Tax resisters rally behind 'religious freedom'

...Tax day proved especially contentious this year, due to the war on Iraq. Military spending continues to rise as social programs get cut and some people want to control what programs their tax dollars are used for.
...Yesterday in Austin protesters publicly announced their support of the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Bill.
...Originally written in 1972, the bill aims to create a tax fund exempt from military spending. According to the War Resisters' League, 47 percent of the federal budget goes to military spending, while 34 percent goes to education, health care and all other human services combined. More.

Tort reform bills could overhaul civil justice system

...Tort reform is one of the most important issues being debated this legislative session. State Representative Joe Nixon of Houston introduced House Bill 4 often called the tort reform bill. The bill is a lengthy one and proposes major changes in the state's civil justice system.
...One of the more controversial aspects of the bill is the 'loser pay' provision. Under this part of the bill, defendants in civil lawsuits have 90 days to make an offer to a plaintiff after answering a lawsuit. A plaintiff then has 30 days to either accept or decline the offer. In these cases, defendants can recover their litigation costs from a plaintiff if the plaintiff rejects a settlement offer before trial and then recovers less than the amount offered from a jury. More.

Texas republicans strive to make DOMA a reality

...The Texas Republican Party wants to legislate homophobia with a redundant bill that would once again bar recognition of same-sex unions. The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was given tentative approval Monday by the Texas Senate.
...Even though current Texas law already restricts civil unions between same-sex partners, San Antonio Republican Senator Jeff Wentworth who authored the bill says the state still needs to make clear that the heterosexuality of marriage will be protected while same-sex unions entered into in Vermont will not. More.

Conroe ISD's Lusk resigns amidst harassment fuss

... Conroe Independent School District announced that it would accept the resignation and subsequent retirement of Superintendent Dr. David Lusk on Tuesday. This, as allegations of sexual harassment persist in the CISD Administrative Office.
...In Montgomery County, school district officials are remaining tight-lipped on the matter. Director of Communications for CISD, Nicole Seguera refused to comment on the recent absence of Dr. Lusk from his office or on any aspect pertaining to his sudden resignation. However Seguera did say that Houston attorney David Feldman would be making all comments on behalf of CISD in this matter. More.

DynCorp could win Iraq police contract

...DynCorp, the $2.3 billion military contracting company, is recruiting U.S. law enforcement to police Iraq. DynCorp began recruiting despite the fact they haven't officially won a contract with the State Department.
...The company's track record is less than flattering. Besides allegations of lazy workers over-billing the government, two DynCorp whistle blowers also exposed a sex-trafficking ring in Bosnia where the company stationed them in U.N. posts. The scheme involved video-taped DynCorp employees raping young teenage girls - girls bought and sold through mafia connections. Former U.N. International Police Force monitor, Kathryn Bolkovac, was fired after reporting the sex ring. She sued the company in 2001 and has since won her case. Bolkovac was non-plussed about DynCorp's recruitment for a force in Iraq:
..."I am extremely disappointed in the decision of our Congress and State Department to allow this type of contract to go through. I do understand the importance of contractors in the international arena, but in my opinion, to contract police officers out in an environment in which they have no way of being accountable for their actions, is very irresponsible for any government to take that kind of action with the U.N. in place. I certainly wouldn't want DynCorp employees wearing American flags on their sleeves and representing America, based on the lot of people I worked with in DynCorp." More.

Coke claims it's 'caught in crossfire'

...Today, local labor and immigrant rights organizers demonstrated outside of the annual Coca-Cola shareholders meeting at the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Houston. Two weeks ago, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that cases of human rights abuses against Coca-Cola's Columbian bottlers, Panamco and Bebidas, will be allowed to go forward and local union groups took this as a sign to organize in solidarity with Columbian food and Beverage union, Sinaltrainal, plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Jackson Allers reports from the shareholder meeting.
...Reading a press release this morning, Coca-Cola spokesperson, Ben Deutch, says their company has won a victory in the recent U.S. District Court ruling in Miami.
...Coca-Cola's main Latin-American bottler, Panamco, will be tried for right-wing paramilitary's involvement, including allegations of murder and intimidation of union leaders in Columbia. More.

PETA decries Pasadena animal slaughter

... Animal rights activists say a Pasadena case of alleged animal cruelty should be a red flag for future abusive behavior toward humans. In late March, two teens allegedly stole over half a dozen rabbits from a local breeder.
...Cruelty caseworker with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Martin Mersereau describes what happened next:
..."The one rabbit they were seen by eyewitnesses killing ... they actually are alleged to have doused the animal with gasoline, set her a fire and behead her all while she was still living. The horrified witness, I understand, contacted the police, then everyone in Pasadena contacted PETA wanting us to ensure a vigorous prosecution and that's what we intend to do." More.

Residents want say in traffic detour

... Thousands of vehicles head downtown everyday on Spur 527 off Highway 59. With the city set to close the spur for construction next year, residents say highway planners must consider community and environmental impacts or they'll take them to court. Erika McDonald has the story.
...The West Alabama Quality of life Coalition or WALQ announced Monday they plan to sue the Texas Department of Transportation unless the agency reconsiders construction that would close Spur 527. A city of Houston mobility study supports residents' claims that traffic diversion onto Richmond and West Alabama will result in neighborhood gridlock. WALQ founder, Ray Jones:
..."There are currently 80,000 cars per day that use the Spur into downtown Houston, and also about 350,00 buses in one direction that will use the spur that will need to be diverted onto Richmond and West Alabama. ... More.

Discussion focuses on post-war Iraq

... As the United States led attack on Iraq winds down, discussion in the academic community has shifted its focus to examining the consequences of the war and what future plans in the region may entail. Monday night at the University of Houston, professors and community leaders spoke to these issues in a roundtable discussion, including Arab-American Anti-Discrimation Committee spokeswoman Shaden Yousef, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Janice Harper, and UH economics professor Nick Feltovich:
...Yousef: "The Untied States is in there saying we're a liberating power. Well actually, if that's what we're in there to do, then we have a really, really big task ahead of us. Because Iraq is not the only ... or that former regime is not the only dictator or that kind of regime in the world... More.