The Montgomery Advertiser from Montgomery, Alabama • 19

Montgomery Advertiser Saturday, October 30, 1993 3B a Probate iudffe candidate accuses Folsom of 'cronvism' Like father: The governor appointed Harry D'Olive Jr. to replace his retiring father THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BAY MINETTE Gov. Jim Folsom choice of Harry D'Olive Jr. to finish his father's term as probate judge drew a charge of "cronyism" from a former Baldwin County official pre- the post for 28 years, said in a letter to Gov. Folsom on Thursday that he was retiring for health reasons.

He suffers from diabetes-related vision problems. Gov. Folsom on Thursday appointed the younger D'Olive to serve the remaining 14 months of his father's term. Former County Administrator to consider the appointment. "This makes two times in two years that Harry D'Olive had tried to get a governor to appoint his son as his replacement," Mr.

Boyington said. "The first time by a Republican governor and now by a Democratic governor." "It smacks of nepotism and old-time political cronyism and it is a major effort once again to circumvent the election process." Mr. D'Olive Jr. said he will seek election to the post when his term expires next year. The annual salary for the position is $92,000.

The Legislature, however, passed a measure last year that will reduce the pay to $76,500, effective when the new term begins in January 1995. Jerry Boyington, who has announced he will run for probate judge next year, called the move "a gross insult to the people of Baldwin County." Mr. D'Olive Sr. had asked former Gov. Guy Hunt to appoint his son in 1991, but no action was taken.

In July, he asked Gov. Folsom a campaign ior me post. Harry D'Olive who held J4KI Meeting to study education reform tax options fizzles QMS 'AypM OCf jy I 3luD I I 1 Booting up: The new computer technology program could train 12,000 public school teachers a year PATRICIA MIKLIKSTAFF Borden Morrow, chairman of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, addresses the audience at an ACHE meeting Friday. Mr. Borden said he is 'offended' by the current school-tuition policy, which he said subsidizes out-of-state students.

Listening on Mr. Borden's right is Cindy Paler. Low turnout: Only six of the 17 members of the committee attended even part of the meeting By Phillip Rawls ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER A legislative committee looking at how to raise taxes to finance public school improvements couldn't generate much enthusiasm among its members Friday even though a special session looms. Only six of the 17 members of the Legislature's Ad Hoc Committee on Education Reform Financing attended even part of the meeting at the State House. The committee's co-chairwoman, state Rep.

Mary Zoghby, D-Mobile, expressed concern with the low turnout, especially since only one of the nine senators on the panel showed up. "I serve with them, but 1 don't raise them," she said. Rep. Zoghby said that despite the low Member attendance Members of the Legislature's Ad Hoc Committee on Education Reform Financing who attended at least part of the committee's meeting on Friday: Sen. Fred Horn, D-Birmingham; Rep.

Mary Zoghby, D-Mobile; Rep. John Hawkins, R-Vestavia Hills; Rep. George Perdue, D-Bir-mingham; Rep. John Knight, D-Montgomery; and Rep. Seth Hammett, D-Andalusia.

House Speaker Pro Tern Jim Campbell, D-Anniston, an ex-officio member by virtue of his office, also attended. Members of the committee who did not attend: Sen. Lowell Barron, D-Fyffe; Sen. Hinton Mitchem, D-Albertville; Sen. Walter Owens, D-Centreville; Sen.

Ted Little, D-Auburn; Sen. Crum Foshee, D-Andalusia; Sen. Gerald Dial, D-Lineville; Sen. Don Hale, R-Cullman; Sen. Mac Parsons, D-Huey-town; Rep.

Walter Penry, R-Daphne; Rep. Taylor Harper, D-Grand Bay; and Rep. Jeff Dolbare, D-Bigbee. By Mary Orndorff ADVERTISER STAFF WRITER It's first come, first served for Alabama public school teachers wanting Financial help to learn about the computer technology infiltrating their classrooms. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education, or ACHE, adopted a program Friday to put 4,000 teachers into tuition-paid graduate courses by the end of the school year.

The program could train 12,000 teachers a year in advanced technology if the Legislature could find money for it, said ACHE's executive director Hank Hector. The commission also lifted a moratorium on campus expansions and prepared for December votes on a University of Alabama at BirminghamWalker College merger and an out-of-state tuition policy. The Technology Scholarship Program for Alabama Teachers was created when Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. signed it into law in May.

Its goal: Encourage teachers to return to school for master's degrees and classes on the latest use of technology in teaching children. The catch: Those who take advantage must stay in Alabama public schools for three years. State Rep. Taylor Harper, D-Grand Bay, who sponsored the bill, said it took six years to get the program enacted. "This ties directly in with the education reform movement, which is on the front burner as a continuing policy by the commission.

Exceptions to the moratorium had been granted and more are expected, Dr. Hector said. One such exception is the University of Alabama at Birmingham's plan to merge with Walker College in Jasper. The Jasper school will become a two-year college branch of the four-year university. Although the University of Alabama System has the constitutional authority to merge with other schools, the proposal will be before ACHE at its Dec.

10 meeting. Public two-year school officials are not pleased with the prospect. "We will use every avenue we can to protect our 500 students," said Harold Wade, president of Bevill State Community College, about his school's Jasper branch. Dr. Hector's staff will propose in December a way to make out-of-state tuition policies more uniform with neighboring states and bring schools in compliance with ACHE's policy of 2-1 nonresidentresident tuition charges.

"Speaking as a taxpayer, I'm offended when we subsidize out-of-state students like this," said ACHE chairman Borden Morrow of Daphne. "I feel like we have to do now and I hope it stays there, and I hope it passes," the lawmaker said. He said he will encourage spending an additional $3 million on the program as requested in ACHE's 1994-95 budget. Kay Ivey Clement, ACHE's government relations chief, said the office already has received 1,500 calls from teachers asking how they can apply for the scholarship program. Priority will be given to teachers in kindergarten through sixth grade, and those who teach English, math, science, social science and history, according to the program guidelines.

Minority teachers will receive 25 percent of the funds. Thirteen Alabama colleges and universities will be offering the courses, including two private schools, plus the 1 1 teacher in-service centers, Dr. Hector said. "It is a rigorous curriculum," he said. The three courses are computer-based instructional technologies, current and emerging instructional technologies, and curriculum integration of technology.

The program will operate in its first year on $917,000 rerouted from an outdated ACHE program. In other ACHE business, a two-year moratorium on off-campus expansions was lifted, but the five principles behind it were adopted EQUITY CEDUfflKK attendance, she is re-maining optimistic as Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. prepares for a special ses- 3 Judge won't end suit over Medicaid funds quor board, which demoted him after Hunt's removal from office. Carl Brock of Cullman was demoted from assistant director of enforcement for the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board to district supervisor April 30, eight days after Hunt's removal from office on a felony ethics charge.

Mr. Brock, who is married to Hunt's daughter Lynn, had been promoted to the higher-paying job in February. A lawyer for the liquor board said the demotion had nothing to do with Mr. Brock's family ties to Hunt. "The code allows you to promote and demote," said Tommy Gallion, an attorney hired to represent the ABC in the case.

"I wouldn't think it had anything to do with him being Hunt's son-in-law." The lawsuit was filed Oct. 13 in federal court by Mr. Brock and another ABC employee, Dale Bryce Richards, who also was demoted after Jim Folsom succeeded Hunt. Mr. Brock and Mr.

Richards are seeking back pay and ask to be restored to the jobs they held before Hunt's ouster. Bedsole to announce candidacy for governor MOBILE State Sen. Ann Bedsole, R-Mobile, will announce her candidacy for governor at a series of news conferences Monday. Sen. Bedsole, the first woman elected to the state Senate, is finishing her fourth term in the upper chamber.

She will speak in Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham and Huntsville. Others planning to run for governor are Gov. Jim Folsom Jr. and teacher lobbyist Paul Hubbert on the Democratic side, and Republicans Jim Martin, Robin Swift, Winton Blount and Rev. Mickey Kirkland.

Sen. Bedsole is seeking to become the state's second female governor. Lurleen Wallace, the wife of four-term Gov. George Wallace, was elected in 1966 as a stand-in for her husband, who couldn't seek consecutive terms. She died in office in 1968.

Hunt's son-in-law sues ABC to get old job back Former Gov. Guy Hunt's son-in-law has filed a federal lawsuit against the state li moving property tax exemptions, ranging from homeowners' exemptions to tax-exempt factories built with industrial development bonds. She said that if all the owners of tax-exempt property in Mobile County had to pay normal property taxes for public schools, the state would realize $2.3 million and Mobile County would get $8.9 million. State Rep. Taylor Harper, D-Grand Bay, was in Birmingham on Friday morning and unable to attend the committee meeting, but did speak to the Alabama Commission on Higher Education later.

He said afterward it was "extremely important" for lawmakers to see the reform ideas education and revenue on paper by Nov. 20 before the expected first day of the session Nov. 29. "We'll lose three to four legislative days because of changes (in the bills) if we don't see them ahead of time," Rep. Harper told the Montgomery Advertiser, "And it's hard to count the votes until then." The chairman of the House budget-writing committee said gambling bills are likely to be considered in the session, but he will suggest they not be used as a revenue predictor for public schools.

"That's how other states got in trouble," Rep. Harper said. If lawmakers and voters approve liberalizing gaming laws to help pay the reform bill, he would propose the revenue be used after it's collected and counted. "It's going to be a controversial session anyway, what's one more thing?" the lawmaker said about mixing the gambling and education issues. i on schools in late November or early December.

"When the governor's office comes forward with specific proposals, certainly that will generate more enthusiasm and excitement," she said. Her co-chairman, state Sen. Fred Horn, D-Birmingham, said the Legislature that will meet in special session is the same one that passed but never financed the Education Improvement Act of 1991 and then killed a $450 million tax and education package in 1992. The school package pushed by Gov. Folsom has a $940 million price tag after a six-year phase-in.

"It would take more than a miracle for it to happen in the special session. But we've got the regular session in January and hopefully people will make their feelings known by then," said Sen. Horn. Another committee member, state Rep. Jack Hawkins, R-Ves-tavia Hills, said he represents two of the best school systems in the state Vestavia Hills and Hoover and his constituents are concerned that a school plan might pull down their standards.

"Unless something happens fast, I don't see much coming out of a special session," he said. The legislative committee met Friday to hear from Birmingham lawyer Tom Carruthers, who led the task force that crafted the 1992 tax and education package. He told the committee it should look at income and property taxes if it wants to raise significant amounts of money and should stay away from gambling. "I think it is an inconsistent way to raise money. I think it raises money from those who can least afford it.

And it is not a good environment for raising young people," he said. Mobile County Revenue Commissioner Freda Roberts recommended the committee look at re- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A judge denied the University of South Alabama trustees' request to end a lawsuit filed by a university-linked foundation over control of $75 million in Medicaid money. The trustees argued the Alabama Constitution protects them from being sued in state court, but Montgomery County Circuit Judge Charles Price on Thursday refused to end the challenge. The dispute stems from a 1990 decision by the trustees to transfer the funds to its endowment in the USA Foundation, where it has not been subject to routine audit. -The state's top auditor ordered the money returned to the university's accounts last spring, and "the trustees agreed to comply.

The foundation board, which includes some USA trustees, refused and sued the university. At Thursday's hearing, Judge Price also ordered the state's auditors to provide the foundation's attorneys with any information about the Medicaid 'money that they might have received from third parties. i A foundation attorney said he believed the auditors might have been given information by one of the trustees who wanted to recover the Medicaid Judge Price rejected arguments that any information held by the auditors is confidential, but ordered the foundation's attorneys not to release it to any--one else. The judge refused to postpone the Dec. 15 trial or move it to Mobile County where the university is From wire reports PUBLIC MEETINGS County Administration Building and Courthouse Annex, 100 S.

Lawrence St. Prattville City Council: Meets in work session at 6 p.m. at Doster Community Center, 424 S. Northington St. Autaugaville Town Council: Meets at 7 p.m.

at Town Hall, 109 N. Taylor St. Eclectic Town Council: Meets at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 50 Main St. Wetumpka City Council: Meets at 7 p.m.

at City Hall, 212 S. Main St. SUNDAY C.A.R.E. The Coalition of Alabaml-ans Reforming Education: Meets at 2 p.m. at Booker T.

Washington High School Eagle's Nest in Tuskegee. MONDAY Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles: Conducts hearings today, Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the plaza level boardroom of the Gordon Persons Building at 50 N. Ripley St. Montgomery County Commission: Meets at 4 p.m.

at the Montgomery Staff Writer Mary Orndorff contributed to this report.