Page 6
The Battalion
Wednesday, March 21,1990
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State police investigate horse track
for handling of state loan money
G. Rollie White Downs only pari-mutuel horse racing in Texas
AUSTIN (AP) — State police are investigating
5, the or '
G. Rollie White Downs, the only horse track to
conduct pari-mutuel racing in Texas in more
than 50 years, Racing Commission officials re
vealed Tuesday.
Clifford Grubbs, G: Rollie White Downs presi
dent, said the track had done nothing wrong and
hopes the commission will award it additional
racing dates for this spring and summer.
Racing Commissioner Glenn Blodgett said the
Department of Public Safety probe centers on
money that the track, located at Brady, received
through a state agency program.
“As I understand it, they’re looking at the
money that was spent from that Texas Depart
ment of Commerce loan.” Blodgett said.
“They’re looking at how that money was han
dled.
“That puts a cloud over the situation, it really
does,” the commissioner said of the track’s re
quest for extra racing days.
According to Commerce Department spokes
man Michael Murphy, a $480,000 grant was
given to Brady through the community devel
opment block grant program. That program is
designed to boost local economic development
and create jobs.
Murphy said the city loaned the money to the
race track. “What happened to that money after
it went to the city, I presume, is the question,”
Murphy said of the DPS probe.
Grubbs said he was confident no wrongdoing
would be found and that the track was cooperat-
“We’ve made mistakes. We’ve been telling
them (the commission) since halfway through
this meet that we were in trouble. And we have
been making mistakes, but they are honest mis
takes.”
“I
I’m not concerned about
what they’re checking
because I can assure you
that we have done nothing
illegal, immoral or anything
else.”
Grubbs said he thinks the DPS is checking
“facts and figures” from the track’s initial appli
cation for a racing license.
“They’ve been out to the race track, looking at
the records,” he said. “They’re free to open our
books and look at anything we’ve got. We’ve tried
to help them.”
— Clifford Grubbs,
horse track president
Grubbs said G. Rollie White Downs lost about
$180,000 last fall. He said it is more than
$800,000 in debt but is working with creditors
and lenders.
ing with the DPS. The track conducted 24 days of
racing from October to December last year, end
ing its race meet early.
“I’m not concerned about what they’re check
ing because I can assure you that we have done
nothing illegal, immoral or anything else,”
Grubbs said.
The track wants additional racing dates, begin
ning May 1 and running through the summer,
rather than waiting until the September start
date approved earlier.
“The more days we race during the spring and
summer, the more money we’re going to make,”
Grubbs said.
Lawyer: Jury chok
was racially biased
DALLAS (AP) — Prosecutors
tried to eliminate minorities from
a jury in the capital murder trial
of an alleged drug lord suspected
of killing five people in Texas
and Oklahoma, his defense law
yers contend.
In a hearing before state Dis
trict Judge Ron Chapman, attor
neys for Genaro Camacho, 35, ar
gued that records show
prosecutors used eight of 14 pe
remptory challenges to exclude
six blacks and two Hispanics from
selection.
“This reflects a discriminatory
pattern of the state’s use of its pe
remptory challenges,” said de
fense lawyer Julius Whittier, one
of three lawyers representing
Camacho.
Chapman set the hearing,
which started Monday, to con
tinue March 28.
kidnapping of a Southeast Dali
woman and her son in May
The bodies of the womanai
her son were later found in
shallow grave in Johmtai
County, Okla.
Whittier claimed that proseti
tors violated a U.S. Supra
Court i tiling that prospective
rors may not be rejected solely it
cause ol their race.
The jury, made up of six me
and six women, contains twoir;
norities — two Hispanic women
But Assistant District Attorm
Dennis Jones testified Mondi
that some of the minorities tve
disqualified because they con:
not assess the death penalty'
did not believe in it. The olfens
of capital murder is punishal
by either life in prison or death
Jones said the remaining!
nority candidates were eliminate
for other reasons.
Camacho faces trial next
month on a charge of killing a
man who walked in on the alleged
The jury will decide w
Camacho killed David Wilbttti
32, who was shot to death whn
he walked in as Camacho al
edly was trying to kidnap a
year-old woman and her 3-yeat
old son May 20, 1988.
State education committee rej ects pricey reform bil
Full House scheduled to review legislative school finance proposals
AUSTIN (AP) —The House Pub-
said of Lewis’ statement,
lie Education Committee on Tues
day rejected a Senate school finance
reform bill with a $1.2 billion price
tag, substituting its own $450 million
measure.
But that bill also is headed for a
fight when it comes before the full
House on Thursday, said Rep. Kent
Grusendorf, one of its sponsors. He
said he voted for the bill in commit
tee only to get it to the House floor,
where he plans to introduce his own
substitute.
“There’s too many unknowns”
concerning the future cost of the
House measure, as it was amended
in committee, said Grusendorf, R-
Arlington. The committee approved
the bill 6-1, with Rep. Alan School
craft, R-San Antonio, voting against
it.
Another bill sponsor. Rep. Ernes
tine Glossbrenner, said the bill pro
vides the equity that the Texas Su
preme Court said was needed when
it threw out the current system.
“I think that it would finally say
that the quality of education for any
school child in the state of Texas is
not going to be a function of where
they live,” said Glossbrenner, D-Al-
ice, head of the Public Education
Committee.
Lawmakers are working in special
session to answer the Supreme
Court’s ruling that the school fi
nance system is unconstitutional be-
ispai
erty-rich and -poor school districts.
The $13.5 billion-a-year public
school system relies on a combina
tion of state aid, local property taxes
and some federal funds.
The bill finally approved by the
House likely will end up in a confer
ence committee with the Senate
measure, so lawmakers can try to
work out differences.
“If everything goes right, we
could pass an education bill” to Gov.
Bill Clements before the current
special session ends at midnight
March 28, House Speaker Gib Lewis
said.
If a tax increase is required to pay
for the measure, Lewis said, “VVe’ll
have to be back here week after next,
and take that issue up.”
But Clements, who has promised
to veto any new taxes for court-or
dered public school finance reform,
heard of such a thing. I think
mostly just conversation.”
The governor has sole auik
to call special legislative sessions
Clements said a bill spendki
more than about $250 millionii
1990-91 school year would beai
table because that amount wont
require a tax increase.
But Glossbrenner said Texan:
willing to spend more money
can be sure children are geitir
good education.
. W6 re majoring
in a special subject.
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