Page 6-Thursday, May 17, 1979--The Michigan Daily
Bilmay
LANSING (UPI) - Legislation
creating a Michigan Department of
Energy to draft a comprehensive state
energy plan was reintroduced yester-
day in the Senate.
The measure revives a debate last
year that featured three rival energy
agency plans promoted by the Senate,
the House and Gov. William Milliken.
THIS YEAR'S Senate version is co-
sponsored by Senate Appropriations
Committee Chairman Jerome Hart (D-
Saginaw), and Senate Democrataic
Leader William Faust of Westland.
"This legislation has been introduced
to provide Michigan with a strong, cen-
tralized planning agency which we
create state
believe is needed to spearhead the
state's energy policy," Hart said.
"Because of the critical need to
develop new energy resources it is im-
perative that we establish energy plan-
ning, implementation and research
programs that will lessen the impact of
energy shortages in the future.
"THIS CAN best be handled by a cen-
tralized agency,"' Hart said.
Under the bill, the new department
would be charged with promoting long
range alternate and renewable energy
resources.
The bill also includes provisions for
an Office of Energy Ombudsman, a
State Energy Review Board and a
energy department
Power Plant Siting Commission within establish a fund to provide financial aid
the department. to public intervenors in cases before the
HART SAID the ombudsperson would siting commission and the Public Ser-
represent consumer interests in energy vice Commission, using as its source a
planning. small consumer assessment.
The review board would be made up "Because every Michigan resident is
of representatives of local government, directly affected by the activities of the
business, industry, labor, senior energy department it is necessary that
citizens, farmers, environmentalists we include mechanisms to ensure their
and other organizations and would give participation as well as protection,"
those groups representation in setting Hart said.
energy policy. Last year, Milliken and Senate
The siting commission would Democrats called for the establishment
regulate the location, construction and of a full-blown energy department, but
modification of power generating plan- House leaders promoted a scaled-down
ts. energy agency approach.
IN ADDITION, the bill would
- AP Photo,
Jody Crary casts an exasperated look during a "bunny play" at Pittsville High School in Wisconsin. These pre-schoolers
are participating in the high school's child care class for students.
Committee
LANSING (UPI)-Controversial
"right-to-die" legislation failed by a
one vote margin in the House Public
Health Committee yesterday, with the
outcome attributed to the intense op-
position of Catholic and anti-abortion
groups.,
The 5-5 deadlock may have ended
legislative action on the measure for
1979, since committee Chairman
Raymond Hood indicated he will not
place the emotional issuel on the agen-
da again this year.
"I've spent probably one quarter of
my time on the bill in the last four years
and I'm not sure I can change any more
mindls," said Rep. David Hollister, the
bill's dispirited sponsor.
Drug misuse
in mental
homes
denied
LANSING (UPI) - The alleged lax
control of drugs and distribution of
medicine by inadequately trained per-
sonnel at Clinton Valley Center are not
problems shared by other mental
hospitals, acting Mental Health Direc-
tor Vernon Stehman said yesterday.
A special state task force, led by
clinical pharmacologist Eric Goldstein,
told Stehman drugs at Clinton Valley
were mislabeled, outdated and im-
properly stored and are administered
to patients by untrained employees.
But -Stehman denied a newspaper
report attributing the death of a 21-
year-old schizophrenic at the Pontiac
facility to those problems. Barney
Bladergroen died March 15 after he had
been given a large dose of the powerful
tranquilizer Thorazine.
THE 22-YEAR-OLD attendant who
administered the drug, Gary Meyers,
has been charged with manslaughter in
Bladergroen's death and has been
suspended from the center.
Bladergroen is not the only mental
patient to die recently from allegedly
drug-related causes. Stehman said a
Traverse City hospital patient also died
recently after receiving medication.
State auditors, in periodic audits of
state institutions, regularly have
chided mental hospitals for improper
control of drugs and the administering
of too many drugs at one time.
Stehman said occasional problems
with the control and distribution of
medication crop up at other institutions
but there is no statewide pattern.
BLACK DOLLS
DETROIT (AP)-A special exhibit
of black dolls dating back to the 1830s
was on display at the Detroit Historical
Museum recently.
The 50 dolls in the exhibit were from
the collection of Myla Perkins of
Detroit, who began her hobby about 10
years ago.
Manytwere handmade around.the
-turn of the century by a Georgia craf-
tsman named Leo Moss, who was
commissioned to make both black and
white dolls. Quite a few of his black
dolls are shown cryingibut, according to
Mrs. Perkins, no one knows why..
rejects 'right-to-die' bill
HOLLISTER'S BILL would have "OBVIOUSLY WE oppose
allowed people to designate an agent said Thomas Bergeson,
with the power to make life and death director of the Michigan Ca
medical decisions on their behalf if they ference.
are unable to do so themselves. "We represent a fairly lar
Modern technology has enabled doc- sus of the people of the
tors to indefinitely prolong the lives of Michigan who are trouble
comatose patients, Hollister argued. measure, he said.
While conscious patients have a legal Democratic Reps. Hood,
right to refuse treatment, he said, there Rose Collins and George Cup
is no guarantee their wishes will be of Detroit and David Evans
carried out when they are unconscious. Clemens were joined by I
The anti-abortion Michigan Citizens Rep. Mary Keith Ballentine
for Life, the Michigan Catholic Con- in supporting the bill.
ference and other groups argued the Opposing it were Democr,
bill is not necessary and creates poten- Lucille McCollough of I
tially dangerous situations by giving Stanley Stopczynski of De
the agent too much power. Claude Trim of Davisb
d the bill,"
executive
tholic Con-
rge consen-
e state of
d" by the
Barbara-
ishingberry
of Mount
Republican
of Jackson
atic Reps.
Dearborn,
troit and
urg and
FOR A GREAT EVENING OF FUN.. .
Join the happy people at
LIVE tIERTAINMENT every Friday and Saturday
night, ixieland Singalong with THE GASLIGI4hRS.
14 East mftton DOWNTOWN 665-3231
Republican Reps. Connie Binsfeld of
Maple City and Wilbur Brotherton of
Farmington.
PURE ROMANCE
NEW YORK (AP)-In Samuel John-
son's legandary dictionary, published
in 1755, he defined the pastern as the
"knee of a horse." The pastern happens
to be in the vicinity of a horse's ankle
and is far from the knee.
Chided about the error by a lady of
his acquaintaince, Johnson did not lose
his aplomb.
"It was ignorance, Madame, pure
ignoranc, e4's,00~, -