Alito supports inmate contesting lethal injection

WASHINGTON — New Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito split with the court's conservatives Wednesday night, refusing to let Missouri execute a death-row inmate contesting lethal injection.

Alito, handling his first case, sided with inmate Michael Taylor, who had won a stay from an appeals court earlier in the evening. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas supported lifting the stay, but Alito joined the remaining five members in turning down Missouri's last-minute request to allow a midnight execution.

Earlier in the day, Alito was sworn in for a second time in a White House ceremony. He was also was given his assignment for handling emergency appeals: Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. As a result, Missouri filed with Alito its request for the high court to void a stay and allow Taylor's execution.

An appeals court will now review Taylor's claim that lethal injection is cruel and unusual punishment, a claim also used by two Florida death-row inmates that won stays from the Supreme Court over the past week.

Some limits put on lobbying

The House started its legislative year with a mostly symbolic step Wednesday toward removing the taint of influence-peddling scandals, voting to ban former colleagues from lobbying in the House chamber.

A rules change that passed 379-50 bars from the House floor or the members' gym former representatives who now work as lobbyists.

The restriction also applies to former members' spouses who are lobbyists.

Other legislation, introduced by Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., would deny retirement benefits to members of Congress and other policymakers who are convicted of crimes punishable by more than a year in prison.

Under current law, it generally takes a conviction on a national-security offense to have a government pension forfeited.

The House on Wednesday agreed to extend the USA Patriot Act for a month while conservative Republicans and the White House work out changes intended to protect people from government intrusion.

The GOP-controlled House used a voice vote to keep the law in effect until March 10 so negotiators have more time to come up with a deal. The Senate was expected to follow before the law expires Friday.

Just before leaving for Christmas, Congress extended the law until Feb. 3. Senate Democrats and four Republicans had blocked a final vote on a measure negotiated by the White House that would have made permanent most expiring provisions. The Republicans were concerned about excessive police powers.

House Democrats said they did not want the Patriot Act to expire but are pressing for civil-rights protections before renewing it permanently.

Texas probe focuses on DeLay trip

A trip to Europe that former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay took six years ago with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff is the new focus of a money-laundering investigation in Texas, court documents filed Wednesday in Austin, Texas, show.

Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle wants DeLay's wife and several associates who joined him on the trip to turn over travel itineraries, expense-reimbursement requests and other documents. Earle is seeking the records of the trip as part of his campaign-funding investigation, which has led to money laundering charges against DeLay.

DeLay, R-Texas, is awaiting trial on those charges.

Budget includes bank-deposit change

The $100,000 account limit on federal bank-deposit insurance will be raised for retirement accounts under legislation passed by Congress on Wednesday and expected to be signed by President Bush.

The change, which the banking industry has been pushing for about a decade, was included in a $39 billion budget bill that narrowly cleared the House and sped toward the president's desk.

It gives the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. discretion to increase the $100,000 insurance ceiling on deposit accounts to reflect inflation, starting five years from now. For individual retirement accounts held in banks, the account limit will immediately be raised from $100,000 to $250,000.

Compiled from The Associated Press