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3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2017 State budget Early quake warning system hangs on May expands to Oregon, Washington revenue forecast Associated Press The quarterly numbers could shape spending By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — While law- makers are now likely nego- tiating the state’s budget behind closed doors, Ore- gonians may have a better idea of what to expect once state economists present the quarterly revenue forecast in mid-May. Legislators are required to pass a balanced bud- get, but face an approxi- mately $1.6 billion short- fall between what the state expects to bring through the general fund and lottery funds, and what it would take to maintain existing services. Between those two funds, available revenue is expected to be about $20.9 billion, according to the most recent quarterly rev- enue forecast, which was issued in February. According to state Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tuala- tin, one of the co-chairs of the Joint Ways and Means Committee, which writes the state’s budget, the forecast that comes out May 16 gives budget writers “the most accurate picture” of what’s to come, once most income tax returns have been filed. The state’s general fund is largely sourced from income taxes. With both budget cuts and new taxes still in the realm of possibility — and with both options imbued with political consequences — state lawmakers could turn to a strategy they’ve tapped in the past: establish- ing a bicameral “super com- mittee” to hammer out big- ticket policy items. Such super commit- tees, though not common, have emerged in prior leg- islative sessions. They can form when legislators think it could “help break down some of the institu- tional barriers” between the House and Senate, said Jim Moore, professor of politi- cal science and director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University. Such a mega-commit- tee could include party lead- ership from both sides of the aisle from each cham- ber, and possibly members of key policy committees — such as health care or educa- tion — Moore said. But if the legislative ses- sion starts in February, why isn’t there more public infor- mation about what the bud- get will actually be until three months later? “When you come out with a budget, you’re, in effect, making promises,” Moore said. If not all of them can be kept, lawmakers “just don’t want to go that far.” Oregon passes its budget in increments, with the big- gest components of the bud- get typically coming first. Once the most signifi- cant pieces of the budget are passed — such as education, public safety and human ser- vice programs — budgets for smaller agencies and pro- grams fall into place, Moore said. This session, lawmak- ers are also trying to craft a transportation funding pack- age. Health care costs are another significant challenge for the state as the federal government gradually tapers its support to states for Med- icaid expansion. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. SEATTLE — An early warning system for earth- quakes has been expanded to Oregon and Washington state, joining California in testing a prototype that could give peo- ple seconds or up to a minute of warning before strong shak- ing begins. The system isn’t ready to issue public quake warnings yet, according to the U.S. Geo- logical Survey, which has been working with university part- ners to develop the ShakeAlert system. But this version allows early adopters in Oregon and Washington state to begin using the early signals to fig- ure out what they need to do in the event of an earthquake. Such pilot projects are help- ing to make the system more reliable and pave the way for broader use. Officials with USGS, the University of Washington and others held a news conference Monday in Seattle to announce the system’s roll out across the West Coast. California has been testing the production prototype since early 2016. Even a few seconds of advanced notice can help peo- ple to duck and cover or cities to slow trains, stop elevators or take other protective measures, agency officials say. In Washington state, a Seat- tle area firm RH2 Engineering Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian Students at Seaside High School participate in The Great Oregon ShakeOut quake drill. has signed on as a pilot user to test the system to prevent water tank spills, The Seattle Times reported. The firm develops municipal water and sewage plants and hopes to use the sys- tem to be able to close valves in the event of an earthquake. “The advantage of earth- quake early warning is that it gives us forewarning that the shaking will occur, and we can be sure the valve is fully closed by the time the shaking starts,” the firm’s Dan Ervin told the newspaper. The company is working on software and hard- ware to process the warning signals and automatically close valves. The early warning sys- tem detects earthquakes using a network of ground motion sensors. The amount of warn- ing time depends on distance from an earthquake’s epicen- ter. Locations very close to the epicenter may not get any warning, but others farther away could get anywhere from seconds to minutes. The University of Oregon is working with the Eugene Water & Electric Board, Ore- gon’s largest public electric and water utility service, to install sensors on its hydro- electric facilities, canals and water treatment plant, the Daily Astorian reported. The USGS says it will cost $38.3 million in capital invest- ment to complete the Shake- Alert system so that it can begin issuing alerts to the pub- lic. It will cost about $16.1 mil- lion each year to operate and maintain it. Pacific sardine fishery closed for commercial season Associated Press SACRAMENTO — Fed- eral fishery managers voted Monday to keep the U.S. West Coast Pacific sardine fishery closed for the upcom- ing commercial season. This will be the third year in a row there have not been enough sardines to support a fishery. Sardines were a thriving $ off 300 1 X394 SELECT SERIES™ TRACTORS X394 SELECT SERIES • 22 hp* (16.4 kW), 726 cc engine • 48-in. 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