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LOCAL/S TATEm TevMicigan Daiy - Inursaay, January 21,1- 5
House Democrats push for minimum wage hike
A
LANSING (AP) -- A plan to increase
Mici-igan's minimum wage to $6.15 an hour that
minority House Democrats announced yester-
day was quickly panned by Republicans, who
now control the lower chamber.
House Minority Leader Michael Hanley
-Saginaw) said the minimum wage ought
go up by $1 to $6.15 an hour by January
2000. He also wants a constitutional amend-
ment adopted that would automatically
increase the minimum wage by the rate of
inflation each year.
louse Speaker Chuck Perricone (R-
Kalamazoo Township) said the bill wouldn't get
a hearing in the House.
"I am not interested in the same old
tricks. What you have here is the prime
example of liberal thinking. Democrats want
keep taxes high by raising artificial mini-
lcms," Perricone said.
"It's much more logical to cut taxes and
other expenses that hard working families
have to pay rather than handing them another
nickel or dime through an artificial minimum,"
he said.
The minimum wage last increased in
September 1997 to $5.15 an hour, up from the
$3.35 hourly wage set in 1981.
While Hanley said he expected Republicans
to argue that wage increases would stifle busi-
ness, he said the 1997 minimum wage increase
had no such impact.
He said that 4.68 million workers had
jobs in September 1997 when the last
increase took effect. By November 1998,
that number increased to 4.93 million
employed workers.
"Frankly, I think it will be a job creator,"
Hanley said at a Capitol news conference. "It
will drive our economy to be stronger."
Gov. John Engler's spokesperson John
Truscott said raising the minimum wage further
would do no such thing.
"Michigan is near the top in nearly every
economic indicator, he said. "When you look at
the success we've had in eight short years ... I
think the only conclusion is we are definitely on
the right track."
Hanley said if House Republicans do not
take up the bill by Labor Day, he would work to
promote a ballot initiative.
A similar ballot initiative was adopted by
66 percent of Washington voters last
November. The measure raises the minimum
wage there to $6.50 an hour on Jan. 1 and
then gives annual inflationary increases
starting in 2001.
"The Democratic caucus wants to look out
for the little guy," said Rep. Kwame Kilpatrick
(D-Detroit). "We want to make sure poverty isn't
"The Democratic caucus wants to look out for
the little guy. We want to make sure poverty
isn't a reward for a full-time job."
- Rep. Kwame Kilpatrick
(D-Detroit)
a reward for a full-time job."
The measure also would ensure that workers
who receive tips would make half the minimum
wage. The two-step increase from the current
$2.65 an hour would push those workers to
$2.83 an hour by Sept. 6, and to $3.08 an hour
by Jan. 1.
While there are approximately 300,000
workers earning the minimum wage in
Michigan, the state law would impact the
earnings of just 100,000 of them. The other
200,000 workers fall under federal minimum
wage laws because they engage in interstate
commerce and have gross receipts of more
than $500,000 a year.
The House Democrats' plan is similar to leg-
islation being pushed in Congress by U.S. Rep.
David Bonior (D-Mt. Clemens) who has recom-
mended raising the federal minimum wage to
$6.15.
He shoots, he scores
GU NDERSONSHOUT's student direct
committee chose Gunde
Continued from Page 1A sions of students who nor
Gunderson has previously won the College of Many of Gunderson's fo
Literature Science and Arts Excellence in Teaching her teaching style.
Award. She said the thought of winning the Golden "I think she's very com
Apple had crossed her mind, but she never thought it student Maya Fischhoff, on
would become a reality. nated Gunderson. "She ma
"This has been actually a dream," she said. "To have that a lot of students haveg
that be formally recognized in the form of this award, "She's really straight-fo
I can't tell you how happy that makes me." Navai said. "She breaks e
"This is the only award that's given to a professor at basics."
the University by the students," Musher said. Each year the Golden Ap
Gunderson said being selected by students for the tion of the award as a surpri
award is a great honor, especially because of "the fact who handed Gunderson the
that it's coming from a course in statistics," which many students to be a part of thep
students take only as a requirement. Gunderson has been
Students nominated more than 175 faculty mem- University since 1989 wh(
bers this year, said LSA senior Stephanie Lovinger, ate here. She now holds 1
GHB
Continued from Page 1A
The drug is most often dissolved in water or alcohol and is consumed typically
in capfuls, which cost $5-10, according to the ONDCP GHB's effects are usually
felt within 15-30 minutes of ingestion.
The drug also intensifies the effects of alcohol so a user does not have to con-
sume as many drinks. Ann Arbor Police Department Sgt. Michael Logghe said
women sometimes take the drug to reduce the intake of calories from beer.
"We're concerned with the females that may be taking GHB to allay the calories
of beers'" Logghe said.,
Panhellenic Association President Cindy Faulk said many students have heard
rumors about GHB being used to enhance the effects of alcohol but few have actu-
ally seen GHB abuse.
"I've never seen the drug used personally," said Faulk, an Education junior. "I've
heard it's been used but not from concrete sources."
tor. A 10-member student
rson based on the submis-
minated her.
ormer students openly praise
mitted," said SNRE graduate
ne of the students who nomi-
anages to bring alive a subject
gone into sort of hesitantly"
rward," LSA junior Neema
verything down to complete
pple winner receives notifica-
se during class, said Lovinger,
letter yesterday. "We want the
presentation," she said.
teaching statistics at the
hen she received her doctor-
the position of a permanent
lecturer for the department and coordinates several
undergraduate classes.
"Teaching is indeed my joy," she said. "It's what I
love to do, and it's what I always want to do."
SHOUT has been honoring University teaching for
nine years. Past Golden Apple winners include
English and religion Prof Ralph Williams, and histo-
ry Profs. Sidney Fine and Tom Collier. This year
marks the second time that a female has won the
award. Nursing Prof. Carol Boyd won the award sev-
eral years ago.
Lovinger said Gunderson will deliver her "ideal last
lecture" and receive a cash prize and trophy during a
ceremony March 24 at 7:30 p.m. The ceremony is
scheduled to take place in the auditorium of the
Rackham Graduate School building
Gunderson's lecture should say "anything that she'd
most like to tell the University community" as if it
were her final teaching opportunity, Lovinger said.
In addition to receiving local attention during recent months, the drug has
also caught the attention of national agencies. NIDA reports heavy GHB usage
in cities across the nation, including Detroit, Phoenix, Honolulu, Miami and
New York.
"In recent years, abuse of GHB has increased," DEA spokesperson Rogene
Waite said. "It's popular with high school and college students."
DEA has documented more than 3,500 overdoses and law enforcement encoun-
ters involving GHB, Waite said.
GHB is not illegal nationally but has not been approved by the Food and
Drug Administration. Michigan is among a handful of states to outlaw the
drug.
Sexual assault experts warn women to be careful not to have the drug slipped
into their drinks.
"It's important to uphold safe practices such as not leaving a drink unattended or
letting anyone get a drink for you," Chitanda said.
AP~ PHOTO
Dave Wieszclecinski, 9, gets in a little hockey practice by gliding over the ice last
night at Veteran's Memorial Park ice rink in Bay City.
Dow Coming
sued over implants
GRE CAT
#376
BAY CITY, Mich. (AP) - -Dozens
of lawyers representing clients from
six continents haggled yesterday
over the details of a plan to pay
thousands of women with silicone
breast implants and bring Dow
Corning Corp. out of bankruptcy.
The complicated $4.5 billion plan
to be voted on by women who filed
suit against Dow Corning, as well as the
company's other creditors. Dow
Corning has filed a 300-page descrip-
tion of the plan that it wants to be used
as the basis for voting.
Attorneys for Dow Corning and a
major group of creditors and women
who sued told U.S. Bankruptcy
Judge Arthur Specter that the
description was as good as it could
Pet in its current form.
We did achieve a delicate bal-
ance of conflict and competing
interest in this case," said Barbara
Houser, Dow Corning's lead attor-
ney. She advised Judge Specter there
was little room for change:
DRINKING
Continued from Page 1A
partment is investigating the incident.
Ferris State University student
Adriane Allen died last week after
falling from her third-floor apartment
window. Allen had been drinking with
friends before she fell.
Some students said they alter their
behavior after hearing about alcohol-
related deaths. "I think it affects me
because it's closer to home. I think that
it could have been me;' LSA first-year
student Lisa Ruff said.
Others disagree, arguing the number
alcohol-related deaths does not affect
their behavior. "College drinking is
always a constant - there will always be
those that do and those that don't," LSA
junior Heather Carleton said.
The Harvard School of Public Health
College Alcohol Study, published in the
Journal of American College Health
last September, concluded that there
has been a decrease in binge drinking
Wong college students across the
nation between 1993 and 1997.
But, the study also found that the
college students who are binge drink-
ing are doing it more frequently.
Frequent binge drinking is defined by
the survey as consuming five drinks or
more in ai sinele night at least five
"It's the Pillsbury Doughboy -
you poke it and it pooches out some-
where else."
But other attorneys, including one
who flew from Korea to make his case,
argued the plan was unclear and unfair
in some areas. Judge Specter ordered a
few changes, but delayed many deci-
sions for later hearings.
An avalanche of claims from
women who believed silicone
implants were making them sick
drove Dow Corning into bankruptcy
in May 1995. The company and
lawyers for the women who had
sued announced a settlement in July.
They have been working out the
details since then.
Under the settlement, women who
claim they suffered illnesses due to
Dow Corning silicone breast
implants could get between $12,000
and $300,000 each. Women can also
receive up to $25,000 for ruptured
or leaking implants, and up to
$5,000 for implant removal.
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