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The Michigan Daily - Monday, March 1, 2004 - 3A


State committee approves gay marriage ban

Two more LCD
projectors stolen
from 'U' buildings
Department of Public Safety
reports indicate two liquid crystal
display projectors were stolen from
different University buildings recent-
ly. One projector was reported stolen
from the Dennison Building on Feb.
19. A second projector was reported
stolen Friday from the Taubman
Medical Library and is valued at
$6,500.
DPS is offering a reward of $10,000
to anyone who can provide information
leading to the recovery of the projec-
tors, or arrest of the thieves.
Racist graffiti
found outside of
C.C. Little building
DPS reports from Wednesday, Feb-
ruary 18 show that a swastika was
painted on the sidewalk near the C.C.
Little Science building. After the
report was filed, a maintenance crew
removed the graffiti. There are no
suspects in the incident.
Crouching man
discovered in Art
School office
A caller reported to DPS last Mon-
day that upon entering the dean's office
in the Art and Architecture building,
she encountered a man crouching in
the dark. The suspect, who was not
affiliated with the University, said he
was looking for a copy machine. The
subject was escorted from the building
by DPS. No damage was done to the
office or any items.
Flying snowballs
damage Bursley
window screen
A Bursley Residence Hall resident
reported Feb. 19 that her window
screen was damaged after suspects
threw snowballs through her window.
The snowballs damaged various
items in her room, but no description
or value is known. DPS currently has
no suspects.
Car ignites en route
to 'U' Hospital
DPS reported that a hospital visitor
noticed the inside of her car heating up
and dashboard lights flashing: She then
pulled into loading dock five where her
car ignited. The 1996 vehicle was dam-
aged in the incident, but no one was
injured.
Group leaves flaming
paper on flier kiosk
An anonymous caller told DPS
that five to seven males, ages 17 to
20, lit a piece of paper on fire on a
kiosk near the Student Activities
building Friday. After arriving on the
scene, DPS officers talked to wit-
nesses who gave a similar description
of the suspects. Only the paper was
damaged in the incident.
Drunken student
attempts to steal
street sign
DPS officers stopped a student
who was walking away with a street
sign on East Ann Street Feb. 19.
After being stopped, the student was

issued a citation for a minor in pos-
session of alcohol.
ESPN truck
damaged before
basketball game
Before the basketball game
between Michigan and Michigan
State University Tuesday, a caller
reported to DPS that an ESPN truck
was damaged in an accident in the
Crisler Arena parking lot. Reports
show that the accident occurred off
the road, and that the damage was
minor.
Intoxicated
student passes
out near Dennison
A caller reported Feb. 21 that a
female student was passed out or dis-
oriented outside the Dennison Build-
ing. The victim was issued a citation
for minor in possession of alcohol
and transported to the University
Hospital.

By Donn M. Fresard
Daily Staff'Reporter
An amendment to the Michigan Constitution
that would ban gay marriage overcame its first
legislative hurdle last Tuesday, coinciding with
President Bush's pledge of support for a federal
marriage amendment.
The state House Family and Children's Services
Committee voted 6 to 0 in favor of the resolution,
sponsored by Rep. Gary Newell (R-Saranac), that
would amend the state constitution to define mar-
riage as between a man and woman.
The six Republicans on the committee voted in
favor of the measure, while all three Democrats
abstained.
The committee's vote came on the same day that
President Bush announced his support for an
amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prompting
accusations by state House Democrats that the
committee's vote was a product of coordination
between the national and state Republican parties.
"I don't think it was a coincidence," said Rep.
Chris Kolb (D-Ann Arbor), adding that the com-

mittee was given an unusually short one-day
notice before the vote.
But Republicans brushed off the allegations.
"I did not make that decision based on political
considerations," said committee Chairman Lau-
ren Hager (R-Port Huron Twp.). "I based it on
that it was the right time to do it.
"I simply see this effort as preserving marriage
as it has been known throughout the millennia,"
Hager added.
Michigan, like 38 other states, already has a
Defense of Marriage Act that defines marriage as
between a man and woman. But supporters of the
new measure argue that a constitutional amend-
ment is necessary to prevent a situation like that in
Massachusetts, where a state court ruled last year
that a ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional.
Kolb, however, saw more cynical motives
behind the push for a gay marriage amendment.
"There are two groups of people driving this
movement, not only here in Michigan but across
the country - those who are opposed to gay
marriage and those who are using it as a political
wedge issue," he said.

If the measure passes with two-thirds majori-
ties in the state House and Senate, it will be
placed on a statewide ballot for voters to decide
in either the August or November election.
Matt Resch, spokesman for House Speaker
Rick Johnson (R-Leroy), said the speaker sup-
ports the resolution and intends to place it on the
November ballot.
"That election will have a high turnout, because
it's a presidential year," Resch said. "It's important
that on an issue like this, amending the state consti-
tution, a lot of people get to vote on it."
But Kolb, the Legislature's only openly gay
member, accused state Republicans of using the
measure to tip the November election in the favor
of Republican candidates.
"It does two things - it brings out conserva-
tive voters, who will vote for Republicans, and it
brings out a wedge between Democratic candi-
dates and their traditional supporters," Kolb said.
He added that he believes this strategy is a joint
effort between the national and state Republican
parties."I think there is coordination going on,"
Kolb said. "I think there are people in the nation-

al party, for political reasons, pushing for this
type of resolution."
He conceded, however, that he could not prove
such coordination had taken place. "Obviously
I'm not in the room when it happens," Kolb said.
In order to pass the House with a two-thirds
majority, the resolution will need 73 votes. Democ-
ratic leaders noted that, even if all 63 Republicans
vote for the amendment, it will die in the House
without the votes of at least 10 Democrats.
Exacerbating the problem for the amendment's
supporters, some Republicans have said they will
not vote for the resolution, Kolb said.
"There's a group who are very uncomfortable
having to vote for it - they do believe it's dis-
criminatory, and others as a policy issue think it
goes too far," he said.
At least one House Republican, Rep. Lorence
Wenke (R-Richland), has declared opposition to the
proposed amendment, calling it discriminatory.
Kolb predicted that, with Democrats more unit-
ed against the amendment than Republicans are
behind it, there would not be enough votes for the
measure to advance to the Senate.

Fat Tuesday revelries

Residents oppose water
pipeline installation under
Lake Michigan sand dunes

NORTON SHORES (AP) - A leading auto
glass company's proposal to pipe treated waste
water through a sensitive stretch of Lake Michi-
gan sand dunes has upset residents and state envi-
ronmental regulators.
Last week, an administrative law judge recom-
mended that Nugent Sand Co. be allowed to build
a 600-foot wastewater pipeline beneath the dunes.
"We learned a decision had been rendered
when people started calling," said Pat Spitzley,
spokesman for Department of Environmental
Quality Director Steven Chester.
Nugent plans to use the pipeline to discharge
more than 8 million gallons a day of treated
wastewater from its Norton Shores sand mining
and processing operation. The company produces
high-grade sand for foundries and the automotive
industry.
Nugent and the DEQ agree that the processed
wastewater would be cleaner than Lake Michigan
water. The pipeline also would be used to lower
the level of a man-made lake on the company's
property, site for a proposed multimillion-dollar
residential development.
The DEQ's district office in Grand Rapids
originally denied Nugent the permits needed to
build the pipeline, saying it would cause too
much beach and dune erosion.
Nugent appealed the decision. Following a
two-week hearing in July, Patterson said Wednes-
day that the pipeline would have minimal impact.

Chester can accept, reject, modify or return
Patterson's recommendation to an administrative
law judge for a rehearing.
Chester must cite specific legal reasons for
rejecting, modifying or ordering a rehearing, said
Administrative Law Judge Dennis Mack.
Nugent spokeswoman Mary Ann Sabo said the
company is taking a wait-and-see attitude.
"We're pleased with the recommendation. We
won't look at alternatives until Chester makes his
decision," Sabo said.
Spitzley said not to expect a decision soon.
"I suspect this one won't be decided quickly.
The director will want to look at the entire record
once he receives it," he told The Muskegon
Chronicle for a recent story.
Meanwhile, local opponents are already plan-
ning how they will stop Nugent from building the
pipeline.
"We'll definitely be talking about fund-raising
to pay for a lawyer," said Darlene DeHudy, vice
president of the local environmental group Save
Our Shoreline. "If Chester approves the pipeline,
we'll have a whole horror story on our hands. If
he says no, we'll have to counter whatever
Nugent does."
In June, the Department of Environmental
Quality ordered Norton to give clean water to
residents near its facility as a condition for con-
tinuing to let the wastewater it produces drain
into the ground.

4nrJASN . r - LPJL
Michigan sophomore Anthony Fein, center, parties with sophomore David Larkin,
far right, on Bourbon Street in New Orleans during Mardi Gras last Monday.

Corrections:
An article on page 10B of the Thursday, Feb. 19 Daily should have said that Stanley Kubrick
received four Oscar nominations. He won an Oscar for special effects for "2001: A Space Odyssey."
Please report any errors in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com

LSA-SG
Continued from Page 1A
dents of their undertakings and to
encourage participation.
Already this year, LSA-SG has
begun working to make changes and
additions to LSA programs, discussed
new credit brackets allowing students
with the most credits to be the first to
register for classes, allocated $20,000
to various student groups and begun
planning next fall's Homecoming week
activities.
Nine positions within LSA-SG,
including executive positions, are
up for election this month. Candi-
dates will be announced tomorrow,
with several parties expected to
deliver candidates.
Members of the Defend Affirma-

tive Action Party, Students First and
University Party are anticipated to
be in the running.
In addition to elections, this
month LSA-SG will be hosting an
Ethnic Studies Fair in Haven Hall, a
Concentration Fair at the Michigan
Union and a booth at the K-Grams
Kids' Fair. Also, several representa-
tives will be dancing for charity at
the 2004 Dance Marathon.
Future events that LSA-SG has in
the works include a dialogue with
University President Mary Sue Cole-
man and other administrative figures,
a women's defense forum led by
members of the Detroit Police
Department and a concert featuring
the musician Ben Folds co-sponsored
with Big Ticket Productions and the
Michigan Student Assembly.

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