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FISH GET A LIFT TO SAFER WATERS IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS | OUTDOORS & REC, B1
August 13, 2022
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WEEKEND EDITION
Report:
Billions
needed to
close gap
Years of underfunding has lead
to widening gap between what
schools need and what they get
By ALEX BAUMHARDT
Oregon Capital Chronicle
SALEM — To meet state education goals,
Oregon schools are going to need more
money from the Legislature, a new analysis
fi nds.
Every two years, the Education Quality
Commission estimates the funding required
to operate “a system of highly-eff ective
schools” in the state and recommends a
budget to the governor and the Legislature.
For the 2023-25 biennium, the commis-
sion found that Oregon’s education budget
needs nearly $11.9 billion, or $2.7 billion
more than it currently receives.
“The state has made progress in recent
years to narrow the investment gap between
what it has historically budgeted for K-12
and what that system needs to achieve the
state’s educational objectives,” the commis-
sioners wrote. “Unfortunately, that progress
has faced barriers.”
These include revenue shortfalls, the
rising cost of goods and services and the
discovery that some of the corporate taxes
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
A visitor to the Pendleton Gun Show inspects a fi rearm on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the Pendleton Convention Center. The passage of
Measure 114 on the November ballot in Oregon would make obtaining a gun more diffi cult and outlaw magazines that hold more than 10
rounds.
TAKING AIM
against Measure 114
Opponents line up
against Oregon gun
control proposal on
November ballot
By ISABELLA CROWLEY
The Observer
L
A GRANDE — A measure
requiring a permit, reporting
of application data and safety
training to buy a fi rearm in Oregon is
set to appear on the November ballot.
And gun rights proponents are taking
stances against it.
Measure 114 also would outlaw
magazines holding more than 10
cartridges.
“I’m not a fan of any infringement
on Second Amendment rights,” said
Union County Sheriff Cody Bowen.
The proposition, titled “Changes to
Gun Ownership and Purchase Require-
ments Initiatives,” is one of the strictest
gun control measures ever proposed in
the nation, according to opponents.
“(Measure 114) will virtually end
the sale of fi rearms in (the state),”
Oregon Firearms Federation Executive
Director Kevin Starret said. “Where do
you suppose all the smaller towns who
rely on private gun clubs for training
are going to go for the live fi re portion
of the class? How often will they pro-
vide it? What costs will be created?
How do those increased costs and bar-
riers aff ect Black folks in inner-city
Portland?”
Measure 114 would require a permit
to obtain any fi rearm and it would
outlaw magazines capable of holding
more than 10 rounds of ammunition.
If the measure passes, it would ban
some commonly used pump shotguns
because their capacity can exceed that
limit. Further, Oregon State Police
would be required to maintain a search-
able public database of all permit
applications.
Bowen is troubled by how the
passing of Measure 114 would impact
his deputies and potentially strain
resources.
“The thing that worries me most is
staffi ng wise,” he said. “Who’s going to
provide the classes, who’s going to do
the permitting?”
The initiative does not estimate the
cost or analyze its impact on small local
police departments.
The Oregon State Sheriff s’ Asso-
ciation estimated even if a person
could somehow complete the required
training, the permitting process
could cost sheriff s almost $40 mil-
lion annually. But nothing in the mea-
sure provides any funding, and the
fees included would not come close to
covering the costs.
“Numerous police departments and
sheriff ’s offi ces have agreed that com-
plying with this measure will either be
exorbitantly expensive or impossible,”
Starrett said. “None have said they will
be off ering the training required to
apply for the permit to purchase, which
sheriff s and local police will be tasked
with administering.”
Bowen believes that the proposed
measure will not bring about the
desired results. According to the sheriff ,
Measure 114 will not stop individuals
with bad intentions from getting fi re-
arms, but will infringe on legal gun
owners.
“We’re barking up the wrong tree.
What we need to do is education. We
need to work within family structures
to teach kids about respecting human
life and coping mechanisms, rather
than restrictive laws,” Bowen said.
See, Schools/Page A6
Board votes
to increase
adult meals
No price hikes are on the
horizon for student meals
By DICK MASON
Recent mass shootings
boost initiative drive
The Observer
In early May, the almost all-vol-
unteer Initiative Petition 17 to get the
proposals on the ballot had gathered
less than a third of the required sig-
natures, Oregon Public Broadcasting
reported. But that changed dramati-
cally after shootings in Buff alo, New
York, and Uvalde, Texas.
LA GRANDE — Lunch prices will jump
23% for adults in the La Grande School Dis-
trict in 2022-23, but all students will con-
tinue to be able to eat for free.
The La Grande School Board voted to
boost the price of lunches for adults by $1.10
to $4.90 on Wednesday, Aug. 10. The school
board was required to make the move by the
federal government, according to Michelle
Glover, the La Grande School District’s
See, Ballot/Page A6
See, Meals/Page A6
Bentz visits La Grande, vying for reelection
Congressman addresses
several topics during
town hall at Eastern
Oregon University
By SHANNON GOLDEN
The Observer
LA GRANDE — As part of his
reelection campaign, U.S. Rep. Cliff
Bentz, R-Oregon, hosted a town hall
meeting at Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity — his alma mater — Thursday,
Aug. 11, to speak to residents from
around the region.
“The college is such an asset to
this area and I’m so happy that it’s
here,” Bentz said. “So happy to be
here today.”
Bentz, a third-generation Ore-
gonian, grew up on his family’s
cattle ranches in Harney County.
Growing up without resources
like a telephone, television or elec-
tricity for several years, he said he
recognized from an early age that
the “proper approach to dealing
with the government” was to be
involved in politics.
“I realized that if we were
going to be represented in Eastern
WEATHER
INDEX
Classified ......B2
Comics ...........B5
Crossword ....B2
Dear Abby ....B6
See, Bentz/Page A6
Horoscope ....B3
Local...............A2
Lottery ...........A2
Obituaries .....A5
Opinion .........A4
Outdoors ......B1
Sudoku ..........B5
Weather ........B6
Shannon Golden/The Observer
Congressman Cliff Bentz responds to a question during a town hall meeting in Eastern
Oregon University’s Badgley Hall on Aug. 11, 2022.
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
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88/51
Clear
Sunshine and
nice
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Issue 97
2 sections, 12 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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