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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 19, 1989)
he Battalion TATE & LOCAL Wednesday, July 19,1989 Legislature still debating comp bill enators try to recall colleagues from comp-reform committee )lly ins IcatedCote 11 by fVeti •us. Less I ut heofiei terpreiai]::j I he chair. ias an infd the complex a bad infon ulster hisd v him well ate andii rred extrec now hinu ?sire to fixl is so aihifl by the a d changed )le hecoi nus, iations. it House tj ve Wole - the small IQ, b elf, wh side tl sent fived their sidfl fensiveetn a change! om to coni a couple he other hy — at :ompens2 ;d on the an iisout,Sit a mistab heh. then looi heat - i good PH i the W : started end —bu nations ’ lith rcifully^ d story ed a sin- all! his pol'» isn’tabuSi him in AUSTIN (AP) — In an apparently unprece- ented move, some state senators Tuesday tried :o recall their own colleagues from a joint com- aittee negotiating workers’ compensation re- orm. The move was an attempt by conservative sen- tors to bring the House version of the workers’ omp package to the Senate floor as the midnight Wednesday expiration of the special legislative icssion drew closer. The bid failed, 10-21, after a bitter debate and (the House-Senate conference committee re sumed meeting. Both Gov. Bill Clements and House Speaker Gib Lewis said the outlook was dim for reaching compromise on overhauling the insurance sys tem that compensates workers for on-the-job in juries. . But Clements said if the House and Senate get close to an agreement when the session expires, he might call another quick overtime session to wrap up business. “If they get that close, I wouldn’t be adverse to that,” Clements said. Lawmakers have been at odds since January over the state workers’ comp system, with busi nesses complaining of high insurance rates and employees complaining of low benefits and inad equate job-safety laws. The House, backed by business, wants to re duce the amount of litigation in the process of re solving workers’ comp disputes between the in surance carrier and the employee. But the Senate, supported by trial lawyers and labor, wants beefed-up job safety provisions. And they say the House proposals on litigation would make it difficult for an injured worker to receive fair judicial review. In the Senate, all eight Republicans, joined by two Democrats, sought to essentially disband the conference committee and have a straight vote on the House proposal. Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, who has presided over the Senate since 1973, said he could not remember a previous instance when a motion was made to re call the Senate conferees. Sen. Bob McFarland, R-Arlington, said the conference committee was unable to resolve the differences between the two chambers, and an other avenue should be used to reach a solution. roups try to sway lawmakers on abortion issue AUSTIN (AP) — Pro-choice and anti-abortion groups Tuesday di- (ected their opposing messages at the seat of state government, the Ca- jpitol. Bill Price, president of Texans Jnited for Life, released a letter to Gov. Bill Clements with the names of |19 lawmakers who support consider ation of “the issue of abortion in a [special session at the earliest possible Itime.” The Texas Abortion Rights Ac tion League displayed a petition, purportedly with 50,000 names, pledging to keep the government from interfering in private, personal decisions. Price, of Dallas, said Clements “re cently raised the hopes of millions of Texans when he announced that he vould probably put the abortion is- pue on the agenda of another special Session of the Legislature, should ane be called.” Clements himself said he had no bomment on the legislators’ request. “Workers’ comp is on the table tight now, and I have not studied the abortion situation as to our exist ing laws versus” the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the governor said. “I’ve saved that for another day, and we’ll get into that later after we finish this session,” he said. The 30-day session Clements called on workers’ compensation ends at midnight Wednesday. Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby, who presides “I I’ve saved that for another day, and we’ll get into that later after we finish this session.” — Bill Clements, governor over the Senate, is viewed by anti abortion groups as the stumbling block in the Legislature, and Price said if the issue “breaks down on party lines . . . the party or the indi vidual who blocks the governor’s abortion proposal will pay a very heavy political price.” Reminded that Hobby, a Demo crat, is not a candidate in 1990, Price said, “Well, I think his party will pay a price.” Hobby said he would allow an abortion bill in a special session if two-thirds of the Senate wanted one. Hobby said he had never blocked any legislation that had two-thirds support in the Senate, which is the vote needed to bring measures to the floor. “These people just never had their votes,” he said. “The Supreme Court decision doesn’t really change anything,” Hobby said. “It says if Missouri wants to say that only rich folks can have abortions, that’s Missouri’s business. I would not think that Texas would ever be as mean-spir ited as the folks in Missouri.” Price said he .vould like to see leg islation proposed that tracks the Mis souri law upheld by the Supreme Court. Phyllis Dunham, executive direc tor of the Texas Abortion Rights Ac tion League, said anti-abortion groups “have manipulated, con trived, plotted, schemed, circum vented, maneuvered and beat our legislators over the head with their demands for 16 years.” “It’s time now for our legislators to hear from the majority of Texans who believe that abortion is too per sonal a decision to be played out on the floor of the Legislature,” she said. Dunham spoke to reporters on the steps of the Capitol as a couple of hundred people — mostly women — passed the lengthy chain of peti tions, hand-to-hand, into the Capitol rotunda. Local schools get access to international computer network through A&M By Kathy Haveman Contributing Editor With the help of Texas A&M, Bryan and College Station inde pendent school districts gained access to a computer network that will link the districts with 30 oth ers nationwide and to colleges and universities in Asia, Canada, Europe and South America. The local districts can log on by phone to BITNET through the TAMU Computer Center’s MI CRO VAX computer in the Tea gue Building. BITNET, the “Be cause It’s Time” Network, is a worldwide, cooperative network of institutions of higher learning. BITNET members agree to transfer data and information free of charge and to allow non member groups wanting to link up to the network to do so through them. Members of BIT- NET exchange data and informa tion by elertronir mail. Butch Kemper, assistant direc tor of technical services at the Computing Services Center, said the district administrators will send and receive electronic mail, but students will not access BIT- NET. Kemper said the districts have the opportunity to increase network usage in the future. CSISD Administrative Director Sandra Parker said the district should hook up to the A&M com puter system within the next 30 days, using a data-over-voice mechanism, a permanent connec tion through the phone. The administrative office will use BITNET to send electronic mail, with the possibility of ex panded use in the district in the future, she said. “The network wouldn’t be much good if it was just for ad ministration,” Parker said. “If a teacher needs information, we hope to use it to gain that infor mation.” A&M analyst says land prices in Texas may soon stop falling HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas A&M University analyst said the statewide decline in rural land prices may be over after plunging 37 per cent between 1985 and 1988. The 1988 median price of $661 an acre was the lowest since 1979 when the median was $625 an acre, said Charles E. Gilliland, assistant re search economist at the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M. When adjusted for inflation, land prices basically have returned to the levels of the 1960s, Gilliland said. The high occurred in 1985 when the median price was $1,050 an acre. In 1986 it slumped to $870 and in 1987 fell to $700, according to sur veys by the center. The decline from $700 to $661 an acre last year was a smaller drop than in the earlier years, when sharp drops were prompted by the col lapse of the oil industry and the steady decline in agricultural ex ports. An upcoming report by Gilliland shows that markets where crops are grown, which were the first to be hurt by the price decline, appear to be recovering. Land prices in the panhandle, for example, started de- clining.by 1981, he said. However, the demand for ranch land and for land on the fringe of urban areas appears to remain weak, Gilliland said. The median size of rural property sales in Texas last year crept upward to 139 acres, from 130 acres in 1987. The 7 percent increase in size, how ever, is not statistically significant, he said. The center’s analysis involves 3,702 land sales. FAMOUS FIRSTS FIRST AIRPLANE The Wright Brothers began experimenting with kites in the 1890's and in 1903 became the first to sustain flight for 852 feet over the beach at Kitty Hawk. FIRST CAR FIRST LOVE She was the only one who didn’t laugh when you fell off the jungle gym and broke your leg. She even let you win at checkers. What a woman! The world’s first motor car, the Lenoir, named after its inventor, ran at an average speed of 4 miles per hour. In 1863 the 11/2 horsepower vehicle made its first drive of 6 miles in only 3 hours. TACO CASA1M CABANA BUCKS $1 off Any Dinner Plate at regular price 701 Texas Ave. South CQQ -1 00/1 (at University Dr.) Ov/O” I v/UH- Limit 1 Per Customer • Not Valid w/other offer or Coupon Expires 7/31/89 I T $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 PAINFUL MUSCULAR INJURIES ||S $50 Individual with recent lower back or neck pain, sprain, strains, $50 $50 muscle spasms, or painful muscular sport injury to participate $50 $50 in a one week research study. $50 incentive for those chosen $50 $50 to participate. . $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $50 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 ASTHMA STUDY $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 UNIVERSITY TOWER It’s time to introduce another Famous First, University Tower. In August, the privately-owned and managed property will open as a dormitory. At University Tower you’ll find 24-hour on-site security, a huge bedroom and private bath, full meal plans, an exercise and weight room, study rooms & com puter room, an indoor pool, a sport-court, a volleyball pit, laundry facilities, housekeeping service, and a shuttle bus to campus. It’s the first and only dorm of its kind at A&M. Call or come by for leasing information for Fall/Spring '89-'90! “Above and Beyond the Rest” University Tower 410 South Texas Avenue (409) 846-4242 1-800-537-9158 University Dr. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY > University Tower is managed by one of the most experienced student housing management company in the United States. Dr. Richard A Bems, general manager for Wallerstein Property Management, manages dormitories at the University of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University for over 1800 students. $200 $200 $200 Wanted: Individuals ages 12-70 with asthma to partic- $200 ipate in a researcfl study to evaluate asthma medica- $200 tions. $200 incentive for those chosen to participate. $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 $200 CALL PAULL RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 776-0400 The Advantage is yours with'a Battalion Classified TAMU STUDY ABROAD IN ITALY itp 8 mm yit-l® piU Summer Session 1,1990 (Courses pending final approval) ARTS 350: Arts and Civilization Prof. Paolo Barucchieri Santa Chiara, Italy HIST 101: Western Civilization to 1600 Dr. James Bradford 570 Harrington 845-7165 Students will visit other places such as Flor ence, Pompeii, Venice, Pisa, Rome and Siena. Yes, I’m interested; please notify me of any meetings, informational Name Address. Student ID. Classification. Contact: Study Abroad Office 161 W. Bizzeil 845-0544