Dems ask 'Who is Hiding Now?'

...As Texas democratic legislators returned to work at the Capital this morning [They have been holed up in Ardmore, Oklahoma, across the state line, all week, in order to prevent a quorum and thus prevent a radical redistricting plan proposed by U.S. Representative Tom DeLay. Some cheered and some booed the legislators' actions and some sent them oranges and flowers, but the strategy accomplished the goal -- Redistricting, which was just done by the courts two years ago, will not be raised by the Texas House this session. The Congressional districts Tom Delay lobbied for would have cut up Austin's districts and disappeared Chris Bell's district in Houston. The historic inner city area formerly represented by Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland, and now represented by Sheila Jackson-Lee, would have been changed beyond recognition.] ... there were concerns raised about use of a federal agency's resources, specifically the department of Homeland Security to track down the missing democrats.
...While the democrats presented a united front in their walkout, the story of how the private plane of former House Speaker Pete Laney was tracked to Oklahoma by federal authorities is sprouting numerous versions. More.

Man who maintained innocence killed by state

... Last night in Huntsville Texas, Bruce Charles Jacobs received a lethal injection for the 1986 Dallas murder of 16-year-old Conrad Harris. The high school student was stabbed to death in his bed, during an early morning home invasion.
...On hand to witness the execution were two of Jacob's friends, a catholic priest and a Franciscan friar. However, no one representing the Harris family was present. More.

City Council likely to debate Brown's budget

...Mayor Lee Brown released his 2004 budget proposal yesterday amid criticism by conservative City Council members, like Michael Berry, who think Brown's budget is nothing more than "creative accounting to cover up failed ideas."
...According to Mayor Brown's budget proposal, six out of seven City health clinics will remain open, with the seventh to operate on federal money. More.

Texas prisoners may be served deer meat

... The Austin American Statesman reported today that prisoners under the supervisions of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice could soon be eating deer meat. The idea stems from a plan to remove excessive deer population from urban communities.
...Yesterday Texas lawmakers approved Senate Bill 1582, which would simplify procedures for removing the deer and selecting sites where they can be relocated. More.

Cyclists: Equality of access for all

...A handful of cyclists turned out for Houston Bike to Work Day this morning... They celebrated their independence from automobiles with a ride from South Main Baptist Church to downtown. Though the tone was festive, the city's recent removal of bike lanes from West Alabama was on the minds of many. Bike Houston organizer Lorin Gaertner.
..."The city has an obligation to make its streets accessible to everybody. You can't participate in society unless you can walk down the street and get to the store, and the church, or wherever you need to go. You can just make the streets so the people who can pay the price of admission to get a car can use it." More.

Two Pacifica LABs support 'Draft B'

... Wednesday night, the interim local advisory board of this station, KPFT, and Pacifica's Berkeley, California station, KPFA, rallied behind what's called "Draft B" of the Pacifica bylaw revisions.
...'Draft B' supporters want to see two things happen now: For the Pacifica National Board to present 'Draft B' of the bylaws for LAB ratification, and one of the other three sister Pacifica stations to join in on approving this version of the bylaws to make the draft version official... thus setting into motion the first so-called 'democratically-run' radio network in the history of the United States. KPFT News reporter Brandon Moeller has the story:
... Less than 40 people attended Wednesday's KPFT interim local advisory board, or LAB meeting, where with some disagreement, the body voiced support for 'Draft B' of the Pacifica bylaw revisions. 'Draft B' is one of two revisions that was agreed upon in the bylaw revisions process. The most disputed difference between the two plans is that 'Draft B' does not contain the controversial affirmative action-like language that is designed to limit white male influence on the non-profit network's boards More.

Holocaust-era insurance policies may see light

...The Texas Senate passed a bill yesterday allowing heirs of Holocaust victims to learn about life insurance policies bought in Germany between 1920 and 1945.
...Speaking from the Senate floor in Austin, Houston-area Democrat Rodney Ellis explains:
..."People who lost their loved ones in the Holocaust have no earthly idea whether or not their loved ones had insurance policies. Last session in Texas we passed a bill to extend the statute of limitations so the survivors of holocaust victims and their families could recover benefits. This is the next logical step. We simply say that those insurance companies have to give the Texas department of insurance a list of the policy holders during that period." More.

Dell's recycling efforts may exploit federal prisoners

... Why are environmentalists planning to protest a local computer-recycling event tomorrow? Activists say people should think twice before donating their obsolete computers at the event sponsored by Dell Computers and Keep Houston Beautiful. The toxic e-waste could end up in a federal prison. Erika McDonald has the report.
...As part of a national public relations campaign, Texas-based Dell Computers will collect unwanted computers from a drop-off location in Southwest Houston on Saturday. Where the e-waste goes from there has environmentalists raising questions over prison labor exploitation. Federal Prison Industries, also known by the trade name UNICOR, employs inmates to turn obsolete machines back into raw materials. Texas Campaign for the Environment's Robin Schneider:
..."One of the big dangers are these toxic flame retardants. They're like the old PCBs and they're turning up in the Arctic and breast milk. And a whole laundry list of chemicals that go into making these computers and they need to be treated as toxic waste. And we don't think prisons are the appropriate place to deal with toxic waste." More.

Activist describes border patrol as 'war'

... Tonight, we welcome to the program Emilio Bateman who protested today in front of the Federal Courthouse downtown today.
... FELTZ: What do we have in common here with three recent incidents of immigrants being found - there were ten immigrants found in the back of a pickup truck in Sugar Land today. They found eighteen more immigrants in the back of an eighteen-wheeler near Victoria today, and they found 18 dead in the back of another eighteen-wheeler truck late Tuesday night. All of these are incidents of people trying to come to this country, perhaps to try to find work, and in some cases returning to work at jobs they had previously. More.