Wednesday, January 4,1989/The Battalion/Page 3
State/Local
Bullock proposes issuing
school construction bonds
AUSTIN (AP) — roller
Bob Bullock proposed Tuesday
that the state issue some $750 mil
lion in bonds to help finance con
struction of additional school
classrooms in Texas.
Such a plan, which would re
quire approval of the Legislature,
could allow school districts to
spend additional money on im
proved programs or property tax
relief instead of construction,
Bullock said.
“Where our kids are educated
is just as important as textbooks
and lesson plans,” he said, adding
that Texas is one of just 10 states
that don't give Financial assistance
ttL 'local districts to build class
rooms. __
Bullock, a Democrat who is
running for lieutenant governor
in 1990, unveiled the plan in a let
ter to lawmakers who gather next
week for the 71st regular legis
lative session.
The plan is similar to an idea
Bullock offered last year as part
of a larger proposal to help the
stale deal with a district judge's
ruling that the school finance sys
tem was unconstitutional.
That ruling by Judge Harley
Clark would have required the
system to be overhauled by Sept.
1, at an estimated cost of $1 bil
lion to $2 billion. However, his
ruling was overturned last month
by the 3rd Court of Appeals. The
case is being appealed to the
Texas Supreme Court.
Concerns have been voiced by
some lawmakers and others that
momentum to reform the school
Finance system might stall be
cause of the appeals court ruling.
Tony Proffitt, a spokesman for
Bullock, said the comptroller de
cided to offer the classroom con
struction plan in case other school
funding issues aren’t addressed.
“He’s not sure the big educa
tion plan will go,’’ Proffitt said.
“This is something they (legis
lators) can do that’s not going to
cost the state a lot of money ."
Bullock said high property tax
rates “are killing education, and
it's time for the state to help.
“We need to give these schools
some relief on expensive, big-
ticket items like classrooms.
Texas needs classrooms, labo
ratories and libraries I'm not
talking about building football
stadiums, gymnasiums or swim
ming pools
He said the bond monev also
could be used to refund any
costly outstanding school bond
debts, with savings applied to a
district’s educational programs.
According to the comptroller,
the state's approximately 1,100
school districts paid nearly $900
million in 1988 on more than
$6.5 billion in interest and princi
pal. The state has the highest
public school bond debt in the na
tion, he said.
Congress will hear bill
on workplace drug abuse
AUSTIN (AP) — A bill requiring
efforts to guard against workplace
drug abuse by some construction
businesses and other safety-sensitive
industries was introduced Tuesday
with support from business, labor
and the Texas Civil Liberties Union.
The measure by Rep. Lloyd Criss,
D-La Marque, also would require li
censing of medical laboratories con
ducting drug tests and establishing
standards for rehabilitation pro
grams. It sets up procedures to safe
guard workers' rights.
“Right now, there are no rules.”
Criss said. “Although there are legit
imate drug testing laboratories
“scams" also exist because of a lack
of state regulation.
Joined at a news conference by
representatives of the Texas Asso-
ciatiqp of Business, the International
Association of Plumbers and Pipefit
ters, and the Texas Building and
Construction Trades Council, Criss
said his bill would protect rights of
both workers and employers.
“Drug abuse on the work site is
damaging to the business commu
nity because it causes losses in pro
duction. accidents, higher workers
compensation (insurance) premiums
and Overall lower morale on the
worksite,” Criss said.
“It also is damaging to the worker,
especially the worker who has to
work alongside the drug abuser." he
said. “That worker certainly has to
work on an unsafe worksite, and
generally he has to pick up the rest
of the load that the drug abuser is
failing to do."
The Texas Civil Liberties Union
sued an Austin computer chip- x
maker that administered drug tests
to workers, and a state district judge
decided for the employer in the case,
which is on appeal, ^ut Jim Harring
ton, TCLU legal director, said the
group supports Criss’s bill.
“ I nis makes it very clear what ev
erybody’s rights are in the situation.”
Harrington said.
manufacturing, petrochemicals and
public utilities.
Specific guidelines are included
for drug policies, and employers
would be required to give workers
written copies of their policies.
Drug testing would be allowed
Teacher plans black Texans museum
AUSTIN (AP) — An Austin tea
cher, frustrated with the lack of in
formation about blacks' role in the
history and development of Texas,
decided to take matters into his own
hands.
McCallum High School history
teacher David Williams and others
began working on the Black Texans
Cultural Museum and Hall of Fame
IVfc years ago. The museum is to
open by mid-June. *
Williams has visited more than 22
Texas counties in search of the mi*
mg historical links connecting blacks
to the state's chronological chain.
At best, such information is frag
mented, WiHiams said. At worst, the
historical data has never been docu
mented and is absent from textbooks
and classes.
Information about notable black
figures, historical events, inventions,
black communities and early set
tlements will be collected, housed
and displayed at the cultural
mkh
seum. wf
mu-
Wiiliams said will be the
first of its kind in the state.
A computerized research center
at the museum will provide informa
tion on black Texans and events on
request. Williams told the Austin
Amencan-Sutcsman, and exhibits
of statewide interest will be sent to
museums throughout Texas.
University of Texas Professor
John Warfield said the museum is “a
good idea and represents something
we should be doing to appreciate the
heritage of Blacks in this state.'*
‘But I am concerned that history
not be defined solely by heroes or
outstanding achievements. We must
also take up the struggle of ordinary
people and the masses to under
stand the whole picture,” Warfield
said, who teaches educational psy
chology and African-American stud
ies.
Williams, who earned a doctorate
in education from Baylor University,
said he did not learn of the seven
blacks who fought or served during
the Texas Revolution in history
classes.
“I had to get it the hard way,
mostly through lengthy research,”
he said.
Among those seven blacks. Wil
liams said, is Samuel McCullough Jr.
of Jackson County, one of the first
soldiers to shed blood’during Texas'
struggle fbr independence from
Mexico.
Even though McCullough re
ceived ^.Jife-crippling injury to his
shoulder in 1835 while lighting for
the Republic of Texas, he, like other
fiee blacks, was ordered to leave the
Republic five years later. It took an
act of Congress for McCullough and
his family to live in the state for
whkh he risked his life.
The six other known blacks who
fought or served in that war were
Peter Allen of Huntsville, a black
smith and soldier massacred at Go
liad with Col. James Fannin in 1836;
Greenberry Logan of Brazoria
County, another blacksmith and sol
dier who fought in the Battle of
Concepcion in 1835; Hendrick Ar
nold of San Antonio, who served as a
military guide at the Scige of Bexar
in 1835.
Also “Dick the Drummer," a
drummer in the final battle of the
Texas Revolution at San 'Jacinto;
Joe, a servant to Col. William Travis
who is credited with giving the first
eyewitness account of the fall of the
Alamo; and William Goyens of Na
cogdoches, a blacksmith who served
as an Indian interpreter during the
war.
•
Williams has put out a call to black
residents for historical documents,
photographs, research and oral his
tories.
Pointing—to the faded, wood-
frame structure that will house the
museum and hall of fame, Williams
said other help also is needed.
Volunteers are needed to reno
vate the house and perform mu
seum-related duties.
The bill would require all busi
nesses that employ 15 or more peo
ple and engage in hazardous work to
adopt a policy to eliminate drug
abuse, althougn drug testing would
not be required. Hazardous employ
ment includes jobs in construction.
be used to deny employment or dis-
cipbne a worker.
An employee who tested positive
would have the right to explain the
results and/or partkipate in a drug
rehabilitation program.
Although only hazardous busi
nesses would be required to have
drug policies, other companies that
chose to adopt such a policy would
be included under the proposed law.
Bob Sumpter, vice president of
employee relations for tne Texas As
sociation of Business, said, “We cer-
tamly feel very strongly that with all
of the evidence that exists, if we can
get drugs out of the workplace, it
will mean a much safer environment
for the employees in Texas."
Criss. citing studies by the Con
struction Industry Institute, said a
typical drug abuser uses three times
the normal amount of sk k leave ben
efits.
Texas road deaths up
after 3 year decline
Associated Press
A streak of decreasing deaths on
Texas roadways has ended after
three years, but officials say 1988
still should rate well below the stag
gering death counts recorded at the
first of the decade.
The Texas Department of Public
Safety said it anticipates final traffic
fatality Figures for 1988 to show
about a 3 to 4 percent increase over
1987, DPS spokesman David Wells
said. The final figures are not ex
pected for at least two months, he
said.
Traffic accidenu killed 3,261 peo
ple in Fexas in 1987.
Even Mfith ay increase of 4 per
cent, Tekas trA(fi</ fataliiies would
still fall below !M100, more thin
1,000 deaths under the figures re
ported for the first two vears of the
1980s.
There were 4,424 traffic deaths in
Texas in 1980. and the count in
creased to an all-time high of 4.701
in 1981.
But Wells said a number of facnors
began pushing down the number of
traffic fatalities, including more ef
fective traffic enforcement and pub-
1k pressure against drunken driving.
“We’re not trying to claim all the
credit,” the DPS spokesman said.
-|t^
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