February 18, 2016 eClips
State Library eClips
* Sen. Betsy Johnson, Portland chamber team up on amendment to thwart PSU payroll tax
* New maps show heavy metal hot spots in two more Portland neighborhoods
* Transparency bill a reminder to state that we’re Oregonians not ‘opponents’ — Opinion
* Kate Brown muzzles energy bill critics. So much for those inaugural promises — Opinion
* Oregon House votes to shield identity of cop who shot LaVoy Finicum
* Oregon Senate meets in silence to mourn death of lawmaker’s son
* Gov. Brown presents award to Oregonian who thwarted terror attack
* 40,500 Oregonians hit by $25 million tax fraud scheme, feds say
* Hatchery life changes fish genetics, Oregon study finds
* A year after John Kitzhaber’s downfall, lawmakers take up whistleblower protection bill
* Clackamas County Transition Center opens to help ex-convicts reintegrate
* Time to kill the Oregon Growth Board — Opinion
* Jump in traffic deaths is largest in half-century
* Massive rockslide blocks Douglas County road
* Oregon leading national debate on minimum wage
* Senate suspends business to mourn death of lawmaker’s son
* Bill would let Oregon State Police seek to keep secret the name of officer who killed Malheur protester
* Don’t widen PERS gap — Opinion
* Emergency bill status unjustified — Guest Opinion
* House passes bill requiring labeling of genetically modified fish
* Investigation cleared fired Employment Department managers of wrongdoing
* Legislature moving fast on coal, renewables deal
* Affordable housing plan could ease land-use rules
* Highway 97 project slated for south of Bend
* Redmond mobile home park fined after sewage overflows
* Vaccine exemption changes snarl students on exclusion day
* Oregon House passes bill to protect whistleblowers
* Oregon opiate addiction experts welcome federal support
* 41 Days: An OPB Documentary On The Oregon Occupation
* Clark County Hit Especially Hard By Oregon Pot Sales
* Construction Proceeds On Innovative Cross-Laminated Timber Building
* Q&A: What We Know About Portland’s Toxic Air Emissions
* Oregon’s cougar plan is up for review this year
* In the takeover aftermath, producers hope for real change
* Investigation cleared fired managers of wrongdoing
* Cost of renewable mandate to ratepayers still unvetted
* Local economy gets mixed grade at Pendleton Chamber of Commerce luncheon
* Impending speed increase sparks safety concerns
* 100 Students Barred from School
* Leaking Pilot Rock sewer lagoons to be moved
* Rangeland fire protection bill passes House
* Adrian seeks answer to its arsenic woes
* Jackson County commissioners oppose expanded gun background checks
* Our View: GOP gamesmanship born of legitimate frustration — Opinion
* New wolf makes Klamath its territory
* Malheur: Credit due, but issues remaining — Opinion
* Economist: ‘Grand experiment’ how minimum wage hike will impact local economy
* State to district: No drug testing until you have a license
* Affordable housing proposal makes headway in House
* House passes mandatory labeling of genetically modified salmon
* New barriers, inflatable air dancers to be deployed against sea lions
* Bonamici talks tsunami awareness in Seaside
* More shot records incomplete this year
* Linn County will hold off $1.4 billion lawsuit until after Legislature adjourns
* More counties join Linn’s efforts to derail minimum wage hikes
* Editorial: Don’t be misled: Linn County’s going to court — Opinion
* Editorial: Session gives short shrift to understanding — Opinion
* Our View: Legislative games — Opinion
* Where’s The Water?
* Cougar problem growing — Opinion
* Above normal snow reported in Oregon
* OUR VIEW: Occupational hazards and the aftermath — Opinion
* Proactive change coming to Interstate 84
* Local soil and water conservation district receive $4.8 million in funding
* MY VOICE: Commissioners need term limits — Guest Opinion
* Horse management -proactive approach
* Historic preservation grants presented
* Outback Observation — Opinion
* Health Council commits $1 million in Gorge health-focused investments
* Hood River legislators fight minimum wage hike
* Salem tour supports ‘Minoru Yasui Day’
* Tourism Studio moves to Stevenson, focuses on Gorge cultural heritage
* State reports increased healthcare.gov signups
* Yasui Day: Extend the honor to a brave advocate — Opinion
* Candlelight memorial illuminates rural issues
* Cycle Oregon awards grant to fund hiker-biker camp at the lake
* Main Street: Private Land, Public Land in the Wallowas — Opinion
* Oregon Exports and Manufacturing– Blog
* Minimum Wage Consistently Half of Median Wage– Blog
* Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian Says Stars Cabaret Pimped Underage Girls
* Forest for the trees -CRISIS in Oregon’s privately-owned timberlands
* Despite easy voter access, voter fraud deemed rare in Oregon
* Comments on oil terminal soar to 250,000 – WA
* Automatic Registration Is The Latest Chapter In Fight Over Voting Rights
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SEN. BETSY JOHNSON, PORTLAND CHAMBER TEAM UP ON AMENDMENT TO THWART PSU PAYROLL TAX (Portland Oregonian)
Portland’s chamber of commerce is exploring ways to preemptively kill a proposed payroll tax on metro-area businesses that would generate between $35 million and $40 million annually for Portland State University.
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NEW MAPS SHOW HEAVY METAL HOT SPOTS IN TWO MORE PORTLAND NEIGHBORHOODS (Portland Oregonian)
A toxic air pollution problem that state regulators described two weeks ago as limited to one Southeast Portland neighborhood continues to implicate new areas throughout the city.
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TRANSPARENCY BILL A REMINDER TO STATE THAT WE’RE OREGONIANS NOT ‘OPPONENTS’ — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
It’s telling that an Oregon Justice Department lawyer argued against a bill that would require greater transparency from state agencies by noting that “opponents” would benefit from such legislation.
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KATE BROWN MUZZLES ENERGY BILL CRITICS. SO MUCH FOR THOSE INAUGURAL PROMISES — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Was it only one year ago that Kate Brown, Oregon’s newly sworn-in governor, boasted that she had “sought to promote transparency and trust in government” during her lengthy public career?
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OREGON HOUSE VOTES TO SHIELD IDENTITY OF COP WHO SHOT LAVOY FINICUM (Portland Oregonian)
The Oregon House passed a bill Wednesday to shield the identity of the officer who killed standoff spokesman Robert “LaVoy” Finicum.
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OREGON SENATE MEETS IN SILENCE TO MOURN DEATH OF LAWMAKER’S SON (Portland Oregonian)
The Oregon Senate met briefly and silently Wednesday to mourn Sen. Brian Boquist’s oldest son, a 31-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who died the day before.
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GOV. BROWN PRESENTS AWARD TO OREGONIAN WHO THWARTED TERROR ATTACK (Portland Oregonian)
Alek Skarlatos was bestowed with the Oregon Distinguished Service Award by Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday.
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40,500 OREGONIANS HIT BY $25 MILLION TAX FRAUD SCHEME, FEDS SAY (Portland Oregonian)
A tax-fraud scheme that affected thousands of Oregonians was much larger than originally believed, federal officials announced Wednesday.
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HATCHERY LIFE CHANGES FISH GENETICS, OREGON STUDY FINDS (Portland Oregonian)
A new study out of Oregon State University lays to rest the debate over whether hatchery life changes fish at the genetic level.
It does and the changes happen at an astoundingly rapid pace.
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A YEAR AFTER JOHN KITZHABER’S DOWNFALL, LAWMAKERS TAKE UP WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION BILL (Portland Oregonian)
On the eve of the anniversary of Gov. John Kitzhaber’s resignation, the Oregon House passed a bill to protect whistleblowers seeking to expose malfeasance in state government.
House Bill 4067 creates designated avenues for employees to report abuse, fraud and corruption in state agencies and nonprofits.
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CLACKAMAS COUNTY TRANSITION CENTER OPENS TO HELP EX-CONVICTS REINTEGRATE (Portland Oregonian)
For Keith Fletcher, who was behind bars for more than a year after breaking into a Happy Valley video store and stealing a TV while high on meth, the Clackamas County Transition Center is a godsend.
The center offers low-level offenders leaving incarceration and re-entering Clackamas County an all-in-one place to plug into a host of services to help the transition.
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TIME TO KILL THE OREGON GROWTH BOARD — OPINION (Portland Oregonian)
Like most Oregonians, I’ve had enough of Salem’s crony-capitalist politicians using your money to help well-connected private companies benefit from legislative generosity.
In the Legislature’s first week, one such program the Oregon Growth Board received a committee vote for a rules change via House Bill 4020A. This is a program that should be abolished, not adjusted.
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JUMP IN TRAFFIC DEATHS IS LARGEST IN HALF-CENTURY (Portland Oregonian)
The number of traffic deaths in the United States rose 8 percent from 2014 to 2015, the largest year-to-year percentage increase in a half-century, according to preliminary estimates Wednesday by the National Safety Council.
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MASSIVE ROCKSLIDE BLOCKS DOUGLAS COUNTY ROAD (Portland Oregonian)
What a rocky road.
The Oregon Department of Transportation posted a picture on social media Wednesday morning showing a massive rockslide a day earlier along Tyee Access Road about 15 miles west of Sutherlin in Douglas County.
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OREGON LEADING NATIONAL DEBATE ON MINIMUM WAGE (Salem Statesman Journal)
Oregon is trailblazing a national debate with a proposal that would not only make the state’s minimum wage for all workers the highest in the U.S., but also set the threshold through a unique tiered system based on geography.
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SENATE SUSPENDS BUSINESS TO MOURN DEATH OF LAWMAKER’S SON (Salem Statesman Journal)
The Oregon Senate postponed all official business and held a moment of silence Wednesday to mourn the death of Sen. Brian Boquist’s 31-year-old son Sethan Sprague.
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BILL WOULD LET OREGON STATE POLICE SEEK TO KEEP SECRET THE NAME OF OFFICER WHO KILLED MALHEUR PROTESTER (Eugene Register-Guard)
The Oregon House voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for a bill that could keep secret at least temporarily the identity of the police officer who killed armed Malheur refuge occupier Robert LaVoy Finicum.
Supporters, who first introduced the concept a week ago, argue that the bill is needed to protect the unnamed Oregon state trooper, who, they say, has been the subject of credible death threats.
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DON’T WIDEN PERS GAP — OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
The first rule of holes is that if you’re in one, stop digging. Oregon’s public pension system is in a deep hole, and its getting deeper. Yet the state Legislature is considering a bill that would lengthen the list of people eligible to retire early with full pension benefits from the Public Employees Retirement System.
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EMERGENCY BILL STATUS UNJUSTIFIED — GUEST OPINION (Eugene Register-Guard)
Lost amid the controversy already surrounding the minimum wage increases in Senate Bill 1532, passed over the opposition of Senate Republicans and Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, was another now-routine trampling of Oregonians constitutional rights. Senate Democrats characterize SB 1532 as an emergency bill which, in their view, should be immune to referendum.
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HOUSE PASSES BILL REQUIRING LABELING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FISH (Portland Tribune)
The Oregon House Wednesday passed a measure requiring the labeling of genetically engineered fish.
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INVESTIGATION CLEARED FIRED EMPLOYMENT DEPARTMENT MANAGERS OF WRONGDOING (Portland Tribune)
-Brown’s office says terminations hinged on leadership style-
Two top officials at the Oregon Employment Department faced employee complaints last year that they engaged in favoritism and illegally transferred money to another state agency.
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LEGISLATURE MOVING FAST ON COAL, RENEWABLES DEAL (Portland Tribune)
Oregon lawmakers are on track to pass a bill that would double the states renewable energy mandate, before state utility regulators finish vetting the potential cost to consumers.
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN COULD EASE LAND-USE RULES (Portland Tribune)
A bill aimed at increasing affordable housing by easing Oregon’s land-use requirements within two pilot projects is making headway in the House.
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HIGHWAY 97 PROJECT SLATED FOR SOUTH OF BEND (Bend Bulletin)
-Officials plan to install a concrete median barrier and widen the highway-
A concrete median barrier will be erected this summer along a stretch of U.S. Highway 97 south of Bend to improve safety and reduce head-on collisions.
The estimated $5.5 million Oregon Department of Transportation project will also include widening and repaving the highway.
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REDMOND MOBILE HOME PARK FINED AFTER SEWAGE OVERFLOWS (Bend Bulletin)
-Repairs put off since August, as sewage spills into residents homes and onto the ground-
Cline Falls Mobile Home Park in Redmond was fined $16,700 last month after park management didn’t make required repairs to a failing septic system that led to sewage overflowing into two park residents homes since at least last August.
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VACCINE EXEMPTION CHANGES SNARL STUDENTS ON EXCLUSION DAY (Bend Bulletin)
A higher number of students were sent home from school for missing vaccines on this years exclusion day than in previous years, likely thanks to new legislation that made some vaccine exemptions invalid.
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OREGON HOUSE PASSES BILL TO PROTECT WHISTLEBLOWERS (Bend Bulletin)
Using a high-profile case in the controversy surrounding former Gov. John Kitzhabers last days in office, a bill seeking to protect public and nonprofit workers who blow the whistle on potential illicit behavior passed the House unanimously Wednesday.
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OREGON OPIATE ADDICTION EXPERTS WELCOME FEDERAL SUPPORT (Bend Bulletin)
-Presidents budget, FDA push for more treatment funding-
President Barack Obama, in his budget proposal released earlier this month, dedicated more than $1 billion in new funding to opioid addiction treatment over the next two years.
Couple that with the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations announcement days later of a new, proactive response to opioid abuse, and it appears the federal government is ramping up efforts on all fronts to combat a class of drugs that caused nearly 29,000 overdose deaths nationwide in 2014.
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41 DAYS: AN OPB DOCUMENTARY ON THE OREGON OCCUPATION (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
David Fry implored law enforcement to shout hallelujah as he turned himself in to FBI agents the morning of Feb. 11. Audio of the final moments before Fry went into FBI custody shows agents fulfilling his request, letting out what sound like relieved hallelujahs _________________________________________
CLARK COUNTY HIT ESPECIALLY HARD BY OREGON POT SALES (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Oregon’s legalization of recreational marijuana has slowed sales in Washington state especially in Clark County according to a report released Wednesday.
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CONSTRUCTION PROCEEDS ON INNOVATIVE CROSS-LAMINATED TIMBER BUILDING (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Construction is underway on a project using a new building material called cross-laminated timber. Albina Yard is a new office building going up in northeast Portland.
The four-story, 16,000-square foot building has a glue-laminated wood frame instead of traditional metal framing. Wood for the structure was milled at D.R. Johnson lumber in the Douglas County town of Riddle.
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Q&A: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT PORTLAND’S TOXIC AIR EMISSIONS (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
Two air-pollution hotspots in Portland have many residents worried about exposure to arsenic, cadmium, and now hexavalent chromium, which can be highly carcinogenic.
The hotspots have drawn attention to two glassmakers, which have now suspended the use of any of those materials in their production processes.
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OREGONS COUGAR PLAN IS UP FOR REVIEW THIS YEAR (Capital Press)
-ODFW plans to kill 95 cougars annually in four wildlife management units. And the state cougar plan is up for review this year.-
In January, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife began carrying out a three-year plan to kill 95 cougars annually in four wildlife management areas.
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IN THE TAKEOVER AFTERMATH, PRODUCERS HOPE FOR REAL CHANGE (Capital Press)
-Beyond the sideshow, the wildlife refuge occupation in Harney County allowed fresh discussion of economic and social reality in the rural West.-
Harney County residents, government agencies, ranchers, farmers and politicians breathed a sigh of relief when the last occupier left the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge without further bloodshed. But is that the end of it?
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INVESTIGATION CLEARED FIRED MANAGERS OF WRONGDOING (East Oregonian)
-An investigation by a contractor for the Oregon Department of Justice had cleared Employment Department director Lisa Nisenfeld and deputy director Salvador Llerenas of any significant wrongdoing a month before Gov. Kate Brown fired Nisenfeld in early January.-
Two top officials at the Oregon Employment Department faced employee complaints last year that they engaged in favoritism and illegally transferred money to another state agency.
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COST OF RENEWABLE MANDATE TO RATEPAYERS STILL UNVETTED (East Oregonian)
-Public Utilities Commission says it doesn’t have enough information to assess cost of energy bill to Oregon ratepayers.-
Oregon lawmakers are on track to pass a bill that would double the states renewable energy mandate, before state utility regulators finish vetting the potential cost to consumers.
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LOCAL ECONOMY GETS MIXED GRADE AT PENDLETON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LUNCHEON (East Oregonian)
-Tribes see significant growth according to economic studies-
The economic message was mixed Wednesday at the Pendleton Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook Luncheon.
On one hand, Umatilla County’s prospects are improving.
Oregon Employment Department regional economist Dallas Fridley said many key industries in Pendleton, like hospitality and durable manufacturing, are trending upward.
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IMPENDING SPEED INCREASE SPARKS SAFETY CONCERNS (East Oregonian)
-The Oregon Department of Transportation is urging people to use caution as speed limits increase on Interstate 84 and some highways.-
In less than two weeks, drivers in Eastern Oregon can legally go 70 miles per hour on Interstate 84
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100 STUDENTS BARRED FROM SCHOOL (East Oregonian)
-More than 100 students turned away from school for lack of vaccinations.-
More than 50 Umatilla County students squeezed in at the deadline for required immunizations this week, but 100 others were turned away and excluded from school.
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LEAKING PILOT ROCK SEWER LAGOONS TO BE MOVED (East Oregonian)
-Pilot Rock also is waiting for its lawyer to OK contact for new police chief.-
Pilot Rock has a new plan to address its aging wastewater lagoons.
The primary and secondary lagoons are north of Pilot Rock and next to Birch Creek, and leakage from the lagoons in 2014 and 2015 prompted warnings from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
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RANGELAND FIRE PROTECTION BILL PASSES HOUSE (East Oregonian)
-Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, talks about his take-home bill to fight rangeland fires and voices concerns about legislation to cut coal, double renewables among state’s largest utilities.-
Coming off a record-setting wildfire season in 2015, Oregon lawmakers have passed a bill to help rural counties contain rangeland fires before they get too big and cause too much damage.
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ADRIAN SEEKS ANSWER TO ITS ARSENIC WOES (Argus Observer)
Adrian is joining other local communities in going after funding to complete a water project for its municipal system.
Like Nyssa and Vale, Adrian will have to address arsenic in the water, which came with a new municipal well drilled west of town, Adrian City Recorder Shawn Snyder said.
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JACKSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OPPOSE EXPANDED GUN BACKGROUND CHECKS (Medford Mail Tribune)
All three Jackson County commissioners oppose an expansion of background checks on people trying to buy guns.
Commissioner Rick Dyer said everyone on the board and all the residents of Jackson County oppose gun violence, but laws should not be passed that expand background checks.
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OUR VIEW: GOP GAMESMANSHIP BORN OF LEGITIMATE FRUSTRATION — OPINION (Medford Mail Tribune)
Minority Republicans in Salem, frustrated by majority Democrats’ insistence on pushing complex legislation in a short session designed for minor fixes and budget adjustments, are pushing back by slowing the Legislature to a crawl. While the tactic may be somewhat juvenile, the Republicans’ frustration is real, and Democrats ignore it at their future peril.
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NEW WOLF MAKES KLAMATH ITS TERRITORY (Herald and News)
-At least seven wolves in the region, some with pups-
Wildlife officials have confirmed that a fifth radio-collared gray wolf has made its way to Klamath County.
The 2-year-old male wolf, designated OR-33, dispersed from the northeastern Oregon Imnaha Pack in January.
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MALHEUR: CREDIT DUE, BUT ISSUES REMAINING — OPINION (Herald and News)
-It started with the Hammonds, but shifted to federal control-
Give credit where its due in the end of the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge without more bloodshed.
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ECONOMIST: ‘GRAND EXPERIMENT’ HOW MINIMUM WAGE HIKE WILL IMPACT LOCAL ECONOMY (The World)
Guy Tauer had facts, figures, charts and metrics for pretty much everything related to Coos County’s economy at the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Wednesday Business Connection.
But as legislation marches forward to increase the state’s minimum wage, the regional economist for Jackson, Josephine, Coos and Curry Counties had more questions than answers as to how it will affect local businesses.
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STATE TO DISTRICT: NO DRUG TESTING UNTIL YOU HAVE A LICENSE (The World)
Drug testing of students participating in extracurricular activities is on hold until the school district obtains the required $50 drug testing license.
Reedsport Community Charter School Principal Vince Swagerty explained what happened.
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AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROPOSAL MAKES HEADWAY IN HOUSE (Daily Astorian)
-A bill aimed at improving Oregon’s affordable housing availability by allowing developments on farmland within two 50-acre pilot projects has passed another key committee in the House.-
A bill aimed at increasing affordable housing by easing Oregons land use requirements within two pilot projects is making headway in the House.
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HOUSE PASSES MANDATORY LABELING OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED SALMON (Daily Astorian)
-House passes GE salmon labeling bill that replaced measure overturning pre-emption on local GMO crop regulations.-
The Oregon House Wednesday passed a measure requiring the labeling of genetically engineered fish.
House Bill 4122 passed 32-27.
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NEW BARRIERS, INFLATABLE AIR DANCERS TO BE DEPLOYED AGAINST SEA LIONS (Daily Astorian)
-Pesky pinnipeds may stay until food runs out-
The Port of Astoria will partner with students in Knappa High Schools welding program to create barriers to sea lions on docks at the East End Mooring Basin. The inflatable air dancers could also go up next week.
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BONAMICI TALKS TSUNAMI AWARENESS IN SEASIDE (Daily Astorian)
-Bonamici takes part in students’ tsunami awareness presentation at Seaside High School on Tuesday.-
Tsunami preparedness was the focus of Seaside High Schools special assembly Tuesday morning that included a presentation by some of the schools student leaders and a visit from U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
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MORE SHOT RECORDS INCOMPLETE THIS YEAR (Albany Democrat Herald)
Mid-valley schools reported sending home a few more students this year than last year for incomplete shot records, but they expect most students to turn in paperwork by today.
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LINN COUNTY WILL HOLD OFF $1.4 BILLION LAWSUIT UNTIL AFTER LEGISLATURE ADJOURNS (Albany Democrat Herald)
A month ago the Linn County Board of Commissioners notified Gov. Kate Brown and the Oregon Department of Forestry of a potential lawsuit seeking $1.4 billion due to decreasing timber harvest payments to 15 counties.
The 30-day notice of intent is required by law, but Board Chairman Roger Nyquist said Monday, the first day such a lawsuit could be filed, the county intends to wait until the current legislative session is completed in early March before proceeding.
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MORE COUNTIES JOIN LINN’S EFFORTS TO DERAIL MINIMUM WAGE HIKES (Albany Democrat Herald)
Yamhill, Wasco and Klamath counties have given their support to Linn Countys efforts to derail proposed increases in the states minimum wage laws.
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EDITORIAL: DON’T BE MISLED: LINN COUNTY’S GOING TO COURT — OPINION (Albany Democrat Herald)
If your reaction was similar to ours, you might have been bemused while you read the story in Tuesdays Democrat-Herald about how Linn County was delaying its plans to file a lawsuit over the management of state forest lands.
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EDITORIAL: SESSION GIVES SHORT SHRIFT TO UNDERSTANDING — OPINION (Corvallis Gazette-Times)
In case you weren’t paying attention, here’s a brief summary of what happened Monday in the Oregon House of Representatives:
Representatives themselves took turns reading the full text of proposed bills, to fulfill the requirements of a rarely invoked constitutional rule that each bill be read in its entirety before lawmakers can vote on the measures.
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OUR VIEW: LEGISLATIVE GAMES — OPINION (Ashland Daily Tidings)
Minority Republicans in Salem are slowing the Legislature to a crawl to make a point. While that’s somewhat juvenile, the Republicans’ frustration is real, and majority Democrats ignore it at their future peril.
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WHERE’S THE WATER? (Baker City Herald)
-County officials learn about the importance of geologic mapping of Baker Valley’s aquifers-
State officials gave a report to county commissioners on Feb. 10 about the issues involved in conducting groundwater studies in Baker Valley.
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COUGAR PROBLEM GROWING — OPINION (Baker City Herald)
Oregon lawmakers and Gov. Kate Brown have acknowledged the diversity of our state, and the unsuitability of one-size-fits-all public policy, with their support of a three-tiered minimum wage.
So what about hunting cougars with dogs?
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ABOVE NORMAL SNOW REPORTED IN OREGON (Blue Mountain Eagle)
-John Day Basin snowpack at 141 percent of normal.-
Oregon’s mountain snowpack remains at normal to above-normal levels and continues to surpass last years peak levels, according to the February Water Supply Outlook Report from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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OUR VIEW: OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS AND THE AFTERMATH — OPINION (Blue Mountain Eagle)
-What will happen now that the refuge occupation has ended?-
Its over. Finally, its over.
After 41 days that alternated between hand-wringing and heart-wrenching, the occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge has ended
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PROACTIVE CHANGE COMING TO INTERSTATE 84 (LaGrande Observer)
New legislation set to kick in next month will give the Oregon Department of Transportation additional tools including variable speed limits to ease potential problems during winter months along key areas of Interstate 84 such as Ladd Canyon and Meacham.
The legislation House Bill 3402 will deliver changes to roadways in Eastern and Central Oregon.
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LOCAL SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT RECEIVE $4.8 MILLION IN FUNDING (LaGrande Observer)
Two local soil and water conservation districts were given a piece of a large pie from the United States Department of Agriculture.
The Union County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Wallowa Soil Conservation District were two of the chosen seven conservation projects in the state to receive a combined $20.2 million in federal funding from the USDA over the next five years, according to a press release from the USDA Regional Conservation Partnership Project.
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MY VOICE: COMMISSIONERS NEED TERM LIMITS — GUEST OPINION (LaGrande Observer)
In the Jan. 6 issue of The Observer, Rep. Greg Barreto opposed a revised version of term limits for county commissioners. Mike Burton, in a recent letter to the editor, has the same position. I, and hundreds of other residents of Union County, disagree with both those comments. Heres why.
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HORSE MANAGEMENT -PROACTIVE APPROACH (Lake County Examiner)
Beaty Buttes wild horse population has boomed in recent years to six times the level of sustainability, forcing drastic measures to manage herds to avoid destruction of the range. The Lakeview District BLM is considering a new approach to managing the herd, saving animals from a life in captivity while avoiding expensive holding operations and gathers.
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HISTORIC PRESERVATION GRANTS PRESENTED (Lake County Examiner)
Making a visit to Lakeview on Wednesday, Feb. 10 was Sheri Stuart, Oregon Main Street coordinator, along with Joy Sears a restoration specialist for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. During the get-together of government workers and Lakeview building owners, the two talked about various programs aimed to restore historic buildings.
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OUTBACK OBSERVATION — OPINION (Lake County Examiner)
-Endless Election Cycles-
Candidates for Lake County elections have until March 8 to file for the November general election, but on a national scale election season has been in full tilt for over a year.
While still eight months away, daily updates of the most minor of details of each candidate are unavoidable, a constant barrage of meaningless wins and losses as the media dissects every single word and body movement like its life or death. Its an elongated, expensive charade, and the joke is on us.
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HEALTH COUNCIL COMMITS $1 MILLION IN GORGE HEALTH-FOCUSED INVESTMENTS (Hood River News)
The Columbia Gorge Health Council will be making more than $1 million in one-time investments in health promotion and local health care services in Hood River and Wasco Counties in the first half of 2016. These payments will promote high quality healthcare that allows patients to have a more convenient, better coordinated, and more cost-effective experience, according to a press release.
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HOOD RIVER LEGISLATORS FIGHT MINIMUM WAGE HIKE (Hood River News)
A bill to boost the states minimum wage in three regional tiers has made quick and sweeping strides in the Oregon Legislature.
The Oregon Senate on Thursday passed SB 1532, and the House Committee on Business and Labor approved it Monday without making a single amendment. Next up is a vote before the full House chamber.
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SALEM TOUR SUPPORTS ‘MINORU YASUI DAY’ (Hood River News)
It has been a hectic month filled with both sadness and hope for the future.
We traveled to Salem on Feb. 1 to help celebrate Minoru Yasui Day at the opening session of the Oregon State Legislature.
It was a fascinating morning filled with family, friends and freedom.
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TOURISM STUDIO MOVES TO STEVENSON, FOCUSES ON GORGE CULTURAL HERITAGE (Hood River News)
The Gorge Tourism Studio, offered by Travel Oregon in partnership with 26 agencies and organizations, holds its third of six gatherings Feb. 23 in Stevenson.
The winter/spring program will focus on communities in Oregon and Washington within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and those surrounding Mount Adams and Mount Hood.
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STATE REPORTS INCREASED HEALTHCARE.GOV SIGNUPS (Hood River News)
More than 147,000 Oregonians signed up for health insurance through HealthCare.gov during the open enrollment period that ended Jan. 31.
Enrollment for 2016 is about 31 percent higher than last year, when about 112,000 people signed up. Oregon had the largest rate of increase in enrollment of any state that uses HealthCare.gov.
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YASUI DAY: EXTEND THE HONOR TO A BRAVE ADVOCATE — OPINION (Hood River News)
Oregon Legislature is considering a proposal that is a deserving honor for the most stellar civil rights advocate in Oregon history.
House Bill 4009 ratifies March 28 as Minoru Yasui Day, a calendar day in perpetuity, and is scheduled for action on Feb. 18.
To honor Yasui this way is fitting for the Hood River native who devoted his life to the concept of justice for all.
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CANDLELIGHT MEMORIAL ILLUMINATES RURAL ISSUES (Wallowa.com)
-Finicum memorial draws about 100 people to Wallowa County Courthouse.-
The crowd of nearly 100 people who showed up at the historic 1909 Wallowa County Courthouse for a candlelight memorial for Robert LaVoy Finicum on Monday assembled from every corner of Wallowa County from the stark canyons of remote Imnaha to the woods and ranchland of Wallowa.
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CYCLE OREGON AWARDS GRANT TO FUND HIKER-BIKER CAMP AT THE LAKE (Wallowa.com)
-Project expected to be complete by Spring 2017.-
The Cycle Oregon Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation has awarded a $10,000 matching grant to develop a new hiker-biker camp at Wallowa Lake State Park. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will contribute an additional $10,000 to complete the project.
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MAIN STREET: PRIVATE LAND, PUBLIC LAND IN THE WALLOWAS — OPINION (Wallowa.com)
The Harney County occupation and land controversies have me thinking about the whole notion of land ownership. Oregon came late as a state and Wallowa came much later as a county, so I thought I would try to follow the land ownership journey here.
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OREGON EXPORTS AND MANUFACTURING— BLOG (Oregon Office of Economic Analysis)
As we write in our latest economic and revenue forecast, and discussed with the Legislature last week at the forecast release, Oregon’s economy continues to grow at full-throttle rates. Nearly all of the news today is good news. However, our offices role is not to cheerlead but to call balls and strikes. The pessimism from the stock market and oil and gas industry cannot be totally ignored.
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MINIMUM WAGE CONSISTENTLY HALF OF MEDIAN WAGE— BLOG (Oregon Workforce & Economic Information)
While Oregon’s minimum wage is not tied to the median wage in any mandated arrangement, the minimum wage has consistently been about half of the median wage in the state for some time.
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LABOR COMMISSIONER BRAD AVAKIAN SAYS STARS CABARET PIMPED UNDERAGE GIRLS (Willamette Week)
-His agency will pursue an administrative prosecution of Stars for hiring underage dancers and allowing men to exploit them.-
Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian is cracking down on Stars Cabaret, a local strip-club chain.
Avakian was to announce Feb. 17 that his agency will pursue an administrative prosecution of Stars for hiring underage dancers and allowing men to exploit them.
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FOREST FOR THE TREES -CRISIS IN OREGON’S PRIVATELY-OWNED TIMBERLANDS (willamettelive.com)
Economists, foresters and environmentalists concerned about toxic drinking water, habitat degradation and economic equity say Oregon’s system allows large private corporations to use industrial agriculture methods that deforest thousands of acres of Oregon forests, contaminate water and accelerate climate change.
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DESPITE EASY VOTER ACCESS, VOTER FRAUD DEEMED RARE IN OREGON (KTVZ Bend)
-New this year: automatic registration when getting driver’s license-
This election year, it’s even easier than before for Oregon voters to register to vote. Those who renew their driver’s license will now automatically be registered to vote.
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COMMENTS ON OIL TERMINAL SOAR TO 250,000 – WA (The Columbian)
-Evaluation council will consult them in making its recommendation-
Nearly 250,000 comments have poured in on the oil terminal proposed for the Port of Vancouver. Now its time for the state to shovel through the mountain of public opinion about what would be the nations largest rail to marine transfer terminal.
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AUTOMATIC REGISTRATION IS THE LATEST CHAPTER IN FIGHT OVER VOTING RIGHTS (National Public Radio)
President Obama backed a bill in Illinois last week that would automatically register people to vote when they apply for a driver’s license or state ID.
That will protect the fundamental right of everybody,” he said. “Democrats, Republicans, independents, seniors, folks with disabilities, the men and women of our military it would make sure that it was easier for them to vote and have their vote counted.”
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