional budget grew by a mere 0.5 percent over the previous year to $216.2 billion. The Social Welfare Ministry received only a 2 percent budget hike, the Education Ministry a 0.8 percent raise and the Minis try of Public Works was hit with a 2 percent cut in spending power. “We feel that this is compara- .^ely a good victory for the De- ,l ,(ise Agency,” said a senior de- ^ fise official, who declined to be f i^ntified. > “Our national welfare and .Juration have been sacrificed,” official said. “The budget 1 |jocation for defense has been ^ry conspicuously increased.” v “There may be some critic- . jfis but we believe the figure |*is needed to fulfill the target ^4 in the national defense prog- ^.jUi outline,” Prime Minister ^jsuhiro Nakasone told repor- ^rs before the Cabinet 1 ^proved the budget. ^The budget proposal, which jUSt be approved by the Diet, or -rliament, was worked out in a sought a 6.9 percent spending increase. The hike approved by the Cabinet comes to 4.8 percent after inflation and represents 0.99 percent of the nation’s pro jected GNP. Diet approval of the budget for the fiscal year starting April 1 is virtually certain because the LDP controls both houses of the law-making body. The spending hike, will allow the agency to purchase 17 new F-15 Eagle fighters, eight P3C Orion anti-submarine patrol air craft, three destroyers and three CH47 Chinook transport heli copters, officials said. It will allow the agency to approach the level of purchases outlined in a five-year “mid term defense program” adopted in 1983 to meet U.S. demands that Japan shoulder a greater share of the joint U.S.-Japan de fense burden. te-night session of hard bar- mning between Defense Agen cy officials and a group of Liber- L \ Democratic Party executives Tuesday. The Defense Agency had o Monday - Thursday Aggie Special Amini pizza, small soft drink, corporate fan club membership card, and $5.00 worth of game tokens for $4.95 with this coupon. Not valid with any other discount -Student I.D. required. ortugal to decide n legal abortions United Press International LISBON, Portugal — Parlia- riends ment opened a heated, closed- door debate on legalizing abor- tOuldall> (,n Wednesday but Prime r j e | e Minister Mario Soares shrugged of! threats to his coalition and w | leil the country to attend a con- ' e ' ference. B Several leaders of the Social nany 1 Democratic party, junior part- avemt ners in Soares’ 8-month-old world ( coalition, have threatened to le tofcfesign or called on the party to isee li (fandon the government if Par- 0 r [ ( jilment approves the Socialist | )U( abortion bill. hr I 9 Abortion is a controversial 11 issue in Portugal, an overwhelm- ick bwdpy Roman Catholic nation, irenteifi Observers said the bill, limit ing abortions to cases involving risks to the health or life of the woman, deformed fetuses or rape, was almost certain of pas sage, given the declared support of the opposition Communist Party. A Communist bill, allowing abortions for a wider range of social and economic reasons, was also under debate. Before departing for Geneva for a Socialist International meeting on Middle East prob lems, Soares rebuffed threats to the government’s future, saying both ruling parties were “more concerned with solving the eco nomic crisis.” Observers interpreted Soares’ trip as a move to defuse the “cri sis atmosphere.” announces a LATE NIGHT FOOD & BEER SPECIAL from 8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. 7 nights a week a draft beer for 450 an imported beer for 900 or a pitcher of beer for $1.99 with a purchase of a Sandwich, Sub or Pasta not valid in conjuction w/other coupons or specials. 329 University at Northgate things: lat the jsed.i ess of ifl for ai. 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