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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 1999)
Newly elected ASUN passes three bills ■ Senators debate merits of designating the ASUN office as a “Safe Space” for gay students. By Kim Sweet Staff writer The newly inaugurated ASUN senate went straight to work Wednesday night passing two bills and sending another bill to committee. Using the first meeting to orient new sena tors who took the oath of office last Wednesday, the senate also passed two bills that were affirmed by the 1998-99 senate and held an extensive debate over a bill brought forth by President Andy Schuerman. Schuerman’s bill was sparked by a letter writ ten by the Allies organization, which is designed to promote awareness of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender concerns. The bill advocates designating the ASUN office a “Safe Space” for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people and acknowledging itself as an Ally Organization. Jill Matlock, president of the Allies, said it was important for the student senate to affirm the bill because GLBT students often feel wary of the environment. “There is a large percentage of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students who don’t feel comfortable on this campus.” Schuerman said it was important for all GLBT students to feel comfortable in the ASUN office and when approaching their senators. “(GLBT students) should feel comfortable coming into the ASUN office,” Schuerman said. “More important is the network that would be created, showing that student government is sup portive of these people as human beings.” Graduate senator Charles Cusack was reluc tant to pass the bill. “There is a minority of students on campus who would not agree with the wording of the bill, and since we are representing all students we need to take that into consideration,” Cusack said. Journalism senator Beth Lee said not passing the bill would be contradicting steps ASUN has already taken to recognize the rights of gay, les bian, bisexual and transgendered people. Because ASUN already contains a sexual orientation subcommittee under the human rights committee that looks into sexual orienta tion issues, Lee said, it would be wrong for ASUN to take a stand against the bill. " “We’re already supporting this group,” Lee said. “It would be contradicting to say we don’t support this bill.” After considering amendments to the word ing of the bill, the senate decided to pass it on to the currently unformed Human Rights Committee to look at the wording of the bill. The committees will form in about three weeks, said Marlene Beyke, ASUN director of development. In other legislative action, the senate re passed two bills affirmed by the last senate. Because legislative bills last only during the life of the senate, legislation must be passed by the existing senate to be put into effect. The two bills, passed by acclamation, direct ed the Government Liaison Committee to lobby the Legislature for certain line items of the University of Nebraska’s biennial budget. The first bill directs the committee to lobby for the faculty and staff increases included in the budget. The second bill directs the committee to lobby for increased money for need-based schol arships at the University of Nebraska. Schuerman said both bills were important, and spoke out on the bill to lobby for need-based scholarships. “Because we’re a land-grant institution, we need to make sure our doors are open to all stu dents, regardless of income,” Schuerman said. EU could face U.S. tariffs WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States has been given the go ahead to impose penalty tariffs on $191.4 million worth of European imports annually, getting to choose from a list that includes Scottish cash mere sweaters, fancy French hand bags and German coffee makers. The 100 percent tariffs, which are designed to eliminate the targeted products from U.S. stores, were awarded by the World Trade Organization on Tuesday as a fallout from a nasty trade war between the United States and Europe over bananas. The WTO ruled that U.S. banana companies were suffering $ 191.4 mil lion in lost sales annually because of unfair European restrictions that favor bananas grown in former European colonies in the Caribbean and Africa. While this represented a reduction of nearly two-thirds from the original U.S. damage claim of $520 million, the Clinton administration said the smaller figure was still the largest damage award ever approved by the WTO, the Geneva-based organization that sets the rules for world trade. “This decision is an important victory for the WTO dispute settle ment process and sends a clear mes sage that the WTO cannot be used to engage in endless litigation,” U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky said. EU officials said Wednesday that they would consult with member countries before deciding whether to appeal the WTO ruling. Officials said under WTO procedures, the United States has 10 days to submit a revised target list of products and during this time the EU has the option of appeal ing the ruling. “We reserve the right to appeal,” EU official Simon Fraser told reporters in Brussels. But he said the 15-nation EU had “no intention of dragging this out.” Barshefsky said the final list of targeted products would be selected from the original target list and would be published within the next few days in die Federal Register. EU officials have charged politi cal motivations were behind the U.S. determination to start a trade war over a product that accounts for a minus cule amount of trade between the world’s two biggest trading partners. No-call lists given no-go BILL from page 1 “What was a minor nuisance has become a major disturbance right at the very dinner table.” But Omaha Sen. John Bruning, among the bills’ dissenters, said homeowners could control their calls by simply turning off their phone ringers. Elkhorn Sen. Dwite Pedersen, who voted against advancing the bill from the Transportation Committee last month, said he still had con cerns. The bill could be construed as a condemnation of telemarketing firms at a time when Nebraska is attempting to attract new businesses and promote economic develop ment. “I think we’d be sending a bad message by passing a law that says we don’t support telemarketing,” Pedersen said. Only about 10 percent of Nebraska households - 40,000 to 50,000 homes - would be estimated to sign up, Beutler said. That number is based on results from a similar Georgia law in which 225,000 peo ple added their names to a no-call list. Bruning also objected to the bill because he said it could encourage unfair competition. Under the bill, companies that have prior or current business with phone customers are exempt from the no-call list. This gives businesses that have had prior contact with a customer an unfair advantage over new ones, he said. Nonprofit and charitable organi zations, as well as newspapers, would also be allowed to call people on the no-call list without a fine. Bruning also said the large num ber of phone lists circulating as a result of online sales and mail-order purchases would make the law tough to enforce. Beutler said the only argument against the bill was that customers already had a way to prevent unwant ed phone solicitation. Some phone companies will screen customers’ calls for a month a We’d be sending a bad message by passing a law that says we don’t support telemarketing. Dwite Pedersen Elkhom senator ly fee, he said. Federal law requires telemar keters to stop calling someone if they are told to quit calling. Consumers can also contact a national telemar keting organization to request an end to the calls, but only about 4,000 of the 30,000 firms belong to it, Beutler said. But both those methods, he said, are hard to enforce. Staff writer Brian Carlson contributed to this report. Crime spree leads to arrest of four suspects SPREE from page 1 four apparently took part in a burglary at the home of Arlene Craig, 720 Sierra Dr., in Lincoln between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m., police said. Taken were a rifle, two shotguns and a .22-caliber automatic pistol, a billfold with credit cards, cash, jewelry and miscellaneous other items, includ ing a pair of binoculars. Craig said the guns were not locked up and confirmed one of the suspects knew her family. “He was a friend of my son’s,” Craig said. “He’d been over a few times. I think this person knew where the guns were.” The four then went to Gateway Mall, Lincoln Police Captain Doug Srb said, and tried to make purchases with the stolen credit cards. Police said after the four left Gateway Mall, they made a drive-by shooting at 315 Taylor Park, firing a pair of rounds from a .22 pistol at the house. Clyde Johnson said he was sit ting in his den on the second floor of the home when he heard several shots and a car accelerating away. Johnson said he did not realize his house had been shot at until he found holes in exterior and interior walls. Police said the suspects had no prior relationship with Johnson. The four apparently split up after die drive-by shooting. Police said the two male suspects next broke into a home of JLonnie Fierstein at 1250 S. 25* St. between noon and 3:30 p.m. As they were breaking in, the pair was apparently confronted by Spud, the Feirstein’s beagle-terrier mix. The burglars responded by shooting the dog through the door, fatally wounding the pet. “Apparently they thought he was (dangerous),” Fierstein said. “But he was all bluff and no bite.” After breaking into the home, the burglars took some jewelry and a pair of 9 mm pistols. Fierstein said the guns were locked up in a gun case, which the buiglars pried open, and unloaded. At 4 p.m., police received a call from Sears in Gateway mall that a man was attempting to use a credit card he was not authorized to use. mice responded, and the man was arrested. Both female suspects were apparently with him at the time and were detained a short time later. One man was arrested for both burglaries, shooting at an occupied dwelling and attempted unauthorized use of a financial transaction device. Both women were arrested for forgery, and the second man was arrested for participating in the second burglary. Police are also investigating two incidents they believe are related. Srb said the tires of a van were shot in the Gateway parking lot, and there were shots fired near the intersection of 22nd and Lake streets. Srb asked for help from anyone who might have informa tion on these incidents. “I think there’s probably some damage out there that we don’t know about,” Srb said.