Page len litMCHI~iAN DAILY fuesaay, July 19 r9
Justice Department plns to weed
out discrimination in federal laws
WASINGTON (AP) - The
Justice Department launched a
two-year effort yesterday to
weed out sex discrimination
from the rhicket of thousands
of federal laws and regula-
tions.
A task force will use compu-
ters to screen 4,0(X1 federal
WEDNESDAY for
Billiards
and Bowling
11 A.M. to 6 P.M.
at
The Union
laws for certain code words,
such as man, woman, male, fe-
male and other language denot-
ing gender.
THEN IT MUST determine
whether the sex differentiation
amounts to unfair treatment for
either men or women. In some
cases it may decide the distinc-
tion is legitimate. In other cases,
it will ask Congress to change
the law so it will apply equally
to men and women.
The project may have a strong
impact on military regulations,
Social Security and public as-
sistance program, said .Ms.
Stewart Oneglia, a Maryland
lawyer who began work yester-
day as director of the sex dis-
crimination task force in the
department's civil rights divi-
sion.
"This is a' massive project to
review all of the federal code
and regulations and remove all
the unequal treatment of the
sexes," Oneglia told a news
conference.
"IT COULD end up benefiting
men a lot, but I don't think it's
going to take anything away
from women. We would end up
extending certain benefits to
men," she added.
Some changes may be as sim-
ple as substituting the word per-
son for man or woman but oth-
ers will require more compli-
cated policy decisions, Oneglia
said.
The same process will be ap-
plied to the thousands upon
thousands of federal regulations.
Task force' recommendations
for regulatory changes will be
sent to the affected agency.
Oneglia cited these examples
of rules that will come under
scrutiny:
* The law banning wom-
en from combat duty assign-
ments in the military,.
*Rules extending military
post exchange privileges to
widows of servicemen but not
to widowers of servicewomen.
* A Social Security rule
which applies when a handicap-
ped man and woman marry each
other. The rule cuts off disabili-
ty benefits for the wife if her
husband loses disability pay-
ments because he gets a job.
* Rules which make it tough-
er for fathers than for mothers
to qualify for aid to families
with dependent children.
Oneglia and Asst. Atty. Gen.
Drew Days, head of the civil
rights division, noted that for-
mer President Ford first told
the department to undertake the
project a year ago.
But the department had little
money then for the effortsod
relied on a handful of workers
borrowed from other agencies
Very little was accomplished
CONGRESS since had appra.
priated $620,000 to pay the full-
time staff of 15 through the next
fiscal year.
"It was made apparent to as
that Congress wanted this done
as quickly as possible," days
said. "We would hope to have
it substantially completed in tw'o
years."
Detroit
officer, key
By the time
we're old enough to
have children, we've
been thoroughly sold
on the idea.
By our parents,
our grandparents,
our friends and
neighbors, the media,
everyone.
It's hard to
remember we ever
had a choice in the
first place.
But there is a
choice. Having a
child is a tremendous
responsibility and
an important decision.
Probably the most
important decision
we'll ever make.
And once it's
made, it can never
be undone.
Just remember...
you do have a choice.
So think about it,
and do what's right
for you.
For more information write:
------ -- -- -- --
National
Organization
for
Non-Parents
806 Reisterstown Road
Baltimore, Maryland 21208
Id like to know more about N-O.
Please send me your free
"Am i Parent Materia" packagea-
address
cIty~stale ip
.wwMMoogo
witness
ambushed
TlAYLORl, iticli0,";; A
Detroit police ofticc escorting
a"itess in an "rgasicd c-"i
case was ambushed re trrday
il what must hare bes a set
up, the Wayne tw'vnt r'-ed
crime task force said
'There had to he a vl; c-se-
where because on i trw ps
pie knew about tic s,,
travel plans,' saul Isi p i-",r
Robert Ityalt o th task frce
THE WITNESS escapI sry
durins a gunbatei ic-
least 25 shots iserr facd 11:a:
said
Detroit atroas TI a
Pennbacker, 32, ,,iaulc a
lice reteran assigurd t thr lis
force for the past thr- ar ,
suffered multipe b ack ic
when his car [was mcc t hr
rad and hit a po
Pennybacke h
nine-shot pisto i th'
ot gunfire, said tc-Ic-i£° d i
hit one of the ties ar thv -'
pants of the assailant'
TASK FORCE OFFICE7s _J
Pennybacker was set i
Metropolitan Airport ii sarbiv
ban Romulus early yes rat i
escort a key witness in c-p
coming trial.
The officers refused t ideti-
fy the witness
The witness came trai the
south, east or west and
all we can say about it" Hyatt
said. "To say anything further
about the witness would make it
easier for the assailants to knout
the witness' travel plans and to
try again. We are not even sat-
ing what case the witness was
connected with."
However, he added that the
witness had made several trips
in and out of Detroit previousl
without incident.
Hyatt declined comment an
reports the witness was a key
figure against brothers Antonio
and Antonino Ruggirello of De'
troit, free on $100,000 bond each
while awaiting trial on charge
of conspiracy to murder aud
attempted murder.
The islandfs of St. Pierre and
Miquelon, off the coast of NeW
foundland, are part oft
French Overseas Territory.
They are a valuable base &
fishermen from Breton and NHr
mandy.