Drizzt
February 6, 2003, 04:14 PM
The Dallas Morning News
February 5, 2003, Wednesday SECOND EDITION
SECTION: TEXAS & SOUTHWEST; Pg. 27A; CAPITOL GALLERY choppe@dallasnews.com
LENGTH: 516 words
HEADLINE: Run-of-the-mill bills they are not
BYLINE: Christy Hoppe
BODY:
AUSTIN - Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, must have decided that after 16-year-olds get the vote (a bill he filed last month), they're going to take a good, hard look at the political process.
That must be why he filed a bill this week to give 18-year-olds the drink.
Under Mr. Wilson's bill, those who can now vote, serve in the military and sign contracts would also be allowed to order a beer at a tavern. Maybe, in the very least, Mr. Wilson has found a way to interest young citizens in their government. The state drinking age was last changed in 1986, from 19 to 21, to comply with the federal National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which ordered states to change to 21 or lose highway funding.
Teenagers are not the only underdogs finding a champion this session.
Sen. Ken Armbrister, D-Victoria, is fighting discrimination against an apparently misunderstood subculture.
Currently, public places can't refuse service to someone because of "race, creed, sex, religion or national origin." To that well-known list, Mr. Armbrister would add, "or if a person operates a motorcycle."
Bikers first pushed the proposal last session, saying they are too often banned from places based on an unwarranted bias against leather.
Also filed this week, a friendly reminder to inmates of a free service the state offers.
A law passed in 1997 provided surgical castration to certain repeat sex offenders. But apparently in the last five years, only one inmate has availed himself of the offer.
Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, thinks the low number of takers might indicate a problem getting the word out.
He's filed a bill requiring that prison officials inform the about 3,000 inmates who are eligible that they "may request to undergo an orchiectomy."
Then they should be told that it's not a paper-folding class.
Cut 'n' shoot
In a budget-cutting session, most members are expected to take out their knives. But they're trying to find time to pull out a few pistols, too.
Rep. Ray Allen, R-Grand Prairie, owns a firearms training academy and is a licensed instructor for those seeking concealed gun permits. He has offered to train members and their families free of discharge, as it were.
Apparently, folks are expecting it to get a little rough this session.
So far, 22 have signed up for the 10-hour course.
Fresh coattails
If there's any place that doesn't like to air its dirty laundry, it's the Capitol. No wonder a new service is doing well.
About Time cleaners recently began making rounds through lawmakers' offices, picking up clothes and returning them within three working days. The pink building has become one of the cleaners' top sites.
"They have the time crunch, they stay late, and they don't have time to pick up laundry," owner Eric Winkler said.
Staff also throw things into the pile, so the Capitol route that began in December is cleaning up.
Only one problem: When the session ends the first week in June, all the starched collars leave.
"I expect to see a 50 percent reduction when they're out of session," Mr. Winkler said.
February 5, 2003, Wednesday SECOND EDITION
SECTION: TEXAS & SOUTHWEST; Pg. 27A; CAPITOL GALLERY choppe@dallasnews.com
LENGTH: 516 words
HEADLINE: Run-of-the-mill bills they are not
BYLINE: Christy Hoppe
BODY:
AUSTIN - Rep. Ron Wilson, D-Houston, must have decided that after 16-year-olds get the vote (a bill he filed last month), they're going to take a good, hard look at the political process.
That must be why he filed a bill this week to give 18-year-olds the drink.
Under Mr. Wilson's bill, those who can now vote, serve in the military and sign contracts would also be allowed to order a beer at a tavern. Maybe, in the very least, Mr. Wilson has found a way to interest young citizens in their government. The state drinking age was last changed in 1986, from 19 to 21, to comply with the federal National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which ordered states to change to 21 or lose highway funding.
Teenagers are not the only underdogs finding a champion this session.
Sen. Ken Armbrister, D-Victoria, is fighting discrimination against an apparently misunderstood subculture.
Currently, public places can't refuse service to someone because of "race, creed, sex, religion or national origin." To that well-known list, Mr. Armbrister would add, "or if a person operates a motorcycle."
Bikers first pushed the proposal last session, saying they are too often banned from places based on an unwarranted bias against leather.
Also filed this week, a friendly reminder to inmates of a free service the state offers.
A law passed in 1997 provided surgical castration to certain repeat sex offenders. But apparently in the last five years, only one inmate has availed himself of the offer.
Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, thinks the low number of takers might indicate a problem getting the word out.
He's filed a bill requiring that prison officials inform the about 3,000 inmates who are eligible that they "may request to undergo an orchiectomy."
Then they should be told that it's not a paper-folding class.
Cut 'n' shoot
In a budget-cutting session, most members are expected to take out their knives. But they're trying to find time to pull out a few pistols, too.
Rep. Ray Allen, R-Grand Prairie, owns a firearms training academy and is a licensed instructor for those seeking concealed gun permits. He has offered to train members and their families free of discharge, as it were.
Apparently, folks are expecting it to get a little rough this session.
So far, 22 have signed up for the 10-hour course.
Fresh coattails
If there's any place that doesn't like to air its dirty laundry, it's the Capitol. No wonder a new service is doing well.
About Time cleaners recently began making rounds through lawmakers' offices, picking up clothes and returning them within three working days. The pink building has become one of the cleaners' top sites.
"They have the time crunch, they stay late, and they don't have time to pick up laundry," owner Eric Winkler said.
Staff also throw things into the pile, so the Capitol route that began in December is cleaning up.
Only one problem: When the session ends the first week in June, all the starched collars leave.
"I expect to see a 50 percent reduction when they're out of session," Mr. Winkler said.