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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 2020)
2A — THE OBSERVER D AILY P LANNER WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2020 LOCAL New laws to know for 2020 By Jade McDowell TODAY EO Media Group Today is Wednesday, Jan. 1, the fi rst day of leap year 2020. There are 365 days left in the year. SALEM — Several new Oregon laws take effect with the start of the new year, including measures for making voting even easier in Oregon. Others address plastic bags, revenge porn and marijuana convictions. When a new year starts, it can be easy to miss the memo on changes to the law. Ignorance of the law is not a defense for breaking it, however, so here are some handy guidelines for 2020: TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On Jan. 1, 2005, desper- ate, homeless villagers on the tsunami-ravaged island of Sumatra mobbed American helicopters carry- ing aid as the U.S. military launched its largest opera- tion in the region since the Vietnam War. ON THIS DATE In 1785, The Daily Uni- versal Register — which later became the Times of London — published its fi rst issue. In 1863, President Abra- ham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclama- tion, declaring that slaves in rebel states shall be “forever free.” In 1892, the Ellis Island Immigrant Station in New York formally opened. In 1953, country singer Hank Williams Sr., 29, was discovered dead in the back seat of his car during a stop in Oak Hill, West Virginia, while he was being driven to a concert date in Canton, Ohio. In 1959, Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries over- threw Cuban leader Fulgen- cio Batista, who fl ed to the Dominican Republic. In 1975, a jury in Washing- ton found Nixon administra- tion offi cials John N. Mitch- ell, H.R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman and Robert C. Mardian guilty of charges related to the Watergate cover-up. In 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. In 2009, the U.S. formally transferred control of the Green Zone to Iraqi authori- ties in a pair of ceremonies that also handed back Saddam Hussein’s former palace. In 2014, the nation’s fi rst legal recreational pot shops opened in Colorado at 8 a.m. Mountain time. LOTTERY Megabucks: $8.1 million 2-11-32-33-35-38 Mega Millions: $60 million 30-44-49-53-56-11-x3 Powerball: $220 million 20-23-39-59-60-18-x2 Win for Life: Dec. 30 17-18-54-73 Pick 4: Dec. 31 •1p.m.:1-1-9-3 •4p.m.:1-9-9-9 •7p.m.:7-0-9-3 •10p.m.:6-1-8-0 Pick 4: Dec. 30 •1p.m.:6-7-1-3 •4p.m.:9-0-2-5 •7p.m.:9-1-9-3 •10p.m.:8-7-2-5 NEWSPAPER LATE? Every effort is made to de- liver your Observer in a timely manner. Occasionally condi- tions exist that make delivery more diffi cult. If you are not on a motor route, delivery should be before5:30p.m.Ifyoudonot receiveyourpaperby5:30p.m. Monday through Friday, please call 541-963-3161 by 6 p.m. If your delivery is by motor carrier, delivery should be by 6 p.m. For calls after 6, please call 541-975- 1690, leave your name, address and phone number. Your paper will be delivered the next business day. QUOTE OF THE DAY “If you asked me for my New Year Resolution, it would be to fi nd out who I am.” — Cyril Cusack, Irish actor Plastic bags Starting Jan. 1, stores will no longer be able to give out single-use plastic bags at check-out, although bags used for meat and produce will be exempt. Stores will also be required to charge at least 5 cents per bag for pa- per, reusable bags or other alternatives. Real ID As of Oct. 1, 2020, regular Oregon driver’s licenses will no longer be valid to board a commercial fl ight, enter a secure federal facility, such as a military base, or do other activities where a federally approved form of identifi cation is required. After Oct. 1, Oregonians who want to take a fl ight will have to use another form of approved identifi ca- tion, such as a passport, or apply for a new type of driver’s license called a Real ID. The state hopes to have the federally approved Real IDs available through the Department of Motor Vehicles starting in July after fi nishing a “major IT overhaul,” according to the department’s website. Real IDs will be optional, and those getting them will be required to pay the DMV’s fee for replacement of a driver’s license, plus a yet-to-be-determined additional Real ID fee. The newly issued Real ID will have the same expiration date as the person’s current driver’s license, so people whose licenses expire soon after the Real IDs are avail- able are advised they may want to wait until it is time to renew their license. Should someone choose not to upgrade to a Real ID, a standard Oregon driver’s licenses will still be good for activities such as driving, purchasing alcohol, register- ing to vote or applying for benefi ts. Voting In 2020, Oregon will continue its quest to make voting as convenient as possible by not charging for postage to mail in ballots. During the next election, Oregonians will simply be able to drop their ballot in the mail without a stamp. Bicycling Starting Jan. 1, bicyclists can proceed through an intersection with a stop sign or traffi c signal without stopping, providing they proceed at a safe speed and yield to vehicles and pedestrians. Revenge porn As of 2020, it will be a crime in Oregon to dis- tribute intimate photos or videos of a person without their consent. The photos or videos qualify as revenge WALLOWA COUNTY Spending bill offers little help locally By Bill Bradshaw EO Media Group Portland Tribune/Jaime Valdez IThe Oregon Legislature passed hundred of new bills that go into effect in 2020. no longer be allowed to force employees to sign nondisclosure agreements restricting them from talk- ing about harassment or discrimination they experi- enced at the company. EO Media Group Photo/Ben Lonergan A receipt from a a retailer in the Tri-Cities, Washington, shows an 8.6% sales tax. The tax consists of Washing- ton’s 6.5% sales tax and the 2.1% sales tax in the Tri- Cities. Under a new Washington law, Oregon residents must fi le for reimbursement of the tax rather than receive a point-of-sale exemption. porn under the law if they show a person’s “intimate parts” or show them engag- ing in a sex act, the subject is identifi able, they did not give permission and could reasonably be expected to be “harassed, humiliated or injured by the disclosure.” Previously, the law only covered posting such con- tent to a website but now adds any other methods of dissemination, such as text message, email, private messaging in apps or hand- ing out physical copies. It also allows victims to sue for up to $5,000 in dam- ages. The crime is a Class A misdemeanor for a fi rst offense and Class C felony if the perpetrator has a prior record of such offenses. Calling 911 Using the police as a weap- on to harass someone will be a risky move starting Jan. 1 as a law takes effect allowing people to seek civil damages from someone who sum- moned police with the intent to infringe on the person’s rights, discriminate against them, cause them to feel ha- rassed or embarrassed, expel them from a place where they are legally allowed to be or damage their reputation or fi nancial standing. The law was put in place to address reports of incidents in which whites called 911 on people of color for legal activities, such as holding a barbecue. Marijuana convictions Starting in January, the aptly named Senate Bill 420 will allow people with past marijuana convictions to petition to clear their record. The bill was passed in recognition that while Or- egon legalized possession of user amounts of recreational marijuana in 2015, many people have criminal records based on possession pre- 2015. Those convictions, for something that is now legal, can hold them back from obtaining jobs and housing. After Jan. 1, people who have “qualifying marijuana convictions” can petition the court to set aside their con- viction and seal the record, making it as if it never hap- pened. As long as the convic- tion fi ts under the defi nition laid out by the law, the court must grant the motion. A qualifying conviction means the person was found to possess less than 1 ounce of marijuana or other behavior described in ORS 475B.301, the offense happened before July 1, 2015, and the person fully complied with the require- ments of their sentence. Employment Employees in Oregon will receive a variety of new protections in January. Pregnant workers will be among those who receive new protections under the law. Employers will be re- quired to provide reasonable accommodations, such as as- sistance with manual labor or more frequent bathroom breaks, to pregnant employ- ees. They will also be prohib- ited from denying someone employment, requiring them to take a leave of absence or otherwise retaliating or discriminating against them for requesting accom- modations for their preg- nancy. Employers will also be required to create anti- harassment policies for their workplace and will FAMILY OWNED Minimum wage Minimum wage will in- crease once again in July as part of a law passed by the Legislature in 2016 that set up regular increases through 2022. This year, minimum wage in Oregon will increase to $12 in “standard” coun- ties (mostly found on the west side of the state), $13.25 in metro counties, such as Clackamas and Multnomah, and $11.50 in rural counties. Union and Wallaowa counties fall into the rural category, along with the rest of counties east of Sherman County. Sales tax In July, Washington stopped granting Oregonians an exemption to sales tax at the register. But as of Jan. 1, Oregon residents who have been saving their receipts can fi le a tax return for the amount of sales tax they paid to Washington in 2019. To qualify, applicants must be a resident of a state that does not have sales tax, must have purchased the items for use outside of Washington and must be requesting re- imbursement for more than $25 in taxes paid (at 6.5% state sales tax, that means spending at least $384.62 on qualifying items). They will have to submit receipts and information about the time and place of each purchase, in addition to proof of resi- dency. Each person is allowed to apply for reimbursement once per calendar year for taxes paid in the previous year. According to the Wash- ington Department of Revenue’s media relations offi ce, the necessary forms will go online in January under the “general public” heading on their home page. For now, what information is available can be found at dor.wa.gov/fi nd-taxes-rates/ retail-sales-tax/sales-non- residents. ENTERPRISE — Although a new federal spending bill in- cluded nearly $60 million for sustainable and organic agri- culture, few Wallowa County producers expect to see any benefi ts despite federal and state efforts to promote such farming methods. The $1.4 trillion 2020 spending bill was signed Dec. 19 by President Donald Trump to avert a government shutdown. Notice of the bill came in a press release from U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden. Pete Schreder, the Oregon State University Extension livestock, range and natural resources agent for Wallowa County, said the county’s organic market is rather small and without knowing the strings attached to the funding he couldn’t be sure of the effects. “It provides some opportu- nities for individuals think- ing of changing methods … toward an organic market,” he said. Merkley’s spokesperson Sara Hottman, emphasized his help securing $37 million for the U.S. Department of Agriculture education and research program, an increase in the National Organic Program to $15 million and $6 million to help farmers transition from conventional to organic farm- ing practices. “For Wallowa County,” Hottman said, “this means that folks have access to competitive grant funding. Oregon in particular has ben- efi tted from organic research programs and the Organic Transition Program, which provide education to farm- ers who are newly adopting organic practices. The pro- gram will help transitioning producers better understand the economic and environ- mental benefi ts of organic production.” As an example of grants to establish new organic crops that are available under the transition program, Hottman cited a program to incentives growing organic blueber- ries on the east side of the Cascades. These and other grant opportunities are avail- able through OSU Extension, Hottman said. Hank Stern, a spokes- man for Wyden, said while there’s no per-county dollar estimate, these increased resources will help farmers working in Northeast Or- egon and throughout rural parts of the state if they are interested in organic and sustainable agriculture. That’s a win all-around for both the rural economy and a sustainable future. www.CountrysideSheds.com For New Years Start Growing Season early in your Greenhouse STORAGE BUILDINGS (541) 663-0246 Locally owned and operated for over 25 years 10505 N. McAlister Road (Corner of Hwy 82 & N. McAlister Rd.) La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR 975-2000 www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst ACDelcoTSS RENT to OWN 215 Elm Street La Grande (541) 963-5440 northwestfurnitureandmattress.com Our Greenhouse is more than a shed starting at $ 68 Month
