U.S. MISSILE DEFENSE INITIATIVE IN JEOPARDY
Frank Gaffney, President of the Center for Security Policy, reports that President Bush may be on the verge of a decision to continue U.S. support of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABM) with the former Soviet Union. Continued support would postpone development and implementation of any American missile defense system. The President campaigned on a promise to end the ABM Treaty and to build an effective missile defense system. Mr. Gaffney says that signals from the White House suggest that Russian President Vladimir Putin has persuaded the Bush Administration to stick with the ABM Treaty indefinitely. With North Korea, Pakistan and China, and others in possession of nuclear warhead missiles, it is essential that the U.S. begin to develop and deploy an effective defense against incoming ballistic missiles.
Source: Center for Security Policy, Nov. 01
Editor's Note: On Nov. 12, President Bush and President Putin pledged to cut the nuclear arsenals of both nations by at least two-thirds in the next decade. Bush called for slashing the U.S. arsenal to between 1,700 and 2,200 warheads. Putin did not give a specific number but said he will "try to respond in kind." (USA Today, 11/14/01)
ASHCROFT REVERSES RENO RULING ON ASSISTED SUICIDE
In 1997, Congress overwhelming passed the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act, which established a federal prohibition on assisted suicide. However in June 1998, Attorney General Janet Reno announced that the Controlled Substances Act established no uniform national policy against the use of federally regulated drugs for assisted suicide, enabling Oregon to legalize assisted suicide. On Nov. 7, Attorney General John Ashcroft reversed the Reno ruling, which effectively reinstated the original determination by the Drug Enforcement Administration that assisting suicide is not "a legitimate medical purpose."
Many Oregon officials are outraged that Ashcroft tried to overturn the will of the state's voters and have appealed to U.S. District Judge Robert Jones, who granted a temporary restraining order until a Nov. 20 hearing.
Source: EF News & Notes, 11/9/01 and USA Today, 11/12/01
STEMMING STEM-CELL MOMENTUM
As Senators Arlen Spector (R-PA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) prepared to turn up the pressure to fund more embryo-destroying stem-sell research, President Bush quickly moved to put a stop to it. The administration put out a statement backing an amendment to the Labor-HHS appropriations bill that forbids federal funding for embryonic stem-cell research. If the Senate tried to repeal the House amendment, the statement says "the president's senior advisors would recommend that he veto the bill."
Source: WORLD, 11/10/01
AMERICORPS TO FIGHT TERRORISM?
"Fighting terrorism" has become an excuse to expand government bureaucracies and obtain federal subsidies. Now there is a move to expand the so-called "national service" program established by Bill Clinton from 50,000 members to 250,000 and involve them in fighting terrorism. The leader of the push is Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). He says the AmeriCorps members "have begun to glimpse the glory of serving the cause of freedom."
But critics say AmeriCorps couldn't even pass a laugh test. In Mississippi, AmeriCorps members have gone door-to-door to sign up people for food stamps. In New Jersey, they recruited middle class families to accept subsidized federal health insurance for their children. In California, they staged a puppet show to warn 4-year olds of the dangers of earthquakes. Almost half of AmeriCorps members have quit before completing their term of service, and the government has failed to measure the program's actual impact.
Source: Investor's Business Daily, 11/8/01
TEXAS' "WAR RELIEF" TO COST $40 MILLION
State Comptroller Carole Keaton Rylander is sending lawmakers a lengthy list of "war relief" proposals that by her account would cost the state a minimum of $40 million over two years. Mrs. Rylander said that 35 of her 58 recommendations would require action by the Legislature, which isn't scheduled to meet until January 2003, and that her agency is working with other state agencies to implement the others. Many of her proposals are aimed at the families of the 1400 National Guard and other military reservists in Texas who have been called to active duty as part of the campaign against terrorism. "I will lead the charge here at home to take care of the children and families that are left behind," said Ms. Rylander. Other proposals include allowing the Dept. of Health to identify and respond to a biological or chemical attack in the state, and the creation of 10 regional response teams that would respond to a disaster in Texas in a matter of hours.
Source: The Dallas Morning News, 11/15/01
TEXAS' REDISTRICTING MESS
There has been gnashing of teeth among Republicans and quiet celebration among Democrats as the House Redistricting trial began without Department of Justice (DOJ) pre-clearance of the map drawn by the Legislative Redistricting Board (LRB). The Court said that the absent DOJ pre-clearance and the LRB map had no more standing than any other plan and in effect said it would begin with a blank page. The Attorney General argued that federal judges are still bound by the LRB map despite pre-clearance delay.
The federal three-judge panel in Austin issued its congressional redistricting plan on November 14, ignoring the LRB plan. The Lone Star Report's preliminary estimate is that the plan would result in a Texas delegation split evenly with 16 Republicans and 16 Democrats. No incumbents are paired in the plan. The plan gives two new seats to Republicans. One is in northwest Dallas County, which appears to be a favorable opportunity for state Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-Coppell). The other connects stretches from Williamson County to Brazos County and then to northwest Harris County.
Rep. Joe Barton (R-Ennis) said, "The federal judges had a chance to bring Texas into the 21st century, but instead chose to protect Democratic officeholders. Despite Hispanic population growth, there is no new Hispanic seat. Despite the Republican majority in Texas, this map will likely elect a majority of Democrats to Congress."
Sources: Quorum Report, 11/13/01, and The Lone Star Report, 11/15/01
SBOE REJECTS SCIENCE BOOK
After two days of heated debate, the Texas State Board of Education members voted to reject one controversial high school science book and approve another that the panel had rejected earlier after the publisher agreed to correct errors. The vote was along partisan lines as all 10 Republicans voted to reject the environmental science book, Environmental Science: Creating a Sustainable Future, while all five Democrats approved it. "This is nothing but censorship," fumed board member Mary Helen Berlanga of Corpus Christi, who insisted that opposition to the book was based on political and religious objections to topics such as global warming and the need for stronger environmental protections. Peggy Venable, director of Texas Citizens for a Sound Economy, disagreed and said the textbook was "little more than a radical environmentalist workbook and not based on sound science." She called the vote "a victory for Texas schoolchildren, and for patriotism, and free enterprise."
Under a 1995 law, the elected SBOE can reject books recommended by the Texas Education Agency only if there are factual errors. The board cannot consider the book's content. The controversy prompted Chase Untermeyer (R-Houston) to propose a review of the textbook adoption process. "There has to be a smarter way to deal with the discussion of errors," he said.
Source: The Dallas Morning News, 11/9/01, 11/10/01
SBOE PASSES PRAYER RESOLUTION
The State Board of Education unanimously passed a nonbinding resolution encouraging public schools to protect students who choose to pray. The resolution, sponsored by Richard Watson (R-Gorman), asks the schools to "protect the rights of students of faith to join with others in their school and community, as well as with millions of others throughout the state and nation exercising their constitutional right of voluntary, non-coercive prayer." Co-sponsor David Bradley (R-Beaumont) asked that the resolution be sent to each of the state's 1,183 school districts
Source: The Dallas Morning News, 11/10/02
TEXAS FAILS TO PREPARE FOR UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS
State governments failed to sock away enough money to cover unemployment insurance during the booming 1990s. Now they face prospects of having to borrow, increase taxes or cut benefits as jobless rates hit an 18-year high. Texas, for example, has only a three- month reserve of unemployment funds and employers face a tax increase in 2003 to replenish a projected shortfall of $660 million.
Source: USA Today, 11/16/01
HOUSTON'S MAYORAL RUNOFF SHOWDOWN
According to the Houston Press, almost everyone was surprised by the powerful showing of At-Large City Councilman Orlando Sanchez, running in the Dec. 1 mayoral runoff against the incumbent Lee Brown. He scored well in Westside Republican precincts and eastside Hispanic redoubt, burying opponent Chris Bell and trailing the incumbent by fewer than 5,000 votes. "One shouldn't panic," says Brown consultant Dan Mc Clung. "Sanchez is a conservative Republican Hispanic. He might have some potential for growth, but not as much as we do." Maybe so, but if the Election Night parties indicated anything about the runoff campaign, Brown is in real trouble. Sanchez's wildly exuberant ball continued long after the returns stopped trickling in. Brown's gathering fizzled out.
Source: Houston Press, 11/15/01
SALVATION ARMY REVERSES DECISION
The Salvation Army has reversed its recent decision allowing Salvation Army territories and divisions to offer so-called "domestic partners benefits" to those who are not family members, including the unmarried and homosexual "partners" of employees. Ken O'Connor of the Family Research Council said, "We are pleased to see the Salvation Army reclaim its biblical standard of morality and reaffirm the importance of marriage and the family."
Source: Family Research Council, News Alert, 11/12/01
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