❖◗❘❱❳❩❬ ❭❪❫❴❵❳❴❩ ❛❞❬ ❣✐❛❥
The Observer
➋➌➍➎➏ ➍➐➑➏➒➓➑➔→ ➣➓➒↔ ➏↕➍
➙➍➛➐ ➙➌→→➍➏➑➛
HB 2931 would incorrectly restrict
access to executive sessions,
lawmakers should pull it
State Rep. David Gomberg, D-Neotsu, says he has absolutely no inten-
tion of reducing public access to public process. But his bill, House Bill
2931, would do just that.
It would deny journalists access to closed-door executive sessions if they
do not “ordinarily and customarily report news on matters under consid-
➜➝➞➟➠➡➢ ➤➥ ➟➦➜ ➧➨➤➩➠➫ ➤➡➭➥➯➲ ➳➦➞➟ ➵➡➨➩➭ ➸➜➞➢ ➨➢➩➜➺➺ ➞ ➸➜➭➠➞ ➡➝➻➞➢➠➼➞ -
tion regularly reports on actions of the public body the public body could
decide to exclude them.
In Oregon, the news media can attend executive sessions. Journalists
act as watchdogs. They ensure the public body is not making decisions in
secret, among other things. HB 2931 would make that harder.
Consider an example. Let’s assume a reporter from The Bulletin wanted
to cover a meeting of the Harney County judge and commissioners dur-
➠➢➻ ➞ ➟➜➢➺➜ ➡➫➫➨➧➞➟➠➡➢ ➡➽ ➟➦➜ ➾➞➩➦➜➨➝ ➚➞➟➠➡➢➞➩ ➪➠➩➭➩➠➽➜ ➶➜➽➨➻➜➯ ➳➦➜ ➹➨➭➻➜
and commissioners march into executive session. Under HB 2931, the
county could bar The Bulletin reporter from attending because The Bul-
letin does not usually report on the Harney County Court. That is not an
improvement in the law.
Don’t think for a second that public bodies don’t already try to exclude
journalists. On Aug. 13, 2013, a joint committee from the Bend City Coun-
cil and the Bend Park & Recreation District was meeting to make policy
recommendations on the future of Mirror Pond. A Bulletin reporter and
editorial writer showed up to report on the meeting. Bend Park & Rec-
reation District Executive Director Don Horton ordered them to leave.
Attorneys for both public bodies later said the meeting should have been
➡➧➜➢ ➟➡ ➟➦➜ ➧➨➤➩➠➫➯ ➪➦➡ ➘➢➡➵➺ ➵➦➞➟ ➦➞➧➧➜➢➜➭ ➞➟ ➟➦➞➟ ➸➜➜➟➠➢➻➴
HB 2931 has other problems. It also would require each news organi-
Trump is a result of the severe division in
this country, not the cause
I would like to respond to the
letters that have been published
blaming the current administra-
tion for the divisive conditions in
our country.
These divisions were already un-
derway well before Donald Trump
announced his run for president.
They were in place during and be-
fore the Obama administration.
There used to be compromise
between sides in the political pro-
cess. Both sides worked together
for common good and goals. The
main arguing points involved the
means used to achieve these goals.
Bi-partisan work and compromise
allowed the legislative process to
move forward.
In recent times we are seeing
division where the parties no lon-
ger share common goals. One side
wants to fundamentally change the
country and the other to preserve
it. This is obvious in both state and
national politics. The metro areas
ignore the needs and desires of the
rural areas. The progressives want
to force change in the way rural and
conservative citizens live and to in-
crease government programs and
power.
The unwillingness of the left to
compromise, its continued press
to silence any conservative voice in
the discussion, and the continued
drive to disarm law-abiding citizens
(taking away their right to self-de-
fense) is viewed by a large number
of Americans as an assault on them
and the United States and Oregon
constitutions.
For example: The current pro-
posed and existing gun control “red
has to prove that he is competent
to get his weapons back. Further,
medical and other persons are re-
quired to report any conditions
the state would consider reasons
to take away their rights under the
Second Amendment. An obvious
result of this is you are telling any-
one who was ever in the military,
law enforcement, has PTSD or de-
pression to keep silent about it. If
they try to deal with it, they could
lose their rights. Also, their Sec-
ond, Fourth and Sixth amendment
rights are denied.
The attempt to demonize de-
fending our rights (gun owners and
the NRA are racist or terrorists) is
an assault on our First and Second
amendment rights.
❺⑤⑥ ❷⑦⑥ss③⑦⑥ ❻①⑦ q❧rs ④⑥❹⑨⑧⑨♠
⑧⑨❸⑧❶⑥⑩⑥⑨❶❼ ❶⑦③⑥ ❶⑤⑦⑥❧❶s❼ ❹♠⑤❶⑧⑨♠
words, perjury or false advertising.
Freedom of speech does not pro-
tect criminal behavior (assault as in
anti-fa or alt-right activity, property
➺➦➡➨➩➭ ➠➢➫➩➨➭➜ ➢➡➢➟➝➞➭➠➟➠➡➢➞➩ ➸➜➭➠➞➬ ➺➨➫➦ ➞➺ ➤➩➡➻➻➜➝➺➯ ❒➫➡➟➟ ➪➠➢➘➜➩➺ ➡➽
⑩⑥⑨❶ s⑤①rs ③❷ ❶① ❸①⑨❹s❸❧❶⑥ ⑤⑧s
➃➄➅➃ r⑥ r⑥⑦⑥ ⑧⑨ ❧ ➆⑧➇⑧q ➂❧⑦➁ ❺⑤⑥⑦⑥
the League of Oregon Cities said another intent of the bill is to clarify that
guns, and he is not allowed to chal-
lenge the order for a year. He then
are a lot of citizens in Oregon and
America who would rather see the
clarity is a mistake.
➪➦➜➢ ➵➜ ➟➞➩➘➜➭ ➟➡ ➷➡➸➤➜➝➻ ➞➤➡➨➟ ➦➠➺ ➤➠➩➩➬ ➦➜ ➟➡➩➭ ➨➺ ➦➜ ➵➞➺ ➺➠➸➧➩➥ ➟➝➥ -
ing to fix some parts of the law. “Journalism is changing more quickly than
➡➨➝ ➝➨➩➜➺➬➲ ➦➜ ➺➞➠➭➯ ➮➟ ➵➞➺ ➠➢➟➝➡➭➨➫➜➭ ➡➢ ➤➜➦➞➩➽ ➟➦➜ ➱➜➞➻➨➜ ➡➽ ✃➝➜➻➡➢ ❐➠➟ -
❦❧♠♥ q❧rs r①③q④ ❧qq①r ⑤⑥❧⑦⑧⑨♠s
ies, though the bill fails to identify that.
For instance, one statement in the bill makes it clear that journalists
people with a connection to a matter in executive session can not attend
that session.
D.C.
ßàáâã äåä æçèé êâëçéâ ìàáâ
➟➦➡➺➜ ➧➡➠➢➟➺ ➠➢ ➞ ➵➝➠➟➟➜➢ ➡➧➠➢➠➡➢➯ ➷➡➸➤➜➝➻ ➞➢➭ ➪➠➢➘➜➩➺ ➟➡➩➭ ➨➺ ➟➦➜➥
➵➡➨➩➭ ➩➡➡➘ ➞➻➞➠➢ ➞➟ ➟➦➜ ➩➞➢➻➨➞➻➜ ➠➢ ➟➦➜ ➤➠➩➩➯ ❮❰➠➩➩➺ ➜Ï➡➩Ï➜➬➲ ➷➡➸➤➜➝➻ ➺➞➠➭➯
They should just pull it from consideration.
❽➈ ⑦❧❶⑧❹❸❧❶⑧①⑨ ⑧⑨ ❶⑤⑦⑥⑥➉➊③❧⑦❶⑥⑦s ①❻
the states (38 of 50). Laws cannot
change the constitution — the con-
stitution limits laws.
➂⑤⑥⑨ ①⑨⑥ ❸①⑩❷q❧⑧⑨s ❧❽①③❶ ❶⑤⑥
divided status of our state and na-
tion, please note that if only one
side is required compromise, or
continued compromises on the
same issue are required of the
same side, that is part of the prob-
lem. Continuing to demand further
compromise on the same issue is
no longer compromise, but strong-
arm tactics.
Ð➒➛➏➔Ð➏ Ñ➒➌➓ Ò➌➙→➑Ð ➒➣➣➑Ð➑➔→➎
ÓÔÕÔ ÕÖ×Ô ØÖÙ ÚÖÛÜÝÖÞ :
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum has already clarified both
state or nation divide than let their
rights be removed.
The only legal way to change
the constitution is by an amend-
ment passing with two-thirds vote
in both House and Senate or two-
thirds of the state Legislatures in a
constitutional convention, followed
④❧⑩❧♠⑥❼ ❽q①❸❾⑧⑨♠ ❶⑦❧❿❸➀➁ ➂⑤⑥⑨
where the accused is not informed,
present, represented by a lawyer or
allowed to know who his accuser is.
He is not aware until law enforce-
dards without clearly defining what the ethical standards are. That lack of
❆✒✓✔✕✕✖✗ ❆✔✕✖✓❯
P❛✘✙✚✛❦ ✜✢ ✣✤✥✦✧ ★✩✧ ✪✚✈✥✫ ✚✦
✜❛ ▲✙❛✦✬✥✢ ✭✥ ✚✫ ❛ ✈✥✘✥✙❛✦
♦✮ ✘✯✥ ✰✢✳✢ ✱❛✈✲ ❛✦✬ ❛
❜✴✫✚✦✥✫✫ ♦✤✦✥✙✢ ✵✲❱♦✚✛✥
✛♦✪✴❝✦✫ ✙✥✶✥✛✘ ✘✯✥ ✈✚✥✤✫
♦✮ ✘✯✥ ❛✴✘✯♦✙ ♦✦✪✲✢ ✵✲❱♦✚✛✥
✛♦✪✴❝✦✫ ✫✯♦✴✪✬ ❜✥ ✷✸✸✹
✼✸✸ ✤♦✙✬✫✢ ✳✴❜❝✚✫✫✚♦✦✫
✫✯♦✴✪✬ ✚✦✛✪✴✬✥ ❛ s♦✙✘✙❛✚✘✹
✘✲s✥ s✯♦✘♦t✙❛s✯ ♦✮ ✘✯✥
❛✴✘✯♦✙✢ ✺✴✘✯♦✙✫ ❛✪✫♦ ✫✯♦✴✪✬
✚✦✛✪✴✬✥ ✘✯✥✚✙ ✮✴✪✪ ✦❛❝✥✧ ❛t✥✧
♦✛✛✴s❛✘✚♦✦ ❛✦✬ ✙✥✪✥✈❛✦✘
♦✙t❛✦✚✻❛✘✚♦✦❛✪ ❝✥❝❜✥✙✫✯✚s✫✢
❲✥ ✥✬✚✘ ✫✴❜❝✚✫✫✚♦✦✫ ✮♦✙
❜✙✥✈✚✘✲✧ t✙❛❝❝❛✙✧ ✘❛✫✘✥ ❛✦✬
✪✥t❛✪ ✙✥❛✫♦✦✫✢❲✥ ✙✥❡✥✛✘
✘✯♦✫✥ s✴❜✪✚✫✯✥✬ ✥✪✫✥✤✯✥✙✥✢
✳✥✦✬ ✛♦✪✴❝✦✫ ✘♦ ✜❛ ▲✙❛✦✬✥
✣❜✫✥✙✈✥✙✧ ✽✾✸★ ✿✚✮✘✯ ✳✘✢✧
✜❛ ▲✙❛✦✬✥✧ ✣✙✥✢✧ ❀✼❁✷✸✧
✮❛❢ ✘✯✥❝ ✘♦ ✷✾✽✹❀★✩✹✼❁✸✾
♦✙ ✥❝❛✚✪ ✘✯✥❝ ✘♦ ✦✥✤✫❂
✪❛t✙❛✦✬✥♦❜✫✥✙✈✥✙✢✛♦❝✢
hate speech and making it a crime is
a direct assault on the First Amend-
ment’ free speech guarantee. The
constitutional limitation on free
speech is only that it not contain
the left defends these activities as
a right to free speech or protest, it
is a slap in the face to law-abiding
citizens.
President Trump’s election was
the reaction of middle America to
what is increasingly viewed as at-
tacks on our way of life and values.
Oregon already has 13 counties
with Second Amendment Protec-
tion Ordinances that say any laws
that violate the amendment cannot
be enforced, and more are working
on them. If this divisive trend con-
tinues, I believe we are headed for
a bad end. The last time the coun-
try was this divided was in 1860. In
zation seeking to attend to an executive session to adhere to ethical stan-
My Voice
íîïðñïëòó
ôçõöïëòéßëó
÷øùø
20510. Phone: 202-224-3753.
úçûã üýüþüüÿþä ✁ ø ôâ ✂ õïéâã
merkley.senate.gov/.
Email:
merkley.senate.gov/contact/.
✄ ßèéðçëñ ßàáâã ìëâ ôßèðñ
☎ èçñâ ùâëéâèó åüå êøôø êçð ✆ ßë
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
íîïðñïëòó
St. Suite 1250, Portland, OR
97204; 503-326-3386; fax 503-
äü ✝ þü ýýø ✄ âëñðâéßë ßàáâã
310 S.E. Second St. Suite 105,
Pendleton 97801; 541-278-1129;
email
elizabeth_scheeler@
merkley.senate.gov.
ÓÔÕÔ ÕÖ×Ô ✞✟ × ✠ Þ ✡ Ö× : D.C.
ßàáâã üüå ÷ïè ☛ õâë êâëçéâ ìàáâ
ôçõöïëòéßëó
÷øùø
20510-3703;
phone: 202-224-5244; fax
üýüþüüÿþü ✁ å ✁ ø ôâ ✂ õïéâã ☞✌ ñâëø
senate.gov. Email: wyden.senate.
òß ✍✎ áßëéçáé ✎ ø ✏ ç ✑ èçëñâ ßàáâã
105 Fir St., No. 210, La Grande,
OR 97850; 541-962-7691; fax,
541-963-0885; email kathleen_
cathey@wyden.senate.gov.
STAFF
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
Phone:
Regional publisher.........................Karrine Brogoitti
Home delivery advisor.................Amanda Fredrick
NEWSSTAND PRICE: $1.50
✚✛✜✢✣✤✥✢✥✜✤✜
Regional audience
development director...............................Kelli Craft
Customer service rep ......................... Mollie Lynch
❨♦ ✁✂✄ ☎✂✈❡ ✆ ✝♦ ✞✟✠ ♦❢❢ ✝✡❡ ☎☛✄☞✌❡✍✁♦✆②
✆♣☛✁❡ ✎☛✝✡ ✡♦✏❡ ✑❡✌☛✈❡♣②✳
❈✂✌✌ ✺✒✶✲✓✔✕✲✕✶✔✶ ✝♦ ☎ t☎✁♣☛t❡✳
❙✝♦✆✆❡✑ ✂✁✁♦ ✄✝ t✂✌✂✄✁❡☎ ✌❡☎☎ ✝✡✂✄ ✖✗ ✎☛✌✌
t❡ ♣❡❢ ✄✑❡✑ ✆♦✄ ♣❡❜ ❡☎✝✳
Subscription rates per month:
❇② ✁✂♣♣☛❡♣✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳ ✖✩✘✳✗✘
❇② ✏✂☛✌✙ ✂✌✌ ♦✝✡❡♣ ❯✳❙✳ ✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳✳ ✖✩✗
An independent newspaper founded in 1896
❉❊❋●❋ ❍■■❏❍❑▼◆
Email:
❚✡❡ ❤t☎❡♣✈❡♣ ♣❡☎❡♣✈❡☎ ✝✡❡ ♣☛☞✡✝ ✝♦ ✂✑❁ ☎✝ ☎ t☎✁♣☛✆✝☛♦✄
♣✂✝❡☎ t② ☞☛✈☛✄☞ ✆♣❡✆✂☛✑ ✂✄✑ ✏✂☛✌ ☎ t☎✁♣☛t❡♣☎ ✞✘ ✑✂②☎
✄♦✝☛✁❡✳ P❡♣☛♦✑☛✁✂✌☎ ✆♦☎✝✂☞❡ ✆✂☛✑ ✂✝ ✫✂ ✬♣✂✄✑❡✙ ❤♣❡☞♦✄
✧✪✦✗✘✳ P t✌☛☎✡❡✑ ✉♦✄✑✂②☎✙ ❂❡✑✄❡☎✑✂②☎ ✂✄✑ ✹♣☛✑✂②☎
❃❡❄✁❡✆✝ ❝❡✁✳ ✵✗❅ t② ❂❡☎✝❡♣✄ ❈♦✏✏ ✄☛✁✂✝☛♦✄☎ ❆✄✁✳✙
✩✟✘★ ✹☛❢✝✡ ❙✝✳✙ ✫✂ ✬♣✂✄✑❡✙ ❤▲ ✧✪✦✗✘ ❃❯❙P❙ ✵✧✧✍✵★✘❅
COPYRIGHT © 2019
A division of
❲✭✮✯✭✰✱ ✴✷✸✸✻✱✼✽✾✯✼✷✱✮ ✿✱✽❀
Toll free (Oregon):
✩✍✦✘✘✍✟✵✵✍✞✩✩✘
Fax: ✗✟✩✍✧★✞✍✪✦✘✟
THE OBSERVER
❚✡❡ ❤t☎❡♣✈❡♣ ♣❡✝✂☛✄☎ ♦✎✄❡♣☎✡☛✆ ✂✄✑ ✁♦✆②♣☛☞✡✝
✆♣♦✝❡✁✝☛♦✄ ♦❢ ✂✌✌ ☎✝✂❢❢✍✆♣❡✆✂♣❡✑ ✄❡✎☎ ✁♦✆②✙ ✂✑✈❡♣✝☛☎☛✄☞
✁♦✆②✙ ✆✡♦✝♦☎ ✂✄✑ ✄❡✎☎ ♦♣ ✂✑ ☛✌✌ ☎✝♣✂✝☛♦✄☎✳ ❚✡❡② ✏✂②
✄♦✝ t❡ ♣❡✆♣♦✑ ✁❡✑ ✎☛✝✡♦ ✝ ❡❄✆✌☛✁☛✝ ✆♣☛♦♣ ✂✆✆♣♦✈✂✌✳
✄❡✎☎✇✌✂☞♣✂✄✑❡♦t☎❡♣✈❡♣✳✁♦✏
Website:
✎✎✎✳✌✂☞♣✂✄✑❡♦t☎❡♣✈❡♣✳✁♦✏
Street address:
✩✟✘★ ✹☛❢✝✡ ❙✝✳✙ ✫✂ ✬♣✂✄✑❡
Editor ..........................................Cherise Kaechele
News clerk....................................Lisa Lester Kelly
Sports editor .......................................Ronald Bond
Reporter................................................Dick Mason
Reporter............................................. Max Denning
Reporter.....................................Amanda Weisbrod
POSTMASTER
Classifieds ........................................ Devi Mathson
Send address changes to:
Customer service rep ................Sharon Magnuson
❚✡❡ ❤t☎❡♣✈❡♣✙ ✩✟✘★ ✹☛❢✝✡ ❙✝✳✙
✫✂ ✬♣✂✄✑❡✙ ❤▲ ✧✪✦✗✘
Periodicals postage paid at:
✫✂ ✬♣✂✄✑❡✙ ❤♣❡☞♦✄ ✧✪✦✗✘
Advertising representative......................Karen Fye
Advertising representative...............Juli Bloodgood
Advertising representative...................... Amy Horn
Graphic design supervisor................Dorothy Kautz
Graphic design ..............................Cheryl Christian