Page 2 • The Battajlion state Sc local T hursday • March 23,195 i&jSSx • •• r •' Thursday House considers juvenile crime reform □ The proposed bill seeks to lower the age at which an adolescent can be tried as an adult. AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas House on Wednesday began de bating sweeping reforms to the state’s juvenile justice system that aim to curb the skyrocket ing number of crimes being com mitted by teens. Rep. Toby Goodman, R-Ar- lington, said his bill would send a message to youths that “if they commit a violent crime in Texas ... they’re going to do seri ous time in the Youth Commis sion or in the adult system.” The bill would lower from 15 to 14 the age at which a juvenile could be tried as an adult, toughen sentences and expand the list of offenses for which youths could be incarcerated for a fixed period of time. “For the last decade in Texas, we have had an explosion of ju venile offenses, both petty of fenses and serious offenses,” Goodman said, citing statistics showing violent crime arrests among youths have risen 282 percent over the last decade. “We need to treat violent ju venile offenders like the preda tors they are, and we need to save the ones that we can save,” he said. But some legislators said the proposals were too severe and would not help rehabili tate violent teens. Rep. Sylvester Turner pro posed retaining 15 as the age at which juveniles could be tried as adults, saying lower ing the age would do nothing to help curb crime. “There is no reason to lower the age from 15 to 14 ... except for political purposes,” said Turner, D-Houston. “At some point in time we must send some positive message from this House, and lowering the age when there is no reason to do it continues to send negative vi brations to our children.” Turner also criticized a provi sion that would lower from 18 to 16 the age at which juveniles would be eligible for transfer to the adult prison system. “We are opening the doors to start sending kids to the adult criminal corrections system at the age of 16 when TYC is set up specifically for purposes of dealing with these kinds of chil dren,” Turner said. Rep. Allen Place, D- Gatesville, said the provision was necessary to show teens there is “some price at some point that’s out there.” “We’re not getting the mes sage to kids that in fact if you continue with violent behavior that something is going to hap pen to you and there is a price to be paid for that type of be havior, whether you’re an adult or whether you’re a juvenile,” Place said. Juvenile crime reform be came a major issue during last year’s gubernatorial race, and Gov. George W. Bush has made it a top priority this legislative session. Numerous reform measures have been proposed in the House and Senate and are likely to be hammered out later in a conference committee. Goodman’s bill would cost the state about $60 million over the next two-year budget period and require another $15 million to fund the construction of 1,700 new beds for juvenile offenders. Under the bill, the list of of fenses for which juveniles could be incarcerated for a fixed peri od of time would be expanded. Currently youths are sen tenced to Texas Youth Commission facilities for an un specified period of time unless they commit one of six offenses, which in clude capital mur der and murder. The bill would add to that list a dozen more offenses, including aggravated robbery, manslaugh ter and indecency with a child. Youths would face sentences ranging from 10 to 40 years for those offenses and would have to serve minimum sentences rang ing from one year to 10 years. The measure also would cre ate a computerized information system that would allow author ities to share information about juvenile offenders. Another provision would es tablish a seven-level “progres sive sanctions” program that would allow local juvenile boards to increase punishments for repeat offenders. "We need to treat violent juve nile offenders like the predators they are, and we need to save the ones that we can save." — Rep. Toby Goodman, author of the reform bill Medical students journey across U.S. border to provide for needy Q During spring break, 31 students from the University of North Texas gained valuable, practical experience providing care for people in Mexico. REYNOSA, Mexico — While multitudes of col lege students were partying on South Padre Island, a group of Fort Worth students on spring break was quietly crossing the U.S. border 70 miles to the west, taking medical care and hope to some of the poorest people in this dusty, crowded town.Last week, 31 students from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth and a band of volunteer doctors, interpreters and nurs es traveled in a convoy of vans across the Interna tional Bridge at Hidalgo in the morning and re turned well after sunset each night for four days. Most of the students are in their second year of medical school; their previous experience had been with textbooks and lab apparatus. In Reynosa, working at four sites a day, the Americans treated about 1,200 people, performing a social service that would be impossible to provide for their own country’s needy residents because of liability concerns, program supervisors said- The medical students set up shop in one-room churches with no electricity or water, in aban doned buildings where missions had been estab lished, or in a shantytown near railroad tracks. “I was shocked at the conditions we had to work under,” said Chris Pratt, a second-year stu dent from Richardson. Their patients, as young as 13 months and old er than 70 years, waited outside for hours. Many were diagnosed as they sat on church pews that had been removed from the buildings to make room for the one-day clinics. They also treated people in their homes, men and women who could not travel to the makeshift dispensaries. “It’s been humbling,” said Chimene Willis, a 23-year-old first-year medical student. Willis and the other medical students are members of the Christian Medical and Dental So ciety, which sponsors an annual trip to aid the Rid Grande Valley Baptist Association’s mission ary work along the border. Although a primary goal was to promote Christian beliefs, the sheer volume of medical work the students performed quickly displaced any such effort. “That’s a disappointment,” said Matt Click, a student organizer for the spring-break mission out of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine at the UNT-Fort Worth campus. “But I also know I can’t touch someone’s spiritual needs without meeting their physical and medical needs.” Each day, the students and their volunteer physicians, nurses and interpreters crossed the border with a trove of pharmaceuticals and med ical supplies donated by doctors, pharmacists and hospitals in Tarrant and Dallas counties. Despite that bounty, they faced frustrating ironies as they worked in the colonies of Reynosa, a city of 360,000 people. True, they gave immediate care to several hun dred people. But they struggled with what turned out to be a shortage of medications, with the knowledge that their patients would probably not get follow —- up care, and with the realization that their ef forts were often temporary at best. “What we’re doing doesn’t matter if they can’t do something else to improve their conditions,” said Pamela George, 25. “I found myself just wanting to give them something, anything, to help them. I re alized how we’ve become so reliant in our society on drugs to do the job. These people need more.” “You learn they’re people, too: The poor are people, too, and not just in Mexico,” said Lori Miller, 27. “I’ll take that back with me.” Senators lash out against casino lobbyist for ‘outrageous attack □ Senators debate the integrity of comments spoken and actions tak en concerning the defeated amendment to legalize gambling. AUSTIN (AP) — Texas senators on Wednesday lashed out at a pro-casino lobbyist over what they described as an outrageous attack on the Senate parliamentarian, whose sons represent an anti casino group. They said the comment by lobbyist Lloyd Criss seems aimed at calling into question the Senate’s integrity. The uproar comes in the wake of an 8-4 vote by the Senate State Affairs Commit tee against a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize casino gambling. Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, in declaring the issue dead for the session, this week criticized those he called “greedy” casino lobbyists for seeking a public hearing Senate. I’m here to tell you, and I want everyboj; to know, that that ain’t true. “If they want to say that about the lieutenai governor, I question their intelligence. If the want to say that about the parliamentarian, think it’s cowardly,” he said. Sibley said Johnson was in the job because love for public service and good government. Other senators also chimed in to praise Johi son and Bullock, defend the Senate’s integrity an disparage the job pro-casino lobbyists had done pushing the issue. Sen. Chris Harris, R-Arlington, called th comment “unforgivable.” Sen. Ken Armbristei D-Victoria, called it an “unprofessional, ml statement. Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, spoi sor of the casino gambling measuri said the comment was “very stupid Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, she joined in “outrage that such a fu man would be insulted.” without having enough support for passage and before work was finished on other issues of statewide importance. The Houston Post reported that, in reaction to Bullock’s comments about fees paid to casino lob byists, Criss said, “How about the tens of thou sands of dollars being paid to (the Senate) parlia mentarian’s sons and to his ,px-top employee Jack Roberts to oppose this issue? The law firm of parliamentarian Bob Johnson’s sons represents Gulf Greyhound Park in La Mar que, which opposes casinos. Criss accused Bullock of pushing an “agenda” because of ties to anti casino forces, the Post reported. Sen. David Sibley, R-Waco, was the first of 15 senators who stood Wednesday and blasted the re mark, saying the parliamentarian had never spo ken to senators on the casino gambling issue. Sibley said of Criss’s comment, “When some body says that, what they’re implying is ... that there’s something crooked going on in the Texas They ended by giving Johnson standing ovation. Bullock, asked if casino proponents had long-term damage to their cause, said, “I’ve long-term memory.” He said he has been opposed to the issue ai that although he would look at the issue in tin 1997, “I don’t know whether my positic will change.” “When I do what I think I’m going to do in 19S‘ don’t want you to think I’m prejudiced,” he toldta Senate, but would not later explain the remark. “I think it’s a disgrace,” Bullock said. “They take their 20 pieces of gold and go home.” Criss, a former House member, stood byi comment and said the senators were overreact: ‘They attacked me pretty bitterly. It just kinc proves I was right on target with what I said,” Cr. said. “If it was something frivolous, it wouldn’tk er ’em. The fact that I hit home is what got ’em.’’ Criss also accused Bullock and Johnson of chestrating Wednesday’s speeches. Bullock spoil woman Cindy Rugeley said that wasn’t true. 1 Senate approves anti-crime packagi □The measure increases penalties for evading ar rest and tightens law for repeat offenders. AUSTIN (AP) — The Texas Senate, in a drive against crime, voted Wednesday to increase penalties for evading arrest and passed several measures that are part of a package known as “Ashley’s Laws” in memory of a murdered child. The package by Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, and the evad ing arrest measure by Sen. J.E. “Buster” Brown, R-Lake Jackson, were prompted by the deaths of innocent victims, backers say. The measures now go to the House for consideration. Brown, whose bill was amend ed to address some senators’ con cerns that it was too harsh. Currently, evading arrest is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. Under Brown’s bill, approved 30-0 by the Senate, the maxi mum punishment would be in creased to one year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000 if someone used a vehicle to flee. Repeat offenses would usi < state jail felony, punishable' 1 confinement in a state jail for to two years and a fine of. . to $10,000. By Mich If someone suffers seric. The Bait bodily injury as a direct rei of the person fleeing from;: officer, it would be a second-: gree felony, punishable by t’ to 20 years in prison and a f: of up to $10,000, according 1 uJ’i iy Brown’s bill. ; Dac « If someone is killed as a: T\ e sai suit, the offense would be afe - n f 3 degree felony, punishable byf 81 *l ls ‘ ae to 99 years in prison and a: ^ thin W of up to $10,000. The following incidents were reported to the University Police Department between March 14 and March 21: street,” h Benne in his vis I John Wil | House. F April, an pand. Misdemeanor Theft Walton Hall - A black 10-speed Huffy Mojave bicycle was stolen. Krueger Hall was stolen. - A hot-pink Huffy bicycle Moore Hall - A black Schwinn High Timber bi cycle was stolen. Dunn Hall was stolen. - A black Roadmaster bicycle Ireland Street Bicycle Racks - A blue Roadmas ter Isolation Peak bicycle was stolen. Moore Hall- was stolen. A white Ross Diamond bicycle Evans Library - The victim reported the theft of her backpack and its contents. Those items: Willia] elude: a Hewlett-Packard calculator, Sony Was Still bein man cassette radio, four cassettes, headphonfibut it is ‘ student I.D. card, driver license, $21.28 in cash,! Benne physics book and a notebook. |running sic diver! Harassment | The Si Heaton Hall - The victim has received sever; Veed pla; annoying phone calls from an ex-boyfriend. The n< month w Assault club and Walton Hall TV Lounge - A dispute over wfc Benne channel to watch resulted in a subject being strue add a liq on the head, choked and knocked to the ground. : They wil change t Burglary of Habitation fplace to i Schuhmacher Hall - The victim reported that Each < green Polo bag was removed from his secure The ai room. L gmnge-a |to chang Public Intoxication ffriore sel University Drive - An intoxicated indivkto; “It i en was arrested and incarcerated in the Brazof County Jail. Qest Gun Show the Brazos ValleyJTas £i?er Seen! GUN SHOW April 1st, 9:00 am thru 6:00 pm April 2nd, 9:00 am thru 5:00 pm VFW POST 4692 1447 S. FM Rd. 2818, Bryan Admission $4.00 or 2 Day Pass $6.00 HEY AGS! $1 OFF WITH A&M I.D. 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