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SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
SOUTHERN TEXAS BORDER
State’s gay marriage ban up next
Plan gets support
Court may have set stage for future landmark ruling
Chairman presents ‘blueprint’ for border security By LISA HAGEN HEARST NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON — As the polarizing issue of immigration policy remains at a stalemate, Texas lawmakers from both sides of the aisle generally support House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul’s plan to measure threats along the southern border and recommend resources to fill the gaps in existing security. The Austin Republican’s proposal, “Blueprint for Southern
Border Security,” statement. “This seeks to promote is the first step to practices that providing Americould enhance cans the secure border control — border they deincluding more mand and detechnology to exserve.” pand surveillance. Some of the “My proposal proposed technolmatches resources ogies include: Integrated and capabilities to fixed towers to needs on the provide track illesouthern border gal entries; to allow Border Aerostats, or MCCAUL Patrol agents to filighter-than-air nally gain complete visibility,” McCaul said in a craft, to increase monitoring in
mountainous areas; Ultralight aircraft linked to real-time sensor data; And “game cameras” to monitor low-light areas, in concert with motion detectors. The plan calls for increased funding for collaboration between law enforcements at the local, tribal, state, and federal levels. McCaul’s proposal maps out 11 sectors on and around the border, including five in Texas. The report explains each sec-
See BORDER PAGE 11A
By CONNOR RADNOVICH AND DAN FREEDMAN HEARST NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON — By refusing to hear same-sex marriage appeals from five states that had banned such unions, the U.S. Supreme Court may have set the stage for using Texas’ prohibition as the basis of a future landmark ruling. Without explanation, the Supreme Court Monday turned down appeals from Wisconsin, Indiana, Oklahoma, Utah and Virginia, which all had similar state laws banning gay marriage overturned by federal appeals courts. The decision immediately legalized same-sex marriage in those five states and virtually assures the same result in six additional states covered by those federal appeals courts: North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming. In all, same-sex couples will be able to marry in 30 states and the District of Columbia, with challenges pending in the 20 remaining states. “If the 5th Circuit decides to uphold the ban, there’s a very strong possibility that the Texas case could be a landmark (Supreme Court ruling) two years from now,” said Cary Franklin, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. An upholding of Texas’ ban of same-sex marriage would create disagreement among the federal circuit courts, which have so far been in unison of their support of overturning such bans. In such a circumstance, the Supreme Court might be more likely to step in. Monday’s action “signals, I hope, the direction the court is going,” said Rebecca Robertson, legal and policy director of the ACLU of Texas. “It’s hard not to look at this optimistically.” Jonathan Saenz, president of conservative non-profit Texas Values, said he was also pleased by the Supreme Court’s action, because “redefinition of marriage is not going to be forced on our state at this time.” Saenz said Texans have already voted on whether same-sex marriage should be allowed in the state — a resounding “no” — and he said it’s “absurd” the court is “invalidating” so many people’s voices. He called it an “illegitimate victory” for gay-marriage proponents. The Texas ban, enshrined in a 2005 voter-approved constitutional amendment, was overturned earlier this
See BAN PAGE 12A
ARMANDO HINOJOSA
PROMOTING HISTORY
File photo by Cuate Santos | The Zapata Times
Laredo born artist/sculptor Armando Hinojosa looks at a clay model of some of his pieces of "The Tejano Monument” in this file photo.
Laredo-born sculptor proud of Hispanic heritage By MALENA CHARUR THE ZAPATA TIMES
Local artist Armando Hinojosa is proud of his Hispanic heritage, and of how he has promoted the history of South Texas and the border through his artistic talents — for more than 50 years. Hinojosa said his father, Gerónimo “Gerry” Hinojosa, introduced him to what is now his career as an artist. “My father had many achievements, such
as La India Packing Company’s logo and making figures for parade floats. He made them of wood, wire and plaster, which is more difficult,” Hinojosa said. “He then moved on to painting and sculptures. I started helping him on weekends. We painted road signs which were made by hand and were about 30 feet tall. It was dangerous. He traced the letters and I had to fill them in.” Hinojosa said his father came from New Guerrero, Mexico. Hinojosa said that when
he was a teenager he’d go there every weekend, influences of which are reflected in his paintings and sculpture. “My father told me, ’Listen, some day you’ll become better than me,’” he recalled with pride. Hinojosa said that was when he knew he wanted to pursue a career in art, so after graduating from high school he attended Texas A&I University in Kingsville, where
See HINOJOSA PAGE 11A
THE COLLEGE BOARD
Average Texas SAT math scores fall to 22-year low By WILL WEISSERT ASSOCIATED PRESS
Photo by H. John Voorhees III/Connecticut Newspapers
A high school student preps for her first SAT test in Brookfield, Conn., on Friday, March 7. Texas’ average statewide math scores on the SAT college entry exam were the lowest in 22 years — 495 for the 2013-2014 high school graduating class, according to official results.
AUSTIN — Texas’ average statewide math scores on the SAT college entry exam were the lowest in 22 years — 495 for the 2013-2014 high school graduating class, according to official results released Tuesday. The College Board, a nonprofit
which administers the exam, said mean math scores dropped four points from the 2012-2013 academic year. The state’s performance on math hasn’t been that low since 1992, when the mean score was 493. Meanwhile, reading scores slipped by a point to 476 and the latest writing mean score was 461, the same as last year. A per-
fect score in each subject area is 800. Nationally, SAT scores remained relatively stagnant: The mean score in math was 513; it was 497 in reading; and 487 for writing. In January, Texas formally scrapped its requirement that
See SAT PAGE 11A