The Mail-Journal, Volume 18, Number 14, Milford, Kosciusko County, 22 April 1981 — Page 5
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Open Door Weekly Report From Senator John B Augsburger
With only three session days left in the 1981 General Assembly, the Senate concluded action on House bills and will spend the remainder of the time voting on compromise versions of bills that passed the two legislative houses in different forms The last day of the session is expected to be either Friday. April 24 or .Monday. April 27th. although this is not certain yet One of the most important bills passed on .Monday was H B 1378. which would raise an estimated S6O million to repair state and local roads by raising the state tax on gasoline by about two cents a gallon The gasoline tax was regarded as the lowest tax that could be levied without further deteriorating Indiana's roads One aspect of H B 1378 that drew strong support was that it would give more money for city and county roads than under the existing formula This bill will now go to conference committee, and a final version of it will be voted on next week Another bill that passed th* Senate was H B 1360. which would reorganize the Public Service Commission Among
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other things, the bill would create a separate office of the Utility Consumer Counselor, for the purpose of representing consumes who want to file complaints against utility companies The counselor would be appointed by the Governor, and would help protect Indiana citizens from unfair rate and practices by the various utilities m the state The Senate passed a bill aimed at preventing alcohol and drug abuse m Indiana This new program is an attempt to keep pace with the epidemic rise in drug abuse and alcoholism in the state and nation The bill would give over $3 million to the addiction services division of the department of mental health, the money being raised through a slight increase m the state tax on beer, liquor, and wine The money will be spent on a variety of programs that would both help alcoholics and educate people, youth especially, on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse Other bills that passed the Senate this week either on third reading or through concurrence were: —a bill that would require law enforcement officials to notify the victim of a crime when the perpetrator is about to be released f rom prison on parole —a bill that would provide for legal separation for up to one year and provide for child support and maintenance payments if necessary —a bill that would allow longer and heavier trucks to travel on Indiana roads and which would increase truck fees and taxes by an estimated $lB million The session is coming to a close; however. I always look forward to hearing from my constituents on matters of concern to them I can be reached by writing the State House. Indianapolis. Ind 46204, or by calling 1-800382-9467
Leesburg woman booked after crash Nancy A. Hensler, 30. r 1 Leesburg, was booked at the Kosciusko County Jail for driving while intoxicated following a onevehicle accident. The mishap occurred Saturday. April 18, at 6:12 p.m. at the intersection of .Armstrong Road and CR 475E The state police report she was westbound on Armstrong Road when her auto went off the right side of the road, came back across the road, went into a sideways skid and struck a tree in a yard at the comer of the intersection. There was approximately SSOO damage to the auto.
Report from your State Representative THAMES MAUZY
Checking the power of appointed officials was the thrust of two bills passed by the House on its final day (April 13) for considering Senate bills. Neither measure is a new concept in the State House, with the antiregionalists scoring a victory after four years and those who want more oversight of agency rule-making realizing a goal at as old In endorsing Senate Bill 1, the House agreed with its sponsors that Indiana should no longer participate in regional agreements allowed under a 1968 Presidential Executive Order because it is unconstitutional allows the construction of a parallel system of government with appointed officials bypassing decisions of elected officials. Bill backers say the 10 regions created under the order have used tax money to blackmail states into cooperation in economic development, transportation. land use planning and health service delivery, for example. Indiana is now part of Region five, headquartered in Chicago, where heads of 17 federal agencies, such as the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Health. Education and Welfare, for example, serve on a Regional Council. Phrases like, “an expensive, cumbersome, answer-to-nobody program,’* “destruction of state sovereignty" and “a usurpation of the power of elected officials at every level of government" characterized the bill s path to the Governor s office, where is now awaits his action. The second bil* involving appointive power addresses a
Letter to the editor About gun control Dear Editor: This letter is in response to your editorial “isn’t it about time we had gun control I’’ 1 ’’ I, too, am appalled at the senseless crimes that are committed every day. but taking the guns away from honest, law-abiding citizens won’t solve the problem. You have probably seen the bumper sticker that states “Outlaw guns and only outlaws will have them. “How true!!! Prohibition didn't stop the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages. One of the things it did do was create underworld gangs and gang warfare. Rationing during WW II created a huge black market. Outlawing guns will do the same thing New York has a tough gun law Has that stopped the criminal element from obtaining guns? Check the statistics on crimes committed with guns and you be thejudge I don't claim to have the answer but I do think stiffer penalties would help a lot. I would be in favor of a mandatory prison sentence for anyone convicted of a crime with a gun 1 can assure you I feel safer with guns in my home than I would be advertising to the world through gun control, that I am totally helpless. 1 am proud to be a member of NRA and God help the more than 200 million people in 50 states if the right to keep and bear arms is ever taken from us. Sincerely. Clarence A. Miller 1233 W 6th Drive Mesa. Arizona 85202
course of resentment in the State House for several years — the usurpation of legislative power through state agency adoption of rules and regulations. Generally, the problem has come about because of the practice used in writing bills with complex administrative and social impact. Instead of risking the possibility of construction the laws too specifically, the legislature often grants the appropriate state agency the power to promulgate (publish) rules and regulations, believing their expertise will make the product workable and harmonious with legislative intent. During the 1980 session less than 200 laws were enacted and over 1100 rules were changed during the same period, affecting the daily lives of all Hoosiers. Even though the rule promulgation process includes opportunity for citizens to express their views through public hearing, few people exercise that privilege, perhaps because it is an intimidating and complex task, which may often be considered an exercise in futility. The bill we just sent to the Governor would give the public a forum to air its grievances about the countless rules enacted each year which have the force of law Anyone opposed to a particular rule, claiming it is oppressive, unlawful or contrary to its original intent, may file a complaint with an 11 member commissison — eight legislators and three appointees of the Governor The commission would not have veto power over the rules but would be able to recommend certain actions to the agencies and to the legislature.
Smith Hempstone From The Elkhart Truth — April 15. 1981
Something Can Be Done
The blood was scarcely dry on the pavement outside the Washington Hilton before the hue and cry went up once again for a federal law banning the possession of handguns. It cannot be denied that handguns are the weapons of choice for would-be presidential assassins, and that 1,500 Americans die every month from wounds inflicted by such firearms In London, a city of 7 million people — and one in which it is virtually impossible to obtain a handgun — there were 179 homicides last year. In contrast, there were 1,733 murders in New York City last year, and 1.557 in Los Angeles, nearly half of which were commited with handguns. Obtaining permission to possess a shotgun or a sporting rifle in Britain is nearly as difficult. When I lived in London in the late 19605, character references from one’s employer. bank manager and clergyman were required before the police would consider issuing such a permit. The level of violeoce accompanied by the use of handguns in this country clearly is unacceptable. But, having said that, the question is: what can be done about it? Those who advocate a federal law banning the possession of such weapons are barking up the wrong tree for one very simple reason: such a law would be impossible to legislate without repealing the Second Amendment to the Constitution, and impossible to enforce without rescinding the Fourth Amendment. (The Second Amendment states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be enfringed”; the Fourth Amendment guarantees the right of the people “against unreasonable searches and seizures ”) If a total ban were placed tomorrow on the manufacture and importation of handguns or their components, there would still be some 55 million automatic pistols and revolvers floating around the country. And, unfortunately, the life of a handgun, if properly cared for, is virtually limitless; U have one that is more than 50 years old and still as good as the day it was manufactured by Mr. Colt. Even an effort to register handguns probably would fail because of the strident opposition of the 1.8-million member National Rifle Association, which last year contributed more than $2 million to friendly political candidates. If a registration law were passed, it seems probably that only the most law-abiding citizens — and hence those least likely to commit crimes of violence with handguns — would comply
Leesburg couple hospitalized after motorcycle-car crash Larry R. Richcreek. 43. r 1 Leesburg and his wife Sarah, 38, were taken to Goshen hospital by the Middlebury civil defense ambulance, Friday, April 17, following a motorcycle-car accident. They were released after emergency room treatment. The mishap occurred at 6:10 p.m. on SR 13 near the former Middlebury Creamery in Middlebury. Richcreek was driving his 1976 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle south on SR 13 near the creamery when Justin Dirks, 5343 LaPlace. Middlebury, stopped to avoid a dog. Richcreek, who was following, was unable to avoid riding into the back of the auto. Middlebury Marshal Lowell Miller witnessed the accident Richcreek and his wife were thrown to the pavement Middlebury Police Officers Michael Ryman and Mark Albert investigated. Scanner, CB reported stolen Jack Warren, 230 North St., Syracuse, reported to Syracuse police his Robin Scanner. Midland 23 channel mobile CB and CB booster of an unknown make, were stolen before April 16 The objects, unrecovered at this time, have an approximate valueofssoo
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So the beginning of wisdom in seeking to deal with the mayhem wrecked by handguns is to understand that it is politically impossible to eliminate or even register those already in the hands of American citizens. This Uues not mean that something capnot be done to reduce both the number of handguns in circulation and to lower the number of crimes committed with them. Adoption of the following five-point program would help: —Ban the future domestic manufacture or importation of handguns or their components. except for military and police use —Launch the educational program to show that handguns are not the best defense against an intruder; a shotgun is far more effective. A —Pay a generous cash bounty for handguns voluntarily surrendered, and offer to exchange a shotgun for such weapons —Pass and enforce legislation that would impose mandatory penalties that are truly harsh on criminals who carry concealed
Augsburger's bill to aid Hoosier farmers passes
Two bills that will aid Indiana farmers have passed both houses of the Indiana General Assembly; one is on its way to the Governor for his signature and the other to conference committee to work out differences between the House and Senate versions. H.B. 1706. sponsored by State Senator John B. Augsburger (RSyracuse), will save farmers across the State millions of dollars in property taxes by bringing reassessment on grain back down to the levels they were before being raised 40 per cent Augsburger stated that it further provides that the State Board of Tax Commissioners shall not include the value of land as a cost of producing tangible personal property subject to Windshield broken Steve Patterson. 207 West Washington St., Syracuse, reported sometime during the night of April 17, someone threw an object, breaking his 1966 Chevrolet truck windshield, parked at his home. He told police he found charcoal pieces in his vehicles front grill. The windshield was valued at $75.
Wed., April 22,1981 — THE MAIL-JOURNAL
assessment. The bill will now go to conference committee. Another bill, S.B. 87. also authored by Senator Augsburger. adds an exemption to the State gross retail tax for agricultural machinery used to gather, move or spread animal waste. ‘ Augsburger stated that the bill clarifies the existing law which included Bobcat loaders, which are $12,000 units, in having to pay the sales tax. which would come to close to SSOO alone. This
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deadly weapons or commit crimes while armed with a handgun, even if the victim is not hurt. —Give priority m the courts to the trial of cases involving handguns, so that justice will be — and will be seen to be — fast, effective and draconian Such a program would not eliminate all or even most of the 55 million handguns in private hands. But it would reduce the number gradually over the passage of years. And it would discourage the use of such weapons in the commission of crimes of violence. In short, there’s no point in fussing and fuming over the question of banning or even registering handguns, which for historical, psychological and political reasons are impossible to achieve. Instead, Congress ought to do what it can to contain and reduce the problem. Politics, after all, has been defined as the art of the possible. And gun-control is a highly political question fraught with emotional overtones Woshington Columnist *
machinery should have been included in the list of exemptions to sales tax because it is issued in the direct operation of a farm. Augsburger commented; “Through these modifications in our tax code. Hoosier farmers could save millions of dollars in taxes. “I was pleased to have sponsored these measures and hope to see them enacted to give this much needed help to our farm community,” Augsburger concluded.
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