ustxtxb_obs_1967_03_31_50_00003-00000_000.pdf

As Andrade rose to speak, Smith said, “Now I’ve got to take my wife to the airport.” He added, with a smile, “I’ve sat through one filibuster already.” As the visitors moved to the door Andrade told Smith “We’re shopping around for a governor who will be fair to the working people.” Smith laughed and said “We’ll see about that governor business later on.” THAT AFTERNOON the House labor committee held its hearing on the minimum wage, as scheduled. Testifying for ‘the measure were representatives of LULAC, the State Young Democrats, the State AFL-CIO, Texas Council of Churches, the American Jewish Committee, and Roberto Ramirez, 21, of Laredo, who told of the hardships he had endured trying to save up enough money to go to college. Another Laredo youth, Manuel Ramirez, was among several persons on hand who didn’t get to testify, as time ran short. He had prepared a statement similar to that of the other Laredo youth’s. Testifying against the bill were a Har lingen farmer and spokesmen for the Texas Farm Bureau, the Texas Motel Assn., Texas Citrus Mutual, and the Texas Hotel Assn. Hendryx, after committee members questioned Cruz closely for an hour about several provisions of the bill, assigned the measure to a subcommittee made up of J. M. Simpson of Amarillo, Delwin Jones of Lubbock, Richard Slack of Pecos, and Ralph Wayne of Plainview. “If ever a bill was given a cement overcoat, this one was,” a committee member was heard to say afterwards. G.O. The Babe and Charlie Show- A Harbinger of Better Days? .. , e. Austin Thq:8-hour, 45-minute filibuster that was lead :by Sens. A. R. Galveston, ; and Charles Wilson, Lufkin, to impede passage of the city sales tax bill was, generally conceded by critics -to havie beri bile’ of the more entertaining in Sirigte’ Nitory,’ though’ not the ‘longest. HOweVer, 1 SChwartz ‘.enthusiastic about the joioidst -for another reason.’ He tells the’Ohsrvei that “for the first time since been’ i tti5 here, liberal’s had` an organ planned Strategy. We had a significant ‘number of :people to do what needed to “be ‘dope, ‘We . stayed `together.” i’WelVe Senators joined in, or voted Wi -th: the protest’which, like most filibusters t ,WaS ;doomed to failure, particularly since it was so early in the session. But the protestors can be expected to use their new-found power again, especially as adjournment day draws nearer, intensifying the pressure to get bills passed. Six of the dissident Senators are firsttermers, including Republican Hank Grover Of ‘Houston and liberals Wilson, Chet Brooks of Pasadena, Joe Bernal of San Antonio, Barbara Jordan of Houston, and Oscar Mauzy of Dallas. Senate veterans participating were Schwartz, Don Kennard of Fort Worth, Roy Harrington or Port Arthur, Bill Patnian of’ Ganado, Tiny Bates of Edinburg and Jack Strong of Longview. On March 15 the bill was scheduled to come before the Senate, after having been passed on March 1 by the House. The dissident Senate group g a there d in Schwartz’s office to plot strategy. Schwartz began the filibuster about 11:30 a.m. and held the floor until 12:05 p.m., when the Senate broke for lunch. At 2 p.m., when the session resumed, Schwartz continued talking. During the afternoon there were two votes to adjourn, a move favored by the liberals, the motions failed, 13-17 and 12-18. About 6 p.m., with Schwartz still on his feet, David Ratliff, Stamford, chairman of the Senate labor committee, announced that the minimum wage bill hearing, set for 7 p.m., would be postponed until the next morning at 8:30. The liberals again moved for adjournment, again losing, by 12-17. Permission was asked to let the committee hearing be held while the Senate remained in session. Unanimous consent was needed; George Parkhouse, Dallas, and Dorsey Hardeman, San Angelo, voiced objection. As 7 p.m. drew near, the Senate galleries began filling up for the minimum wage hearing, which was scheduled to be held on the Senate floor. J. P. Word, Meridian, said to Schwartz “It is you, Senator, who is the one keeping them from having the hearing. All you have to do is sit down and shut up.” “I’m not going to sell out for a mess of pottage,” Schwartz answered. WILSON AND Schwartz provided some bright moments during the endurance contest. Noting the full galleries, Wilson asked Schwartz, “Senator, don’t you agree that one necessity before we consider a city sales tax is a minimum wage?” This drew loud applause from the spectators. Schwartz said he certainly agreed, eliciting more applause. Lt. Gov. Preston Smith warned the spectators that Senate rules ban applause. About 8 p.m. Schwartz, raising his voice so those in the packed gallery could hear, said: “The Texas Municipal League has used some of your tax money to come down here and lobby for a sales tax. If you go back and tell your city councilmen that you don’t like that, it will be just fine with 12 of us.” Prolonged, loud applause; another Smith warning. A few of the spectators lit candles to demonstrate their support for the minimum wage, but were told to extinguish them by the several uniformed officers who were on duty for the hearing. At 8 p.m. Bernal asked if Schwartz would yield for a question. While stating the “question,” Bernal mentioned that a rally was planned on the steps of the Capitol in support of the minimum wage. The spectators took the hint and moved out of the Senate, many of them shouting “Viva la huelga!” Meanwhile, the filibuster droned on with Schwartz being asked long, involved, “questions” by his allies. Wilson purstied a humorous course. Noting the presence. of a number of House members, he said, “Some have even brought their wives in , here to look things over,” and intiitated that the visitors were there in hopes of the Senate passing a city sales tax, which,’ Wilson suggested, would be the politidal death of those who vote for it. “There are also some’visitors here from the governor’s office; looking at [Republican] Sen. Grover’s chair,” Wilson went on. “I’m not sure they even recognize that there is anyone in that chain” Wilson said, smiling, “This legislation is a monolithic Republican plot designed to take over the Senate and put George Bush [the Houston Congressman] in the governor’s mansion. You and I [he said to. Schwartz] may be the only Democratic senators in this body who are going to be back. . . . “This bill may have the worst political consequences of any in the legislature, except putting dogs on leashes and hogs behind fences. . . . Never have I seen so many House members with eyes so bright like a group of buzzards,” said Wilson. THE USUAL METHOD for cutting off Senate debate is to move the previous question, a motion that, if passed, cuts off consideration of other amendments and brings a vote on the amendment then under discussion as soon as the Senator who has the floor quits talking. About 9 p.m. it began to appear that the Senate majority was beginning to consider such a move. So, at 9:56, having been on his feet for nearly eight hours, Schwartz yielded the floor to Kennard, who yielded in turn to Wilson. That put a fresh man in charge of the filibuster and, Schwartz explained afterwards, would re March 31, 1967 3