NEWS
BY CORINNE BOYER
BILLS IN 2017 LEGISLATURE
AIM TO PROTECT CIVIL RIGHTS
AND HEALTH CARE
Issues can arise under the current state law because “one of
the grand jurors is appointed by the other grand jurors to take
notes of the testimony that is given before the grand jury,”
Prozanski says. Recordation would ensure testimonies are not
misinterpreted or the person on trial doesn’t tell a story differ-
ent from what is written down, according to Prozanski.
“And as you can imagine whoever that individual is they
could be more attentive than another person, they could also
have their own filters as to what they think is important as to
what they might jot down as to what they heard them say, but
the way they write it may not be exactly how it was said.” He
adds, “So it makes a lot of sense to me, and many others, that
we should go ahead and have those proceedings recorded.”
Prozanski, who is a prosecutor in addition to a legislator,
says he is supporting another bill that falls under the civil
rights scope by making discovery — information required to
be shared by both parties in court cases — costs more afford-
able. “I know that the defense bar has been concerned with
some of the cost for discovery and it varies from county to
county so there’s a bill that may have some uniformity in what
can be charged,” he says.
Prozanski supports the state prohibition on using local law
enforcement to enforce federal immigration laws and cites at-
tacks on it as an area of concern.
He says, “I’ve heard at least two House members who were
looking at trying to overturn that or repeal that prohibition.”
He adds, “So that will come through judiciary, and I will be
pretty zealous in ensuring that we maintain what we have now
because our local law enforcement resources are so limited
and they really need to be focused on what the community
needs to be doing and not be at the charge and direction of the
federal government.”
Newly appointed state Sen. James Manning just made a
trip to Salem and says he is waiting to find out which com-
mittees he’ll be appointed to. He says he’s keeping an eye on
health care for all and will be paying close attention to how
veterans are impacted. “We still have a significant number of
our population that are not currently receiving healthcare,”
Manning says. “Children and women in particular, I’m really
concerned about that — in particular our rural areas to make
sure we are doing the proper outreach to provide them with
the resources that they need.”
• In case you missed it on EW’s Facebook page,
check out the recording by Eagle Park Slim on the
theme of “Give” on our blog and go online and
peruse our “Give Guide” as you ponder ways to fight
Donald Trump’s agenda. You will also find the last
two Christmas songs recorded by Slim, “Every Day”
and “Young Mary,” both backed by Paul Biondi on
saxophone. You can volunteer your time, material
items or make tax-deductible donations to a
plethora of amazing organizations. Did we miss
any? Tell us about it in a letter to the editor sent to
letters@eugeneweekly.com.
• Egan Warming Centers have activated eight
nights so far this month, and more cold weather is
possible for the holidays so more volunteers are
needed to staff this vital shelter option for the
unhoused. Egan has scheduled one more new
volunteer orientation this month at 6:30 pm
Thursday, Dec. 22, at the First Christian Church
1166 Oak Street, in the chapel. Note that the
parking lot across the alley behind the church is a
pay-to-park lot seven days a week, 24 hours a day.
POLLUTION UPDATE
The Oregon Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) fined Eugene-based Apex Machinery,
Inc. $6,095 on Dec.14 for Clean Water Act violations
at its facility located at 100 Polk Street. DEQ fined
Apex for failure to monitor for pH, oil & grease,
suspended solids, copper, lead and zinc. DEQ noted
that “the system that protects water quality in
Oregon is highly dependent on permit registrants
complying with the monitoring requirements of
their permits,” and that failure to comply with these
requirements is “considered to be among the most
serious of violations.”
Doug Quirke/Oregon Clean Water Action Project
VIA FILIPE
B Y PA U L N E E V E L
HAPPENING PEOPLE
B
arely two weeks after President-elect Donald Trump
is sworn in, Oregon’s regular legislative session will
begin Feb. 1.
Multiple bills being drafted aim to address civil
rights, human rights and health care. And while some
bills are also being designed to protect existing state laws, others
are being proposed to fill in the gaps in federal laws and protec-
tions that could be affected by the Trump administration.
Several Oregon elected officials and members of human
rights advocacy groups echo the urgency of legislation pro-
tecting civil rights, from those of the children of immigrants to
the rights of the LBGTQ community.
Diane Goodwin is the communications director for Basic
Rights Oregon (BRO), a public policy advocacy group for LG-
BTQ Oregonians, and she says that while “Oregon has been on
the forefront of LGBTQ equality nationally for many years …
many barriers still exist for transgender Oregonians.”
One bill the group is working on would provide equal
health care benefits to people regardless of gender identity.
“Basically with this bill, we know that a lot of transgender
people still face health care discrimination in Oregon,” Good-
win says. “We have gender identity included within the Ore-
gon Health Plan, although it’s not comprehensive, we’ve made
a lot of progress on it.”
BRO is also drafting a legislative concept which would
simplify the process for transgender people applying to obtain
new identity documents like birth certificates, and they hope
to find multiple sponsors in the upcoming session. “So a lot
of trans folks when they transition need to update their name
and gender markers, and right now the process is really hard to
navigate, it’s intrusive and it’s costly,” Goodwin says.
Andrea Williams with immigrant rights group Causa says
there are a number of inspiring bills coming up in the 2017
Legislature. “[We’ll see] things like health care for all kids, to
cover immigrant children under the Oregon health care plan;
a bill to end profiling and to address the affordable housing
situation.” She adds, “We have an opportunity to be different
as a state.”
Sen. Floyd Prozanski, [D] District 4, is working on a bill
regarding grand jury recordation. He says Oregon is one of
two states — Louisiana is the other — which does not record
grand jury proceedings.
• At 7 pm Wednesday, Dec. 28, there will be a
public meeting regarding The Future of Tsunami
Books. The lease for Tsunami Books is up June 30,
2017, Scott Landfield of Tsunami says. Will it
continue at its present location, will it be moved, or
will it dissolve? The facts will be presented, followed
by a facilitated question and answer, and discussion
period. An as-yet unscheduled second meeting by
invite will be held to deal with specific financial
issues. Email tsunami1@opusnet.com with
questions or comments.
“As a kid, I did drama, music and dance,” says Via Filipe, who grew up in Salt
Lake City. “At first, my mom didn’t allow sports.” But her mother later relented,
and in high school Filipe excelled at volleyball, basketball and track. She won
a volleyball scholarship to the University of South Alabama in Mobile, and also
played for the USA Junior National Team in Europe and for a pro team in South
America. “I fell in love with coaching,” says Filipe, who left school after her senior
year in 2006, a few credits shy of a degree in electrical engineering, to coach a
team in an inner-city sports program in Mobile. Then she got married and had a
daughter, Jaryah, a son, Jamaize, and a second daughter, Jenovae, before the
family moved to Eugene in 2010. Filipe now has a second son, Lona, 21 months
of age, while she also went through a divorce early in 2016. “I gained weight
with the kids,” she says of her first three children, so she became certified as a
personal trainer and opened an exercise gym, GNG Fitness, in 2013. “I wanted
to create a training environment that was comfortable and motivating.” In 2015,
she and a partner, Leon Ireland, started a nonprofit, Athletes United, to provide
coaching and competition to talented young athletes. They raised funds and last
month brought a Jr. Pee Wee team (ages 8-11) from the Willamette Valley to the
National Youth Football Tournament in Las Vegas, where she was the first-ever
female coach. In the photo, she shows off the second-place trophy they won.
Learn more about GNG Fitness and Athletes United on their Facebook pages.
eugeneweekly.com • December 22, 2016
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