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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1987)
Wednesday, May 6, 1987/The Battalion/Page 3 mmammmmmmaamam State and Local Three end 24-day hunger strike after being released from jail Demonstrators use fast to protest nuclear weapons plant By Lee Schexnaider Stuf f Writer Jimi Clark is glad to be home — and he’s eating again. Clark, 19, and two others, Charles Fere/, 3f), and Gregory LeRoy, 29, ended their 24-day hunger strike protesting the Pantex nuclear weap ons plant after being released from the Carson County jail on Friday. In a telephone interview with Clark’s family members, Polly Clark, his mother, said her son was in pret ty good shape after his imprison ment. "I was worried about his health, but I wasn’t worried about his safe ty," Mrs. Clark said. “I felt the sher iff had an investment in seeing that they were safe and would make sure they were physically safe in jail. “He was in pretty good shape [when he got,out, but he looked a little thin.” Mrs. Clark said her son lost 10 to 15 pounds during the fast. He re fused all but water and some juices for more than three weeks. The nuclear facility, located 17 miles northeast of Amarillo, is the fi nal assembly point for all the na tion’s nuclear weapons. The other functions of the plant include nu clear weapons breakdown, modifica tion, repair, building and testing of conventional high explosives. Seven protesters were arrested during a “Hiroshima Day” protest last August against the plant. Clark said the “Pantex Seven,” as they have been dubbed by the me dia, were released the day of the protest after paying a $1,()()() bail each. They were charged with block ing a passageway, which is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by six months in jail or a $ 1,()()() fine, he said. At the April 7 trial, four of the protesters paid the $600 fine in a plea bargain arrangement, » but Clark, Perez and LeRoy decided to serve the jail term, Clark said. The sentence was reduced to 40 days and because of the jail’s good time policy the three men only served 24 days. “We planned a non-violent civil disobedience action that involved blocking the entrance to the plant on Sunday, Aug. 10,” Clark said. “We had non-violence training the day before. (Non-violence training) is the preparation for the action so that people participating would know how to deal with the police and what to expect. “About 40 people stepped out into the road when workers began to approach, at which point Carson County Sherriff Connie Reed said that those who didn’t clear the road would be arrested.” Clark’s parents are supportive of their son’s actions. “I certainly support his right to make his own decisions,” Mrs. Clark said. “I knew that they were plan ning to go to jail. In the back of my mind 1 felt like there was some other things that might happen,” she said. Allen Clark said, “We were pretty proud of him. We . expected he would do something like this. I think mv wife worried more than I did.” During the Vietnam War, both parents were involved with protest marches in Houston, he said. They are also Quakers. Allen Clark said the Quaker religion is largely a paci fist organization. Jimi Clark said the important as pect of his actions is to change peo ple’s minds about the nuclear arms race. “I think that is the key — people’s attitudes,” he said. “I think what I did will not have a direct effect on national policy, although it would be nice. “But it is also my belief that if things are going to change they are really going to change through the attitudes and actions of people. The people are going to have to lead and the leaders will have to follow.” Allen Clark agreed with his son, saying that sometimes it is not im portant to the individual whether a great impact is made. “Whether you change anything or not,” he said, “sometimes you feel there are certain things you have to do.” 'House rejects investment bans in South Africa AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas House Tuesday rejected measures that would have banned state pension fund investments in banks that do busi ness in South Af rica. “Texas is still a racist state, and it reflects in that vote,” said Rep. Larry Evans, who offered the measures as amendments to the appropria tions bill that won final House approval Tuesday. The amendments would have barred invest ment of Employees Retirement System or Tea- cher Retirement System funds in Financial insti tutions that have made loans to “any government where citizenship is predicated on race.” Rep. Bill Ceverha, R-Dallas, said, “Although it [doesn’t say South Af rica, this is the old South Af rica question again. “The way it is written this time, it says they can- Inot invest in business and governments where citizenship is predicated on race. I’m not sure how you go about determining that around the world. I don’t know for sure, but I believe that you cannot be a citizen of Israel unless you are a Jew. So this would therefore, I guess, keep you from investing in companies that do business with Israel also.” Yoram Ettinger, Israel’s consul in Houston, said a person does not have to be Jewish to be a citizen of his country. Evans, D-Houston, said investment of state funds in South Africa helps perpetuate apart heid in that nation. “I think it’s an abhorrent concept,” the black lawmaker said. “It’s a concept we as Americans and we as Texans hold in disgust.” “I don’t know how much more blood has to be shed,” Evans said. “I don’t know' how many more people have to suffer second-class citizenship be- ibre we in this body act with courage and with conscience on this very important and critical is sue.” Evans drew 63 votes for one of the amend ments and 66 for the other. He needed 100 votes in the 150-member House for approval. Ceverha said he supports an end to South Af rica’s racist apartheid policies, but he added, “Folks, we are not going to do it through the ap propriations bill in the Texas Legislature.” Also Tuesday, the House sent the Senate a bill that would require a three-day cooling-off period between the issuance of a marriage license and a wedding. Also winning final House approval was a bill to bar auto dealers from putting their name stickers on center brake lights. The House voted tentative approval to a bill that would cut the Texas Motor Vehicle Commis sion from nine members to six by doing away with the panel’s three auto dealer members. Hobby: Standoff over budget crisis may be near end AUSTIN (AP) — While saying no deal has yet been reached, a top legislative leader voiced opti mism Tuesday that an end may be in sight to the state budget standoff that has loomed for months. Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, who pre sides over the Senate, said he hopes the Legislature may be able to solve the months-long dead lock and wrap up all work — in cluding a 1988-89 budget — by its scheduled June 1 adjournment date. “I think there is progress being made on the budgetary front,” Hobby said. “I’m extremely hope ful, extremely optimistic. Cer tainly more optimistic than I have been at any time during this ses sion. “I’m very encouraged and hope that the various problems before the Legislature can be re solved by June 1.” The House and Senate have passed budgets in excess of $39 billion. A conference committee will work out differences in the two plans. Gov. Bill Clements had pro posed a $36.9 billion budget that would require $2.9 billion to be raised by extending sales and mo tor fuel tax hikes scheduled to ex pire Aug. 31. He repeatedly has vowed to veto any larger tax in crease. But on Tuesday, the Dallas Times Herald reported that a tenuous agreement had been ne gotiated to avoid sharp cuts in vi tal state services by revamping the sales tax to raise extra mcmey. The report said concessions would be made by Clements and legislative leaders, with Clements to gain the added power he has sought to control state spending during a fiscal crisis. The newspaper said the cat alysts in the agreement were Dal- las philanthropist Peter O’Don ptulan nell and computer magnate H. Ross Perot. House Speaker Gib Lewis de scribed the discussions as a con tinuation of work that began when the Legislature convened in January. “We are doing the same thing we have been,” Lewis said. “Our staffs have been working together and have been for several weeks. As far as any agreement being made, that’s not happened. I wish I could say it has.” Clements said he, Hobby and Lewis would meet jointly Wednesday with Comptroller Bob Bullock to discuss a plan for expanding the sales tax to cover some services not now taxed and see exactly how much that plan would raise. Asked about the negotiations, Perot downplayed the part he is playing. “I’m in my classic role — a grain of sand,” he said. “I’m down here irritating the oysters a little bit. They’ll make the pearl. “We’ve all been talking. It hasn’t been necessary to persuade anybody to do anything. We have three very strong leaders in our governor, lieutenant governor and our speaker. I know they’re working in good faith together. I’m confident that when the dust clears, we’ll have everything it takes to have world-class (educa tional) institutions.” Rep. Stan Schlueter, D-Kiileen, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said he didn’t think Clements would agree to any plan without getting a lot of things he’s been wanting. But Hobby said he believes there now is a growing recogni tion that the “well-being, the wel fare of the state depends on ad equate funding of both public and higher education and on hu man services.” DIAMONDS NEW SHIPMENT JCIST ARRIVED! largest selection in Brazos County No Questions asked. 30 day money back guarantee on all loose diamonds sold. 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