Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 13, 2005)
Today Thursday Friday High: 50 High: 56 High: 61 Low: 35 Low: 39 Low: 46 Precip: 80% Precip: 50% Precip: 40% Gas prices in Oregon continue to climb PORTLAND — The statewide aver age for a gallon of gas is now at $2.46, 14 cents above the previous record set over Memorial Day weekend last year. Gas prices are most expensive in the Medford-Ashland area, where they av erage $2.59 per gallon, according to AAA Oregon-Idaho. Prices at the pump rose about 16 cents last week to top out well above the national average of about $2.27, according to AAA. In Portland and Eugene, the average price for a gallon of gas is now $2.43, and $2.36 in Salem. Oregon’s average price, tied with Washington’s average, ranks fourth highest in the nation. California tops the list at $2.63, fol lowed by Hawaii and Nevada. New Jersey has the lowest average price at $2.08. Senate endorses end to double majority law SALEM — The automatic defeat of local property tax measures if a major ity of Oregon voters do not cast ballots could be a thing of the past under a proposal endorsed Thesday by the state Senate. The Senate passed the proposed bal lot measure to scrap the “double ma jority” rule on a 20-8 vote, sending it to the House. House approval would give voters the final say because the rule is part of the state constitution, which can be changed only with voter approval. The current provision says property tax measures can be approved only if a majority of votes are in favor and at least 50 percent of registered voters cast ballots. The requirement was passed by vot ers in 1996, and a repeal measure nar rowly failed in 1998. Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tbalatin, said the requirement is undemocratic because people effectively vote “no” by not voting. The voter participation requirement was meant to discourage local officials’ attempts to raise taxes by holding lit tle-noticed and low turnout special elections, Devlin said. But, he said, sending measures to “obscure elec tions is no longer feasible or possible” because voters now get ballots in the mail for all elections. The League of Oregon Cities says that out of the 963 local property tax measures voted on from 1997 through 2003,122 failed because of the double majority requirement. Taxi driver involved in accident loses permit PORTLAND — The van driver involved in the accident that killed the mother of a top U.S. figure skater has lost his permit under a decision made by Portland’s top taxicab regulator. The driver, Sergey Anikin, 36, did not appeal the decision, city taxicab supervisor John Hamilton said. Anikin’s van collided with a car while merging onto Interstate 205 on Jan. 12. Passenger Delores Nikodinov, the mother of a skater scheduled to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the Rose Garden, died in the rollover. Her daughter, skater Angela Nikodi nov, withdrew from competition. Police cited Anikin on accusations of careless driving and failing to main tain his line of travel. An investigation found that at the time of the accident, Anikin had been working 18 consecutive hours, a vio lation of city regulations that restrict taxi drivers from working more than 14 hours in any 24-hour period, Hamilton said. — The Associated Press MAKE SURE YOU ORE CURED STUDENT HEALTH INSURANCE It's easy... Just go to the UO Health Center at 13th and Agate. But don't miss the deadline. Sign-up runs nouu through April 15. Reuiem details of the plan on our tueb page http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu Any questions? Call 34B-370Z ^ J j UNIVERSITY OF OREGON http://healthcenter.uoregon.edu • appointments: 346-2770 Spring 2005 Wednesday, April 27 10am - }pm EMU Ballroom Pre-Career Fair Seminar Making the Career fair Work for You Tuesday, April 26 • 4:00 - 530 pm • EMU Coquille Room UNIVERSITY OF OREGON COCSSf 220 Hendricks Hall • 346-3235 • http://uocareer.uoregort edu
