National Roundup

Texas
House committee approves new abortion rules

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Republicans voted early Wednesday to move forward with new abortion restrictions, after limiting testimony at a public hearing, refusing to consider Democratic amendments and imposing strict security precautions to prevent disruptions from protesting abortion-rights supporters.
On a party-line vote, the Republican majority sent the bill to the full Texas House for a vote next week. Gov. Rick Perry is pushing his allies in the Legislature to move quickly after he called lawmakers back for a second special session to pass the bill, which would limit when, where and how women may obtain an abortion in the state.
More than 3,500 people came to the Capitol and registered a position on the bill, and more than 1,100 signed up to testify. But fewer than 100 people had a chance to express their views because the top Republican on the committee limited testimony to eight hours and refused entreaties to extend it.
“We took testimony in the regular session, in the first special. We’ve taken a lot of testimony,” said House State Affairs Chairman Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, in explaining his decision.

Colorado
Man pleads guilty to groping Spirit flight attendant 

DENVER (AP) — A Spirit Airlines passenger accused of groping a flight attendant as she walked by has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault.
Court documents made available Tuesday show Evan Nathaniel Castle, of Thornton, Colo., was sentenced to two years of probation. He also was ordered to attend alcohol counseling and pay a $250 fine.
According to court documents, Castle had several alcoholic drinks on Flight 562 from Las Vegas to Denver on April 8. A flight attendant said Castle told her she was beautiful, then later grabbed her buttocks when she passed by his row.

New Mexico
ACLU complaint filed over Whole Foods suspension

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A civil rights group on Tuesday filed complaints against Whole Foods Market with a New Mexico agency for allegedly discriminating against Spanish-speaking employees at an Albuquerque store.
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico said it filed the complaints with the New Mexico Human Rights Bureau on behalf of employees Bryan Baldizan and Lupe Gonzalez.
The employees said last month a Whole Foods store suspended them for a day for complaining about a company policy they say prevented them from speaking Spanish while on the job.
News of the policy sparked outraged from Latino groups nationally and the Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market Inc. later revised its employee language rules.
Both employees said they are still prevented from speaking Spanish.
Whole Foods spokeswoman Libba Letton said the company plans to respond directly to the Human Rights Bureau if and when it receives a complaint.

Colorado
AG accuses some med charities of cheating donors

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado attorney general says the man behind Boobies Rock and Say No 2 Cancer misled donors and customers around the country into thinking more of their money was going to breast cancer charities.
Instead, Adam Cole Shryock only sent a little bit of money to legitimate cancer groups while using company bank accounts to buy himself a BMW, subscribe to an online dating service, and to pay bar tabs and a maid service, Attorney General John Suthers alleges in a complaint filed in Denver District Court.
Both companies sell merchandise such as shirts, bracelets and beer koozies with pro-breast or anti-cancer slogans.
Colorado started investigating after attorneys general in Indiana and Illinois did the same. The Chicago Sun-Times had reported last year that some charities that Boobies Rock claimed to be helping received little money from the company.
Boobies Rock Inc. and Say No 2 Cancer have disabled their websites since a Denver judge issued a temporary restraining order last week restricting operations, and assets have been frozen. A hearing for a preliminary injunction is scheduled Monday.

Missouri
Horse slaughter opponents sue USDA on permits

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Animal protection groups are suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to try to block the revival of domestic horse slaughter at commercial processing plants.
The Humane Society of the United States, Front Range Equine Rescue of Larkspur, Colo., three other groups and five individuals filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking an emergency injunction to overturn the USDA’s recent permit approval for a horse meat plant in Roswell, N.M. Four of the named plaintiffs are Roswell residents; the fifth lives in Gallatin, Mo., where a Rains Natural Meats equine slaughterhouse could next receive federal approval.
On Tuesday, the federal agency approved a horse slaughter plant in Sigourney, Iowa, and expects to endorse another request later this week. The Humane Society’s lawsuit named prospective processing plants in Gallatin and Rockville, Mo.; Woodbury, Tenn.; and Washington, Okla.
Horse slaughterhouses last operated in the U.S. in 2007 before Congress banned the practice by eliminating funding for plant inspections. Federal lawmakers restored those cuts in 2011.

Georgia
Alzheimer’s care center raided; 21 workers charged

COMMERCE, Ga. (AP) — More than 20 employees of a Georgia assisted living center for people with Alzheimer’s disease face dozens of criminal charges after state investigators raided the center on Tuesday and uncovered allegations that employees had mistreated patients, authorities said.
The charges stem from a three-month investigation of Alzheimer’s Care of Commerce, a facility about 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia Bureau of Investigation officials said.
Agents executed a search warrant Tuesday morning to gather evidence at the center. Officials say the probe revealed allegations of physical abuse — such as staff members hitting patients and throwing water on them. Charges filed against the 21 employees include cruelty to people 65 or older, and involve accusations of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation.
Eleven employees were being held in the Jackson County jail as of Tuesday evening, and the facility’s owner had yet to surrender to authorities, GBI spokesman John Heinen said.

Kentucky
Judd ‘ready to fight’ beside Grimes in Senate race

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Actress Ashley Judd says she’s “ready to fight” beside Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes, the Kentucky secretary of state who announced Monday that she would challenge Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell next year.
Judd, who had considered the race herself, showed her support for Grimes in a tweet Tuesday.
Judd wrote, “Even in thick woods outstanding news filters through. Thrilled for the people of KY & ready to fight beside”
Judd, a former Kentucky resident now living in Tennessee, announced in March that she wouldn’t run against the five-term Kentucky Republican. When Judd decided against a bid, Democratic leaders turned to Grimes as their candidate of choice.o