The Battalion
Wednesday - July 2,19! %
Controversy surrounds new health commissione
Dr. Archer drew criticism from women's advocates when he defended an abortion ‘gag’m
i
HOUSTON (AP) — The state’s new
health commissioner says his only agen
da is the public health of Texans but fam
ily planning professionals are concerned
about his previously stated views on
birth control and abortion.
Dr. William “Reyn” Archer was ap
pointed by Gov. George W. Bush, who ac
cepted the 5-1 vote of the Texas Board of
Health.
Archer, son of U.S. Rep. Bill Archer, R-
Texas, told members of the health board
and others he has since moderated his
views and will perform his duties with
the highest ethical standards.
“My only agenda is to bring public
health to people in the state and to be
open to people,” Archer told the Hous
ton Chronicle in a telephone interview
from Milwood, Va., headquarters of
the nonprofit group
Project Hope where
he is a senior medical
adviser.
Archer, whose fa
ther is chairman of
the House Ways and
Means Committee,
rose to prominence
and drew criticism
from women’s advo- Gov. Bush
cates when he be
came chief defender of the so-called
“gag” rule under President Bush, the
governor’s father.
The rule, since dropped, prevented
staffers at tax-supported health clinics from
discussing abortion with pregnant clients.
Gov. Bush praised Archer as “a com
passionate man” who understands ma
jor health challenges facing Texas.
“I know Reyn Archer. He will do a fine
job,” Bush said at an Austin news con
ference Monday.
But not everyone shared the gover
nor’s optimism.
“Fasten your seatbelts,” Susan Nenney,
spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood of
Houston and Southeast Texas, said.
“We certainly hope that Dr. Archer’s
views have changed over the past few
years. Our attitude is going to be one of
watchful waiting,” she said. “Frankly, if
he tries to chisel women’s access to fam-
My only agenda is
to bring public health to
people in the state and
to be open to people.”
Dr. William Archer
New health commissioner
IN
ily planning, he’s got a tiger by the tail.”
Archer, 42, will oversee a $6.4 million
budget, 6,000 employees and nearly 100
programs affecting millions of Texans.
I lis annual salary will be $148,683. LA|
Bush praised Archer for his nation^ sus
international experience, and forte %
in both public health and privateprac ®PJ
But family planning professional!
they’re concerned that Archer has opp
not only abortion and out-of-wedlod iec0 |
but the U.S. Supreme Court’s
1965 legalizing birth control.
Peggy Romberg, president ofthel
Family Planning Association,
cials from her office have receivedas ou ^
ances that Archer will meet withtlf 1 ^
once he arrives in Texas.
“We believe that family planning
proves the lives of women and chili ' ar T
We look to Dr. Archer to help with!
Ms. Romberg said
Grand jury indicts mayor
on theft, forgery charges
Scheme cost Alba ISD over $50,000
TYLER (AP) — A Northeast Texas
mayor who also was a trustee of a
school district investigated for
several questionable construction
project expenditures is under
felony indictment.
James Reid of Alba was indicted Mon
day on 28 theft counts and six forgery
charges by a special grand jury of the
Texas attorney general’s office.
Reid, according to the indictments,
orchestrated a scheme that bilked the
Alba-Golden Independent School Dis
trict of $55,916.75 intended for two con
struction projects.
The school district paid some of
Reid's personal bills and invoices
for his Reid Construction Co. in
1993 and 1994, according to the in
dictments.
They accuse Reid of forging six of
the bills, adding the name of the
district or school architect and re
moving his own from $17,644.13
in invoices.
In November, Wood County Crimi
nal District Attorney Marcus Taylor
asked Attorney General Dan Morales’
office to investigate the district. The
special grand jury was empaneled
that month.
The Tyler Morning Telegraph re
ported that documents had shown the
district did not follow state-mandated
bidding procedures on construction of
an administration building, a band hall
and a classroom addition. The projects
totaled at least $700,000.
Reid, a deacon at the First Baptist
Church in Alba, did not return a
telephone call Tuesday from The As
sociated Press.
The theft charges against Reid carry
a possible penalty of up to 20 years in
prison and a $10,000 fine, while the
forgery charges are punishable by a
maximum 10 years in prison and a
$10,000 fine.
Alba is 69 miles east of Dallas and 35
miles northwest of Tyler.
Legislator accused of conflicting
interests with oil company, state
Business deal was set up several years before Palmer was electei
Wl
sen
%
FORT WORTH (AP) — Two govern
ment watchdog groups say Rep. Sue
Palmer was wrong to have allowed the
oil company she owns to sell gasoline
and diesel fuel to the state while she was
working in the Texas Legislature.
Palmer, a Republican who represent
ed Fort Worth in Austin for the first time,
told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram she
sees no conflict of interest in continuing
the relationship between her Lucky
Lady Oil Co. and the state.
The business deal was set up several
years before she was elected.
“The constitution and the opinions of
the various enforcement bodies have
been pretty clear that legislators cannot
contract directly with the state,” said
Tom “Smitty” Smith, of Public Citizen, a
national group founded by consumer
crusader Ralph Nader.
“She’ll probably have to make a deci
sion as to whether she wants to contin
ue to sell to the state or whether she
wants to serve.”
Suzy Woodford, director of the
watchdog group Common Cause, said
even occasional sales have, at the least,
the “appearance of a contract” and said
she would “recommend not continuing
to do this.”
Texas law makes it illegal for state leg
islators to contract for business with the
state under any budget approved during
their tenure.
Because this was Palmer’s first leg
islative session, that prohibition will
not take effect until Sept. 1, when the
state’s new fiscal year begins and
many laws passed during the session
will take effect.
Palmer noted that she only sells oil
to the state and does not have a con
tract to do it.
“I don't think it’s a conflict,” iail "I
Palmer, who is the firms longtimeprts onie
idem and owner. “I think it wouldbef 11 ^
conflict if they gave me the businessbe
cause I am a state representative.”
Records show that Palmer’scompaii;
did more than $270,000 in business
the state during the past 10years,mud
of it while her woman-owned busks!
was certified under state aflirniative ac
tion programs.
Some of the states paymentscarai
after Palmer took office in Januaryj-
eluding $3,585.34 from thelexasDf-
partment of Transportation onAprilll
and $14,280.53 in January from the Uni
versity of Texas at Dallas.
Palmer said she has been sellingto
the state for years, but called the
actions a “little smidgen” of her ton
sales, which amount to about $100
lion a year.
th
Ml
Federal regulators file discrimination
complaints against three companies
Weather Outlook
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DALLAS (AP) — The Equal Op
portunity Employment Commis
sion has sued three companies in
cluding Tandy Corp., which is
accused of discriminating against
black employees.
Another EEOC complaint filed
in federal court Monday against
Betsy Ross Flag Girl Inc. accused
the Dallas flag and flagpole dis
tributor of discriminating against
six female workers by subjecting
Correction
In Monday’s Battalion story on
the new U.S. Navy ship, the
ship should have been identi
fied as a destroyer.
them to a sexually hostile work
environment.
The agency also sued Quak
er State Corp. for alleged dis
crimination against an employ
ee after failing to correct sexual
harassment.
The company retaliated
against the employee who had
filed a complaint, according to
the EEOC.
Tandy didn’t promote two
women to marketing director po
sitions based on their race, the
agency alleges.
It said the women were
passed over in favor of a less
qualified white employee from
another department.
Louann Blaylock, a Tandy
spokeswoman in Fort Worth, said
the company does not comment
on personnel matters.
The lawsuit against Betsy
Ross was prompted by a
charge filed by a telemarketing
supervisor who contended she
was subjected to verbal and
physical sexual harassment by
an executive.
Five other women came
forward with similar harass
ment claims during the EEOC
investigation.
Representatives of Betsy Ross
and Quaker State did not return
telephone calls Tuesday from The
Associated Press.
The EEOC is seeking back pay
with interest, damages and in
junctions against Tandy, Betsy
Ross and Quaker State.
Partly Cloudy
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.Tit—
Skateh
By Quato
LOOK, I KNOW FT'S IN YOUR
”NATURE''ANP EVERYTHING, BUT..
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| AW HAP JUST ABOUT HAP ENOUGH
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