Birmingham Post-Herald from Birmingham, Alabama • 11

B1 MetroSftate Birmingham Post-Horald Wednesday February 13 1980 Biddle resigns chairmanship of rules 'Tis our true policy to steer dear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world Why forgo the advantages of so peculiar a situation? Why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground?" George Washington 1796 Stewart to deliver traditional speech area was hit by one of the worst snowstorms of the century the address was read at least symbolically Rep William Boner D-Tfenn had not even planned to attend the session but walked from his Capitol Hill home to his office in a jogging suit He was promptly given a suit coat and tie to place over his green jogging suit and he read the first and last sentences of the address In the Sente some consideration was given to canceling the address but Sen John Warner R-Va walked from his Georgetown home several miles through the snow to the Capitol to be certain the tradition was carried on Warner rode the last few hundred 'yards up Capitol Hill on a tractor driven by one of the army of farmers who were in town holding a protest United Pm Interuttoail WASHINGTON US Sen Donald Stewart D-Ala will follow in hallowed footsteps Monday when he reads George Washington's farewell speech in the Senate chambers But Stewart may be alone when he reads the lengthy address Because of the length of the speech and the fact that few congressmen ever attend the reading-the House of Representatives will not hold a special session honoring the first president's birthday for the reading of the speech ever showed said an aide to the Democratic leadership in explaining why Democratic and Republican leaders decided it was useless to continue to read the address to a mostly empty chamber too bad but time to The reading of the address began in 1919 but was staged off and on to the next decade In 1929 the tradition began of reading the address every year Timing the reading has always a favorite pastime The shortest time in the House for reading the full address was 34 minutes in 1948 and the longest was 57 minutes in 1970 Actually Washington himself never read the address but submitted it in writing The speech is most noted for Washington's advice to clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign The House will adjourn this afternoon for the Washington's birthday holiday returning on Tuesday Feb 19 after the official Monday holiday when the address normally would have been read this to be consigned to the dust agreed a GOP aide Neither aide wanted to be identified pointing out that traditions sometimes die hard and they didn't want to be caught in any crossfire The Senate will carry on the tradition with a special session Monday Stewart could not be reached to comment but a member of his staff said the senator considered it an honor to be selected to read the speech The speech has been read in both chambers every year since 1929 In past years it was almost holy writ that the address must be read Through war and storm for half a century a member of each chamber has been chosen to read the address In 1979 when the Washington floor The action was threatened by House Speaker Joe McCorquodale last week when a large number of teachers chanted in the rotunda while Gov Fob James gave his ef the address However Rep Richard Manley of Demopolis the speaker pro-tern denied yesterday that closing of the floor had any connection with the teachers Rather Maaely said it was 'brought about by the fact that two persons were stabbed at the Capita State Capitol's 2nd floor iryant and the 01 the night of Feb 5 when James Foctriicnid Reporter which are entered from the third snoke By Ted Bryant Foct-Henld Reporter House and Senate from the which are entered from on the night of Feb 5 when James spoke closed to public quire him to close the entire floor to guaranteed access to the floor of th nuhiin if rwnoctoH tn rin quire him to close the entire floor to the public if requested to do so by a guaranteed access to the floor of chambers says council uninterested single member of the House There were indications that Pemberton and Lee received the requests from their top bosses in the Legislature but neither would say they were ordered to take the action While the closing applied to practically all lobbyists whether fulltime or just in Montgomery for the day it did not apply to representatives of Gov James who were on the floor lobbying for a gasoline tax increase being considered in the House Under the state constitution the governor and a representative are should have been advised of what was going on before any steps were taken was speaking out because nobody else was" Williams said Councilman John suggestion was that the two sides the rhetoric and get on with Council president Nina Miglionico felt council was insulted by Lt Williams' remarks one questions your right of free speech but when you equate the stale prison with a lack of support by the council you're using too much rhetoric Prisons and law enforcement are two different Williams apologized for any remarks that might have been insulting and said that was not his intent But he said he did not think law enforcement and prisons were separate subjects put them in prison if going to get out because of a lack of MONTGOMERY Legislative leaders although it was not exactly clear which ones ordered the second floor of the state Capitol closed to everyone except the Legislature its employees and members of the press yesterday It was not totally quiet on the second floor where lobbyists normally wait in the rotunda and hallways to buttonhole lawmakers but there was far- less noise than normal during a legislative session Lobbyists and others here to the second week of the session found themselves limited to watching the FOP head i By Jeff Hardy Foit-Hmld Reporter The president of the Fraternal Order of Police yesterday attended the City Council meeting to express his' concern with a of support" by council in law enforcement mat ten Council members strongly objected toil remark by FOP president Lt JA Williams that they were not concerned with criminal matters They told Williams that the council's not getting involved in the FOP's attempt to find a suitable prison location here was not a lack of interest In police matters The two sides failed to reach an agreement on the degree of council interest in law enforcement but they did concur on one subject: the need for a state penitentiary in Jefferson County The issue peaked yesterday following remarks last week from both sides Some council mentors expressed concern over the police department making its own study into the need for a prison But police officials said they were not attempting to step on anyone's toes They said they should have been actively in- a lieved of my responsibilities as chairman of the House Rules Committee would not place my personal position above that that would be in the best interest of everyone in the Legislature and the people of the state of Rep Earl Cheatwood of Warrior last week introduced a resolution calling for a House investigation of wrongdoing by legislators Such an investigation would lift the cloud cast over the House by the grand jury's actions Cheatwood said Cheatwood's resolution was assigned by the House speaker to Biddle's Rules Committee There was widespread speculation among House members that the Rules Committee would bury the resolution But Biddle said he would call the Cheatwood resolution up for consideration if committee members wanted it There was no hint then that he would withdraw as Rules Committee chairman That decision came just momemts before the House reconvened at 1 pm Biddle reportedly is disturbed by news accounts and editorials on move But the Garden-dale representative declined any comment beyond his resignation letter McCorquodale said he had no influence in Biddle's decision The House speaker said Rep Leigh Pegues Rules Committee vice chairman will assume the role as acting chairman Pegues said he had not been aware of Biddle's plans to resign until McCoruodale read the resignation message to the full House Pegues of Marion said he had given no thought to whether he would call the Cheatwood resulution up before the Rules Committee Rules Committee doesn't meet until the middle of the session" said Pegues there is some reason to meet we'll meet" Asked whether the Cheatwood resolution is enough to merit a meeting of the Rules Committee Pegues said time yes That and any other resulution Senate OKs Macon track MONTGOMERY Legislation authorizing a dog racing track in Macon County was approved by the state Senate yesterday despite an impassioned speech in which Sen Don Harrison of Montgomery invoked wrath of God" If the bill gains the approval of the House and Gov Fob James Macon would become the third county in Alabama in which dog racing is legal joining Mobile and Greene The bill was approved in the Senate on a 2-1 vote with the majority following the tradition of not involving themselves in local legislation Harrison was criticized last year for stopping a similar bill sponsored then and now by Sen Mike Weeks of Troy Weeks' district covers Macon County Harrison's lies in Montgomery and Elmore counties Elmore borders Macon and Harrison claimed the dog track would be located within five miles of Tallassee which is in his district Harrison said he vowed last year not to get involved in local legislation outside his district again but told bis colleagues that he had an with Jesus since the last session spirit tells me I must choose between the wrath of my fellow senators and what I believe to be the wrath of the Almighty God I chose the wrath of you gentlemen believe a man must do what his conscience tells him to do even it it destroys his relationship wife his fellow senators even it it destroys his Weeks in brief remarks concerning Harrison's claim that the track will be located near Tallassee said he did not know where it would be built I As for the propriety of the bill Weeks said that during his campaign for the Senate "My opponent said he would not allow the people to vote on it (dog racing) and I said I would" With the involvement of Harrison in the fight Weeks enlisted the aid of Sen Charles Martin of Decatur to vote with him for the bill Under the local legislation tradition in the Legislature lawmakers do not interfere with the approval of a bill that affects only a municipality or county that is not within their By Linda Parham IHat-Henld Reporter State Rep Jack Biddle of Garden-dale yesterday resigned his post as chairman of the House Rules Committee His resignation came after a House colleague asked to an investigation of the coal industry's use of gifts football tickets and vacation trips to influence legislators' votes Biddle has been indicted by a Birmingham federal grand jury on charges of influence peddling That grand jury has been investigating the Alabama coal industry is very evident that individuals or members of the House of Representatives seem determined to continue to embarrass me my family the speaker and the entire House of Representatives by recent Biddle wrote in his resignation letter to House Speaker Joe McCorquodalcJr is my personal feeling and opinion with this in mind rather than to continually disrupt this legislative session it is to the best interest of everyone that I be temporarily re the two The House extended that privilege yesterday by allowing Dr Rex Rainer director of the State Highway Department admission to the floor He was joined by Don Bryan the governor's regular liaison to the House Among those disappointed were a large number of county commissioners from around the state who came to assure that counties receive their share of the gasoline tax revenue Most of the commissioners were able to see their local legislators only if the lawmakers visited them in the galleries or another part of the Capitol There were a few exceptions One of them was Jefferson County Commissioner Chriss Doss who is guaranteed admission to the floor by virtue of being a former member of the House Former members of the Legislature have floor privileges although they are prohibited from lobbying while on the floor A number of lobbying groups have hired former members and they like Doss were on the floor It was the first time at least in recent history that the floor had been closed The reaction of lobbyists to closing the floor was varied A labor lobbyist saying he was too angry to make a statement on the matter would utter only Another lobbyist for an association of businessmen said the rule was fine as long as it applied to everyone A number of Capitol security guards and members of the House and Senate staffs guarded the elevators and stairways policing the floor ByBUtlafraai bama in Birmingham These two students are crossing the walk bridge ever Eighth Avenue South at UAB volved since work wife crime on day-to-day basis haven't attempted to run city business but we have brought to the public attention a critical need which is more housing to state inmates specifically those from the Birmingham Williams said can expect us to become more involved in the public policy making process rather than our viewpoint and the welfare of the citizenry being He said 23 percent of the state prisoners are from Jefferson County and 80 percent of those are from Birmingham There are facilities here that would be beneficial to rehabilitation and prisoners would be closer to their families he said seems that last Tuesday on this council we had a demonstration of and a hasty effort to put down those who would speak of problems of which council members wee poorly informed is more appropriate to seek positive solutions and not to demonstrate negativism We shouln't pass the buck Offenders from this area are our problem They should be kept A woman teacher was followed into the Capitol by a young man who had asked her for money She was cut on the face in an elevator as she attempted to go to the upper floors -Charles Bums a former lobbyist was cut on the hand apparently by the same assailant when he went to his car outside the building that night McDowell Lee secretary of the Senate said he and House Clerk John Pemberton closed the second floor Pemberton agreed that he took the action as a result of the Feb 5 cuttings Pemberton said House rules re local ami rehabilitated where ble" The department proposes a prison be built on unused industrial land in the county and safety is a prime consideration according to Williams Councilman Russell Yarbrough denied allegations that council was not concerned with law enforcement He cited its interest in dropping the crime rate and an attempt to work out a joint city-county jail as evidence Councilman Jeff Germany stood with his statements last week about his concern that the locations being considered by the FOP possibly were not the best He said he was in approval of building a prism he but he wanted the best possible site for precautionary measures "We should not prematurely pick sites if they ere not going to be used Councilman William Bell agreed with Germany's statements saying that to pick arbitrary locations would alarm citizens He said the council museum have one more expression betore a decision is The Red Mountain Museum complex has been a source of controversy since 1973 when homeowners rose up in protest of what they thought would be a 40-acre land acquisiton Geologists argued that there were several locations in north Alabama that had more scientific value than the cut They said there were things proposed by the museum board that could be handled elsewhere But the board said citizens were over-reacting It said the site was about 18 acres In July the Birmingham Planning Commission voted to allow Discovery Place to build the children's museum on property owned by the museum It also asked the City Council to reevaluate the museum concept and plans land targeted for the museum is not in a prime residential area" said Richard Jones director of the museum "It's not like it is being plunked down in the middle of a growing residential neighborhood It is being abutted up next to the expressway Jones said the museum board is well within the specific guidelines that the City Council set up for growth buildings are vacant so we re not running anyone Pleas for more time ignored City OKs children's that it will have harmful long-range effects on the community Three of the four lots where the museum will be built are occupied by houses The structure would be temporary It would be incorporated into the permanent Red Mountain Museum complex at later date However residents of the community have not seen the newest contract for the site which demands additional changes said Joan Kent president of the Redmont Neighborhood Association Mrs Kent wanted the proposal to be tabled for two more weeks so the association would have a chance to look at it Several council members said the matter has been drawn out long enough and it was time to make a decision Sane $85000 was appropriated for the structure June 26 time to end the delays" Councilman Pete Clifford sai(L He said it was his position that an agreement wife the neighborhood would never be reached He also contended that only a few members of feat com-: nlpoity were against the proposal feel that our neighborhood has been put in a room by Mrs Kent Said She said the neighbor-hoood was not against the building of a museum but thatthe newest contract might have some effects that her association did not know abouL think we have the right to A resolution providing for the construction of a museum along 22nd Street South was yesterday by the City Council i pleas for more time by Mayor ard Arrington and the president of the neighborhood committee "What I want to do before we approve it is spell it out the best we -can" said the mayor who must execute a lease agreement for construction between the Red Mountain Museum Board and Discovery Place Guild which plans to build the structure He said citizens continue to complain and feat he would liked to have hpd some sort of agreement between the opposing sides before plans were completed 2 The plan has been a topic of discussion primarily bemuse citizens feel 9 Qas truck wrecks several families flee Hueytown families were evacuated from their homes last nfeht when a liquid propane tank trock ran into a ditch at Warrior Road and Lewis Avenue The accident occurred at about 6 apd the residents had all returned home by 8:30 pm Hueytown police said The truck was towed away IU9CUIII passed despite Rich- Bridge to higher learning Although a little cool yesterday was nice day for walking outside even if you were walking te class at the University of Ala.