The Michigan Daily-Saturday, July 7, 1979-Page 9 Senate votes to assess penalties for expressway speeding LANSING (UPI) - The state Senate voted yesterday to assess penalty poin- ts against motorists caught driving over 55 on roads where the speed limit was 65 or 70 before the energy crunch. The proposal was rejected on the first pass, but approved minutes tater on a 20-3 vote - the minimum number needed for passage. It now faces scrutiny in the House, which traditionally has opposed penalty poin- ts for so-called "energy" speed violations. Lawmakers backing penalty points claim it will put more muscle in the 55 mph speed limit because drivers will know they face points as well as a fine if they exceed the speed limit. UNDER THE bill, motorists arrested for exceeding 55 would be assessed one point against their licenses. During a declared energy emergency, they would be assessed two points for driving 5-10 mph over the limit, three from 10 to 15 over and four for speeding 15 miles over the limit. Proponents of the bill also noted that traffic deaths have declined dramatically since the 55 mph limit was adopted in 1974. "I don't see anything wrong with saving human lives," said Sen. Basil Brown, (D-Highland Park). "THAT WOULD be good politics, even for us." But Sen. Jack Faxon, (D-Detroit), said penalty points "only make the poor pay more" because he said urban drivers are more likely to get picked up for speeding. "I think it's time to meet the issue squarely, head-on," said Republican Leader Robert VanderLaan of Ken- twood, who sponsored the points proposal. Ruling on Black English case could take months By ELEONORA DI LISCIA Lawyers in the Black English case presented fiani arguments last week and now await the judge's decision, but neither side is willing to predict what that ruling will be. They do admit, however, that they expect it will be weeks or even months before the judge will reach a decision. The case concerns 11 children who at- tend Martin Luther King, Jr. Elemen- tary School in Ann Arbor. Attorneys for the children charge the school with ignoring the children's black dialect and labelling them as emotionally or learning disabled. According to eviden- ce presented in court, giving children such labels lowers their self-esteem and reduces the quality expectations a teacher may have of their work. ATTORNEYS FOR the children argued before federal District Court Judge Charles Joiner . that Black English should be recognized by the Ann Arbor school district. "Recognition should include assessment of the-home language to see if Black English was dominant and to take the language into account whenever the school took negative action against the plaintiff children," said attorney Gave Kaimowitz. Negative action includes being placed in special education classes or speech therapy, being held back in grade level, or being suspended from school, according to Kaimowitz. Kaimowitz maintained that while standard and Black English differ lit- tle, "the differences are very significant." JOHN WEAVER, attorney for the Ann Arbor Board of Education, argued that the children did not have a language barrier, since they were able to understand teachers and students who did not speak their dialect. Language had not "impeded par- ticipation in any program. Ann Arbor had not failed to take any appropriate educational actions," Weaver said. Weaver maintained that there "is not racial intention. This is not something race specific, but is a cultural or class problem, common to low-income people, therefore not a race factor. Not all blacks speak dialect." The children's attorneys said they are not advocating teaching Black English. "We want them to learn to read standard English. We think the failure to recognize language results in teacher expectations being lowered. In- tegration has made visible a problem that has always existed," Kaimowitz said. "IT IS THE most important decision since Brown vs. Board of Education," noted Kaimowitz. "I was on a council in which I stopped psyco-surgery on a prison inmate. This case is far more important than that." Weaver rested his defense without calling witnesses because, he said, "I felt that since the plaintiffs had called 11 of our people and each of the children, which I thought was fairly good evidence for our side, it was un- necessary." The children's lawyers have claimed that the schools are responsible for teaching children to read and write and should be held responsible for those duties. According to Weaver, schools do not have the power to guarantee education. "You have to have children who go to school and have willingness to learn something. All a school can do is offer the best possible instruction and try to encourage the children to take advan- tage of it," he said TWO STREAKS MARYVILLE, Mo. (AP)-Northwest Missouri State University will begin the 1979-1980 basketball season with two unusual streaks. The Bearcats have a 19-game, home-court winning streak and a 16-game losing streak on the road. In the 1978-79 campaign, they were 15-Il, winning all home games and losing all away contests. Possible Dial-a-Ride cut would affect handicapped (Continued from Page 1) out-county use since the July 2 cutback, according to Perez, and more people are being turned away now than were in June. AATA's proposed 1979-80 budget would eliminate city Dial-a-Ride ser- vice, except for the handicapped and elderly, reducing the number of vans from 37 to 12. The AATA board also will consider changes in fixed bus routes and other transportation services at its July 18 meeting. Daily Classifieds Continued rom oP.ge 81 PETS AND SUPPLIES FREE-1 year old redpoint Siamese cat. Male. neutered; excellent house pet. 995-1880. 37T70i THE MtCHIGANENSIAN YEARBOOK COMETH: And it's time to get your copy. Available at the Student Publications Bldg., 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor. for only $12.00. dU ROOMMA TES SENIOR FEMALE engineering student looking for a female to share rent in a two bedroom apart- ment. After-S call 987-2862. 46Y712 MALE STUDENT to share house with University staffer-Packard-Platt area-$125/month, including utilities. Food flexible. ,Available July 9 for fall. 971-5492. 44Y712 "THERE ARE GOING to be many people who ride Dial-a-Ride now want door-to-door service and don't need a lift. If they don't have Dial-a-Ride in the fall, they will take the handicapped Dial-a-Ride," Weir warned. Ricks said she is "pretty impressed" with the out-county Dial-a-Ride system, adding that she uses it every day. But Weir pointed out that continual change in the service causes confusion among the people who use it. "The services are constantly changing without people knowing it. It discourages riders," he said. "They make cuts, and we don't hear about them until they go into effect." UNIVERSITY GRADUATE student Jerry Yeager, who is blind, said he has "avoided using" Dial-a-Ride "at all costs." "I've had friends who use it who complain about it," he explained. MOM UNDERSTOOD NEW YORK (AP)-Amy Alcott, one of the players on the women's professional golf curcuit, credits a lot of her success to her mother. "I was lucky, I didn't have a Little League Mom," Amy said. "She used to tell me she didn't care if I shot 66 or 88, as long as I was having fun. I've seen a lot of kids ruined by pushy mothers." DANCE THEATRE STUDIO sses begin July 9 phone 995-4242 711 N. University on campus above Drake's