Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 40

STATE EDITION Page Two Section l)f Arizona Baili Star Tucson, Wednesday, March 15, 1989 TUCSONARIZONA Babbitt's '88 campaign fined $7,200 Senate tentatively OKs open school district bill spent about $2.2 million, Eiland Bruce Babbitt's 1988 presidential campaign was fined $7,200 by the Federal Elections Commission because it was late in filing some of its monthly campaign-finance reports. The committee, like all presidential campaign organizations that raise or spend more than $100,000 in any given year, was required to file monthly campaign-finance statements, said Fred Eiland, spokesman for the elections commission. The February report from the former Arizona governor's presidential committee was 40 days late, and the report due in March was 22 days late, Eiland said. During that period, the Babbitt organization raised and said. Babbitt dropped out of the Democratic presidential race in February 1988 after poor showings in the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary.

He is now practicing law in Phoenix. Christa Severns, a Babbitt aide, said she believed the reports were late simply because of the confusion surrounding Babbitt's decision to drop out of the race, and the loss of some key staff people at that point The Babbitt committee signed a "conciliation agreement" detailing the $7,200 penalty, which concluded the matter, Eiland said. Malpractice Continued from Page IB posals, said, "I'm not impressed, to say the least." He said the recommendations looked like they came from trial lawyers, who oppose any efforts of tort reform. House Speaker Jane Dee Hull, R-Phoenix, when told of the recommendations by reporters, urged the commission to "go back to the drawing board and work a little harder." Hull, the wife of a physician, said she thought the House would agree to stiffer Department of Insurance regulation and to tighter court procedures, but not to the recommendation to subsidize malpractice premiums. Sen.

Bill De Long, R-Tucson, calling the subsidy recommendation "socialistic," predicted it would "have a hard time" attracting legislative support. De Long said that rural doctors should raise their rates if they can not pay malpractice premiums. However, House Minority Whip Debbie McCune, D-Phoenix, called the recommendations "very excellent starting points" and "absolutely reasonable." McCune said there was no question that rural doctors need help in paying their malpractice premiums. Sen. David Bartlett, D-Tucson, agreed.

"I think all three of those are fine and they are sound" because they immediately address the problem of rural medical care, said Bartlett, a member of the Senate Commerce, Labor, Insurance and Banking Committee. Mofford said she needed to further study two other recommendations included in the task force's interim report, including periodic payment of some judgments for damages and the creation of a joint underwriting authority to partially subsidize premiums of physicians and providers who agree to pass the cost savings on to their patients. Tucson-rooted Alphonso Wood dies A funeral Mass will be held tomorrow for Alphonso Wood, a fifth-generation Tucsonan who died Monday at 69. The Mass will be at 9:30 a.m. in Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, 1800 S.

Kolb Road. The rosary will be said at 7:30 tonight at the church. Wood attended the University of Arizona and was employed by the Tucson Police Department and then the city Treasury Department. He later established, owned and operated the A. Wood Insurance Agency until his retirement in 1981.

He is survived by his wife, May Belle, of Tucson; three daughters Eileen Haga, of Phoenix, Roberta Russell, of Tucson, and May Belle Carr, of Washington, D.C.; three sons Michael and David, both of Tucson, and Paul, of Houston; a brother, Robert, of Hermosillo, Mexico; and four sisters Josephine Elias and Mercedes Carrillo, both of Tucson, Amalia Moreno, of San Diego, and Delia Elias, of Nogales. The family request that remembrances be made to the Arizona Cancer Center, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. House OKs bills on child abuse, jail fires, insurance firms' books amend the bill in several areas, including requiring the receiving schools to provide transportation for non-resident students. The Democrats also unsuccessfully tried to tack on another Senate bill that was heard this year but not voted on because of lack of state funds.

That bill, known as the excellence and equity in education program, carries an estimated price tag of $110 million over five years. TUSD warily watching Administrators of Tucson schools are cautiously watching the progress of the bill. Officials at TUSD, which would be exempt, do not know if the district will be affected by the bill until they see the final draft, said Sam Polito, legislative liaison for the district. "The way it is, we're exempted," he said. "I don't mind the concept of choice," he added, noting he believes it does improve the quality of education because "if the parents are satisified, I think the kids are going to do better." Vail Superintendent Calvin Baker said, "We have some real concerns with it." "Our primary concern is the implications regarding the loss of local control," such as the state suddenly dictating the district's capacity.

Concept in use Baker and Amphitheater's Superintendent Rick Wilson also said the measure could cause some financing problems, such as district taxpayers paying for the education of non-resident students. Wilson said the concept of allowing parents to have a choice is in the eye of the beholder. "Within our district, we already have that policy," he said, noting the district sends some of its students to Flowing Wells and Marana schools, while some of their students attend Amphitheater schools. In other action yesterday, the Senate voted: 26-3 to pass and send to the House a bill that would allow liquor sales to begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday instead of noon.

27-2 to pass and send to the House a bill designed to crack down on illegal dumping of solid waste, although the daily fine for such actions remained at $1,000 rather than the $10,000 the Democrats wanted. Arizona Daily Star reporter Jonathan Bass contributed to this story. By Susan R. Carson The Arizona Dally Star PHOENIX A bill to allow students to attend school in any district without paying tuition received tentative Senate approval yesterday. If the bill gets final Senate approval, as expected, its future in the House is unknown.

House Education Chairman Bev Hermon, R-Tempe, said "I'm leaning against hearing it" because of problems in the measure and its impact on school financing. "I don't feel that it's something Arizona necessarily needs." But she also noted "the bill may get clear through" the Legislature in some manner because of Republican support for choices in education, a concept endorsed by President Bush. House Speaker Jane Dee Hull, R-Phoenix, said yesterday she may refer the legislation to another committee, if Hermon won't hear it. Mofford opposes it Democratic Gov. Rose Mofford, like Senate Democrats, opposes the measure.

"She thinks it would create chaos in the school financing, elitist schools and poor schools," said her spokesman Howard Boice. The bill would allow parents to enroll their school-age children in any public school without paying tuition, as long as the school has the capacity to hold the additional students and the governing board had not voted to exclude non-resident pupils. Schools under federal desegregation orders, such as the Tucson Unified School District and Phoenix Union High School District, would be exempt. Supporters said they believe the measure would create competition among schools, which would make better education available to all students. Senate Demos oppose it However, Senate Democrats oppose the bill, saying they fear it will hurt disadvantaged students in the lower quality schools.

It also could cause a loss of additional state funding for the district students move from. They said the bill provides a subsidy for the wealthy parents who have the ability to transport their children to another district. Democrats unsuccessfully tried to Reagan waives fee for speech at ASU tickets to Reagan's speech at the Activity Center had been sold at $10 to $25 per ticket, Giuliano insisted that was not a factor in the decision. He said those who had paid would receive refunds. Reagan's visit is part of an "Insuring Tomorrow" leadership conference.

Other speakers include Rep. Patricia Schroeder, on Friday and David Gergen, editor of U.S. News World Report, who will address a Sun Angel Foundation dinner Saturday night. TEMPE (AP) Former President Ronald Reagan will not be paid for his appearance next Monday at Arizona State University, and the public will not be charged for attending, ASU officials said yesterday. Neil Giuliano of the Alumni Association said Reagan's waiver of the honorarium was made Monday during negotiations between ASU and the Washington Speaker's Bureau.

Although only 2,200 of 10,000 By Jonathan Bass The Arizona Daily Star PHOENIX Bills to curb child abuse, prevent prison fires and open the books of insurance companies were unanimously passed by the House yesterday. House Bill 2613 stipulates that a person commits sexual exploitation of a minor by lending, selling or transporting a "child molestation device" to an adult for use against a minor. The bill also limits to six the number of the devices, such as dildos, a sexually oriented business can keep in a warehouse. For a business to keep more than six "creates an inference that the devices are possessed with intent to engage in commerical distribution or sale," the bill reads. Last year, the Legislature passed the bill as part of a package of anti-pornography legislation vetoed by Gov.

Rose Mofford. The bill sought to ban dildos, which its sponsor, Rep. Leslie Whiting Johnson, R-Mesa, maintained are used solely to abuse children. House Democats last week, led by Tucson Reps. Peter Goudinoff and John Kromko, were able to attract enough GOP support to amend the bill by changing the word dildo to child molestation devices.

Democrats argued that the bill, even as amended, would be impossible to enforce, since a merchant selling the devices would not know if they were intended for use against children. House Bill 2576 prescribes felony penalities for anyone setting fire to a jail. Kromko successfully amended the bill to require that, for a crime to be committed, the damage caused by the fire must exceed $100. House Bill 2061 gives the state Insurance Department the authority to fine insurance companies up to $100 a day if the companies refuse to provide the department with financial data. The bill would require insurance companies, if asked by the department, to reveal loss and expense records, investment income and administrative expenses.

Meanwhile, the House Banking and Insurance Committee is expected to consider legislation today that would give the Insurance Department the authority to approve or deny rate hikes. Audits them speak. Pamela Swift, of the Toxic Waste Investigative Group, yelled at Corbet to let the public speak. When Corbet said the hearing would continue in the afternoon, Swift yelled that some of the women who wanted to testify had left their children at home with baby sitters and could not return. Corbet then scheduled the committee to return at 5 p.m.

to accommodate the women. But they were unable to return, and Corbet allowed little testimony. Continued from Page IB mental protection." Also opposing the bill were environmental groups, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters and the city of Tucson. Members of the environmental groups tried to testify at a morning hearing, which was stopped shortly after 10 a.m. for other Senate business and before there was time for 5 DAYS ONLY' 25-50 FREE BEDFRAME WITH PURCHASE OF PREMIUM SET.

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