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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 27, 2020)
LOCAL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2020 THE OBSERVER — 5A GOP Continued from Page 1A she didn’t know where any of them were. House Republicans’ absence could further jam up the already uncertain session, which is facing a March 8 deadline. The boycott appeared to catch many in the Capitol off guard Tuesday. Many expected a House walkout over cap and trade — if it came at all — would occur once Senate Bill 1530 made it past the Senate. It’s unclear how House Speaker Tina Kotek will respond to the move. When Republicans refused to show up to a fl oor session on Feb. 18, she stripped one of the absent lawmakers, Rep. Greg Smith of Heppner, of a subcommittee chair- manship. But Smith still serves as a vice- chair on the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, and despite culti- vating a reputation as a bipartisan dealmaker, he decided to join his caucus in walking out. In an interview Tuesday, Smith said the decision “weighed heavy on my heart,” but the committee Democrats’ refusal to consider GOP amendments to the bill, includ- Andrew Selsky/Associated Press Oregon state Senate President Peter Courtney pauses after declar- ing in the state Senate on Tuesday that amid a boycott by Repub- lican senators, not enough lawmakers were present to reach a quorum. NELSON Continued from Page 1A the movement opposed to Oregon’s climate change legislation. The candidate and his fi ancée are parents and foster parents, and he said he sees the need for more re- sources for our future generations. “This area is a great place to raise our children. However, the govern- ment needs to step back and let parents raise their children,” Nelson said. “They have their best interests SHELTER Continued from Page 1A one who had access to the shelter’s checkbook and debit card. The funds were meant to be used strictly on shelter business, Trachel said, but during her time there, Brin- lee spent shelter money on personal items. “John had a good heart, he just didn’t know what he was doing,” Trachel said. “He shouldn’t have had access to the checkbook.” Trachel in June 2019 moved to Idaho while the association and Brinlee were renegotiating a contract. “If I hadn’t moved I would probably still be working at the shelter,” she said. The rewriting of Brinlee’s contract was the board’s attempt to address certain issues, according to minutes from the June 2019 meeting. “The contract has been seen as a way of legally codifying expectations so that we have grounds for dismissal if John fails to do what is required of him,” the minutes stated. Brinlee in January re- signed as the shelter’s direc- tor. At the time he was living at the shelter and housing his own dogs there. Brinlee also used the association’s van for all of his transporta- tion during his time there, Trachel said. The board in January discussed changing the locks and the transition to new leadership, the minutes stated. In addition to Beach, the association’s new board members are Bob Rynear- son, Bri Troutman, Terri Bradley, Mary Horn, Lani Jones, Rebecca Lord, Shawn Mangum and Mary Peter- son. Rynearson serves as vice president, Troutman as secretary and Bradley as treasurer. The Observer attempted to contact board members, and most did not return messages. Horn said, “At this point we are in transition, and I do not have any com- ment.” The association’s offi cial name is the Animal Rescue and Adoption Center of Eastern Oregon, according to its 990 tax forms, which are “That meant that I needed to step out of the building.” Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove, said he was participating in the walkout to stop bad legislation. “One of the few tools we have left to fend off this bad legislation is to deny a quorum. The Republi- cans have asked to allow the good people of this state to have a right to vote on this life-changing bill. The majority party has denied you ing one that would send the issue to the ballot, pushed him to leave Salem. “At that point in time, it really left me with no option but to recog- nize that it was probably better for me to step back and have all of us take a deep breath, and hopefully allow leadership from all parts of the Legislature and the executive branch to come together and fi nd a more reasonable solution,” he said. “This area is a great place to raise our children, however, the government needs to step back and let parents raise their children. They have their best interests at heart.” Barreto “made positive change and got out. I look forward to continuing advancing positive change for our area.” Nelson faces Bobby Levy, a farmer and business owner from Echo in the Republican primary. Two Democrats seek their party’s nomination: Nolan Bylenga, a Portland State University student from Pendleton, and Barbara Wright of Pendleton, a merchandiser and veterans advocate. The fi ling deadline for Oregon’s May 19 primary is March 10. — Mike Nelson, candidate from Union County for Oregon House District 58 seat at heart.” The candidate said he has a lot of respect for Barreto, stating that “John had a good heart, he just didn’t know what he was doing. He shouldn’t have had access to the checkbook.” — Rae Trachel, former treasurer of the Blue Mountain Humane Association public documents. The forms indicate the association has struggled with fi nances for several years. The organization’s 2015 taxes show it ended the year more than $114,000 in the hole. The next year that improved to a loss of almost $35,000. And for 2017, the most recent year available, the association again re- ported a defi cit of $56,345. The association plans to repair relationships with Union County, according to the most recent board meeting minutes, from Jan. 29. The county has a contract to pay the associa- tion $50,000 a year to go toward the cost of housing and taking care of animals the sheriff’s offi ce brings to the shelter. Commissioner Matt Scarfo tions that would make carbon- intensive energy sources more expensive. “Oregon House Republicans are taking a stand, with working fami- lies, in opposing cap and trade and this rigged process,” House Repub- lican Leader Christine Drazan said in a statement. “We will continue to keep all lines of communication open. I call on Governor Brown and the majority party to refer cap and trade to the people.” Despite a slew of modifi cations to the climate change program, which was initially proposed last year, Republicans say that Democrats refuse to accept their amendments. They now insist the plan be put before Oregon voters. “Ultimately, if the Salem elitists believe so strongly in how wonderful and necessary their so-called emer- gency cap-and-trade legislation is, they should enthusiastically permit the voters of Oregon to decide its fate,” said Bill Currier, chairman of the Oregon Republican Party. “Noth- ing speaks more powerfully for the legislative boycott than that they refused to let this happen.” In the House, one Republican did show up Tuesday morning: Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend, a self-described moderate. that option with the emergency clauses which prevent a referral to the ballot,” he said in an emailed statement. “The short session was never intended to undertake mas- sive legislation like SB 1530 and HB 4167.” On Monday, Republicans in the state Senate left the Capitol rather than debate the so-called cap-and-trade bill that calls for the state to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to at least 45% below 1990 emissions levels by 2035 and to at least 80% below by 2050. The bill would force big greenhouse gas emitters to obtain credits for each metric ton of carbon dioxide they emit. The Senate Republicans repeated their no-show Tuesday. One Republican, Tim Knopp of Bend, attended the Monday and Tuesday fl oor sessions. Bills that lawmakers are considering — everything from fl ood relief money for the Umatilla Basin to money for more home- less shelters — could be delayed or scrapped entirely. Republicans are pushing to refer the legislation to voters. The proposal aims to cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions through a mechanism known as cap and trade. It would impose new regula- said the open line of com- munication the shelter is establishing will be impor- tant to ensuring the previous issues do not happen again. Scarfo said he has a positive outlook on the future of the shelter. “I have heard they have been cleaning things up,” he said. FUNDING Continued from Page 1A from mixed socioeconomic backgrounds partly because it gives them a broader view of the world. Eastern Oregon Head Start must submit its Pre- school Promise grant request by April 2. Kleng said all fund- ing that goes toward early childhood education is money well spent because it gives youngsters the skills they need to succeed. Studies show children who attend preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school. Kleng said James Heck- man, a Nobel prize-winning economist at the University of Chicago, has determined every dollar spent on early childhood education provides a return of 7-10% a year to the communi- ty because of increased school and career achievement. 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