The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 14

I 4M The Pes Moines RmsTKRBTi'KsPAY, Aphii.7, 1W2 State Capitol Report Facility Called Negligent Pressure Grows Man claims Statehouse Notes State's tax revenues drop below estimates once again Mood center pletely. We're always a little late Confirmation process is Lcplcy says William Lepley, director of the Iowa Department of Education, re- ceived the necessary two-thirds sup-1 port in the Senate for confirmation to a second term, but Lepley said he will not put himself through the "demeaning" process again. coming out of national recessions, infected him We lag going in and we're going to lag going out. The board said that in the year A fiscal panel says Iowa will come up with 27 million less in tax income than predicted in December. By DAVID YEPSEN Kkuistkk Staff Writer ending June 30, 1991, state tax revenues were $3,159 billion.

They had Failing to put in place testing for the HIV virus before selling blood or projected the revenues to grow to $3,375 billion for the year ending blood products. Failing to screen all blood dona tions for the HIV virus. Lepley was confirmed for a second four-year term last week. But he told a Sioux City group Saturday that he BO A list of bills passed Monday. Pg2M Failing to adopt a program that would notify recipients of contami nated blood products that they had received contaminated blood so they could take precautions against Once again, state tax revenues have dropped below predictions adding further pressure on the governor and state lawmakers to raise taxes or make dramatic cuts in state spending.

Basing their estimate on a slower-than-expected first quarter, the three-member state Revenue Estimating Conference agreed Thursday that tax revenues for 1992 will grow by $188.7 million over 1991, a will not accept nomination for a third term unless lawmakers make confirmation a matter of a simple majority. Under the two-thirds rule, confir spreading the virus. my and studies tax law changes to make quarterly revenue forecasts for the governor and legislators. In addition to Prouty, board members include Department of Management Director Gretchen Tegeler and former state comptroller Marvin Sel-den. And even though the revenue conference said that Iowa's revenues will grow by 6 percent this year, that's far less than state officials need to balance the current budget.

Growing Expenses The state must give state workers a pay raise won in collective bargaining negotiations; school aid payments will grow. Also, rising costs of health care for poor Iowans continue to grow. "In the last few years we've tended to get a little over optimistic," said Selden. He said Iowa's economy is not coming out of the national recession as quickly as officials had hoped. "We ought to take these estimates and divide by two," Selden said.

"We've reached a little too far. I'd rather be on the low side for a change." Selden said the recession "has probably bottomed out, but not com Susan O'Dea, the director of donor this June 30. But Monday, they had to scale back that growth rate to 6 percent. They based that estimate on the fact that income tax returns filed by farmers provided less than expected. Also, fees collected from the court system and interest on unspent state funds were less than expected.

Tax Law Changes Some of the shortfalls in revenues were offset by increases due to changes in the tax withholding laws and an expanded list of things subject to the sales tax. The board also made forecasts for the 1993 budget being considered by state officials. The board estimated that revenue would grow 4. 1 percent mation requires 34 votes. That means only 15 of 50 senators can deny a nominee confirmation.

Lepley, the former Council Bluffs superintendent, was confirmed on a growth rate some $27 million less than they had expected in December. "Serious Problem" 36-14 vote. If the confirmation process isn't "It creates a serious proolem," changed, Lepley said people are going to see a "revolving door" in a po His lawsuit says he received blood tainted with the HIV virus during treatment for an ulcer attack. By CHRIS OSHER Register Staff Writer A man is suing a Des Moines blood center, claiming that he was infected with the HIV virus during a blood transfusion and that he unknowingly infected his wife, who eventually died of AIDS. The lawsuit, filed Monday in Polk County District Court, said the man was infected with the virus on or about Sept.

11, 1988, during treatment for an ulcer attack. The Blood Center of Central Iowa, located at 1050 Seventh supplied the hospital with tainted blood that was transfused and injected into the husband, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit did not identify the husband and wife but instead referred to them as John and Mary Doe. It said the names of the Polk County couple would be revealed in later court documents. The man contends that the blood center was negligent for: Failing to adequately screen prospective donors to insure the donor's blood was not infected with the HIV virus or AIDS.

Failing to inquire into donors' background or possible exposure to AIDS. said Dennis Prouty, director of the sition that needs continuity. If he were to leave the job today, Lepley said he would find it tough to recom Legislative Fiscal Bureau and a member of the conference. "We've lost $27 million and we've got to services for the blood center, said she had not yet seen a copy of the lawsuit and declined to comment. The lawsuit said: "That as a result of John Doe's not knowing that he had received HIV contaminated blood, he on a regular basis continued to engage in sexual intercourse with his wife, Mary Doe, and transmitted the virus to his wife." The lawsuit said the wife was hospitalized at Iowa Methodist Medical Center on March 31 of 1990, and that she died of AIDS on April 20 of 1990.

The husband also now has AIDS and will incur future medical expense, pain and suffering and emotional distress, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit also named as a defendant Richard Gloor, the Des Moines doctor who treated the wife. Gloor failed to properly diagnose the disease and failed to refer her to a specialist for treatment, the lawsuit said. in the year ending June 30, 1993 come up with that amount" before the end of June. They said the state's $3,347 billion in taxes collected in 1992 would grow mend the position to someone else, and Iowa would have a hard time attracting a competent educator who wants to make a difference.

to $3,486 billion in 1993. The board examines Iowa's econo Dean of the Doorkeepers Gloor said he had not yet seen copy of the lawsuit and declined to Truth-in-sentencing' law signed by Branstad Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law Monday a "truth-in-sentencing" bill. Recommended by Attorney General Bonnie Campbell, the law will require judges to explain at sentenc-ings that an inmate's time in prison could be much less than the maximum sentence handed down by the judge. Prison terms could be shorter be comment.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. di 1 St i Murder Suspected cause of the state's practice of reducing inmates' sentences for good behavior and prison work and because if of their eligibility for parole. Wyoming skeleton is possibly from Iowa wH i Senate votes to oust 3 agencies from Capitol Associated Press agreed to move it off his property. i The Iowa Senate Voted Monday to "That shed was frozen to the ground last time I saw it," said Mor oust three state agencies from coveted office space in the Capitol. ris.

During work on a budget bill, the Sessions, contacted by telephone in Wyoming Monday, said no one apparently had opened the foot locker Senate voted 29-20 for an amendment that would move the staff of, the state treasurer, auditor and secretary of state to other, unspecified since it was padlocked years ago Sessions said, however, that he state buildings. thought the foot locker had been The proposal still needs the ap purchased in Oklahoma. Sessions, 68, of Thermopolis proval of the House. The amendment was offered by said he received the shed from Morris in 1987 and didn't find an op portunity to open it until last week. "There were about six people here Sen.

Jim Lind, R-Waterloo. He said the move could ease congestion in the Capitol for legislators, state; court judges and their staffs. The treasurer, auditor and secretary of state could maintain individual offices in the Capitol, but their staff bob NANDELLThe Register Art Bostwick, 76, of Des Moines says the high- day," said Bostwick, who retired as a teacher light of his 1 1 years as a House doorkeeper and coach at Dysart before coming to the was holding the door when President Reagan Statehouse. He now has more years on the job gave a speech in the chamber. "It was quite a than any other doorkeeper.

and we were all visiting and cleaning up the yard. I took a cutting torch and got the padlock off of it. We opened it up and seen what was in would have to move. there and we were pretty surprised. A foot locker that contains bones of a man who died 30 to 50 years ago is believed to have been bought here.

By TOM ALEX Register Staff Writer Old bones of a suspected homicide victim have turned up in a foot locker in Wyoming, and investigators say there's a chance it came from Iowa. John Snell, a supervisor with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, said there is an "unconfirmed possibility," that the skeleton came from Iowa. "That's something that we've heard and we are looking into it," he said. The skeleton is that of a 40- to 60-year-old man who died 30 to 50 years ago, according to John Lumley, sheriff of Hot Springs County, Wyo. Lumley said the man apparently was shot through the eye.

"We are treating it, at least for now, as a homicide," he said. The bones have been taken to a crime lab in Wyoming for further study. John David Morris of Arlington, Texas, said in a telephone interview Monday that he may have purchased the foot locker at a yard sale in Des Moines or Iowa Falls some 16 or 17 years ago. He wasn't sure. Morris said he left the locker in a shed when he moved from Wyoming about five years ago.

He said he gave the shed and its contents to an acquaintance, Newel Sessions, who "We couldn't understand why that bunch of bones would be in there. The skull was right on top. There was a belt in there and a piece Late-Night Session 'A Matter of Justice' of plastic and that's about all." Sessions said, "It's a mystery." House OKs proposal to limit state spending Hot Springs County Coroner Clark Mortimore said all that is known is the man whose skeleton has been Key Iowans promote gay rights legislation By JONATHAN R00S Register Staff Writer The Democrats called it snendinff found was shot in the head and had been buried before being placed in the foot locker. The skeleton likely is that of a large man who may have worn dentures, Mortimore said. He said he has heard that the foot locker either came from Iowa or Oklahoma, "but at this point it would be goofy to speculate.

There are very good people tracking this down and we should get some answers before long." reform. The Republicans called it a mirage. Working late into the nicht. the Iowa House aDDroved 51-40 earlv today a plan to limit state spending and make other budgeting practice reforms. 1994.

Republicans said lawmakers will be under intense pressure from special interest groups to loosen the reins on spending limits and shouldn't provide an opportunity for the debate to go on through the election year. Democrats said it would be a mistake to rush the plan. They said applying the changes so soon could cause serious harm to education. Republicans denied the charge. Rep.

Roger Halvorson, R-Monona, called the Democrats' proposals a mirage. "Someone might think it looks like budget reform, but it isn't," said Halvorson. Democrats said the plan contains meaningful spending controls. The bill goes to the Senate, which has passed a somewhat different spending reform package. Under the bill, annual snenriini? would be limited to 99 Dereent of an ticipated revenues.

Monev would be channeled into a "rainy day" budget reserve and automatic spending increases for some budget items would be eliminated. Convocation lecture The Register's Iowa News Service Grinnell, la. Gayatri Chakra-vorty Spivak, an internationally influential critic of contemporary cultural politics, will give a Scholar's Convocation lecture at 11 a.m. Thursday at Grinnell College. Contracting seminar The Register's Iowa News Service Sioux City, la.

Briar Cliff College will host "Bonds and Insurance and Legal Issues and Pitfalls in Contracting: A Seminar for ArchitectsEngineers," April 23 at the Sioux City Holiday Inn. The House defeated 50-44 a Rp- publican-backed amendment that would have Dut the chaneps into effect in the 1993 budget year, wnich begins July 1, rather than in citizens. Ours is no longer a society where civil rights can be extended to some and not to others," said the Rev. Donald Gall, executive minister of the Iowa Conference of the United Church of Christ. "Gay and lesbian people are the last in a long line of people in groups that have been systematically excluded from the mainstream of American life over the years.

It is time to right a grievous wrong." He said nothing short of the bill's passage will serve the cause of justice. And nothing short of it should be considered morally acceptable. Jonathan Wilson, president of the Des Moines School Board, said, "We need to stop the oppression. We need to stop the suicides. We need to stop the fear.

We need to stop the hateful, ill-informed discrimination. That it takes courage to vote for this legislation is sad." Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, has vetoed a similar bill in the past. His spokesman, Richard Vohs, said the governor "is concerned about creating a protected class for sexual orientation." Vohs added, "The governor doesn't think it's appropriate. We have protections in the law for all people under civil rights legislation." Michael Current, lobbyist for Iowa Dignity Equality Advocates based in Des Moines, said it's absurd that the bill's opponents suggest that the bill somehow has mystical proportions" when it's simply to allow equal treatment for gays and lesbians.

A bill would prohibit discriminatory practices based upon a person's sexual orientation. By PHOEBE WALL HOWARD Register Staff Writer A diverse group of Iowa's leaders including church bishops, rabbis and a school board president voiced support Monday for a bill that would give Iowa's homosexuals equal rights. "Gay and lesbian people are our neighbors. They farm. They run small businesses.

They teach. They are our brothers and sisters. They are our sons and daughters. We stand as a people united for the rights of all," said the Rev. David Ostendorf, a United Church of Christ pastor and rural activist.

He and others are backing a Senate bill proposed by three Democrats and five Republicans that would prohibit discriminatory practices based upon a person's sexual orientation. Rabbi Neil Sandler of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in Des Moines said, "It is a matter of justice, plain and simple." Pleas and demands came from leaders of the Presbyterian, Episcopal and United Methodist churches, and from Iowa leaders from the National Organization for Women and the National Association of Social Workers. "The question before us is not whether one is for or against homosexuality, but whether one is for or against equal rights for all 1 crje tlcu Jflmncs jBrgtsfcr Call 284-8311 or 1-800-365-IOWA i.