June 24, 2013 eClips Weekend Edition

State Library eClips
* Tuition set to rise 5 percent at Oregon’s public universities
* Bee deaths a result of pesticide Safari; count upped to 50,000 dead insects
* Oregon smokers face new costs: most health insurers to charge more for habit
* Marine cops will saturate state waters looking for impaired boaters
* Nearly 50 incarcerated Oregon youth graduate with diplomas or skilled-labor certificates
* Obscure tax break could boost Oregon exports, supporter’s business
* Former head of Oregon disabilities nonprofit indicted on 14 felony theft counts
* Gov. John Kitzhaber and capital punishment: Justice is in the eye of the repriever
* Controversial Oregon voter registration bill gets big push from Democratic leaders
* Challenge to gay marriage ballot title dismissed by Oregon Supreme Court
* Tina Kotek’s housing choice bill ‘still alive’
* Oregon must strengthen career, technical education: Guest opinion — Guest Opinion
* Saying no, and helping the Legislature get to yes — Opinion
* Convention center hotel project must lay bare the risks to taxpayers — Opinion
* MacLaren youths get diplomas and degrees
* Oregon’s workforce: Fewer people are carrying the load
* Ferrara: Taxes help fund unemployment benefits
* Wong: Key issues remain unresolved as deadline to adjourn draws near — Opinion
* Recession ravaged local counties
* Oregon governor wins battle, loses the war — Opinion
* Gillnet fishery suppliers hurt by uncertainty
* I-5 interchange groundbreaking event is July 2
* Details of Psychiatric Security Review Board leader’s separation deal released
* Panel approves voter plan to expand registration rolls
* MacLaren school graduates 46 at-risk boys
* Camping program offers families all of the basics
* Salem Health hasn’t stymied local CCO — Guest Opinion
* Time for Oregon to invest in jobs, families — Guest Opinion
* What do ‘illegal aliens’ cost Ore.?
* What do ‘illegal aliens’ cost Ore.?
* Bridge to somewhere
* Voter registration bill advances
* Better options coming for small business health insurance — Guest Opinion
* A governors decision — Opinion
* Wheat scare should shock us — Opinion
* For Oregonians, its forests first, then timber — Guest Opinion
* Vista Bridge Barrier Design Revealed — Blog
* B-Corp or no, making money remains a must — Opinion
* Genetically modified sugar beets destroyed
* Oregon Board Hikes Tuition For College Students
* Political Chat: Summer Sheds Daylight Onto Oregon Politics
* Oregon wheat growers to USDA: Address customer concerns
* Canola bill advances to House floor
* Ore. Legislature pass prison, police, DOJ budgets
* Oregon Legislature passes 3 key budgets
* Monsanto Heightens Talk of Sabotage in Oregon GMO Wheat
* Hanford Tank May Be Leaking Waste Into Soil
* University of Oregon police to carry guns
* Details Of Possible Tax Deal Emerge In Salem

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TUITION SET TO RISE 5 PERCENT AT OREGON’S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES (Portland Oregonian)

After 90 minutes of pain-filled discussion, the Oregon Board of Higher Education voted 10-3 Friday to raise tuition and fees by about 5 percent at all seven public universities.
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BEE DEATHS A RESULT OF PESTICIDE SAFARI; COUNT UPPED TO 50,000 DEAD INSECTS (Portland Oregonian)

As the estimate of dead bees rose to 50,000, the Oregon Department of Agriculture confirmed the insecticide Safari caused the deaths in a Wilsonville earlier this week.
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OREGON SMOKERS FACE NEW COSTS: MOST HEALTH INSURERS TO CHARGE MORE FOR HABIT (Portland Oregonian)

Health experts have long contended that smoking significantly boosts health care costs due to increased rates of lung cancer, heart and pulmonary disease. Next year, for the first time in more than a decade, Oregon insurers will be able to charge smokers more for health coverage.
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MARINE COPS WILL SATURATE STATE WATERS LOOKING FOR IMPAIRED BOATERS (Portland Oregonian)

A heads-up for anyone out and about in a boat next weekend.
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NEARLY 50 INCARCERATED OREGON YOUTH GRADUATE WITH DIPLOMAS OR SKILLED-LABOR CERTIFICATES (Portland Oregonian)

A group of 46 at-risk boys and young men graduated with high-school diplomas, college degrees or barbering, culinary or welding certificates at the MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn Friday.
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OBSCURE TAX BREAK COULD BOOST OREGON EXPORTS, SUPPORTER’S BUSINESS (Portland Oregonian)

Oregon Sen. Larry George would benefit financially from a local version of a federal tax provision he proposed as part of a state budget deal.
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FORMER HEAD OF OREGON DISABILITIES NONPROFIT INDICTED ON 14 FELONY THEFT COUNTS (Portland Oregonian)

The former head of a nonprofit agency that helped people with disabilities has been indicted on 14 felony theft counts, most for allegedly stealing money from her organization.
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GOV. JOHN KITZHABER AND CAPITAL PUNISHMENT: JUSTICE IS IN THE EYE OF THE REPRIEVER (Portland Oregonian)

John Kitzhaber, for better or worse, is not governor in perpetuity.

Somewhere down the road, he will graduate to health-care consulting or retire to Bhutan.
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CONTROVERSIAL OREGON VOTER REGISTRATION BILL GETS BIG PUSH FROM DEMOCRATIC LEADERS (Portland Oregonian)

A bill that would potentially add hundreds of thousands of Oregonians to the voter rolls passed the state Legislature’s Joint Ways and Means Committee on Friday — but only after Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, intervened to provide the crucial vote.
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CHALLENGE TO GAY MARRIAGE BALLOT TITLE DISMISSED BY OREGON SUPREME COURT (Portland Oregonian)

Opponents of a proposed gay marriage initiative in Oregon had a key legal challenge dismissed this week by the state Supreme Court.
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TINA KOTEK’S HOUSING CHOICE BILL ‘STILL ALIVE’ (Portland Oregonian)

With the Oregon Legislature’s 2013 session drawing toward a close, House Speaker Tina Kotek’s bill to end housing discrimination against people with federally subsidized rent vouchers is headed to an apparent make-or-break work session Monday.
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OREGON MUST STRENGTHEN CAREER, TECHNICAL EDUCATION: GUEST OPINION — GUEST OPINION (Portland Oregonian)

As an owner of an Oregon manufacturing and construction company, I strongly support an increased investment in career and technical education for our middle and high school students and urge the Legislature to pass Senate Bill 498 to help schools get these classes started again.
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SAYING NO, AND HELPING THE LEGISLATURE GET TO YES — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)

The last weeks of a legislative session are full of calculations, full of staff people running the numbers about different proposals, of legislators trying to figure how to make a revenue increase cover a spending increase.
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CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL PROJECT MUST LAY BARE THE RISKS TO TAXPAYERS — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)

Convention Center in Portland has been a hot idea for more than two decades, if that’s not a contradiction in terms. The premise among those who’ve advocated for such a project has always been the same: If we build it, they will come.
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MACLAREN YOUTHS GET DIPLOMAS AND DEGREES (Salem Statesman Journal)

MacLaren Youth Correctional Facilitys William P. Lord High School held a graduation ceremony for 46 at-risk boys Friday, issuing high school diplomas, college degrees, and barbering, culinary and welding certificates.
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OREGON’S WORKFORCE: FEWER PEOPLE ARE CARRYING THE LOAD (Salem Statesman Journal)

The following are excerpts from Oregons Falling Labor Force Participation: A Story of Baby Boomers, Youth, and the Great Recession.
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FERRARA: TAXES HELP FUND UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS (Salem Statesman Journal)

Did you know that Oregon employers are taxed so that unemployed Oregonians can collect unemployment benefits? Many of the 16,000 unemployed residents of the Salem MSA collect unemployment insurance UI benefits.
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WONG: KEY ISSUES REMAIN UNRESOLVED AS DEADLINE TO ADJOURN DRAWS NEAR — OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)

When President Peter Courtney opened Fridays session of the Oregon Senate, he had an unusual request.

Let us take a few moments of silence to think about the season, our families and how we are going to get out of here, said the Salem Democrat and longest-serving member of the current Oregon Legislature.
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RECESSION RAVAGED LOCAL COUNTIES (Salem Statesman Journal)

-Marion, Polk lost a quarter of net assets-

Marion and Polk counties were among the hardest hit statewide during the recession, losing about a quarter of their net assets since 2006, a Statesman Journal analysis of financial reports shows.
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OREGON GOVERNOR WINS BATTLE, LOSES THE WAR — OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)

The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled. Gary Haugen will not yet die at the states hand.

The courts ruling seems reasonable. Gov. John Kitzhaber has the authority to grant a reprieve of Haugens execution even though Haugen doesnt want it; and the uncertainty of sitting on death row does not constitute unconstitutional punishment, as Haugen contended.
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GILLNET FISHERY SUPPLIERS HURT BY UNCERTAINTY (Salem Statesman Journal)

Uncertainty over the future of the gillnet fishery on the Columbia River has begun to hurt the businesses that supply the trade.
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I-5 INTERCHANGE GROUNDBREAKING EVENT IS JULY 2 (Salem Statesman Journal)

The Oregon Department of Transportation announced the beginning of a Woodburn Interchange and Transit Facility Project with a groundbreaking event at 10 a.m. July 2.
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DETAILS OF PSYCHIATRIC SECURITY REVIEW BOARD LEADER’S SEPARATION DEAL RELEASED (Salem Statesman Journal)

Mary Claire Buckley, who resigned as the executive director of the state Psychiatric Security Review Board in May, has agreed not to sue the state or apply for reemployment with the board in exchange for certain benefits.
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PANEL APPROVES VOTER PLAN TO EXPAND REGISTRATION ROLLS (Salem Statesman Journal)

Secretary of State Kate Browns plan to expand Oregons voter registration rolls by as many as 500,000 through state driver records will await a vote of the House.
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MACLAREN SCHOOL GRADUATES 46 AT-RISK BOYS (Salem Statesman Journal)

CAMPING PROGRAM OFFERS FAMILIES ALL OF THE BASICS (Salem Statesman Journal)

Curious but clueless about camping?

No worries.
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SALEM HEALTH HASN’T STYMIED LOCAL CCO — GUEST OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)

Last Saturday, a guest opinion made assertions about Salem Health, our intentions and our actions around the local coordinated care organization CCO that we believe require a response.
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TIME FOR OREGON TO INVEST IN JOBS, FAMILIES — GUEST OPINION (Salem Statesman Journal)

Jobs.

We have an opportunity to make investments that get us the results we all want: parents developing job skills and finding meaningful work, children living in stable homes with enough food to eat, and communities benefiting from families contributions.

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WHAT DO ‘ILLEGAL ALIENS’ COST ORE.? (Salem Statesman Journal)

The Oregon Republican Party endorses an initiative to overturn a new law that allows people in the country illegally to apply for special driving cards in Oregon.
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WHAT DO ‘ILLEGAL ALIENS’ COST ORE.? (Salem Statesman Journal)

BRIDGE TO SOMEWHERE (Eugene Register-Guard)

-The I-5 span over the Willamette is two months from completion-

Glimpsed through the divider by commuters zipping by, the under-construction northbound bridge carrying Interstate 5 across the Willamette River looks almost ready to drive on.
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VOTER REGISTRATION BILL ADVANCES (Eugene Register-Guard)

-A tie-breaking vote moves the controversial proposal out of committee, but its fate is uncertain-

Lawmakers are advancing a controversial bill that would automatically register to vote all eligible Oregonians using DMV records although the measure faces a significant hurdle in the state Senate.
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BETTER OPTIONS COMING FOR SMALL BUSINESS HEALTH INSURANCE — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)

Changes in Oregons health care system are a boost for small business owners. This fall, it will become much easier for companies to find coverage that fits their employees needs, and the IRS is expanding tax credits to help them afford it.
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A GOVERNORS DECISION — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)

-Court: Kitzhaber had authority to delay execution-

Gary Haugen will have to wait to die.
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WHEAT SCARE SHOULD SHOCK US — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)

-The recent discovery of genetically modified wheat in Oregon ought to make clear the dangers of GMOs-

The May 29 Register-Guard reported that stands of genetically modified wheat had been discovered in a field in Eastern Oregon.
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FOR OREGONIANS, ITS FORESTS FIRST, THEN TIMBER — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)

Oregonians champion hunting cougars with dogs and eradicating wolves. We oppose the idea of regulating agricultural crops at the local level.
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VISTA BRIDGE BARRIER DESIGN REVEALED — BLOG (Willamette Week)

If city officials can find the money, Southwest Portland’s Vista Bridge would be outfitted with a “permanent protective screen of vertical steel bars” to prevent people from leaping from the span over Southwest Jefferson Street.
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B-CORP OR NO, MAKING MONEY REMAINS A MUST — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)

The Legislature has passed, and Gov. John Kitzhaber has signed, a bill allowing corporations to register in Oregon as so-called benefit companies, a status they hope will attract socially conscious entrepreneurs to the state.

At best, we suppose, the bill is harmless.
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GENETICALLY MODIFIED SUGAR BEETS DESTROYED (Bend Bulletin)

Genetically modified sugar beets from two fields in Southern Oregons Jackson County were destroyed this month in what the FBI called economic sabotage.”

The agency said in a statement Thursday that about 1,000 sugar beet plants were destroyed on June 8, and more than 5,000 plants were destroyed on a different plot three nights later.
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OREGON BOARD HIKES TUITION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

Oregon college students can expect to pay more for their education next fall. The state Board of Higher Education on Friday approved a series of tuition increases at Oregon’s eight public university campuses.
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POLITICAL CHAT: SUMMER SHEDS DAYLIGHT ONTO OREGON POLITICS (Oregon Public Broadcasting)

It’s the first day of summer, and this is the time when we shed some daylight into the long shadows of Oregon politics.

Gov. John Kitzhaber’s authority in clemency cases was confirmed by the Oregon Supreme Court.
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OREGON WHEAT GROWERS TO USDA: ADDRESS CUSTOMER CONCERNS (Capital Press)

Oregon wheat growers have sent a letter to the USDA asking the agency to establish a closer working relationship with overseas customers to address their concerns about the investigation into genetically engineered wheat found last month.
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CANOLA BILL ADVANCES TO HOUSE FLOOR (Capital Press)

After a lengthy debate, the Oregon Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee on June 21 approved a bill banning all but a smattering of canola production in the Willamette Valley until 2019.

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ORE. LEGISLATURE PASS PRISON, POLICE, DOJ BUDGETS (KATU)

Oregon senators gave final legislative approval to three big budgets for state prisons, police and attorneys on Friday, and delayed a vote on a hotly debated K-12 schools’ budget until Wednesday.
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OREGON LEGISLATURE PASSES 3 KEY BUDGETS (San Francisco Chronicle)

MONSANTO HEIGHTENS TALK OF SABOTAGE IN OREGON GMO WHEAT (Wall Street Journal)

Monsanto Co. MON said the finding of unapproved genetically modified wheat in an Oregon field was “highly suspicious,” and that sabotage is the most likely explantion.

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HANFORD TANK MAY BE LEAKING WASTE INTO SOIL (ABC News)

An underground tank holding some of the worst radioactive waste at the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site might be leaking into the soil.

The U.S. Energy Department said workers at Washington state’s Hanford Nuclear Reservation detected higher radioactivity levels under tank AY-102 during a routine inspection Thursday.
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UNIVERSITY OF OREGON POLICE TO CARRY GUNS (Herald and News)

Armed police officers will be on the University of Oregon campus when students return to Eugene in the fall.

The state Board of Higher Education voted unanimously Friday to allow officers with the newly formed University of Oregon Police Department to carry guns.

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DETAILS OF POSSIBLE TAX DEAL EMERGE IN SALEM (Northwest Public Radio)

In Salem, details of a possible tax deal are emerging at the Oregon legislature. Two Republican lawmakers outlined a series of tax hikes they’d be willing to support during an Oregon Senate committee hearing Thursday.
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