State and local
3
Wednesday, January 30, 1991
The Battalion
Richards urges vote on lottery
AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Ann Richards stepped
up the push for a lottery bill Tuesday, saying
Texans deserve a chance to decide for them
selves whether they want the moneymaking
games.
Richards said lawmakers should put a lottery
proposal before voters on the May 4 constitu
tional amendment ballot. Approval would mean
that lottery gambling could begin in January
1992, she said.
“The state is in a revenue crunch,” Richards
said. “We are looking for sources of funds for ed
ucation and prisons and mental health programs
and human services and any number of other
things that I can name.
“Polls have shown consistently that there is
overwhelming support in the state of Texas, on
the part of the people, for a state lottery,” she
said.
Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock called a lottery “a sleazy
way for government to raise money” but said he
understands that a majority of Texans have ex
pressed a desire to vote on it.
“I hate to run government on the throw of
dice, and I hate to run government on just the
throw of a lottery,” Bullock said. “I’ve seen the
studies ... and about 50 percent of the sales of a
lottery are sold to the bottom 10 percent income
people.”
A proposed constitutional amendment on a
lottery would “do one thing and one thing only ...
allow the people of Texas to decide for them
selves whether or not they want to raise public
funds for critical state services through a state
lottery,” Richards said.
She said a “scratch card” lottery game could
begin in January 1992, with the big-money com
puterized “lotto” game starting in July 1992.
The state estimates that a Tottery would raise
about $730 million during the 1992-93 budget
period. Lawmakers face a projected $4.2 billion
deficit for those years.
“That’s $730 million we will not have to add in
terms of additional taxation or lose in terms of
critical state services,” Richards said.
Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, said traditional
House opposition that defeated his lottery bills in
the past was shrinking in the face of a budget
deficit and possible state income tax.
“I’ve always known as we come closer to con
sidering a state income tax ... the lottery would
become more favorable,” Wilson said.
House Speaker Gib Lewis, D-Fort Worth, said
he was told that the needed 100 House votes
might be found. A proposed constitutional
amendment must win two-thirds approval in
each legislative chamber.
“I taTked to a couple of members yesterday ...
and they said they had over 100 votes that they
thought they could identify,” Lewis said.
Judge vetoes waste site
slated for West Texas
EL PASO (AP) — A state district
court judge Tuesday blocked the
state from building a low-level nu
clear dump site near Fort Hancock,
saying the state had tunnel vision
when looking for a site.
The judgment issued by 34th
State District Court Judge Bill
Moody amounts to a permanent in
junction barring the state from
building the West Texas dump.
El Paso and Hudspeth counties
sued the state in 1987 to stop its
plans to build the dump near Fort
Hancock, about 40 miles southeast
of El Paso.
Moody has been mulling the case
since September following a two-
week trial that included 1,500 exhib
its consisting of maps, overlays,
rocks, slides, photographs, letters,
complicated scientific reports and
testimony from 27 witnesses.
The volumes of exhibits “left the
poor trial judge weary and in need
of a pair of reading glasses,” Moody
said in the judgment.
Federal law requires all states to
have low-level radioactive waste
dumps operating by January 1993,
or to join with other states to estab
lish regional dumps.
House studies bill
that halts spending
AUSTIN (AP) — House budget-writers quickly took up
a Senate bill to freeze state spending Tuesday, although
leaders voiced some reservations about the measure and
said it could be changed.
Meanwhile, state employees began a lobby effort
against the proposal, which they said would further bur
den already overworked staffers.
“We’re doing a disservice to our clients in every state
agency if we have staffing cutbacks, which a hiring freeze
will effectively mean,” said Sylvia Meyer, president of the
Texas State Employees Union.
The House suspended rules to allow the bill to be con
sidered Tuesday by its budget-writing Appropriations
Committee, which did not immediately act on it. The Sen
ate passed the bill Monday.
“I think we all have some degree of reservation of how
it’s set up or controlled,” House Speaker Gib Lewis said of
the Senate bill.
Along with the freeze, the bill would provide for the
speaker, lieutenant governor and governor to oversee a
state government review.
“I’d like to have more legislative input into it, and I’m
hoping that we are guaranteed that will be the case, that it
won’t be three people calling all the shots,” Lewis, D-Fort
Worth, said.
The bill would save a projected $50 million to $98 mil
lion in the Fiscal year ending Aug. 31, helping to make up
an estimated $296 million budget deficit. There’s also a
projected shortfall of more than $4 billion over the next
two fiscal years.
The Senate measure would freeze spending and hiring
beginning Friday, with some exceptions, and begin audits
and reviews of state government.
On the lookout
MIKE C. MULVEY/The Battalion
UPD officer Chris Faulkner questions skateboarders Heath Smith, Mike Ward,
and Mike Heath outside of the Blocker Building Tuesday afternoon.
In Advance
Seniors must apply for degrees by Friday
Texas A&M students graduating in May must make a formal appli
cation for degrees no later than Friday.
Degree applicants must report to 105 Heaton Hall and complete de
gree application forms. If the diploma fee was not added to tuition, it
must be paid at that time.
Construction science will host career fair
The Texas A&M Department of Construction Science will conduct
its first Career Fair Thursday and Friday on the second floor of the
Langford Architecture Center.
Representatives from construction companies will be available from
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days to discuss opportunities in the construc
tion industry.
All people interested in the construction profession are urged to at
tend the fair. For a schedule of events or any additional information,
contact Leslie Feigenbaum at 845-7008.
An Nam Tea House hosts war seminar today
The Brazos Valley Peace Action is sponsoring a seminar on the Mid
dle East war from 7 to 10 p.m. today at the An Nam Tea House.
Speakers include Dr. Terry Anderson, an associate history profes
sor, and Dr. Larry Yarak, an assistant history professor. Floyd Wells,
commander of the Disabled American Veterans, also will give his view
on the conflict.
Discussion will center on why the United States is involved in the
war and what can be done to move toward peace now and in the future.
Following the presentations, the audience will be encouraged to present
ideas and ask questions.
For more information, contact the An Nam Tea House at 846-2898.
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'92 Junior '92
Awareness Week
Jan. 28-Feb. 1
Thur. '92 Night at the Hall
Hall of Fame 9 : PM
Fri. '92 Night at Sneakers
$1.92 cover for jrs.
Daily "what's in the box?" clues
will be given at the MSC table,
prizes will be awarded 11:PM
Sneakers
Elephant Walk Shirts are still available in the MSC
Student Programs Office