Energy plan stirs criticism in Legislature
By TOM JACKSON
Of the Emerald
SALEM — With a serious
energy shortage looming as a
likely result of this years’ low pre
cipitation levels, the state Legisla
ture is facing the task of develop
ing an energy curtailment plan.
Gov. Bob Straub has said man
datory energy rationing may occur
this fall if voluntary energy con
servation doesn’t reduce energy
consumption by 10 per cent.
Straub authorized the public utility
commissioner to consult with rep
resentatives of other states to de
velop an equitable curtailment
plan.
But how a mandatory rationing
plan is to be developed and who
will develop it has caused a con
troversy here, most of which has
come in the form of sharp ex
changes of criticism between
some senators and the governor.
The debate centers around a
regional curtailment plan de
veloped by the representatives of
the governors of Oregon,
Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Deputy Public Utilities Commis
sioner Ivan Gold represented
Oregon in meetings held in Salem,
Portland, Spokane and Helena.
The group, known as the
Northwest Electricity Task Force,
has developed a draft of an
energy curtailment plan which
calls for cooperation among the
states to reduce energy consump
tion, with the possibility of man
datory energy curtailments for re
sidential, industrial and commer
cial consumers if the need arises.
r
Shortly after the plan was pub
lished, however, Senate Pres.
Jason Boe, D-Reedsport, formed
a special Senate Task Force on
Energy to investigate the actions
of the Northwest Electricity group.
Boe, who chairs the task force,
also appointed senators Edward
Fadeley, D-Eugune; Ted Hallock,
D-Portland; and Victor Atiyeh,
R-Beaverton, to the committee.
Much of the controversy over
the regional plan seems to stem
from purely political footwork.
Boe, who appears to be gearing
up for a bid for the governorship,
may be trying to discredit
Straub's energy conservation ef
forts in order to further his own
political ambitions, according to
many capital observers.
The Senate task force argued
that the Northwest Electricity Task
Force by-passed the Legislature
in developing the plan and that it
held “secret’’ meetings on the
issue. They also said Gold had
discouraged some legislators
from attending the meetings in
Helena, where the plan was de
veloped.
Since then the subject has de
teriorated into political debate.
The senators have attacked
Straub for showing a lack of lead
ership on energy conservation
and for overstepping his authority
by allowing regional discussions
on energy without, they say, the
knowledge of the Legislature.
Straub, on the other hand, has
criticized Fadeley, the chairer of
the Senate Environment and
Energy Committee where many
energy conservation measures
are being heard, for slowing the
progress of conservation legisla
tion. Refering to Fadeley and
other senators as “prima don
nas,” Straub also attacked the
Senate for delaying action on his
pet project, the creation of a
Domestic and Rural Power Au
thority.
In a recent committee meeting,
Fadeley lambasted Gold, saying,
“What we need are creative ways
to conserve energy. Why are you
running all over the country doing
something else?" He also criticized
Straub for developing conserva
tion measures which are “too little
and too late.”
Gold contended that the
governor's office is trying to “pre
pare for a disaster." Sen. George
Wingard, R-Eugene, said in the
committee meeting "the governor
is doing the best he can under the
circumstances.” Wingard, a
member of the committee, added,
“We've been sitting here doing no
thing.”
The Senate task force has also
criticized Straub for overstepping
his authority in developing a re
gional plan without the approval of
the Legislature.
Straub, however, contends he
has the authority to plan for reg
ional curtailment under Oregon
law. He also said the Legislature
was informed of the plan through
the press and the Energy Policy
Review Committee which serves
as a liaison between the
governor's office and the Legisla
ture on energy policy.
Straub says the review commit
tee was briefed on the need for
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mandatory cu rtailment as early as
Sept. 26. Fadeley’s wife, Rep.
Nartcie Fadeley, D-Eugene, was
among the members present at
the briefings. Boe, who is also on
the committee, was absent.
He added that drafts of the plan
and schedules of the Northwest
Electricity Task Force meetings
were sent to the review committee
members on April 7.
The latest events in the continu
ing saga of the energy curtailment
policy came Wednesday in the
Senate remonstrances and in a
press conference held by Straub.
Fadeley said on the Senate
floor that Straub had criticized him
for letting bills wallow in his com
mittee, but that some of the bills
Straub had mentioned were not in
the Environment and Energy
Committee.
Straub said in the press confer
ence that “I have asked, and now I
plead with the Senate to get the
regional power authority bill mov
ing and vote it out of committee
Straub said politics belong on
the campaign trail: "That is where
political battles should be fought
out,” he said, “not in the Legis
lature."
Legislative
Issues
Bill may allow more
off-campus classes
By MARY BETH BOWEN
Of the Emerald
SALEM — A bill that would allow state colleges and universities to
offer courses within a 30-mile radius of their campuses has passed the
House and is now sitting in the Senate Education Committee
If approved by the Legislature, the bill would end a Board of Higher
Education policy that doesnt permit state system schools to offer
courses off-campus.
Off-campus courses are only permitted if the schools haven t met
their enrollment ceilings.
HB 2025, introduced by Rep. Howard Cherry, D-Portland. would
define all courses offered within the 30-mile radius as regular, on
campus courses
Courses offered beyond the 30-mile radius would be defined as
"continuing education.
The definition of continuing education needs a re-haul, says Dr
Dwayne Andrews, director of the Division on Continuing Education
(DCE) because the present definition doesn't mean anything.
To be honest, the state system has never defined continuing
education, Andrews said in an interview earlier this year "My own
definition is that continuing education is what happens after one has
exceeded the compulsory education age and decides to go back to
school. ’
For lack of a better definition, continuing education is offered off
campus to part-time students who don t fit the usual 18-to-22-year-old
college student stereotype. Many continuing education students resume
their education after being out of school for a few years. Typical DCE
students, for example, are teachers taking a few education courses to
renew their teaching certificates or millworkers taking accounting
courses.
The Oregon Educational Coordinating Commission (OECC) had
recommended that continuing education students be defined as those
persons beyond high school age whose major occupation is not a
student.
But that definition was rejected, according to Barbara Mitchell, an
OECC staffer, primarily because the State System feared that part-time
students would be considered continuing education students and con
sequently would be ineligible for state reimbursements.
Since the Legislature doesn t reimburse state system schools for
continuing education FTE s (Full-Time Equivalent students), DCE stu
dents must pay for the total cost of their instruction, which amounts to
(Continued on Page 11)
Page 6
OUTDOOR RESOURCE CENTER
DOWNSTAIRS IN THE EMU
Monday, May 2, 1977