Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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__Nation & World Senate debates flae-bumine amendment by Jim Abrams Associated Press Washington — The Senate on Tues day rejected a proposed constitutional amendment giving Congress control over political contributions. Still pending was another amendment that could make des ecrating the American flag illegal. Senators voted 67-33 to defeat a mea sure offered by Sen. Ernest Hollings, D S.C., that would give Congress power to set reasonable limits on the amount ol contributions that can be made to a candidate for federal office. A two-thirds majority is needed for constitutional amendments. Hollings wanted his provision added to a proposed amendment on flag desecration introduced by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. The flag vote could come later today or Wednesday, p Hollings said lawmakers have become w a “dignified bunch of money-raisers” and that those supporting efforts by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russell Feingold, D-Wis., to change contribution rules are “getting a free ride voting for it, know ing it’s never going anywhere” because the bill is unconstitutional. The Hatch proposal is likely to mir ror the last flag-desecration vote in the Senate, in 1995, when supporters fell three short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the Constitution. Debate has been passionate on both sides of both issues, as opponents argued they seriously undermine the First Amend ment’s free speech rights. Hatch’s amendment comprises one sentence: “Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.” Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., a lead ing critic of campaign finance limits, said the Hollings provision “crudely reaches in and rips the heart right out of the First Amendment.” McCain made campaign spending re form a cornerstone of his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination. He says his legislative efforts to limit cam paign contributions are constitutional, but Hollings argued that more funda mental changes in the nation’s legal frame work are needed. Campaign finance-limits opponent McConnell also opposes the flag amend ment. He proposed an alternative under which Congress would enact a law to es tablish jail terms and large fines for dam aging a flag with the intent to incite or produce violence. It was defeated 64-36. “We’re dealing here with a non-is sue,” said Sen. Robert Bennett of Utah, one of four Republicans who voted against the amendment in 1995. “No one is burn ing the flag in America today in any dis cernible numbers.” The difficult constitutional amend ment path was chosen because the Supreme Court has struck down both flag desecration and campaign finance laws on First Amendment grounds. The flag amendment has been a Re publican priority since the party gained control of both chambers of Congress in 1995. The House has achieved the two thirds majority in votes in 1995,1997 and again last year. The Senate fell three votes short in 1995 and hasn’t tried again. A constitutional amendment also needs to be ratified by three-fourths of state legislatures. Supporters acknowledge they’re still several votes short, but the vote will put senators on the record in an election year. The debate this week coincides with a meeting in Washington of the American Legion, a primary backer of the amend ment. The Citizens Flag Alliance, a pro amendment group of 140 veterans and civic groups, said three-fourths of Amer icans support a flag amendment and 49 state legislatures — all but Vermont’s — have passed resolutions urging Con gress to pass the amendment. Opponents argued that there’s no sense in amending the Constitution, to the possible detriment of free speech, for an act that rarely occurs. “To protect the symbol of freedom at the expense of freedom itself is back wards to me,” said Paul Tash, executive editor of the St. Petersburg Times and chaiiman of the freedom of information committee of the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The real test of free speech, he said, comes “when-that free speech is repugnant.” ‘We’re dealing here with a non-issue.' Sen. Robert Bennett R-Utah Monday's 6-8nm | and more on-_to?™**™ t Sunshine Thrift Store fe Serving Children’s Hospital of Richland Memorial Used Furniture, Appliances, & Clothing 754-2075 783-3284 3300 Two Notch Rd.7351 Garner’s Ferry Rd. Quick Cash^g^oOpportunities ^* DeCa*f OF regular? Sleep in or go to class? Life is full of hard decisions. Does anyone pay you to make them? We do!!! Take part in USC researchers’ decision-making experiments on campus. Give us 2 hours of your time and make about S10 per hour. Register online http://econ.badm.sc.edu/beam ENCOUNTER 1 Speaker: Mark Cagle • “Why Do Fools Fall In Love?” r Thursday, Mar. 30 @ 7:00 PM • 700 Pickens St. ♦Sponsored by the Baptist Student Union 700 Pickens St. 799-3854 e-mail: BSUUSC@compuserve.com _ When Justin Ceniceros joined AmeriCorps, he didn’t realize he’d help turn around entire communities. But after building houses, responding to floods, and helping families in tough neighborhoods, he saw real changes in . people's lives, including his own. “AmeriCorps gave me confidence that I didn’t get from college. This year has prepared me for anything." OPEC agrees to output boost, but U.S. gas prices likely to remain high by Bruce Stanley • Associated Press Vienna, Austria—OPEC ignored ob jections of its second-biggest member Tuesday and agreed to increase oil pro duction, but the amount of new oil flow ing into the market might not be enough to bring down gasoline prices in the Unit ed States. In a rare departure from its normal quest for unanimity, ministers of the 11 nation cartel announced Wednesday morn ing that nine members would raise pro duction by 6.3 percent, or a total of 1.45 million barrels a day. That appears to be well short of what analysts have said would be needed to curb crude oil prices that have tripled over the past 12 months. The Clinton administration had been lobbying for a rise of 2 million to 2.5 mil lion barrels a day to bring down gasoline prices that in the United States have risen from below $1 a gallon just over a year ago to an average of almost $ 1.60. Falah Aljibury, an industry consultant based in Alamo, Calif., said the agree ment would knock, at most, “a few cents” off the average price of unleaded gas. “I’m disappointed... the market expected more,” he said. There was no immediate reaction from Washington. Energy Secretary Bill Richardson has said it would take four to six weeks for the additional oil to reach U.S. markets. Summer gasoline prices, however, might remain high because of extremely low gasoline stocks. Refiners might not be able to build up inventories in time for the high-demand summer driving season, energy analysts have said. The outgoing president of OPEC, Qatar oil minister Abdullah bin Hamad A1 Attiyah, confirmed Wednesday morn ing that nine members would revert to higher levels of production that prevailed before April 1,1999. 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