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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 4, 1990)
Page 4 The Battalion Friday, May 4,1 Leaving on Then enter our drawing for some great give-a-ways from MTV! Just bring in your converter and pay your bill anytime between now and May 5th* Sign up to win; MTV Beach Towels Beach Bags Tote Bags or a MTV Logo watch! Plus, we'll give you a FREE MTV bumper sticker and button! MUSIC TELEVISION* It's our way of saying “Thanks Aggies!“ If you can't come in, we'll be at the MSG on May 7-11th; First Floor from 9AM-5PM. For information call: 846-2229 BOTHER’S BOOKSTORE We buy ALL books! (textbooks, paperbacks, studyguides, schuams outlines, cliff notes) Don’t Be Overwhelmed With Your Used Books! Bring them to Pother’s and Spin to Win on our Wheel of Fortune! 20% discount • free T-shirts 50% discount • $5 00 free merchandise 10% more cash OPEN LATE FINALS WEEK 340 George Bush Drive 901 Harvey Rd. Across from University Police Woodstone Shopping Center Senate revives finance AUSTIN (AP) — The school fi nance reform bill killed by Gov. Bill Clements’ tax veto last session was revived Thursday by a Senate com mittee that criticized and discarded the governor’s no-new-taxes educa tion plan. The Senate Education Committee didn’t vote on the bill backed by Clements. But senators were skepti cal of how it would be funded and angry that it wasn’t offered until af ter two months of unsuccessful spe cial sessions. Committee Chairman Carl Parker said he didn’t plan for the panel to meet again this session. “As far as I’m concerned, the work of the Education Committee is done,” said Parker, D-Port Arthur. The bill sent to the full Senate is similar to the $555 million one ap proved in the last 30-day special ses sion, which ended Tuesday. That measure died when Clements vetoed a half-cent sales tax increase to fund it. House Speaker Gib Lewis, D-Fort Worth, said he expects the Demo crat-controlled Legislature to send the Republican governor a bill close to the one passed last session. “I don’t see any other avenue, ex cept the one that we’ve already taken,” Lewis said. The Senate bill would require a separate measure to appropriate the $555 million. It could be passed to the governor, but would not take ef fect unless the appropriations bill was passed, Parker said. “This will let us go ahead and send a bill to the governor that has accountability, innovation ... while we still negotiate and work on an ap propriations bill, and a bill to fund it,” Parker said. If lawmakers and Clements don’t write a reform plan by June 1, a state judge plans to appoint a court mas ter who will. Clements’ plan would cost $250 million next school year. His chief of staff, Mike Toomey, said the plan would meet the Texas Supreme Court’s order to make the school fi nance system fairer to poor school districts. help pay for his plan, and tkf id But Sen. Carlos Truan, D-Corpus Christi, said Clements’ plan doesn’t go far enough to help poor schools. “It would seem to me that we are not doing the job with this bill ... We’re missing a golden opportu nity,” Truan told Toomey, who spoke to the Education Committee. Senators questioned the validity of budget cuts Clements would use to tacked his proposed increase] ; state fee for driving records as in disguise. “The state is not a for-profii ness. It’s either a fee to rekl, costs, or it’s a tax, and that’sa Parker said. Sen. John Leedom, RD sponsor of the governor's bil the difference is, “If you doni (the service,) you don’t pay it." But Sen. Eddie Bernice D-Dallas, said, “You cancallii Sj thing you want. If it costs more, the end result is thesamt Aide: Taxes needei AUSTIN (AP) — If Demo cratic lawmakers insist on enact ing their plan for school finance reform, a state income tax is next, Gov. Bill Clements’ top aide said Thursday. Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby said an in come tax is on its way, anyhow. “An income tax is coming in the next few years regardless of the education bill,” said Hobby, a Democrat who is retiring after nearly two decades in office. Mike Toomey, chief of staff for the Republican governor, insisted that Clements’ $250 million school proposal — which would be funded by cuts in other state programs — is affordable and would meet the Texas Supreme Court requirements on equalizing school aid to poor schools. But the Democrat-controlled Legislature’s $555 million plan — which needs a half-cent sales tax increase — eventually would be so expensive as to require tfl state to levy an income tax, Toil mey charged. Texas is one of only a 1 of states with neither a corponi nor personal income tax. “Someone needs to addressii fporun fact that that bill would cause; income tax in this state becaie you’ve got a $6 billion shortfall; funding” down the road, loom said of the plan approved inti last special legislative sessional being proposed again. Hobby, who has called fori income tax in the past, said In ans are going to face one sooct or later. “1 assume that will be couplt with a reduction in education property taxes, with a repeal the corporate franchise tax. think that’s inevitable, and I the that will be a great day for li AS! state,” Hobby said. Ch Int Na Sta Ins Sp< Pu E.I Pin UT athletes hold rally to promote racial unity AUSTIN (AP) — Nearly 100 Uni versity of Texas athletes held a march and rally that drew hundreds of supporters, calling for all students to unite against racism on campus and for the UT administration to lead the effort. “Our society in Texas is becoming a multicultural one. For the univer sity to become first-class it must rep resent that,” swimmer Shaun Jordan told nearly 800 vocal supporters Wednesday on the West Mall of the campus. “We’re tired of just talk. We’re de manding action,” Jordan said. The Student Athletes Coalition was formed after recent racial inci dents on campus that led to a one- year suspension Tuesday of the Delta Tau Delta and Phi Gamma Delta fraternities. During Round-Up, an annual fes tival for UT alumni in early April, some Phi Gamma Delta members handed out T-shirts that featured a “Sambo” caricature. Delta Tau Delta smashed a car painted with aryti- black messages. The anti-racism march, from out side Memorial Stadium to West Campus, was joined by James Vick, UT vice president for student af fairs. “I’m a faculty member and con cerned about students and issues,” Vick said. “1 have sympathy with things that bother them.” Shola Lynch, a member of the women’s track team, said, “We’ve awakened from our deep sleep to find we have a voice. We want to join with other groups to have the faculty and board of regents hear us.” T ourmAYt 4Vhiir»<rl jL#awnieii i outlet guilty of murder Three white former lawmen were found guilty murder in the 19$7 death of a African American jail inmate at the Sabine County Jail. The afbwhite jury defiberated fur about four hours Thursday, before finding former Hemphdl Police Chief Thomas Ladner and former Sabine County sherifTs deputies Billy Ray Horton and James M. ftydeo .guilty in the death of Loyal Garner, Jr. The men face possible sen- tences of up to 09 years in prison. S^year-old truck driver vfrum Florfem La : , who had no criminal record, died two days af ter being arrested on Christmas .cm drunken driving charges.jiff• underwent surgery fo^iead .tojnfies, but never re- /gained consciousness. • - charges of racism against taw en forcement officials m Hemphill, ^^||^p|ii^ : £feunty; seat located ne^i^-^Ilkas-Lotnsratta border, fffiAn/.'/estimated 200 people pacfled the courtroom for the verdict. of emotion, no outbursts, no crying* no nothing/’ State District Judge Joe Tunnell • $aid before reading the jury’s ver dict shortly before 2p.m. §H^arnd^;widow, Corrinne Gar- Atttedy as the verdict announced.;?/ • ifl His mother, Sarah Garner said, •Tor glad. I hope it’s over,” |f : ; jnmmie Maxie, one of the two brothers-- arrested with Garner, said he was surprised by the out- crane. He said he had not ex pected the men to be convicted. A Sabine County jury in July 1088 acquitted the three men of charges that they violated Gar- ner’s civil rights by beating him and denying him medical atten tion. The punishment phase of the trial was scheduled to begin Fri day morning. The jurors, who have been sequestered during much of the trial, were inidally expected to begin deliberating the sentences Thursday af ternoon. Defense attorneys on Wednes day made a surprising move by not asking that the jury be al lowed to consider lesser charges such as involuntary manslaughter or negligent homicide, A prosecutor told the jurors Wednesday that the officers “crossed over that line of iaw en forcement officers to commorf* criminals,” when they beat Gar ner. Defense attorneys said the men struck Garner in self-defense. During his closing arguments Wednesday, Smith County Dis trict Attorney jack Skeen told die jury that the ex-lawmen displayed a total indifference to human life. He also said the badges they wore did not give them “a license to murder,” ■ ohn Seale, Ladner’s lawyer, iPfl ed the prosecution’s case weak because it was based on the dis honest testimony of “three jail bird witnesses.” ../.In:/:his rebuttal, Skeen said prosecutors relied on testimony from inmates because the prison ers were the only witnesses who didn’t work for the county. “Thomas Ladner and Bill Hor ton, surely in retrospect used bad judgement and slapped Loyal Garner upside the head,” Hor ton’s lawyer, Jeff Haas, said Wednesday. But he said there was no evidence proving that Horton struck him. Parent wanw LE S of dangers oil ‘happy hour| AUSTIN (AP) — Statealcohi ficials were told Thursday thaiF should be banned from offenr* dies nights, 2-for-l discountsar;* you-can-drink deals to proteci® citizens and taverns. ■ Susan Qq\, founder and exe JL director or For the Loveoft g told the Texas Alcoholic Bevtm Commission that cheap drinbfi so-called happy hours are “bad S ness.” I “They cause death, they cauiS, w si r»H Ir^ct 11*» In thp ; J Cl and they contribute to the high ure rate of bars and restauaj she testified during a hearin;! proposed rules that would! happy hour promotions. i But officials of the bar, rests and hotel industries oppostc; rules, saying they would uncora tionally restrict free speech I trade by regulating beverage aq rising and pricing. Austin attorney Thomas Rutlfj said the measures — intends prevent over-consumption da “happy hours” —would unfair!; L|_ E « gle out happy hour as “an inhen evil or heinous activity.” Others said they believe the go too far in limiting legitimate ness practices. “It is our opinion that the posed i ides constitute an overrt ing of authority and an over tion to the perception held by that all happy hour practices mote excessive consumption," Richie Jackson, executive vice| dent of the Texas Restaurant elation. “In simple vernacular, webd you have thrown out the bab the bath water,” he told the coifl Rutledge also said reg barring mixed-drink establishr from advertising brand name prices outside their buildings keep important information consumers. Cox said she founded the con: ing group after her daughterO was killed by a 20-year-old hit run driver on Austin’s Sixth St the city’s nightclub district, in The driver had been “bar-hopp buying inexpensive beer and 25 shots at several clubs, she said. The regulations would: — End all happy hours by llj — Eliminate “nickel” beer it and similar practices. — Halt bar contests where ale is offered as prizes, or where ners are determined by whodtf the most. • I — Restrict the number of co' mentary drinks served to 5 pe ; of an establishment’s month!'1 and prohibit sale of drinks a 1 ? than cost. — Prevent unlicensed bars using caterer’s permits to get an' licensing laws. A caterer's could be used by a bar only for 10 days, while its license appli; is pending. TABC general counsel Joe nail said the agency, could vo#| the recommendations as s May 21.