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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 2, 2016)
Wednesday, March 2, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Policy bills stalling in legislature By Kristena hansen Associated Press SALEM (AP) — With the Oregon Legislature about to enter its last week, minority Republicans are using a host of tactics in the state Senate to try to stall some of the last big policy bills that are being pushed by the majority Democrats. The Democrats — who have a majority in both cham- bers — have been able to pass some of their priority bills, including one that would raise the minimum wage. But the Republicans argue the Democrats loaded up the short session — which began on February 1 and ends on March 6 — with too many big policy items, and GOP law- makers have been using some maneuvers that are unusual for the Oregon Legislature to slow things down. Bills awaiting action in the Senate include propos- als on renewable energy and housing affordability, as well as state budget adjustments to cover issues such as a total of roughly $8 million for costs related to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation and last year’s Umpqua Community College mass shooting. The partisan clash and dwindling willingness for compromise became most visible on Wednesday when Senate Republicans were a no-show for the 5 p.m. floor session. Without a quo- rum, Senate President Peter Courtney adjourned the meeting, which was already backlogged with several bills — none of which controver- sial — that were rescheduled from previous days as a direct result of the GOP’s stalling techniques. “I guess they’re not com- ing,” Courtney said. “I want to thank you for being willing to do the work. This does not make me happy. This makes me sad.” Republicans in both chambers enforced a con- stitutional rule at the start of the session that requires Out West Realty each bill to be read aloud, in their entirety, before a vote — a process that takes sev- eral hours for more lengthy bills. House Republicans dropped that strategy after the passage of the minimum wage bill last week, which is headed to Gov. Kate Brown’s desk for signing, but Senate Republicans have dug in their heels. One of the last big issues of the session is a contro- versial bill to phase out coal power in Oregon and double the state’s renewable energy standards, a negotiated deal between environmental- ists and the state’s two larg- est utilities as a compromise to more aggressive energy proposals for the November ballot. House Bill 4036 was passed by the House last week. But Senate Republicans had been using techniques to try to keep it from hitting the Senate floor for a final vote. The Republicans are raising con- cerns about unknown costs to ratepayers and benefits to the environment, and argue a 35-day session is not the right time for such a massive overhaul to Oregon’s energy policy. Democrats say the bill is a far better alternative to the more aggressive ballot proposals that would likely pass muster with the Oregon electorate. They tried to get around the GOP’s delaying tactics by tacking on most of the lengthy language of HB 4036 onto a smaller bill, Senate Bill 1547, which sim- ply clarified the definition of public utility and had already passed the Senate. The drastically changed SB 1547 passed out of a House committee Thursday evening, and Republicans complained about the Democrats using their tactics against those of the GOP. I guess they’re not coming. I want to thank you for being willing to do the work. this does not make me happy. this makes me sad. — Peter courtney “Tonight, we witnessed another backroom deal pass- ing out of committee with only one hour’s notice,” Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli said in a state- ment Thursday. “This is the third iteration of a sweeping energy bill, none of which have been properly vetted – no public hearings were held and no proper fiscal analysis was ever done.” The coal bill now heads to the House, then to the Senate for final vote without a lengthy delay. 29 Man wanted in a double- killing arrested Bill to expand dredging moratorium dies SALEM (AP) — A man wanted in the killing of his two young housemates in Jefferson County has been arrested in Salem. P o l i c e s a y 2 0 - y e a r- old Mitchell Julio Morris, of Crooked River Ranch, was taken into custody late Saturday morning when a Salem officer spotted a pickup truck he was in, called for backup and followed him to a parking lot. Authorities had been look- ing for him since Friday night, when they received a report of gunshots at a home on Southwest Sand Ridge Road in Crooked River Ranch. Police found an 18-year-old man, Bailee Ray Southwick, and a 21-year-old woman, Mackenzie Lyman, dead. Oregon State Police said authorities conducted an extensive search of the area as well as throughout Central Oregon and the Willamette Valley area before he was located in Salem. Another male who was in the truck was cooperating with police and had not been arrested. MEDFORD (AP) — An Oregon lawmaker says his bill to extend and expand a ban on suction-dredge min- ing has died because of delay tactics by mining interests. The Mail Tribune reports that Sen. Alan Bates, D-Medford, says he has pulled the bill after attempts to add amendments to gain bipartisan support didn’t work. Bates’ bill would have broadened the moratorium that is in place on wild salmon streams, including most of the Rogue River Basin. Mining interest lobby- ist Rich Angstrom says the bill was too complex for the Legislature’s short, one- month session. The legislature passed a bill in 2013 that placed restrictions on dredging. It was designed to end at the end of 2015, giving lawmak- ers time to devise permanent rules. They never did. Bates says he will sponsor a similar bill for the Oregon Legislature’s 2017 session. Black Butte Ranch Real Estate HOWELLS REALTY GROUP Exclusive Onsite Realtor for The Ranch GOLF COURSE CONDO 92 $769,000 • mls #201600959 Award-Winning Home Builder & Renovator 541-549-1575 • LaredoConstruction.com Maintenance • Repairs • Insurance Work CCB#194489 A Partnership Beyond Your Expectations On the Big Meadow Golf Course! new listing! GOLF HOME 113 $825,000 • mls #201507696 Stop by and visit with Tiana Van Landuyt & Shelley Marsh. 220 S. Pine St., Ste. 102 | 541-548-9180 — Serving all of Central Oregon — Big Meadow Golf Course home! 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