April 13, 1973
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OBSERVER A Journal of Free Voices 250 A Window to the South April 13, 1973 Austin House gallery. They turned their gold 30). The governor also opined that the From that moment in July of 1969 lamed posteriors to the brass rail financial statements should be filed with when Frank Sharp and Gus Mutscher overlooking the House floor and pertly the secretary of state rather than with an reached their "tacit understanding" in the displayed hand-lettered placards which ethics commission as prescribed by the dinette of Mutscher's hotel suite, the 63rd spelled out R*E*F*O*R*M. There you House. Legislature was destined to be a reform have the 63rd in an East Texas pecan shell. Briscoe put his seal of approval on session. another House-passed measure that would In reaction to the stock fraud scandal, I N VIEW of this apparent restrict House-Senate conference Texas voters elected a reform governor and mandate for reform, one might think committees on appropriations and taxes to a reform lieutenant governor, a reform legislators could get together and pass some resolving the differences between House House and a reform Senate. It was the legislation. The trouble is, legislators are and Senate bills. Daniel's response was to House that lost a speaker, the smiling Mr. politicians and politicians are a jealous, be more-reformist-than-thou. Pointing out Mutscher, to the scandal. Consequently, bickering, ambitious lot. As Babe Schwartz that most of his package already had the House has been the governmental body says, "All the House members want to be passed the House, the speaker said he was most anxious to prove it has mended its senators and all the senators want them to "ready for some company" in his difficult ways. The newly-elected House speaker, go away." battle for reform. Price Daniel, Jr., put together a package of If Dolph Briscoe doesn't covet a higher Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby's big push for reform bills before the session began, thus office, he wants at least another term as ethics, a special Citizens Conference on becoming the bull goose reformer of the governor. He doesn't want one of his Ethics and Government, also came late, so legislative session. possible opponents taking all the credit for late that Daniel and many members of the Now, reform is a broad word. It can reform. Briscoe, being a bit slow on the press interpreted it as a stalling tactic mean asking legislators, pretty please, not draw, waited until the 70th day of the rather than a sincere effort. By the time to take any more bribes or it can mean 140-day session, but he finally got around the conference convened March 20-21, tossing a senator out on his ear for refusing to endorsing Daniel's proposals for public most of Daniel's nine bills had been rushed to name one of his clients in a financial financial disclosure by state officials. through the House and were being given disclosure. When everyone from the most Briscoe's press conference came well after exceedingly thorough reviews by Senate earnest, penurious freshman legislator to Rep. Fred Agnich had convinced the House committees. Daniel allowed as how he was the shrewdest insurance lobbyist is talking to entomb the disclosures in sealed "getting kinda tired of" waiting around for in glowing terms about REEform, the term envelopes, not to be opened by the the Senate. becomes meaningless. proposed ethics commission unless a The Senate obviously was not going to One shining morning in March six majority of the commission decides there is pass the Daniel bills as hastily as did the Apache Belles from the Tyler Junior probable cause to believe a public servant House. The upper chamber lumbered along College marching team appeared in the has done something sneaky (Obs., March (Continued on Page 3) i.,..4::.4:41114iofrelortwo • APRIL 17 Show," plus Igor Youskevitch's production of BORODIN QUARTET — Musical descendants the ballet, "Coppelia," featuring Mary Margaret of gifted line of string players, Borodin is Holt in lead role; through April 28, Hogg foremost string quartet in Russia; 8:15 p.m., Auditorium, University of Texas, Austin. Roxy Grove Hall, Baylor University, Waco. SYMPHONY — Lawrence Foster conducts KISSIN' COUSINS — "Mary Stuart," Friedrich Houston Symphony Orchestra, with violinist The von Schiller's historical drama focusing on Fredell Lack and trumpeteer James Austin, in conflict between Elizabeth of England and her Tull's "Trumpet Concerto," Shostakovich's • cousin, Mazy, Queen of Scots, enacted by "Violin Concerto No. 1" and Mendelssohn's Theatre Center players; through May 19, Theatre fourth symphony; through April 24, Jones Hall, coming Center, Dallas. Houston. fortnight By Suzanne Shelton APRIL GRAB BAG MAZES—Betty Voelker, Dallas artist, exhibits "Passageways," series of mazes which prompt viewer participation; also drawings by Avigdor Arikaha, abstract painter whose works are charged with emotional intensity; through May 6, Art Center Museum, Fort Worth. STUDENT ART — Tenth annual Rice Art Students Exhibition, with works by students of Rice University; through May 12, Sewall Art Gallery, Rice University, Houston. GRAPHICS — Original graphics by Rembrandt, Corot, Whistler, Rouault, Millet, Chagall, Altman, Kemp and Nelson; through April, Gallery 600, Austin. LOCAL SCULPTOR — Charles Umlauf, sculptor and UT professor, displays sculptures, abstract oils, drawings, and sketches in one-man exhibit; through April 22, Gallery 17, University Art Museum, University of Texas, Austin. TRAVELING SHOW — "Molas of the San Blas Islands," traveling exhibit from Smithsonian APRIL 19 APRIL 24 Institution; through May 11, University of Texas, DOUBLE-HEADER — Tranquility teams with QUIET TIME — Take the time for a pensive Dallas. J. Geils Band, in concert; Armadillo World concert by Robert H. Young's Chamber Singers; Headquarters, Austin; Geils Band also plays 4 and 8:15 p.m., Armstrong Browning Library, APRIL 13 Houston Music Hall, April 22. Baylor University, Waco. OPERA — Verdi's "11 .Trovatore," sung in Italian by Fort Worth Opera Association with APRIL 20 APRIL 25 guest artist Placido Domingo; also April 15, FABULOUS FALSETTO — Johnny Mathis RIVER FEST — All the debs get dolled up, Convention Center Theater, Fort Worth. sings some oldies; 8 p.m., Laurie Auditorium, San and King Neches reigns over Beaumont's snooty Antonio; also 7:30 and 10 p.m., April 21, Jones soiree of the year, Neches River Festival, with APRIL 14 Hall, Houston. dances, balls, and receptions, and even an art ROCKAROUND — "Yes," the affirmative show, flower show and regatta open to us proles; rock group, in concert; 8 p.m., Hofheinz Pavilion, FIESTA! — Seventy-eight-year-old festival through April 29, Beaumont. Houston. features 10 days of river parades, mariachis, Battle of Flowers, Fiesta Flambeau, lots of color APRIL 26 APRIL 15 and sparkle-plenty, eats and treats; down by the MORE FEST — My, how these festivals do go MULTI-MEDIA — Flute and modern dance river, San Antonio. on, with Buccaneer Days revving up in Corpus concert, with Jerry Bywaters Cochran's dancers, Christi; carnivals and tennis tournaments, a choreography by Joan Amick, Rita Almond on ROCK — Another of the one-word wonders, real-live twirling festival, beauty contests, track flute, and Beatrice Heikkila on piano, with works "War" rocks it up in concert; 8 p.m., Municipal meets, model airplane contests, and you-name-it by Hindemith, Bartok, Berio and Bloch, directed Auditorium, San Antonio. Americana; through May 6, Corpus Christi. by Claire Johnson; 3 p.m., Founders' North Auditorium, University of Texas, Dallas. APRIL 21 APRIL 27 HANG, TEN — Those beautiful POPS NIGHT — Longhorn Singers, Choral MIMIEUX &- MUSIC — Yvette Mimieux bleach-blondies, the Beach Boys, with the Doobie Union and Austin Symphony Orchestra join in narrates, with George Shirley, tenor, as Lawrence Brothers, scoobie-doo; 8 p.m., Music Hall, pops concert; Municipal Auditorium, Austin. Foster conducts Houston Symphony Orchestra in Houston. works by Bach-Stravinsky, Berlioz, Ravel, and ROCKOUT — Sing happybirthdaytome, and get ready for "Commander Cody and His Lost ..S tray:sky; through April 17, Jones Hall, APRIL 23 Houston. DANCE — Helen McGehee, one of Martha Planet Airmen" plus "Asleep at the Wheel," in Graham's principal dancers, stages original concert; also April 28, Armadillo World L 2 The Texas Observer modern dance work, "Master Peter's Puppet Headquarters, Austin. session and future sessions of the R*E*F*0*R*M Legislature go, the pocketbooks of the people of Texas have been dealt a stunning (Continued from Page 1) blow." Some senators responded by at its own pace, passing very few bills at all accusing Daniel of demagoguery on the during the first 60 days of the session, the issue. period traditionally set aside for organizational tasks and committee hearings. For all of Daniel's complaints, THE SET-TO on joint rules was Senate committees made some constructive far from over. A few days later, Hobby changes in the bills. The Senate announced that he favored passing a Jurisprudence Committee, for example, constitutional amendment making joint sent H.B. 2, the lobby registration bill, to rules adopted by the Legislature binding on the attorney general, who made a number succeeding Legislatures until amended or of recommendations concerning the repealed by a majority vote resolution. A constitutionality of the measure. constitutional amendment, of course, Whatever the merits of Daniel's would be subject to court scrutiny as criticism, the Senate was definitely getting would a bill. The main distinction seemed a black eye in the dailys. "Noisy Senate to be that one measure was sponsored by Casts Aside Reform Bill," said the biggest the Senate, the other by the House. In the headline in the Austin American March 2. press, Hobby was beginning to look like a "Senate Clouds Future of Key Reform compulsive nitpicker.