.. .4.. - .--.-- RHODESIA See Editorial Page V' StE 43tU tt1 NEBULOUS High--60 Low-45* See Today for details Vol. IX, No. 25 Ann Arbor, Michigan-Thursday, October 5, 1978 Ten Cents Twelve Paces UAW, DEMS SUPPORT PROPOSAL 4 Parties split on constitutional convention proposal By AMY SALTZMAN Michigan's last constitutional con- vention met in 1963. One of the changes made at that time in the state's gover- ning document was that the question of calling a constitutional convention would automatically be submitted to the electorate in 1978 and every 16 years thereafter. The question will appear on Novem- ber's ballot as Proposal A. The Republican Party is opposed to con- vening a constitutional convention. The Democrats like the idea. OTHERS CLOSE to the election campaign view Proposal A as par- ticularly relevant in this election because the ballot also includes proposals that would alter the present tax structure in the state. "We think a forum like a con- stitutional convention makes the most sense for discussing a sensible tax proposal," said Sam Fishman, director of UAW-CAP (United Auto Workers - Community Action Program). "It is usually done with headlines and distor- tions through the media, but serious matters like tax relief are handled best by an informed legislative body." The UAW has joined with several other influential state organizations in an attempt to defeat the three tax reform amendments to the state con- stitution on the November ballot. Democratic candidate for Governor, William Fitzgerald, in sticking with the official stand of the Democratic party, has also come out in favor of a con- stitutional convention. ACCORDING TO Fitzgerald's press secretary, Larry Good, one of the can- didates primary reasons for supporting the proposal, is that he believes it is simply time to make some changes in the existing constitution. In reference to the various tax proposals, Good said, "It is a much saner process to view the whole document at the same time (through a convention, than to look at it piecemeal." The Republican party, which is in op- position to the proposal, has put together a study dealing with why a " The 1963 constitution has been working well and after only 15 years, it lacks legal maturity - it hasn't had "We think a forum like a constitutional convention makes the most sense for discussing a sensible tax proposal. It is usually done with headlines and distor- tions through the media, but serious matters like tax relief are handled best by an informed legislative body. -Sam Fishman, UA W-CAP director easily be changed by separate amen- dments. Aside from the tax reform amendments, some of the other amen- dments for which there is strong sup- port include prohibitions against discrimination on the basis of age and sex, changes in the judicial selection system, and 'reforming the election process of a superintendent of education. " The Republican party feels that groups who want to make changes are wrongly trying to legislate through a constitutional convention. " The party also sights the high cost of a constitutional convention (ap- proximately $8 million) as unnecessary since the proposals could be handled See PARTIES, Page 5 constitutional convention would be un- necessary at this time. Some of the major points presented were:, enough time to be tested in different situations. 9 The topics at issue could just as MSA officers challenged in suit By MARIANNE EGRI Eric Arnson and Nancy Smith claim to be president and vice president of the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA), but MSA Member Irving Freeman has filed suit with the Central Student Judiciary (CSJ) to prove they're not. Freeman claimed last April's at large MSA election for the president and vice president is void because the ballot amendment creating these of- fices didn't go into effect until after the election. Freeman and Kate Rubin both lost bids for president in the April race. PASSAGE OF the amendment - which calls for electing the president and vice-president by the student body at large - ended the MSA tradition of electing leaders from within the group's membership. The MSA constitution states an amendment "shall not take effect until 45 days after certification of the elec- tion in which it was adopted unless otherwise provided for as part of the amendment question." Since CSJ certified the amendment March 12, it should not have taken ef- fect until April 26, according to the MSA Constitution. The election ran from April 10-12. BUT ARNSON said the passage of Proposal II, which appeared on the April ballot, made the election valid. Proposal II stated: "The president and vice president elected in this elec- tion shall be seated immediately, and this is a binding constitutional amen- dment." "We left out a clause that said the voting for president and vice president at large shall take effect immediately, so we tried to remedy the situation with Proposal II," Arnson said. Freeman said since the proposal was not part of the original amendment it is not adequate to amend the constitution. CSJ CHIEF Justice Tom Potter agreed Proposal II was not sufficient Senate votes ag ainst state Daily Photo by BRAD BENJAMIN DR. EDWARD PIERCE makes a point last night as C. William Colburn looks on. Pierce and Colburn are the candidates in a hotly contested state Senate race.. ERA r WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate signaled yesterday that it will extend the ratification deadline for the Equal Rights Amendment and decided that states cannot use the additional time to take back their approval of the ERA. By a 54-44 margin, the Senate rejec- ted a proposal by Senator Jake Garn (R-Utah) to couple an additional 39- month ratification period with an op- portunity for ratifying states to rescind their actions . THE VOTE eliminated a major congressional obstacle facing ERA ad- vocates while dealing a severe blow to ERA opponents. Senator Birch Bayh (D-Ind.), prin- cipal Senate sponsor of the extension, predicted the Senate would approve the ERA extension by a healthy margin when the issue comes to a final vote set for Friday. Garn conceded that the vote was a major setback for those fighting ad- dition to the U.S. Constituion of the ERA, which would specifically bar discrimination on the basis of sex. "IT IS QUITE clear to me that the opponents have the votes to pass the ex- tension," he said. In August, the House passed a measure moving the ERA ratification deadline from March 1979 to June 30, 1982. The measure does not require the signature of President Carter, who has been a staunch supporter of ERA. SARAH WEDDINGTON, special assistant to the president for women's issues, said Carter was "gratified" by the Senate action. ,epeals, "He believes the Senate vote today moves us one step closer to final passage of this resolution which may be necessary to ensure ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment," Wed- dington said of Carter. The ERA was initially approved by Congress in 1972. It needs ratification-by 38 states to become part of the Con- stitution. THIRTY-FIVE legislatures have ratified the ERA, but those of Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska and Tennessee have voted to reverse their stands. The Kentucky recision vote was subsequen- tly vetoed. Garn's amendment would have ap- plied only to reversal votes taken after the extension period begins on March 23, 1979. It would not have validated the ones already takenalthough those states would have been free to vote again. Bayh told the Senate it is up to Congress to determine, after all states have voted to ratify, whether to permit the reversal votes. IN A STATEMENT after the vote, Bayh said passage of Garn's proposal "would have effectively killed any chance for final ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment." He said the extension measure probably would have been pulled from the floor had the Garn move succeeded. Representative Elizabeth Holtzman (D-N.Y.), who sponsored the extension in the House, commented, "I believe that the Senate action today means the See ERA, Page 2 DISCUSS ABOR TION FUNDING: Colburn, Pierce debate By MARK PARRENT State senatorial candidates C. William Colburn and Edward Pierce debated a potpourri of issues last night at the Michigan Union before close to 100 persons. Republican Colburn and Democrat Pierce are vying for the 18th district seat of retiring Republican State Senator Gilbert Bursley. The issue generating the most audience reaction was the question of whether the state should finance abor- tions for low-income Medicaid recipien- ts. Pierce, an Ann Arbor physician, said he advocates the use of state money for abortions for low income women. Colburn, a University speech professor,' said his "personal beliefs and philosophies" prevented him from ad- vocating publicly funded abortions for anyone. IRONICALLY, THE candidates hold opposite views on this matter than their party counterparts running for gover- C.i ALttI KJIV See SUIT, Page 2 nor. Pierce said it is a non-partisan issue. Discussion of the abortion issue prompted a question of whether either of the candidates would ever vote against his conscience to represent the views of constituents. "Yes, I have that right," said Pierce, "but it is truly risky." At that point, Pierce lost his balance and fell off the platform into the arms of his opponent. He was not hurt. The candidates' views also differed on the merit of the tax proposals on the ballot in November. Both said they are against the Tisch amendment, which would slash property taxes, and the school voucher plan, but Colburn en- dorsed the Headlee tax limitation plan. "We have moved into an age of limits,,, said Colburn. He said state spending must be limited to only the growth of the income of the people of the state, as the Headlee amendment calls for. "(THE HEADLEE amendment) cuts the current spending rate into stone" and would not allow adequate flexibility, said Pierce. The candidates expressed the similar views on many issues. Both Colburn and Pierce oppose the death penalty, the ballot proposal that would raise the drinking age to 21, and the concept of a student-elected regent with full regen- tal powers. Because of various primary recounts, Colburn has only been the official Republican candidate for a week. Last week, it was determined that Colburn defeated City Councilman Ronald Trowbridge by a slim margin in the Republican primary held August 8. The debate last night, which was sponsored by the Michigan Student Assembly and the student group "The Mad Hatter's Tea Party," was only the second time See CANDIDATES, Page 12 Bar Assn. accused of political party bias PBB may influence child learning skills WASHINGTON (AP)-The American Bar Association was accused yesterday of opposing the federal judicial appoin- tment of an Iowa lawyer solely because he has been active in Democratic politics, including President Carter's 1976 election campaign. Democratic members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said the ABA failed to make a case on why Carter's nomination of Donald O'Brien's should be rejected. AN ISSUE IN the controversy is whether Carter is carrying out his campaign pledge to nominate judges on merit rather than political loyalty. Sen. John Culver (D-Iowa) said the Thursday " The Royals turned the tables on the Yankees yesterday in Kansas City. See the story on Page 11. " Tuesday night's electrical storm played havoc with some ABA's background investigation of O'Brien was run "in a high-handed and irresponsible fashion." He said the ABA's 14-member Stan- ding Committee on the 'Federal Judiciary decided in advance that O'Brien should not be confirmed, and then "constructed" a Case against him. CULVER SAID the ABA appears to want to turn the federal judiciary int "some kind of insulated high priesthood" with political experienc automatically excluding any potential nominee. Sen. Edward Kennedyu (D-Mass.) who becomes chairman of the full Senate Judiciary Committee next year; and Sen. James Abourezk (D-S.D.) both said O'Brien was qualified despiteth ABA opposition. Thomas Deacy, an ABA official wh helped investigate O'Brien, said the o position was largely based on O'Brien' role as prosecutor in a 1955 murde case. AS PROSECUTOR in Woodbur County, Iowa, O'Brien obtained th tape of a confession from accused mur derer Ernest Triplett, then held in * .LANSING (UPI) - Health officials said yesterday a preliminary study shows children with high levels of PBB in their bodies received lower grades on developmental tests than those will less exposure. The finding prompted State Public Health Director Maurice Reizen to ap- point a special panel for a follow-up in- vestigation. ! HEALTH OFFICIALS stressed that the study compared test scores of farm 'rirn wh ,,,. m,,,,hp,.. ,,.,.heamvil determine if heavy exposure to PBB hurts educational development. THE STUDY, carried out by Michigan State University child psychologist Elizabeth A. Seagull, in- volved standard tests on block building, puzzle-solving, word knowledge, drawing a design and drawing a child. "Results of the study did show a deficit in the developmental perfor- mance of children with greater than .100 parts per million body levels of PBR on fir nut of fiv etest " Dr.