Weekend Clips June 9, 2019

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Behind Portland’s blockbuster marijuana deal: a Russian billionaire, cannabis consolidation

Oregonlive

A billion dollars for a Portland marijuana company. It’s an astonishing figure. Last month’s deal for Cura Cannabis was the biggest acquisition in the history of legalized marijuana in the United States. It’s a sign of just how quickly the market is emerging. And that’s just the beginning of the story. Curaleaf, the Massachusetts company buying Cura’s recreational marijuana business, is backed by a Russian billionaire whose fortune helped fuel its rise. Investors value the startup at nearly $4 billion and project its value to rise by 20 percent when the all-stock deal for Cura closes. That would make Curaleaf more valuable than all but three public companies in Oregon, were it based here, despite reporting less than $80 million in revenue last year along with a $56 million loss.

Governor, environmental groups rip Oregon’s new wolf plan

Oregonlive

On Friday, the commissioners for Oregon’s Department of Fish and Wildlife voted to adopt the latest iteration of the state’s wolf plan. Within hours, numerous environmental groups issued statements rebuking the plan. And so did Gov. Kate Brown, who oversees the commission. “Governor Brown was clear in her expectations to the agency and the commission: ODFW has a conservation-focused mission,” Kate Kondayen, a spokeswoman for the governor, said in an email. “Efforts in the wolf plan to evaluate depredations and prevent them fail to meet the Governor’s expectations for ensuring the health of the wolf population while also meeting the needs of the ranching community.”

Health Authority Outlines Plan To Reduce Delays At Oregon Psychiatric Hospital

Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Oregon Health Authority released a proposal Friday for how it will deal with the backlog of jail inmates trying to get mental health treatment at the Oregon State Hospital. Right now, there are 44 people who judges around the state have deemed in need of mental health treatment before they can aid in their own criminal defense. They’re waiting inside jails until they can get admitted to the state’s psychiatric hospital. In a two-page memo to staff, OHA Director Patrick Allen said they’re taking steps to reduce the time people are waiting to be admitted and speed up the discharge process for those who no longer need hospital level care. He also stressed the need for funding from state lawmakers for community based mental health services.

Democrat Supermajority in State House Votes to Throw Away Oregon’s Presidential Vote

Oregon GOP Condemns the “Outrageous Betrayal” of the Voters of Our State

Salem, OR –  Today, the Oregon Republican Party released the following statement reacting to the passage of Senate Bill 870 (deceptively promoted as the “National Popular Vote”) by the Democrat supermajority in the Oregon State House:

“Today, the power-drunk Democrat legislators in the House told the voters of Oregon that their votes for President are worthless and that our state’s electoral votes will be decided by larger states,” said Oregon Republican Party Communications Director Kevin Hoar.  “This is an outrageous betrayal of the citizens of smaller states like Oregon, and will discourage candidates from seeking their support.”

“By ramming through Senate Bill 870 Oregon’s elite ruling party is saying that the voters of their own state should have less of a voice in deciding who is elected President.  This is what the Democrat Party of Oregon has become in 2019, and it is pathetic.”


Link to Online Posting:

https://oregon.gop/orp-opposes-sb870-oregon-betrayal-2019-06-05

The Oregon Republican Party is the state’s arm of the Republican National Committee. Its Chairman and officers are dedicated to promoting Republican principles within the state of Oregon and to improving the lives and livelihoods of Oregon’s working families through economic freedom and equal protection under the law.

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June 4, 2019 Daily Clips

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Oregon House speaker: Republicans just wanted to be heard

Oregonlive

Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek said on Monday that she was able to bring an end to Republican delay tactics primarily by improving communication with members of the minority caucus who were “not feeling that they were heard.” The Portland Democrat also said some House Republicans were growing weary of the long hours and looming threat of six-day workweeks necessary to catch up, after they insisted for the last month that bills be read in their entirety before receiving floor votes. They got back to business as usual last week, waiving the bill reading requirement in the Oregon Constitution in order to proceed more quickly. At the time, House Republican Leader Carl Wilson, of Grants Pass, avoided answering questions from reporters for The Oregonian/OregonLive regarding his agreement with Kotek.

Oregon lawmakers want to exempt farmers from new business tax

Oregonlive

Two weeks after Gov. Kate Brown signed a multibillion-dollar business tax and education spending bill into law, a bipartisan group of state lawmakers on Monday proposed broadly exempting agricultural businesses from the tax. Democrats who pushed the new tax through the Legislature on party-line votes wanted to keep the 0.57 percent tax as simple as possible, with few exemptions or special rates for particular industries or businesses. However, the law already contains exemptions for groceries, gas, hospitals and long-term care businesses. The new agricultural carveout introduced on Monday is an example of the pressure lawmakers face going forward to create more industry-specific breaks. House Speaker Tina Kotek on Monday expressed skepticism about the proposal.

Oregon bill aims to crack down on racially motivated 911 calls

Oregonlive

Oregon moved to crack down on racially motivated 911 calls on Monday, responding to a series of publicized incidents across the country where predominantly white civilians called the police on black people going about everyday activities like napping or barbecuing. Victims of those police calls would be able to sue the caller for up to $250, under a measure overwhelmingly approved by state Senate on Monday. It passed the state House in April. The move is a joint effort by three black lawmakers and is meant to “shine a spotlight on an issue African Americans have known for far too long,” according to sponsoring Rep. Janelle Bynum.

Bill To Stop Racially Motivated 911 Calls Passes Oregon Senate

Oregon Public Broadcasting

A measure to prevent racially motivated calls to 911 passed the Oregon Senate on Monday. One of the bill’s chief sponsors, Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, was canvassing for reelection in a Portland suburb last summer when someone called the police on her. It was one of many stories of cops being called on black people who were participating in their normal, everyday activities — from making a call from a hotel lobby to napping in a college dorm common area to barbecuing or mowing the lawn.

Legislature bans landlords from using prior marijuana convictions to reject renters

Oregonlive

The Oregon Legislature has approved a bill that would bar landlords from holding minor marijuana convictions or medical marijuana use against prospective tenants. The bulk of Senate Bill 970 prohibits the owners of manufactured home parks or marinas from interfering with a resident’s choice of real estate agent or subletting the unit while it’s up for sale in certain cases. But the marijuana provisions apply to all rentals across the state. The bill passed with little discussion in either chamber. After winning approval in the House last week, it next heads to Gov. Kate Brown’s desk for signing.

Oregon’s Carbon-Reduction Plan Might Include Hefty Fuel Rebates

Oregon Public Broadcasting

If lawmakers pass a sweeping carbon-reduction proposal this year, nearly a quarter of the money raised under the program could flow back to motorists, farmers and loggers — not to helping the state lower its emissions. Under a bill that passed legislative committee after a single hearing Friday, agricultural and forestry operations could apply for refunds that would compensate them for an expected increase in fuel prices under the cap and trade plan. Much more money might go to lower-income drivers, who could apply for tax credits that ease prices at the pump. The concepts housed in Senate Bill 1051 are designed to help settle Oregonians into a carbon-reduction system that’s central to the state’s plans for battling climate change, but which could raise gasoline prices by more than 16 cents a gallon if it takes effect in 2021.

Oregon Governor Plans To Announce June 7 As Gun Violence Awareness Day

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will sign a proclamation June 7, declaring it gun violence awareness day. She will be joined by legislators and members of the Oregon chapter of Moms Demand Action, a national gun safety organization that campaigned for Brown in the 2018 election. Hilary Uhlig, the legislative lead for the Oregon chapter, said they were disappointed that the governor sacrificed her promised gun legislation earlier this month to end a Republican walkout and pass a large school funding bill.

Oregon Legislature Passes Bill Banning the Texting of Sexually Explicit Images Without Consent

Willamette Week

Texting a sexually explicit image of another person without their permission is about to be illegal in Oregon. House Bill 2393, which today passed the Senate unanimously by a 28-0 vote, closes a loophole in prior legislation to make spreading intimate images on any medium unlawful. Currently, only sexually explicit images shared on internet websites are considered illegal. This bill extends the law to all mediums—meaning if a person texted an explicit video or photo of a sexual partner to friends, without that partner’s permission, it would be a crime.

LAWMAKERS CONSIDER AMENDMENT TO FUND LEABURG FISH HATCHERY

KEZI

Oregon lawmakers are mulling over an amendment that would fund the Leaburg Fish Hatchery for another two years, but as of now, the hatchery is still set to close on June 30. The move to review the amendment came during a work session for the Joint Subcommittee on Natural Resources for Ways and Means on Senate Bill 5510. The bill funds part of the Oregon Department of Wildlife’s budget through the general fund. During the meeting, Republican Rep. Cedric Hayden of Roseburg and Republican Sen. Fred Girod of Stayton both said they could not vote in favor of the bill without it funding the Leaburg Fish Hatchery. Committee co-chair Democrat Sen. Kathleen Taylor then moved to table the vote until Tuesday as they review the amendment that would send $1.7 million dollars to the hatchery over two years. Hayden told KEZI 9 News keeping the hatchery open would not only help keep trout in area lakes and streams but could also be used to provide a food source to orcas.

Selma Pierce announces interest in Salem Senate seat after Jackie Winters’ death

Statesman Journal

Selma Pierce, a former candidate for the Oregon House of Representatives and retired dentist, announced Monday her interest in replacing the late Sen. Jackie Winters representing District 10 in the state Senate. Winters died Wednesday at the age of 82 after living with lung cancer for nearly two years. Pierce, a Republican, has worked as an aide in Winters’ office during the 2019 legislative session and was considered her heir apparent by some in the Capitol.

LOCAL

Oregon’s New Sex Ed Curriculum Has More Than Just Birds And Bees

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Schools across Oregon are changing their sex education curriculum in response to a state law aimed at preventing child sex abuse.  Oregon passed a version of “Erin’s Law” in 2015, as part of a national movement involving new laws in 36 states. In addition to Erin’s law, Oregon adopted new state standards requiring schools to teach students about consent, gender expression and sexually transmitted diseases starting in kindergarten. But the lessons aren’t the same at 5 as they are at 15.

Ethics Commission launches preliminary review of former PSU President Shoureshi

Oregonlive

The Oregon Government Ethics Commission has launched a preliminary review of Rahmat Shoureshi, the former Portland State University president who resigned under pressure last month. A majority of Portland State’s Board of Trustees pushed for Shoureshi’s departure this spring over concerns that he lied to them, that he had used university resources to benefit himself and that he had mistreated co-workers and members of his staff. A preliminary review is the first step toward a full-blown investigation. The ethics commission will consider the evidence and decide on July 12 whether to proceed with an investigation.

Jury awards $250,000 to former Multnomah County sergeant who claimed retaliation by ex-sheriff

Oregonlive

A Portland jury awarded $250,000 to a former Multnomah County sheriff’s sergeant who claimed now-retired Sheriff Dan Staton retaliated against him for reporting statistics that showed jail staff disproportionately used force against black inmates. After a four-day trial, jurors on Friday found Staton violated Oregon’s whistleblower protection law, after Sgt. Brent Ritchie contended Staton ostracized him in 2015. Multnomah County was listed as the sole defendant and must pay the verdict.

State OKs barbed hooks for salmon, steelhead, trout on Columbia River

East Oregonian

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife adopted temporary rules to allow anglers to use barbed hooks when fishing for salmon, steelhead and trout on the Columbia River. The change went into effect Saturday. The regulatory agency reported it adopted the rule so Oregon’s fishing regulations will remain concurrent with Washington in the jointly managed Columbia River. The rule will remain in effect until further notice, according to the announcement from ODFW, or until it expires in late November. The rule can become permanent only if the state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission approves a rule change, which it plans to consider in the future.

May 30, 2019 Daily Clips

BREAKING NEWS

Jackie Winters, first African-American Republican elected to Oregon legislature, dies at 82

Oregonlive

Jackie Winters, a well-regarded Oregon state senator and the only African-American Republican ever elected to the Legislature, died on Wednesday at 82. Winters was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1999 and the state Senate in 2003. Her legislative district included south Salem, Monmouth and rural portions of Marion County. Winters rose through the Senate ranks to become vice chairwoman of the powerful appropriation committee and in 2017 was named the Republican Caucus leader – the first black person to hold that post.

State Sen. Jackie Winters, Self-Described ‘Fiscal Conservative With A Heart,’ Dies

Oregon Public Broadcasting

State Sen. Jackie Winters, a decades long lawmaker who passionately advocated changes to Oregon’s criminal justice system, passed away Wednesday. Senate President Peter Courtney sent an email shortly after 2:30 p.m., informing lawmakers the 82-year-old Winters had died at Salem Hospital. House Speaker Tina Kotek announced the news during the afternoon House floor session. Winters had spent more than a month away from the Capitol, due to what she’d characterized in April as side effects from “proactive treatment” to keep away lung cancer. She’d been diagnosed with the disease in 2017.

Salem Sen. Jackie Winters succumbs to lung cancer

Portland Tribune

State Sen. Jackie Winters has died. The solemn news was delivered on the House floor by Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, shortly after 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 29, as lawmakers began to get an email announcing her death. Several House members, including Rep. Denyc Boles, R-Salem, and Rep. Theresa Alonso Leon, D-Woodburn, broke into tears. The body stood for a moment of silence to remember Winters, a Salem Republican who was a force in the building known for her progressive work on criminal justice reform as well as a uniter in the Senate Republican caucus.

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Logjam in Oregon House eases, for at least one day

Oregonlive

he reading clerk in the Oregon House got a chance to rest her vocal chords Wednesday. That’s because for the first time in weeks, lawmakers agreed to waive a requirement that all bills be read aloud in their entirety before a vote can be taken. The provision is part of the Oregon Constitution, as is the routine motion typically employed by lawmakers to waive it. Up until a few weeks ago, House Republicans made that motion each day. But when Democrats pushed forward a controversial $2 billion tax and education bill in early May, the GOP stopped agreeing to waive the requirement.

2 Conservative Lawmakers Join Democrats To End Delay In House

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Two of the more conservative members of the Oregon House defected from their party on Wednesday and sided with Democrats to end the reliance of an arcane procedural rule that dramatically slowed the pace of the legislative session. In doing so, the right-leaning lawmakers might have also torpedoed their party’s ability to effectively negotiate with the Democratic supermajority. For nearly a month now, Republicans have relied on a provision in the Constitution requiring that all bills be read in their entirety before final passage. The move has caused the session to slow to an excruciating pace.

Oregon House back on track after 2 Republicans break rank

KTVZ

A GOP stalling tactic to delay progress on Oregon House Democrats’ platform came to an end after two Republicans broke party lines. Reps. Bill Post and Mike Nearman joined House Democrats Wednesday in voting to suspend the requirement that all legislation be read in full. That gave the chamber, overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats, the votes needed to end a month-long stalling tactic that required that hundreds of pages of legislation be read aloud. In a statement, Post says that slowing down House business isn’t productive, given there’s only a month left this legislative session. Democrats have already implemented their main priorities, including a $1 billion school funding package paid for through a new tax on business.

Dozens of lawmakers sign letter supporting delisting of wolves as poll finds public opposition

Oregonlive

Nearly three dozen members of the U.S. House of Representatives, including numerous Pacific Northwest lawmakers, have signed a letter of support for the Trump administration’s plan to strip gray wolves of Endangered Species Act protections. The letter, first reported by the Associated Press, was signed by a group of 35 bipartisan legislators, including Reps. Greg Walden of Oregon, Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher of Idaho, Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington and Greg Gianforte of Montana.

Pop In Your Headphones, Oregon Lawmakers Have Discovered Podcasting

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Over the years, Oregon’s legislature has seemed vaccinated against the podcast bug. As offerings for downloadable, listen-when-you-want shows have exploded elsewhere, much of Oregon’s political chatter has still been reserved to the Capitol’s hallways and back offices. It’s a building where history is often made, but the future can be slow to catch on. This year, that’s changing. Since February, three lawmakers have begun weekly political podcasts detailing life in the Capitol. Rookie Sens. Shemia Fagan, D-Portland, and Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, have teamed up for a show. State. Rep. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, has a solo effort.

LOCAL

Portland school board approves $694 million budget: 5 things to know

Oregonlive

The Portland school board on Tuesday approved the district’s 2019-20 budget, which includes a $694 million general fund and a few key tweaks to Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero’s original proposal. Chief Financial Officer Cynthia Le told the board an increase in projected state funding and the closure of a charter school, among other things, bolstered the general fund from the $687 million originally proposed. The budget resolution passed 6-1, with board member Paul Anthony the lone vote against it. His contention was that the final budget lacked literacy supports for struggling students.

Depression played part in Parkrose High School student bringing shotgun to class, lawyer says

Oregonlive

Depression played a role in a Parkrose High School student’s decision to bring a shotgun to his class, the teenager’s lawyer said Wednesday. Defense attorney Adam Thayne also cited unspecified mental health issues that led Angel Granados-Diaz to, according to witnesses, pull out the gun from underneath a trench coat after walking into his fourth-period government class before lunch.

A ‘most glaring’ case of pay inequity at University of Oregon

Oregonlive

Jennifer Freyd, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, has spent years studying the concept of institutional betrayal, including when institutions don’t help right the wrongs committed within them. Now Freyd is battling her own institution in court. She alleges that Oregon failed to properly respond to what her own department chair called a “glaring” pay gap between Freyd and the men she works with — $18,000 less than that of her male peer closest in rank. The case was just dismissed by a federal judge who said that the pay difference was more about the kind of work the men in her department do and the retention raises they’d secured over the years. But research suggests that even these explanations are rooted in issues of gender. Freyd has already filed a notice of intent to appeal.

Newly arrived Portland startup Twistlock sells for $410 million

Oregonlive

Twistlock, an online security startup that moved its headquarters to Portland just last summer, sold Wednesday for $410 million in cash. It’s among the biggest deals ever for a young Portland tech company. Founded in 2015 and previously based in San Francisco, Twistlock’s software is designed to provide online security in cloud computing. The buyer is cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks.

Anonymous robocalls from landlord group seek to defeat Portland ordinance to ease renter screening

Oregonlive

A industry group for landlords and property managers launched a robocall campaign aimed at drumming up opposition to a proposal that would ease criminal background checks and other screening practices for renters in Portland. The calls didn’t identify their source or provide a return phone number, an apparent violation of Federal Communications Commission regulations. But Multifamily NW, the industry group, acknowledged it had paid a contractor to make the calls.

May 29, 2019 Daily Clips

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

What’s The Minority Party To Do? Oregon Republicans Find Ways To Delay

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Republicans in the Oregon state Legislature are outnumbered. Democrats enjoy supermajorities in the House and Senate. They have a governor (who isn’t seeking re-election) in Mahonia Hall. From the start, Democrats made it clear they saw this legislative session as an opportunity to pass a progressive agenda, from raising $2 billion in taxes to fund schools to ushering through a cap-and-trade program aimed at curbing carbon. “The big issue with us [is] we went a number of months without being consulted on any of the major policies being debated here,” said House Minority Leader Carl Wilson, R-Grants Pass. “And only after we went to bill reading did we get someone coming to us and say, ‘OK, this is getting bothersome, what will it take to make you stop this?’”

Never-ending reading: Oregon GOP tries to tie up Legislature

KGW

Republicans have forced a clerk in the Oregon Legislature to read aloud every word in nearly every piece of legislation, giving granular details about farm loans, motor vehicle taxes and other government minutiae as the minority party uses the stalling tactic to try to gain leverage. Democrats have supermajorities in both the state Senate and House, and Republicans are using the strategy to push their own initiatives and weaken Democratic ones. Lawmakers in statehouses and in Congress have a history of turning to delay tactics — sometimes imaginative ones — to stall or kill legislation.

As Oregon House slowdown continues, lawmakers prepare bill to avoid government shutdown

Oregonlive

Legislative budget writers are preparing a backup plan in case lawmakers and the governor don’t finish up their work by the end of June. While that plan, known as a continuing resolution, is a routine part of the legislative process, it comes as Republicans in the Oregon House continue to slow the pace of work by requiring bills to be read in their entirety. With a new budget cycle starting July 1, any state agency without an approved budget would have to close its doors. House Bill 5048 would allow those agencies to continue operating at the spending level approved in the just-expired budget. The money they spend would effectively be borrowed from the new budget, once approved.

Teachers rally at Oregon Capitol against PERS reform bill

KGW

About a dozen teachers convened Tuesday morning at the Oregon Capitol to oppose a piece of legislation they say will siphon money from their retirement accounts. State lawmakers are considering Senate Bill 1049, which would divert retirement contributions from the accounts of public employees to help pay down the public employee retirement system’s $27 billion debt. If the bill is signed into law, most public workers would see a 1-2% reduction in their overall retirement benefits, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting. The bill passed the Senate on May 23 in a narrow 16-12 vote, with three Republicans joining 13 Democrats in voting for the bill. Tuesday was the first reading in the House, and a floor vote is expected sometime this week. Teachers, union officials and others who oppose the bill say it unfairly targets public employees. They’ve also expressed concern that if the bill passes, it would pave the way for future lawmakers to make similar benefit cuts.

Kate Brown signs lower caseworker degree requirements into law

Oregonlive

Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday signed a bill into law that lowers the degree requirement for child welfare caseworkers. Under House Bill 2033, Oregon can now hire as caseworkers people who hold associate’s degrees and have completed “additional training or additional certification in human services or a field related to human services.” State law previously required workers who investigate reports of child abuse and make decisions about whether to remove children from their families to have earned at least a bachelor’s degree.

Another day, another $40 million request at Oregon’s state capitol

Oregonlive

It’s one entry in a Department of Human Services’ budget document that’s hundreds of pages long. Written in bureaucratic shorthand, it is virtually incomprehensible. That may be no accident. “CW — Backfill TANF over 15 percent admin cap (pkg 107) — $40 million (maintains 2,240 positions”) The translation? The agency needs $40 million from the general fund after determining that it had spent federal money on staffing and administrative costs – money that was supposed to go to the poorest of Oregon’s poor.

Oregon schools will be required to teach about the Holocaust

Oregonlive

Oregon will require public schools to teach about the Holocaust under a measure sent to the governor. Lawmakers unanimously voted Tuesday to add Holocaust instruction to the school curriculum starting in the 2019-2020 school year. Ten other states require some level of genocide education in schools. A recent poll found that one in five American millennials surveyed were unfamiliar with the Holocaust.

Lawmakers discuss bill to drop Oregon’s drinking limit to .05

Oregonlive

Sen. President Peter Courtney didn’t expect to pass a bill to lower Oregon’s legal drinking limit to .05 blood-alcohol content this legislative session, but the Salem leader wanted to start the conversation. On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee did just that. Courtney, the Salem Democrat, got his wish for an informational hearing on his proposal to lower Oregon’s legal drunken driving limit from .08 to .05. “This bill is about changing the culture we live in,” Courtney told the committee. He likened it to the culture shift undertaken in the early 1980s to lower the legal drinking limit from .10 to .08. Courtney introduced the bill in February but started discussing the idea last year. Oregon wouldn’t be alone if it lowered the legal blood alcohol content level; Utah already lowered its limit to .05, a proposal pushed by the National Transportation Safety Board and other organizations.

Rep. Greg Smith Is a Member of the Select Group That Doles Out State Dollars. He Also Makes a Tidy Living From Public Contracts. It’s Perfectly Legal.

Willamette Week

State Rep. Greg Smith (R-Heppner) may be the best compensated lawmaker in Salem. The high-energy, perennially sunny economic development specialist is the longest-serving member in the state House. The descendant of an Oregon pioneer family, he grew up near Portland, where he became an Eagle Scout and graduated from Barlow High School. Despite his urban beginnings, Smith, 50, long ago adopted the trappings of Eastern Oregon. A sign above the door to his office in the Capitol reads, “My cow died so I don’t need your bull.” Inside the office: a vintage saddle. Smith’s district includes Umatilla, Morrow, Gilliam, Sherman and Wasco counties, and covers great swaths of north Central Oregon: water-starved high desert, rolling wheat fields and, these days, nearly as many wind turbines as people.

LOCAL

Portland-area home prices edge higher; West Coast leads national housing slowdown

Oregonlive

Home prices are merely inching higher in the West Coast metros, including Portland, where they once soared. The West has become the vanguard of a nationwide slowdown, according to the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller home price index. Three California metros, Seattle and Portland all lagged the national average for year-over-year growth in March, and national price growth slowed to 3.7% annually, the slowest in six and a half years.

Myrtle Creek Officials Declare City Water OK To Drink

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Officials in the city of Myrtle Creek, Oregon, are giving the “all clear” to water that was likely compromised by a nearby fuel spill. Investigators have completed two rounds of testing after evidence that automobile fuel had infiltrated one of the city’s water treatment plants. They concluded Tuesday night that the water is now safe to use and consume. “Although taste and odor effects may linger in the system, the water is safe to use for all purposes,” read a statement from the city’s website posted Tuesday evening.

Eugene company helps teen refugees from Myanmar get credit for native language skills

Oregonlive

Students with native or learned ability in languages like Spanish, French, Chinese or Korean could already take foreign-language tests for credit. So with a growing number of Chin students populating Lewisville schools, teachers prodded the district to develop a similar test for those kids to capitalize on an expertise they already possessed. “This is the group, when you look at the percentage of student population that we have, where there were disparities,” said Annie Rivera, Lewisville ISD’s world language administrator. “They had no opportunity to show their skills.” Last fall, the district began working with Avant Assessment, a Eugene, Oregon-based company that develops tests in languages ranging from Vietnamese and Tamil to Amharic and Urdu, to develop proficiency testing for Hakha.

Salem Amazon shipping warehouse opens in August; hiring begins in June

Statesman Journal

Amazon’s packing and shipping center in southeast Salem should open in August, with about 1,000 jobs that are expected to pay at least $15 an hour. Hiring for the 1-million-square-foot building at 4775 Depot Court SE kicks off in June, Amazon spokeswoman Shevaun Brown said Tuesday. Jobs will range from line workers to management positions. The company in January also was advertising management jobs. Amazon is building the crew “from the ground up,” Brown said. The exact headcount is to be determined, but company officials are still tracking toward the 1,000-worker number, she said.

Rights to water stored by Willamette dams up for grabs; cities, farmers, fish compete

Statesman Journal

Billions of gallons of water have been hidden behind the Willamette River Basin’s 13 dams since they were constructed starting in the 1930s. For 30 years, powerful interests including cities, farmers and industry have been slugging it out for access to that water, which has yet to be designated for a use. Fisheries and environmental groups also want a say in how the water is distributed from the dams, operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. We’re talking about stored water — not what flows freely down the Willamette and its tributaries. Who has a right to it, and when, mostly has never been decided. That’s about to change.

Portland failed to meet some of its promises on 10-cent gas tax, audit says

Oregonlive

Portland has fallen behind in delivering dozens of transportation projects described in a 2016 voter-approved gas tax, failed to provide annual audits or updates to City Council and provided “incomplete, inconsistent, and outdated” to a citizen group tasked with monitoring the projects. That’s according to a report from Portland’s Audit Services division released Wednesday. Auditors examined whether the Portland Bureau of Transportation is living up to commitments made before voters approved a 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax in 2016. According to the report, thus far the results are a mixed bag.

Baseball supporters extend talks over Terminal 2 site

Portland Tribune

The group working to bring a Major League Baseball team to Portland announced Tuesday that it has extended its contract with the Port of Portland to study its Terminal 2 site for six more months. The Portland Diamond Project released a statement on May 28 that said it will pay the port $37,500 for each month of the additional due diligence period, beginning on June 1. The statement said the underused terminal is still its preferred site to build a stadium for the team it hopes to acquire.

Liberal Election Forecasts Predict TRUMP 2020 Victory

Nancy Pelosi said last week (in a sarcastic tone) that she is praying for President Donald TRUMP.  The Reverend Franklin Graham is now asking all Christians that we join her in that prayer: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article230871584.html

TRUMP tweets a video of Pelosi tripping over her words: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/another-attack-trump-tweets-video-pelosi-tripping-over-words-n1009551

Actor Jon Voight says “President TRUMP is the greatest president since Abraham Lincoln” : https://townhall.com/tipsheet/alexnitzberg/2019/05/25/actor-jon-voight-president-trump-is-the-greatest-president-since-abraham-lincoln-n2546891

Voters credit TRUMP for their optimism on the US job market: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2019/05/23/gallup-voters-views-of-us-job-market-soars-to-new-high-n2546743

Democrats are concerned that their frontrunner (Sleepy Joe Biden) can’t draw a bigger crowd…they have started making excuses for him: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/05/28/biden-energy-crisis-1345359 AND Biden is still the (old white) man to beat: https://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2019/05/04https://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2019/05/04

“TRUMP’s Formidable 2020 Tailwind” – NYT (New York Slime’s) commentary: https://www.axios.com/trump-2020-presidential-election-forecast-models-b9a95aca-7f25-4c6a-af91-720b7828afa5.html AND here: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/27/opinion/trumps-formidable-2020-tailwind.html

Is it time for a divorce? https://thefederalist.com/2018/04/10/time-united-states-divorce-things-get-dangerous/

Kurt Schlichter – It’s Time for America to Break Up With Liberals: https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2019/02/18/its-time-for-america-to-break-up-with-liberals-n2541622

Americans for Liberty PAC

Upholding the Constitution in the Tradition of our Founding Fathers

Executive Director Lanny Hildebrandt

1615 4th Street

La Grande, OR  97850

(541) 963-7930

May 28, 2019 Daily Clips

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Lawmaker casts sole vote against bill that would give more time for rape survivors to sue

KATU

State Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, cast the sole vote in Oregon’s House of Representatives against a bill that several rape survivors passionately support. “It’s not popular to protect the accused but it is our job,” Bynum told her fellow lawmakers last month. The bill would extend the statute of limitations for survivors to file civil suits in sexual assault cases. Right now adult victims of sex crimes have just two years to file a lawsuit. It’s the same amount of time you have in Oregon to file a civil suit over damages from a car crash. “Adult victims deserve options other than praying that the police do the right thing.” Caitlin Speck explained to the Senate Judiciary Committee Monday, telling them she’s a rape survivor. “The criminal justice system failed me in every possible way.”

As Oregon Tries To Fix Public Defense, Potential Lawsuit Looms

Oregon Public Broadcasting

earlier this month, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen Dailey took the bench in her seventh floor courtroom in downtown Portland. “Make sure you talk with your lawyer,” Dailey said. “There are only a couple lawyers helping all of you. They can only do one case at a time, so this process does take patience.” Dailey was overseeing treatment court, a program for nonviolent offenders with drug related arrests. The idea is to keep these defendants out of jail and use the threat of criminal charges to make sure they go through treatment.

Lawmakers consider plan to make some bucks off the Oregon state seal

Oregonlive

The seal of the state of Oregon adorns mugs, t-shirts, key chains and all sorts of doodads and knickknacks that are for sale in gift shops in many corners of the state. Somebody is making money selling all that stuff, and now Oregon lawmakers want a piece of the action. A legislative budget committee is set to vote Thursday on Senate Bill 803, which would prohibit the commercial use of the state seal without a licensing agreement from the Oregon Secretary of State. Companies would have to pay a licensing fee and royalties from the sale of the products.

Oregon’s gigabit tax break went badly wrong, then proved hard to undo

Oregonlive

In 2015, every single lawmaker in the Oregon Legislature voted for a tax break for internet providers. This month the Legislature was nearly unanimous in voting to repeal it. In between were four years of a tax break that cost taxpayers millions of dollars and never did what lawmakers hoped it would. And they found it was unexpectedly hard to kill. Oregon’s gigabit tax break was the centerpiece of a failed effort to lure Google Fiber to Portland. Google never came and other companies swooped in to lock in the savings for themselves. The tax break, whose repeal is now on Gov. Kate Brown’s desk, stands as a cautionary tale. It’s a bipartisan failing that shows what can happen when legislators wade into the complexities of tax policies and technology without fully understanding the implications.

To Re-Dissolve Damascus, Clackamas County Looks To Salem

Clackamas County leaders want Oregon lawmakers to intervene and settle confusion over the status of the city of Damascus once and for all. Lawmakers are looking to find a quick solution that would pass legal muster, and have necessary political support, in the waning weeks of a busy legislative session. It’s a tall order, considering that charting Damascus’ future has been a challenge for city, county, regional and state officials since the turn of the century.

LOCAL

Portland high school students walk out, say they’re fed up with lackluster responses to racist incident

Oregonlive

Synceire Bivens just wanted the world to know what happened. In late April, a girl at Wilson High School yelled the n-word at a group of black boys, and video of the incident began circulating on Snapchat. The footage started fights, eventually putting the school on lockdown as police heard another brawl may be brewing. Administrators issued a statement, saying the lockout was a “precautionary measure” made necessary by a “potential threat by a student.” “They didn’t say anything about the n-word,” Bivens, a sophomore and president of the school’s Black Student Union, said. “Instead, a lot of parents only learned about it when they read it in The Oregonian.”

Tourism leaders look at impacts on natural resources

The Daily Astorian

Staff with the Haystack Rock Awareness Program know one side of Cannon Beach’s popular landmark is not like the other. The tide pools that are open for the public to walk near and poke their fingers into have a wealth of creatures, but even more life abounds in the areas closed off to people, said Alan Quimby, an environmental interpreter for the outreach and educational organization, during a busy April morning at low tide. That morning, he was splitting his time between pointing out puffins and reminding people to stay out of the protected marine garden around Haystack Rock. They kept coming anyway, seemingly deaf to the instructions Quimby gave prior groups and oblivious to signs that told them to stay out

Hemp poised to become major crop

The Register Guard

As a cannabis activist for 50 years and an industrial hemp activist for 25, Dave Seber truly believes hemp is the 800-pound gorilla sitting at the back of the room. “It has 25,000 to 50,000 different uses, and we’re hardly exploiting any of them,” Seber said. “If we don’t develop this crop, I don’t see a future for the human species. It is the only thing that might help mediate a bunch of damage we’ve done in other areas.” Seber is owner of Hemp Shield in Eugene, which produces a hemp seed oil wood finisher and sealant. The oil is smaller than other coatings and can permeate the wood better for that reason; not to mention that it is one of the greenest options in the marketplace, he said.

Umatilla County board readies to hear charter proposals

East Oregonian

The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners hears first-hand Wednesday for the first time from the committee making recommendations to change county government. The county board more than a year ago formed the Charter Review Committee to analyze and suggest changes to the charter, the founding document for the structure and function of Umatilla County’s government. The nine-member group decided at the end of April to recommend major reforms, starting with an overhaul of the board of commissioners.

MAKING AMERICA EVEN GREATER!

RNC beats the DNC in fundraising…again: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2019/05/21/rnc-fundraising-n2546636

Small business is booming! https://www.gop.com/small-businesses-booming-84-see-another-good-year/

Patriotic bikers help re-elect pro-TRUMP candidates: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/cortneyobrien/2019/05/21/bikers-for-trump-celebrate-oneyear-anniversary-of-embassy-move-in-israel-n2546613

TRUMP economic pressure on Iran is working: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2019/05/20/trumps-pressure-campaign-is-suffocating-hezbollah-n2546592

US consumer optimism surges: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/17/consumer-sentiment-may-2019-preliminary.html

Pennsylvania voters elect pro-TRUMP candidate: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/reaganmccarthy/2019/05/22/pa12-voters-reject-socialism-in-special-election-n2546722

TRUMP takes away California’s funding for the train to nowhere: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2019/05/17/trump-admin-withdraws-money-from-ca-high-speed-rail-n2546491

GOP-held Senate continues to confirm federal judges who respect our inspired constitution: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2019/05/22/more-judges-n2546656

Meanwhile in Liberal-land:

Chairman Nadler holds AG William Barr in contempt: https://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2019/05/11

Freshman congresswoman AOC pushes the Democrats even farther left: https://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2019/05/18

Biden stands out as the moderate Democrat (hint – there is no such thing) https://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2019/05/19

Who does China support for POTUS? https://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2019/05/14

“China is no threat” – Joe Biden https://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2019/05/06

NEWS FLASH…The 2020 election has already begun…give your support to TRUMP…the Republican National Committee…and Pro-TRUMP candidates…it drives the Democrats, Liberals, Socialists, Secular Humanists, Communists, MS-13 Gang Members, Leftists, Elitist College Professors, Hollywood Hypocrites and Fake News Reporters CRAZY! J

Go TRUMP!  Go Republicans! https://www.gop.com/

Americans for Liberty PAC

Upholding the Constitution in the Tradition of our Founding Fathers

Executive Director Lanny Hildebrandt

1615 4th Street

La Grande, OR  97850

(541) 963-7930

May 21, 2019 Daily Clips

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

As Cap And Trade Moves Forward, Oregon Lawmakers Consider Constitutional Tweak

Oregon Public Broadcasting

As a contentious proposal to enact a cap-and-trade program in Oregon moves forward, one criticism of the policy has grown louder: Most of the money generated couldn’t be used to encourage zero-emissions vehicles. In a state where cars and trucks account for a major portion of greenhouse gas output, an expanding chorus of lawmakers sees that as a problem. Now one state senator wants voters to fix it. State Sen. Lee Beyer, D-Springfield, says he’ll introduce a bill this week asking Oregonians to tweak the state’s constitution. If lawmakers pass the bill and voters agree, hundreds of millions of dollars that might currently be restricted under cap and trade could be used on rebates for electric vehicles, helping public transit and freight interests switch to lower-emissions options and more.

As Critics of the New Corporate Tax Increase Ponder Referring It to Voters, Democrats Seek to Hinder Signature Gathering

Willamette Week

The maneuvering in response to last week’s passage of a multi-billion corporate tax increase heated up today in Salem. On May 13, Democrats convinced Senate Republicans to return to work so the full Senate could vote on House Bill 3427, the “Student Success Act” which will levy a gross receipts tax on Oregon businesses and provide a modest reduction in the personal income tax rate paid by most Oregonians. The bill, which Gov. Kate Brown has already signed into law, is expected to raise more than $1 billion in new revenue annually and is supposed to be spent on schools.

Oregon Considers Changing The Way Mentally Ill People Are Committed

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Civil commitment is a delicate issue for families and authorities. The way it works now is that when someone threatens a family member or runs through traffic screaming at cars, police can place a hold on them. A county judge then decides whether they’re “a danger to self or others.” But that legal standard has not been defined by the courts. The process is justifiably difficult. But many think it’s become so difficult that people only end up getting help after they break the law and are criminally committed. So Oregon is thinking about changing the way people with mental illnesses are civilly committed.

School leaders: $2 billion good … and not enough

Portland Tribune

Public school leaders are praising the passage of a $2 billion school funding package, but they cautioned that the extra infusion of funds “isn’t enough.” During a Portland Business Alliance forum Wednesday morning, May 15, superintendents from Portland, Beaverton, Gresham and east Multnomah County gathered for a panel on why Oregon schools face steep cuts to education, despite a prosperous economy. “Just about every school district … is looking at somewhere between a 6% to 7% increase in PERS,” Don Grotting, superintendent of the Beaverton School District, told PBA members and guests over breakfast at the Sentinel Hotel in downtown Portland. The Public Employees Retirement System, more commonly referred to as PERS, has been at the center of nearly every discussion surrounding school funding.

Lawmakers wrestle with plans for kicker ‘windfall’

Portland Tribune

Oregon has come into an unexpected windfall, and now it’s up to lawmakers to figure out what to do with it. Personal and corporate income tax collections during the 2019 tax filing season were dramatically higher than state economists expected, according to a report that was released Wednesday, May 15. While much of that money will go back to taxpayers next year in the form of Oregon’s unique “kicker” rebate, the new forecast gives legislative budget-writers about three-quarters of a billion dollars more to work with as they decide how Oregon will spend its money over the next two years.

Top gun control proposal expected to return after death in 2019 Legislature

Statesman Journal

A multifaceted gun control bill pushed by Oregon Democrats may be dead this session, but advocates and opponents alike are confident it will return. Senate Bill 978 was a casualty of the deal that got Senate Republicans to end their four-day walkout and return to the Capitol, allowing Democrats to pass a multibillion-dollar education revenue bill on May 13. The move to include SB 978 in the trade disappointed gun control advocates inside and outside the Capitol, particularly since it dovetailed with the Moms Demand Action lobbying day two days later.

Portland Office of Community and Civic Life Proposes New Commission to Oversee Cannabis Tax Dollars

Willamette Week

Portland city commissioners disagree about how cannabis tax dollars should be allocated after a recent audit showed that a majority of the revenue from tax passed in 2016 went to the Portland Police Bureau. At the Portland City Council’s 2020 budget work session May 14, the Office of Community and Civic Life presented a possible solution: a new five-person committee to oversee who gets cannabis tax revenue and how it is used. OCCL’s cannabis program supervisor Brandon Goldner said the group would meet four times or more a year, and their meetings would be open to the public, which would increase transparency around how the funds are used.

Bill adding exemption to Oregon’s Death with Dignity law passes Senate

Statesman Journal

People with less than 15 days to live would be exempted from the 15-day waiting period in Oregon’s Death with Dignity Act under a bill that passed the state Senate on Monday. Senate Bill 579 would also allow doctors to prescribe medication faster than the current 48-hour waiting period if the requesting patient has less than two days to live. Proponents described the bill as a way for lawmakers to give people more control over their end-of-life decisions, while opponents saw it as another step toward euthanasia in Oregon.

Bill would shorten ‘Death With Dignity’ waiting period in some cases

Oregonlive

People in the final weeks of their life could obtain deadly prescriptions more quickly under a bill moving forward in the Oregon Legislature. The Oregon Senate voted 16-11 on Monday to approve Senate Bill 579. If it passes the House and is signed into law, it would be one of the only changes to the state’s landmark “Death With Dignity” law since it took effect in 1997.

Unions search for path around dues deduction restrictions

Portland Tribune

Up to 30,000 Oregon workers may no longer automatically support their union as concerted national efforts to trim the political power of unions gain steam. A change in an obscure federal rule may pose a financial threat to one of Oregon’s largest public sector unions while also crimping the ability of home care workers to save for retirement. The federal agency overseeing public health care for elderly and low-income people earlier this month moved to ban certain voluntary deductions from federally funded paychecks for home care workers. The new rule may mean that about 30,000 Oregon workers can’t have union dues and retirement savings automatically taken from their paychecks. But Oregon and four other states are contesting the move.

Nike, Adidas, Columbia Sportswear sign letter opposing tariffs

KGW

More than 170 footwear companies, including the biggest in Portland’s robust athletic and outdoor industry, have signed a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to reconsider a proposed 25 percent tariff on shoes from China. The list includes Nike, Adidas America, Columbia Sportswear and others with Portland roots or operations, including Under Armour, Baggallini and BOGS. “The proposed tariff of 25 percent on footwear would be catastrophic for our consumers, our companies, and the American economy as a whole,” the companies wrote. Last week, the U.S Trade Representative, at the behest of President Donald Trump, published a list of $300 billion in Chinese goods that could be hit with new tariffs as high as 25 percent.

LOCAL

Portland set to approve $5.5 billion annual budget Wednesday

Oregonlive

The Portland City Council is poised to approve a $5.5 billion budget Wednesday afternoon that would fund new programs intended to help mentally ill or homeless people while cutting parks services. The $5.5 billion figure is a nearly 6 percent increase from last year’s $5.1 billion budget. The general fund – a discretionary fund that pays mostly for police, fire and parks services – is set to increase about 2 percent to $577.3 million.

Sales tax measure before Hood River County voters on Tuesday

Oregonlive

Voters in Hood River County will decide on Tuesday whether to add a 5 percent sales tax to prepared food and non-alcoholic beverage sales. Ballot Measure 14-66 proposes taxing food sold by restaurants, caterers, bakeries and coffee shops. The measure also proposes taxing dispensed soft drinks and beverages. If passed, the tax is expected to generate about $1.8 million a year. According to county documents, the tax would fund county tourism services, including maintaining public parks and forest trails, environmental health services and the county History Museum.

Salem-Keizer committee sends $1.2 billion budget plan to school board

Statesman Journal

After nearly a month of meetings and hearings, the Salem-Keizer budget committee has signed off on a $1.2 billion budget plan for Salem-Keizer Public Schools. The proposed 2019-20 budget — approved by the committee Monday — now heads to the Salem-Keizer School Board for consideration. It’s expected to be adopted in June and take effect in July.

Portland student protest against gun violence will fall on anniversary of Thurston High School shooting

Oregonlive

Some Portland high school students plan to walk out of their classes on Tuesday to protest gun violence, demand action against it from city lawmakers and support victims of mass shootings. According to the Portland Mercury, the rally is organized by a grassroots student group called the Pacific Northwest Youth Liberation Front, and students plan to rally in front of Portland City Hall at 1 p.m. The Mercury said it’s unknown how many students plan to show up, but students from Beaverton and Lincoln high schools have confirmed they will participate.

Candidates Run To Be 1st Latinos On Salem-Keizer School Board

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Raul Marquez grew up in Northeast Salem, where he attended some of the Salem-Keizer district’s most diverse schools. He was surrounded by other people of color — until he left his neighborhood. “By the time I began to get involved in the larger Salem community, it was eye-opening to see that these other spaces — especially decision-making spaces — don’t reflect what I was so accustomed to,” Marquez said. He felt like he didn’t belong, didn’t deserve to be in majority white spaces or even speak to the majority white Salem-Keizer school board.

Hoping For Change, Parents And Community Members Run For Portland School Board Seats

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Last-minute voters turned in their ballots Tuesday. It’s a small election, dominated by school board races across Oregon. In Portland Public Schools, each of the four seats has at least two candidates on the ballot   – though some candidates have dropped out of the race. They range from an incumbent to a father who entered the race because “he didn’t see better people out there.”

Landlords still oppose revised Portland renter rights measures

Portland Tribune

The changes Commissioner Chloe Eudaly made to her most recent renter protection measures did not satisfy the leading landlord organizations. The City Council first heard Eudaly’s measures for easing screening and security deposit requirements on April 3 and 4. Although tenant advocates supported them, landlords complained about their complexity and charged they could require them to rent to serious criminal convicts. Eudaly pushed the next hearing to Thursday, May 23, to work out compromises.

Latino adviser brings business expertise from U.S., Mexico

The Daily Astorian

Hermenegildo Ochoa, a Latino business advisor with Clatsop Community College, remembers managing more than 30 branches of the Bank of Mexico. But he also remembers the cartels, violence, bribes and death threats faced by businesspeople large and small, including himself. Ochoa has since taken to a lower-key role on the North Coast helping the Latino business community follow the rules and succeed in a more law-abiding environment.

Killing ravens to save sage grouse in Eastern Oregon is a flawed plan, advocates say

Oregonlive

A plan by state wildlife officials to kill more than 1,000 ravens in Eastern Oregon to help the beleaguered greater sage grouse is flawed, environmental advocates say, and could end up doing more harm than good. In 2018, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife applied for permits to kill up to 500 ravens per year over a three-year period in Baker County. According to some studies, ravens prey upon the eggs of the greater sage grouse, one of the numerous threats the sage grouse faces.

May 20, 2019 Daily Clips

GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

Lawmakers wrestle with plans for kicker ‘windfall’

Portland Tribune

Oregon has come into an unexpected windfall, and now it’s up to lawmakers to figure out what to do with it. Personal and corporate income tax collections during the 2019 tax filing season were dramatically higher than state economists expected, according to a report that was released Wednesday, May 15. While much of that money will go back to taxpayers next year in the form of Oregon’s unique “kicker” rebate, the new forecast gives legislative budget-writers about three-quarters of a billion dollars more to work with as they decide how Oregon will spend its money over the next two years.

Candidates Run To Be 1st Latinos On Salem-Keizer School Board

Oregon Public Broadcasting

The Salem-Keizer school district has 42,237 students. More than 40% are Hispanic/Latino. Yet that population has never been represented on the school board. Marquez isn’t the only Latino candidate running for a school board seat. Parent and electrician David Salinas is running in a different zone. “I thought about it a lot before I ran,” Salinas said. “I always think, ‘Is this something I should even be doing? Am I qualified? Is this something I have a chance at?’ There’s a lot of cultural things that keep us from engaging as much as we should.” Both candidates talk about the district using an equity lens in their work when it comes to programs and resources available to students.

Portland Drafts Ordinance To Crackdown On Airbnb

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Portland’s mayor is planning to introduce an ordinance that would force online short-term rental companies like Airbnb to take down unpermitted rentals. The proposed crackdown in Portland follows a federal court ruling in March that dealt a legal blow to Airbnb’s long-held position that it is not responsible for policing unpermitted listings on its site. Portland’s revenue division has been trying to reach a voluntary agreement with the company for more than a year over unpermitted rentals.

In Trump’s Trade War, Americans Will Be Asked To Show Economic Patriotism

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Trump will have to appeal to Americans’ national pride, and even their patriotism, to succeed in leveling the playing field with China. That’s because virtually every American is likely to feel an impact if Trump’s tariffs go forward on just about everything imported from China. He will have to persuade Americans that what’s at stake transcends their own interests. Americans may not like paying higher prices on imported products, but they are more likely to tolerate them if they perceive that American values are at stake, says Henry Olsen, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

Revised tenant protection measures scheduled for Thursday

Portland Tribune

Commissioner Chloe Eudaly will try again Thursday to convince a majority of the City Council to support new tenant protection measures. The measures are intended to limit the reasons that landlords can reject a rental application and regulate when security deposits can be withheld, among other things. Eudaly has revised her measures after they were first heard by the council on April 3 and 4. At that time, they were strongly opposed by landlords, who complained the screening requirements could force them to rent to convicted criminals. Landlords also called the new requirements too complicated to understand and follow.

LOCAL

Amid #MeToo, states debate teaching consent to kids

Oregonlive

Inside a Catholic school in Portland, high school sophomores break into groups to discuss some once-taboo topics: abusive relationships and consent. At one desk, a girl with banana-colored fingernails begins jotting down some of the hallmarks of abuse: Physically hurting you, verbally abusive, can be one-sided. She pauses to seek input from her classmates, boys and girls alike, before continuing: “It messes up your mentality and your, like, confidence.” For the first time this year, Central Catholic High School, like public schools in the city, is using educators from a domestic violence shelter to teach kids about what it means to consent. The goal is to reduce sexual violence and harassment among teens and help them understand what behavior is acceptable — and what’s not — before they reach adulthood.

Minor inland earthquake shakes Oregon Coast

Oregonlive

A minor earthquake was reported about eight miles east of the Lincoln City, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. The magnitude 3.4 earthquake occurred at 9:23 a.m. A quake of that magnitude is large enough to be felt but typically causes little damage. None was immediately reported. Weak shaking was reported along the Oregon coast from Waldport to Cloverdale with scattered reports further inland.

Portland metro Monday traffic: Beaverton open house looks at OR 217 improvement plans

Oregonlive

The public is invited to an open house to discuss Oregon Department of Transportation plans for auxiliary lanes on OR 217 in the Beaverton and Tigard area. The open house is 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, at Beaverton City Library, 12375 S.W. Fifth St., Beaverton. During the event, ODOT will answer questions about the plan to add new auxiliary lanes that connect with on and off ramps along 217. The plan hopes to improve safety and help prevent the current bottlenecks that the highway often experiences. Auxiliary lanes have been shown to reduce merging slow-downs and cut back on crashes.