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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 1995)
Governor, legislature optimistic about session SALEM (AP) Despite a continuing money squeeze and philosophical differ ences between Democratic Gov.-elect |ohn Kitzhaber and the legislature's Republican leaders. all sides wv they are opiimimtic ihai the 1(to'> session. which convenes Monday, will be n short pro ductivu affair The memory of a snarly HJ93 legisla ture that draggl'd on into the late summer no doubt is behind much of the talk about having lawmakers do the people's work in a businesslike fashion and then go home "I think 1093 was a dysfunctional year for the Legislature It was awful." said Senate President-elect Gordon Smith "The public deserve# a break this year, and I think we can give it to them Adding to the air of optimism around the State Capitol is the sense that Kitzhaber and the (.OP leaders will be able to work together, in contrast to the shaky relations < iov Hartwra Roberts hod with lawmakers. On® observer. Salem lobbyist T®d Hughes, notes Kitzhaher has l>m»n recruit ing some experienced hands to help him get his administration of! the ground Hughes cites as an example Mike Thorne, the former Pendleton senator anti Pori of Portland director who has agreed to make sure state agencies meet Kitzhaber's goals “When you look at the way Kitzhaher is shaping up his office and yon look at the makeup of the Legislature, it looks pretty compatible to me," Hughes said Kitzhaher has been meeting regularly with Smith and House Speaker -elect Jlev ClartiO, and already they have COtna to informal agreement on one of Kitzhaber's key proposal* — to use lottery money for school* Kitzhaher wants lawmaker* to send a measure to voters, for a March election. to make it < i«*at that lottery dollar* could fa* used for schiKils as well a* economic development "There's general agreement on doing that." Clamo said Them are sure lo be sjuirks l»»*twwii 1 h« Republican leaden ana the new Democ talk: governor. especially over tonic tssut** ihat on* near and dear !o Kltrhaber's heart hitrhftber is exported lo resist Kepubli i an efforts lo loosen environmental con irols and to restrict some of the collec tive Uirgiuning rights now enjoyed by stale and local government worker* Kitzhaber said he doubts that those sorts of disagreements will muse serious estrangement between the Republican dominated Legislature and him. "I have no reason to believe that," Kitzhaber said. 'Tve had excellent deal ings with the new legislative leaders I [eel good about it." Smith, the new Senate president, echoes that sentiment. "We will work with (kw.-elect Kitzhaber if we mn and against him if we must, but we don't think that will lx* necessary," the Pendleton Republican said His style and his approach gives everyone reason to be optimist!! “ Smith adds, however. Rnpublh arts am rwady to make their mark now that thev am In control of both the House and Sen ate for the first time in 40 years First and foremost, he says, that means no new taxes "The 1 'HI t Legislature wasted eight months detrating a sales las that the peo* ple did not want." Smith said. We're not going to spend this session trying to dig more monev out of people's pockets " Smith, who owns a suo evsful t’molil la County businesses that produce* frozen peas and com. says he still has his sights set on adjourning the Legislature by pea harvest time — which is late May to early June. Hughes, the Salem lobbyist, said he thinks that lawmakers will he able to attain their goal of a timely adjournment. "I believe them." Hughes said. ''Maybe I'm too optimistic, hut I've already made some plane reservations for the middle of June." Wyden cooperating with Republicans WASHINGTON (AP) Rep Ron Wyden's top tilth' says the Oregon congressman wan send inn ,l message of cooperation whan h« joined Repitblit tins in voting for a rule change to make it more difficult for Congress to raise int ome taxi". Wytien won one of ri2 Democ rats who supported tin* measure, which would require ti three fifths "super majority" for any increase of income taxes All the House Kepuhlii ans from Oregon and Washington state voted for the amendment, part of the new House rules, Wednesday night It was opposed by the other Democrats from the region — Oregon's Elizabeth Furse and Peter DeFazio anti Washington's Nonn Dicks anti Jim Mi Dermott. Wytien. the dean of Oregon's delegation entering his eighth temi. was not immediately avail able for comment Thursday. "Ron believes that «onoml( growth and tax iiiuei are so important and so explosive right now lha! they need bipartisan ship, sard |oxh Kardon. Wyden's i:hief of staff Wyden also is a longtime sup porter of cutting taxes on capital gams, another idea included In theliOP's "Contract With Amer ica " Him kwrs of the income tax mea sure say it is important to prated taxpayers from future rate increases. "People work hard for their money. It should be hard for Con gress to take it from them." freshman Rap Kandy Tate. K* Wasti . said in his first House floor spew h Wednesday night Critics said the biggest bene ficiaries would he those with incomes over S200,(MX) and that the "super majority" would not apply to other taxes, such as con sumption taxes, that hit hardest On low anti middle-uu OHM fam ilies Tin* measure pasted the House on a vol# of 27‘) J 52 No Repub litan opposed it. with 227 sup porting it along with the 52 Democrats Independent Rep Berm* Sanders of Vermont and 151 Democrats voted against it. "The lime is here to cut taxes, reform welfare arid end the onslaught of red tape and regu lations which strangle business ex and fob creation,” Rep Dot Hastings, R-YVnxh . said McDermott said Thursday that allowing 40 percent of a legisla tive body to "stymie its capaci ty to operate is not a good prin ciple to establish. "The (^institution says we live by majority rule. If people don't like the decisions we make, they can vole against u*. But to make this unworkable because you can't get a super majority doean't make sense." he said NOW OPEN 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK i Now that Subway's campus location is open 24 hours a day, come in to check out our new breakfast menu! (Served 6 a m. to 11 a m.) iSUBWRV* Campus Location 1304 Hilyard 484-6955 Law professors seek severance pay at University of Puget Sound TACOMA (AP) —The sale of the University of Puget Sound's law school entities law professors to early retire ment and severance pay, 11 professors claim in a lawsuit. l-.ii !i of the tenured profes sors is seeking severance pay equating an average annual salary of $03,000 and early retirement pay up to $102,750. a UPS official said None of the professors lost their fobs as a result of the sale and continued teacliing at the law school in Tacoma after Seattle University took over from UPS last August But the lawsuit contends the sale of the school equates to dismissal from their former posts "We were terminated by the University of Puget Sound," said former UPS law professor lames Beaver. "When they ter minate you, it requires them to pay." Beaver, a founding law school professor, said the law suit was aimed at making the university honor its contract with its faculty. Hie lawsuit, filed last month in Pierce County Superior Court, names UPS. UPS pres ident Susan Resneck Pierce, and UPS financial vice prosi dun l Ray Bell. UPS spokesman John Gal lagher tud the lawsuit is mer it less. "Those professors are still employed at the same law school," said Gallagher, UPS' vice president for university relations. "They have not been dismissed nor have they retired." No Seattle University offi cials were immediately avail able for comment. Gallagher said UPS profes sors aren't eligible for early retirement pay if they contin ue teaching at another school. "They simply are not enti tled to any sort of severance or retirement pay," he said. 'There was no harm done. No harm, no foul." But the professors contend other UPS faculty members have taken early retirement and continued teaching else where. Seattle University plans to keep the 850-student law school there until 1909 at the latest, when it will he moved to the Seattle University cam pus (Ml First Hill in Seattle. Do you fit the bill? We re looking for a few good ducks to he Resident Assistants in the Residence Halls for the 1995-96 Academic Year. 'loti must attend one of the following informational meetings Tuesday Jan 10 7pm Gold Room (Carson Hall) Wednesday Jan 11 7 P m Riley Hall (11th & Patterson) Thursday Jan 12 3pm Ben Linder Room (EMU) lucsday Jan 17 7 p m Ramey Room (Hamilton Caf.) See the University Housing advertisement m the classifieds for further information if you think you "fit the hill". Applications available at main Housing office. Walton Hall \u VlhjitMiiw Asiiitft I •iiuiiiiv lii-tniii>..f, s. ii.n,f;i. ,j t. ( nit I »1-ciMiv .mil wiihifkv VitK It-. .Ills V. Hh I hv.iiMlin, s I
