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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 4, 2018)
6 Wednesday, April 4, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Governor signs bills on addiction Associated Press SALEM (AP) — Following an earlier promise, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has signed two bills and an order setting new deadlines for a nearly decade-overdue drug abuse action plan. The order, which Brown signed Tuesday in Portland, declares addiction to be a public health crisis in the state and sets a timeline for the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission to deliver a plan to combat the problem. Brown had announced the order, which includes several intermediary deadlines and a 2020 due date, in February. The move is the latest in a long effort to address sub- stance abuse through the com- mission, which has struggled with staffing issues and can- celled meetings. Under state law, a narrower version of the plan now scheduled for 2020 was originally due closer to the commission starting work in 2009, said com- mission head Rem Nivens. “They had never previ- ously completed that,” said Nivens of the earlier require- ment to produce a plan. Brown appointed Nivens to take over the commission in 2017. According to reports, the commission was hamstrung for years by underfund- ing and staffing issues that mirrored broader difficul- ties in tackling the problem statewide. Along with the new dead- line, one of the bills signed by Brown also gives the commission the power to hire staff, an ability it had previ- ously lacked, said Nivens. S t a t e R e p . Ta w n a Sanchez, a Democrat from Portland, had originally pro- posed requiring the plan later this year, rather than in 2020, but said late Tuesday she was happy to see the state at least moving forward. Sanchez’ proposal, modi- fied to include the later date, was one of the two bills Brown signed, and spells out specific requirements and deadlines for the plan, over- lapping with Brown’s order. Whether the plan in question might technically amount to a new requirement was ambiguous late Tuesday, but Sanchez said her intention clear: To add a deadline to the commission’s original job of creating a statewide, long- term plan. “There was supposed to be a strategic plan, and it didn’t happen,” Sanchez said. “The intention is to get us a plan.” Advocates said the action was a step forward. Mike Marshall, head of Oregon Recovers, said the bills and order will help move the state away from sporadic treatment that starts and stops MEDFORD (AP) — State fish and wildlife officials are considering dropping a fee increase for Oregon fish- ing and hunting licenses that takes effect in 2021. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife also may roll back some fees next year after revenues exceeded expectations, the Mail Tribune reported Thursday. The department is draft- ing its next two-year budget, which includes options to cut the fees or enact the increases as planned and direct that revenue toward enhancing current programs. Other possibilities for the budget include cutting some 2019 costs for licenses, which were increased under a three-step fee hike enacted by the state Legislature in 2015. “We’ve said if we ever have an opportunity to roll back our fee increases, we’d do it,” said Michael Finley, chair of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. “Right now there’s good intent to do that, but it’s really preliminary.” About $6 million would be added to agency’s bud- get if it seeks to keep the fee increases intact, said Roger Fuhrman, administrator of the department’s Information and Education Division. The agency is also con- sidering requesting gen- eral-fund money form the Legislature to expand certain projects. Under this option, the agency’s current budget of about $375 million would increase to about $420 mil- lion, Fuhrman said. Despite what the agency decides for the next budget, it would likely seek a license fee increase in a later budget cycle, Fuhrman said. The agency is scheduled to begin public meetings on its draft budget proposal next month. A final proposal will be sent to the governor’s office during the summer, and it will go before the state Legislature next year. New to the Hair Cache family Wendy Sell etin 20 years of experience! Cut and color specialist. Veterans’ Services Serving those who’ve served. 152 E. Main Ave. • 541-549-8771 541-585-VETS (8387) | www.deschutes.org/vets Jeff • Theresa • Ann • Jamie • Shiela • Terri • Shanntyl • Wendy Nothing says quality like true hand-forged ironwork NuggetNews.com is your online source for Breaking News Classifieds Weather Road Reports when a drug user moves between different parts of the system, and toward coor- dinated, long-term support. Marshall’s group advocated for the order and bills. The declaration of a pub- lic health crisis did not appear late Tuesday to have immedi- ate effects of its own. A spokesperson for the Oregon Health Authority said the declaration would not unlock additional fund- ing or require any action by the agency, and a spokesper- son for Brown said they were not aware of it having other direct effects. But Marshall said he hoped that the declaration would galvanize state agen- cies, and set a new tone. “This is now a bigger pri- ority in the state than it was.” A second bill, which Brown also signed Tuesday, covers similar ground, requiring a study of barriers to addiction treatment along with a pilot project, and for drug prescribers to register with Oregon’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. “Your Local Welding Shop” Enhance the look and feel of your home or business environment with our hand-crafted iron products. CCB# 87640 541-549-9280 | 207 W. Sisters Park Dr. | PonderosaForge.com Habitat Hero! Why do I volunteer? PHOTO BY ALEX JORDAN By Tom James Wildlife officials consider rollbacks on license fees I always wanted to make a differ- - ence in the world. I searched out and worked in n community service fi elds: social services, criminal justice, elder and developmentally disabled services. In each of these jobs I found myself f drained, d i d depressed and unfulfi lled. I fi gured that working for the community was giving away parts of your soul. When I moved to Sisters, I chose to volunteer at the Sis- ters Habitat for Humanity Thrift Store just as something to get me out of the house. And, BAM!!! A year and a half lat- er, I have truly experienced the joy of volunteering. I spend eight hours a week washing dishes and rehabbing house- wares. In exchange, I have a community of friends who care about me, who have brought laughter and joy to my life. I feel invigorated, energetic, fulfi lled and creative again. When people ask me why I volunteer I say, “It’s all about me! And isn’t it great others benefi t too?” Colleen Fenn, ReStore Volunteer P.O. Box 238, Sisters, OR 97759 541-549-1193 sistershabitat.org This ad sponsored by The Nugget Newspaper
