ustxtxb_obs_1989_06_16_50_00038-00000_000.pdf

House members presented AI finger-chopping do away with dirty words on bumper stickers. Under Thompson’s bill, words that government authorities did not approve of could not appear on bumper stickers except in tiny type. Thompson ALAN POGUE Edwards with a guillotine for claimed she got a lot of constituent mail in support of her censorious bill, so she is now in a fine position to begin compiling the mailing list for the Legislative Dim Bulb Club. Anita Hill, R-Garland’ , Bill Hollowell, D-Grand Saline Jim Horn, R-Denton David Hudson, D-Tyler Mike Jackson, R-La Porte Jerry Johnson, D-Nacogdoches Sam Johnson, R-Plano Delwin Jones, R-Lubbock L. B. Kubiak. D-Rockdale Edmund Kuempel, R-Seguin Ken Marchant, R-Carrollton Jim McWilliams, D-Hallsville Anna Mowery, R-Fort Worth Keith Oakley, D-Terrell A. R. Ovard, R-Dallas Carolyn Park, R-Bedford Pete Patterson, D-Brookston Randy Pennington, R-Houston Glen Repp, R-Duncanville Jim Rudd, D-Brownfield Robert Saunders, D-LaGrange Stan Schlueter, D-Killeen Alan Schoolcraft, R-San Antonio Gwyn Shea, R-Irving Hugh Shine, R-Temple Dalton Smith, R-Houston John Smithee, R-Amarillo Jim Tallas, R-Sugar Land M. A. Taylor, R-Waco Barry Telford, D-Dekalb Bill Thomas, R-Greenville Keith Valigura, R-Conroe Ken VanderVoort, R-Houston Dick Waterfield, R-Canadian John Willy, R-Angleton Jerry Yost, R-Longview The Dim Bulb Club The King of Dim is Rep. Al Edwards, D-Houston. He made himself a laughingstock by proposing to chop off the fingers of convicted drug dealers, but it got him coverage in the National Enquirer and an appearance on the Morton Downey, Jr. TV show. Edwards is truly an embarrassment to watch in action. During a debate on the workers’ comp bill. Edwards was moved to offer an amendment that said that for the sake of worker safety employers should be encouraged to make sure all employees can communicate with each other. The sponsor of the bill didn’t even bother to speak against it; any amendment by Edwards is an automatic loser. On this one Edwards got 23 votes out of 150. He wandered back to his desk, shaking his head and laughing as if he’d been off to battle and joking with Rep. Garfield Thompson about cutting people’s fingers off. Edwards went for a walk during the important pesticide vote on the ag department bill. He’s been in the House now for ten years and he has no power. New to the ranks of the dim this session was Rep. Dalton Smith, R-Houston. As a first-year legislator, he showed early on that he wasn’t afraid to embarrass himself by entering floor debates on issues about which he knew little or nothing. When he tried to make a stand against government spending by sending up an amendment to the appropriations bill debated by the House in April, several veteran legislators challenged him to enumerate cuts he would make in the budget. All he seemed to know was that he didn’t want any cuts in his district. When Rep. Larry Evans was urging the House to consider a measure to restrict government investment in companies doing business in South Africa, Smith rose to point out that some Texas companies have no choice but to do business with South Africa; for example, 90 percent of the world’s diamonds, Smith said, come from South Africa. “That diamond argument was absolutely ridiculous,” said a flabbergasted Evans later. “I don’t understand it had no place in the debate.” Evans said his measure had nothing to do with private companies importing diamonds. But Smith was there ready to protect the interests of the diamond-buying public. Houston Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, had one of the most dimwitted bills of the session; she sought to HOUSE HOMOPHOBES Fifty-five members of the Texas House asked that their names be omitted from a resolution that passed in May which expressed sympathy for the 3,500 Texans who had died of AIDS. The heart of the resolution stated, “Whereas, as Texans touched by the AIDS crisis, we rise above our personal considerations and open our hearts to those who grieve and those in need; we offer our love and care in whatever form Jerry Beauchamp, D-San Antonio Bill Blackwood, R-Mesquite Kim Brimer, R-Arlington Ben Campbell, R-Lewisville Bill Carter, R-Fort Worth Warren Chisum, D-Pampa Barry Connelly, R-Houston David Counts, D-Knox City Tom Craddick, R-Midland Richard Crawford, R-Amarillo Charles Finnell, D-Holliday Tony Goolsby, R-Dallas Pat Haggerty, R-El Paso Jack Harris, R-Pearland Dudley Harrison, D-Sanderson Talmadge Heflin, R-Houston Paul Hilbert, R-Spring Harvey Hilderbran, R-Uvalde Fred Hill, R-Richardson necessary and possible; now therefore, be it resolved that the House of the State of Texas, 71st Legislature, hereby commend the AIDS educators and caregivers on the front lines of the battle against AIDS; and be it further resolved that the House adjourn this day in memory of those who have died of AIDS and wish the best to those who live with AIDS and those who deal with this epidemic each day. Here are the 55 who removed their names from the resolution: 38 JUNE 16, 1989