OFF PAGE ONE
Tuesday, March 30, 2021
BILL
SENATE BILL 719
Continued from Page 1A
trator of the OHA’s Center
for Public Health Practice,
opposed the bill in a March
15 letter.
Using an example of
an E. coli outbreak, she
explained epidemiologists
early on had suspected
hummus had sickened sev-
eral people, but it turned
out all six also had eaten
spinach, a vehicle for E. coli
outbreaks.
“Had we been required
to release our statistical
compilations prematurely,
they would have incorrectly
impugned the hummus,”
she stated.
Also, she continued, “a
requirement to respond to
a public records request
for data in such situations
would derail the epidemi-
ologist who was collecting
and analyzing the data,
slowing the investigation,
and delaying the outbreak
solution.”
Young also argued that
releasing “aggregate” data
from numerically small
populations could lead
• summary: sB 719 provides that certain aggregate data relating to reportable
disease investigations are not confidential or exempt from disclosure under
public records law unless data could reasonably lead to identification of the
individual. declares emergency, effective on passage.
• The bill is in the senate committee on health care.
• Freshman sen. deb Patterson, d-salem, chairs the committee, and sen. Tim
Knopp, r-Bend, is the vice chair. The committee plans to meet for a work session
Wednesday, March 31, at 1 p.m. to discuss sB 719 and several other bills.
• For more information, go to olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021r1/committees/
shc/2021-03-31-13-00/agenda.
to the identification of
individuals.
“Naming the report-
able disease causing a death
in a person of a specific
age, such as an infant in a
small county, would effec-
tively tell what the infant
died of to those who know
of the death,” according to
Young. “Correlating rela-
tively uncommon demo-
graphic features with dis-
eases, even in aggregate,
can betray protected health
information.”
Young, however, did
not explain how someone’s
health information is pri-
vate once they are dead.
Oregon State Police, for
example, routinely identify
victims of fatal crashes.
The bill also received
plenty of support.
The Oregon Progres-
sive Party and Independent
Party of Oregon back the
bill, telling the committee
in a March 15 letter, “The
Oregon Health Authority
has been refusing to release
key statistics used to justify
and monitor reopening of
business in the COVID pan-
demic,” including in mid-
2020 when the state health
agency stopped releasing
public daily tallies of new
county hospitalizations.
Erin Kissane, co-founder
of The COVID Tracking
Project and a resident of
Astoria, submitted testi-
mony supporting passage of
the bill.
“Although Oregon
received an ‘A’ grade in our
2020 state assessments, we
have noted several mean-
ingful deficits in the state’s
public COVID-19 data,”
Kissane stated, including
“problems with public
testing and case data, as
well as deficits in the state’s
reporting on COVID-19
outbreaks, cases and deaths
in nursing homes and other
long-term care facilities.
Kissane also argued it is
troubling the Oregon Health
Authority refuses to provide
the aggregate data it uses to
produce visuals and argu-
ments about public health
interventions.
“Without providing
access to the data behind
such claims,” she stated,
“the OHA is asking mem-
bers of the public to take
its statements on trust — a
trust it has not consistently
earned.”
In a recent example, Kis-
sane referred to The Orego-
nian’s reporting on March
13.
The OHA touted that it
was allocating 15,000 first
doses per week for seniors
at the Portland metro area’s
three mass vaccination
sites — and this alloca-
tion would increase vac-
cines available to residents
65 and older in four Oregon
counties by “about 50%.”
But when reporters pressed,
according to Kissane, “the
OHA eventually conceded
that doses at these facilities
are not allocated to specific
groups of recipients, and
that OHA therefore didn’t
know how many doses had
previously been given to
seniors, nor how many new
doses would be adminis-
tered to seniors.”
And the Oregonian
reporters found the true
week-over-week increase
in doses for these facili-
ties was only 19%. Kissane
stated Oregon residents
deserve access to the data
behind OHA’s claims.
“SB 719 explicitly tar-
gets the release of aggregate
data that can serve valid
public interests without
compromising the privacy
of the individuals whose
vaccinations, illnesses, hos-
pitalizations and deaths are
represented in these data,”
she concluded.
Tom Holt, a lobbyist
for the Society of Profes-
sional Journalists, also
submitted testimony in
favor of the bill.
“The Health Authority
has and continues to make
recommendations and deci-
sions that affect all Orego-
nians, and there is a clear
public interest in the high-
level data used to make
those recommendations and
decisions,” Holt told the
committee, “and not just
vague charts or other sum-
maries selectively released
by an agency.”
Holt pointed out SB
719 does not require OHA
to create aggregated data
reports in response to an
information request, nor
does the bill compel the
release of sensitive, indi-
vidually identifiable infor-
mation, but specifically
exempts from disclosure
information “that reason-
ably could lead to the iden-
tification of an individual.”
A public health agency can
deny a request for data from
an area with a sparse pop-
ulation if that data could
lead to identification of an
individual.
What the bill would
require, Holt stated, is the
release of aggregate infor-
mation that agencies have
at their fingertips.
KEOL
The SFC received
requests for $1.4 million
in funding in 2021-22, but
could allot only $1.2 mil-
lion because of the projected
decline in incidental fee rev-
enue. This meant virtually
all of the 20 organizations
requesting money from
the committee had their
funding cut.
Hermens, like Kemp,
understands it is a difficult
situation.
Kemp said despite the
defunding, KEOL, which
also is available via the
internet, still has a future,
either as an online stu-
dent-run station or as a
community station.
He said KEOL could
continue operating online
for significantly less money
while adding vibrancy to
the campus. It would have
to do more than just play
music, he said, and add local
news and information about
upcoming activities on
campus.
“It would have to be a
scene, one that is event-cen-
tered,” Kemp said.
Should the commu-
nity station route be taken,
Kemp said KEOL could
become a nonprofit entity
that community members
operated while EOU con-
tinuing owning the station.
A community station
would provide a means for
individuals and groups to
tell their own stories and
share experiences.
EOU has a head start
on establishing a commu-
nity radio station because it
already has a FCC broadcast
license for the operation of
KEOL. Without the license,
establishing a community
radio station would be a
much more expensive and
involved process.
Kemp noted The Ever-
green State College in
Olympia, Washington, has
had a successful community
radio station, KAOS, for a
number of years. Its features
include live performances,
programming produced in
studio, and local outreach.
“They could use KAOS
as a model,” Kemp said.
Tim Seydel, Eastern’s
vice president for univer-
sity advancement, said since
the reporting on KEOL
defunding, many alumni
have contacted EOU. Seydel
said a meeting of these indi-
viduals will be conducted
to see what might be done.
Seydel said many possi-
bilities will be explored,
including community radio,
podcasts and livestreaming.
The EOU’s Board of
Trustees at its May 20
meeting considers approving
the incidental fee budget.
Continued from Page 1A
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
The century-old Wallowa Lake dam is in need of a $16 million refurbishment, with $14 million coming from
state lottery funds. The Oregon Legislature put that on hold last year and now is in the process of adding the
project to the state’s budget.
top officials in the state
Senate and House of Rep-
Continued from Page 1A
resentatives expressing
their support for the dam
Irrigation District, which
project.
owns the dam.
“Understanding the
“There’s been some
project was delayed due
outside interest expressing
to budget constraints the
a desire to help,” he said.
state weathered over the
“But we may have to fund
past year caused by the
that ourselves.”
effects of the COVID-19
He said the project is
pandemic, we trust that
waiting for the state money
fixing the Wallowa Lake
to be assured before
Dam will continue to be
seeking the addi-
on the fore-
front of prior-
tional funds.
ities for rural
“That has to be
Oregon,” the
solidified before we
letter stated in
break ground,” he
part.
said.
“All indi-
Butterfield was
cations are
encouraged the gov-
ernor and lawmakers
that there’s an
— Dan Butterfield, president of the Wallowa
seem enthusiastic
overwhelming
Lake Irrigation District
about funding the
amount of sup-
port” for the
dam this year.
project, Com-
“She’s the reason
we got put on the budget
2022, with construction to missioner Todd Nash said
during the meeting. “We
in the beginning,” he said
begin that fall.
were bumped back in the
of Gov. Kate Brown. “It’s
Plans call for an
queue for the next funding
nice to have support at
improved spillway, add
round of lottery funds
that level.”
more concrete for weight,
that weren’t what was
In addition to the irri-
replacing the five conduit
gation district, the stake-
anticipated.”
gates with new ones and
holders in the dam project to upgrade the electrical
Hansell said he had
include the Oregon
seen the letter and was
and instrumentation.
Department of Fish and
encouraged by it, but
The most difficult ele-
ment in the plans is that
Wildlife, the Nez Perce
believes other counties
of the addition of a fish
Tribe and the Confeder-
with projects on the line
ated Tribes of the Umatilla passage. What type of
sent similar letters.
Indian Reservation.
passage has yet to be
Butterfield said that as
Last fall, all four enti-
determined, Butterfield
discussion of the various
ties signed a memo-
said. The tribes want the
interests among the stake-
randum of agreement to
holders continue, their
fish passage to restore
support the project. The
relationship has improved.
the ability of sockeye
latter three stakeholders
“We’re developing a
salmon — and other fish
primarily are interested
— to make Wallowa Lake really good relationship
in natural resources con-
with Nez Perce Tribe, the
their home. Steelhead,
cerns at the dam, such as a coho salmon, bull trout,
Confederated Tribes and
fish passage from the Wal- mountain whitefish and
ODFW,” he said.
lowa River to the lake and rainbow trout are all spe-
All entities are
cies that can live in the
downstream watersheds.
remaining optimistic.
lake.
The irrigation district
“We’re assuming we’ll
At their March 17
manages the lake level and
get funded,” Butterfield
meeting, the Wallowa
outflows for agricultural
said. “We’re hoping to
County Board of Commis- have a big party in a year
irrigation.
The dam and more than sioners agreed to send a
or so” to celebrate the
letter to the governor and
30 other projects were put
funding coming through.
DAM
on hold when the June lot-
tery report came in below
the 4-to-1 ratio needed to
sell bonds to fund them.
That means $4 million in
lottery revenue must come
in to sell $1 million in
bonds. The report came in
at only 3.1-to-1.
Hansell said final word
on lottery funding won’t
come in until June. If it’s
sufficient, bonds can be
sold beginning in April
“We’re hoping to have
a big party in a year
or so” to celebrate the
funding coming through.
The OBserVer — 5A
in the 1990s.
Garner has fond memo-
ries of what KEOL was like
about 35 years ago.
“We rocked,” he said.
He said there was an
energy and excitement from
students who had freedom
to play all types of music
during their three-hour
shows.
“At any time you could
hear something totally dif-
ferent,” Garner said.
Garner himself had three
shows on KEOL, and on
each he played a different
genre of music. He said at
the time La Grande had sig-
nificantly fewer radio sta-
tions than it does today,
which means listenership
likely was higher.
“We were entertaining
the whole town,” he said.
Leonard Hermens, who
helped run KEOL in the
early and mid-1980s, also
said the station had a dis-
tinctive mix.
“It had its own variety
and style, a variety not
found on commercial sta-
tions,” said Hermens, who
now lives in Puyallup,
Washington.
KEOL, which has been
on the air since 1973, now
runs out of the Hoke Union
Building, but its earlier loca-
tions included the top floor
of Eastern’s library and an
old cottage-type building
just west of the library.
The station’s locale was
a popular meeting place for
Eastern students from all
parts of the United States
and the world, said Kemp,
now an online education
media producer at the Uni-
versity of Oregon who ear-
lier was the media engineer
for Oregon State Universi-
ty’s radio and television sta-
tions for 13 years.
Kemp said student radio
stations, such as KEOL,
have the potential to con-
nect students.
“A radio station can
bring students together like
no other activity group can,”
Kemp said.
He said this is because
when students gather they
often have two things they
want to do — share the
music they like and tell
stories. Kemp said a col-
lege radio station provides
an ideal setting for both to
occur.
Kemp, despite his love of
student radio, sympathizes
with the situation Eastern’s
Student Fee Committee
found itself in.
“It looks like Eastern’s
student leaders had to make
hard choices,” he said.
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