ustxtxb_obs_1969_10_10_50_00009-00000_000.pdf

Austin American-Statesman’s Glen Castlebury and George Kuempel that was critical of Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes and Mutscher for the problems involved in writing a tax bill. The Braun newsletter was run off before Elam read what the legislator had in it. Braun thereupon had his newsletter printed commercially, inserting an apology to his constituents for the tardiness of the issue and explaining that “Since that column ‘tells it like it is’ about Ben Barnes and several other lackeys for the big money lobby around this place” he could not mail the House-printed newsletters. “I hope you will pardon the delay and will understatid that one of the rules of the Legislature is that you are not supposed to tell the truth about the powers-that-be,” Braun wrote. Braun tells the Observer he has in the past printed his newsletter at his own state provides this service at no cost he decided to begin, this last time, using the House printshop. “But when they won’t let me reprint an article published in a public newspaper, that’s carrying censorship too far. . . . I intend to continue putting out my newsletter but if they won’t let me say what I want to I’ll have it printed elsewhere.” Another Houston liberal, Rep. R. C. Nichols, also had his newsletter printed commercially because, as he advised his readers, “this newsletter gives the facts about Ben Barnes’ effort to tax groceries.” On taking the copy for the newsletter to the House printshop, Nichols tells the Observer, he was told the references, by name, to Gov. Preston Smith, Barnes, and Mutscher could not be run unless Nichols got written permission for each of the three men. Nichols declined these terms and went to a commercial printer, costing him $87.16. Rep. John Bigham, Temple liberal, tells the Observer that he also had some problems with his newsletter. After the copy for the letter had been taken to Elam, Bigham’s secretary was advised, in Bigham’s temporary absence from the office, that a phrase would have to be deleted in order for the House printshop to do the job. The phrase occurred in this sentence: “It [the tax bill considered early in the first special session] then went to the Senate, as bad as when it was first heard in the House, a 100% consumer tax.” The last four words had to be deleted and the final comma changed to a period. Bigham later agreed to the deletion. ANOTHER latter-day censorship job was averted, after some delay, in the case of Rep. Burke Musgrove, a Breckenridge conservative who is Mutscher team. Musgrove wanted to reprint a news story from the Abilene Reporter-News, mainly, he says, for distribution to his House colleagues. The story recounted a little-noted run-in Musgrove had with Rep. Bill Heatly, the Paducah power who runs the house Elam told Musgrove it might not be possible to reprint the article, Musgrove tells the Observer, since it cast Heatly in an unfavorable light. But last week Musgrove, returning to the Capitol, found that, after a week’s delay, the article had been run off and delivered to his office by the House printer. Musgrove explains that he wants the reprints for the information of other House members, a number of whom noticed Musgrove and Heatly arguing For the Record Austin The Observer reported in its Sept. 12 issue that Dallas Rep. Joe Golman had, during the House’s grueling consideration of a tax bill, offered, in high good humor, an amendment that would have exempted the Chicken Ranch whorehouse at LaGrange from an admissions tax. We are advised by Representative Golman that, on the contrary, his amendment would have specifically “included [emphasis added] any enterprise engaged in the profession of raising poultry of all types and character located in LaGrange, Tex.” heatedly on the fringe of the House floor, near the end of the second special session. Another incident at the printshop involved Rep. Dan Kubiak, Rockdale liberal. Kubiak tells the Observer that Elam for a time didn’t want to print his last newsletter as submitted. Finally the printer relented because, Kubiak believes, the two men have a good relationship. The representative says this is not the case with Elam and the other legislators who had trouble getting things printed. “Elam is pretty nice to me. He doesn’t question much of my writing,” Kubiak says. The objection raised by Elam, then dropped, was similar to the Bigham situation; Kubiak criticized the Legislature for proposing a 100% consumer tax bill and a groceries tax. Elam says the printshop is not to be used for political purposes. That means, among other things, no derogatory references by name to any House member. MARTIN ELFANT Sun Life of Canada 1001 Century Building Houston, Texas CA 4-0686 H EATLY’S AND Musgrove’s encounter occurred when Musgrove blocked Heatly’s plans to push through, during the closing hours of the second called session, a bill that would authorize a junior college in the Paducah representative’s district, at Quanah. Musgrove, whose district is nearby, was worried that such a school would adversely affect junior colleges in his district, at Cisco and Ranger. On Friday before the Tuesday of sine die adjournment Musgrove learned of Heatly’s bill and checked out the original copy, carrying at around with him, evidently as a means of preventing action on the measure. Mutscher sent word to Musgrove that the bill should be returned. That Monday Musgrove saw Mutscher and turned the bill over to the speaker. Mutscher then referred it not to the Higher Education Committee but to Heatly’s Appropriations Committee. Later that day Heatly sought to suspend the rules to bring the measure before the House. Mutscher and several other members objected ; saying a junior college is not, as Heatly contended, a local bill and so can not be brought up during a special session unless the governor .extended the call of the session to permit consideration of the measure. Musgrove had called the Coordinating October 10, 1969 9 MEETINGS THE THURSDAY CLUB of Dallas meets each Downtown YMCA, 605 No. Ervay St., Dallas. Good discussion. You’re welcome. Informal, no dues. CENTRAL TEXAS ACLU luncheon meeting Spanish Village. 2nd Friday every month. From noon. All welcome. ITEMS for this feature cost, for the first entry, 7c a word, and for each subsequent entry, 5c a Word. We must receive them two–welci before the date of the issue in which they are to be published. CLASSIFIED BOOKPLATES. Free catalog. Many beautiful designs. Special designing too Address: BOOKPLATES. Yellow Springs 8, Obit YAMAHA: For the best soundpianosorgansguitars available at Amster Music & Art Center 17th & Lavaca, Austin.478 -7331. ANNE’S TYPING SERVICE \(Marjorie Anne Binding, Mailing, Public Notary. Twenty years experience. Call 442-7008 or 442-0170, Austin. OKLAHOMA LIMITED. A Journal of Political Opinion. Published Monthly $5 Per Year. Box 2777-TO, Norman, Okla. 73069.