PAGE A12, KEIZERTIMES, JUNE 25, 2021
Bill will hurt newspapers
By BRIGITTE SCHMIDT and
LAURIE HIEB
PUBLIC SQUARE welcomes all points of view. Published submissions do not necessarily reflect the views of the Keizertimes
They want to be heard
The tapestry that is American is
weaved with a multitude of colors
and textures. That is the beauty of our
country—and our community. Keizer has
as many different residents as any other
part of America. Democracy gives all
people a voice in society and how it is
shaped for the benefit of all.
That has been demonstrated by
citizens who have shared their strong
beliefs with the Keizer City Council
over recent weeks. The issue of equality
and inclusivity has been addressed by
Keizerites at council sessions.
The testimony from citizens was heart-
felt and emotional, some citing their
personal experiences with racism. The
councilors were not unmoved, but the
issues will come up again and again as
long as some feel that they are not being
heard.
The response from some councilors is
there is work to be done to make Keizer a
community that values every citizen and
respects people for who they are and how
they live their lives. That's what America is
about. Many of the remarks to the council
came as a result of the Keizer Pride event
Editorial
held at Chalmers Jones Park on June 12.
Some wondered why Pride rainbow flags
could not be flown at city hall.
Governments at every level across the
United States fly pride flags as well as
other acknowledgements of the LGBTQ+
community. These displays of support are
just that, support. It is no different than
flying POW/MIA flags.
The council sets city policy. Councilors
can acknowledge all types of people,
recognizing the months throughout the
year that highlight the accomplishments
and achievements of those in LGBTQ+
community, Hispanics, Russians, military
veterans, differently-abled, etc. Everyone
is worthy of value and respect. If the
council can recognize Juneteenth, then
recognizing other days and months
should be axiomatic.
—LAZ
Wins at end of session
As I write this column Gov. Kate
Brown signed HB 2648 into law. Finally,
Oregonians can skip the doctor’s prescrip-
tion to purchase Sudafed.
When the 2021 legislative session began,
passing this bill was one of my top priori-
ties. Of course, supporting businesses,
balancing the budget and fully funding edu-
cation are also on my priority list and I have
supported many of these concepts with my
vote.
Of the legislation I personally intro-
duced, HB 2648 was on the top of the list,
along with HB 2646 (The Oregon Kratom
Consumer Protection Act), which regulates
kratom. In lieu of the pandemic, wildfires,
and tragedy our state has overcome in the
past year, I know these concepts do not
seem of grave importance, but good policy
is always important.
You have most likely seen the “KRATOM
SOLD HERE” signs at just about every
market on the street, but might not know
what kratom actually is. Kratom has been
consumed safely for centuries in Southeast
Asia and Americans use it in the same way
that coffee is used for increased focus and
energy boosts. Many use kratom for pain
management without the opioid side effects.
The problem in Oregon is that adulterated
products are being sold. That means there
is Kratom spiked with dangerous drugs like
heroin, fentanyl, and morphine. You may
have read stories about kids overdosing
on kratom, and that’s because the product
is not regulated so there is no way to know
what is being sold. Kratom in its pure form
is a natural product. Adulterated kratom is a
potentially dangerous product.
HB 2646 regulates this product to ensure
the product being sold is pure. The bill also
FROM
THE
Capitol
Newspapers and magazines go to every
corner of this state. Notwithstanding
increased digital access, paper publications
are delivered to tens of thousands of homes
that lack broadband internet and homes
where readers simply are more comfortable
with the familiar format of paper or want
to save magazines on travel, food, world
events or hobbies.
Oregon’s newspapers and magazines
care deeply about environmental respon-
sibility. Newsprint and magazine stock
paper come from certified forests, are fully
compostable and biodegrade in a manner
of months. Newsprint is so safe that it can
be used as vegetable garden mulch. Inks
are linseed-oil-based and non-toxic, and
adhesives are water-soluble.
A well-intentioned but misguided piece
of legislation in the Oregon State Senate,
SB-582, would create an extensive Extended
Producer Responsibility (EPR) system for
municipal solid waste. The bill recognizes
that magazines and newspapers are differ-
ent from other materials by allowing fees
to be paid through advertising, but the fees
simply should not apply to non-toxic, bio-
degradable materials – again, newspapers
and magazines biodegrade within months.
News is vital to American civic life,
and legislation causing financial hardship
to newspapers and magazines will erode
citizen access to factual and trusted news
and information. Newspapers are the
sole source of local news for many com-
munities throughout the state. Coverage
of town meetings, food pantry locations,
classified ads and business news are the
lifeblood of community newspapers. Yet
other
VOICES
this legislation discriminates against news
and information published on paper, as
opposed to information that is circulated in
digital formats.
EPR systems in other jurisdictions have
failed to increase recycling rates for paper,
which are already much higher than other
products. In British Columbia, recycling
rates are trending downwards while pro-
ducer fees have increased markedly. This
is not tenable in Oregon, when economic
conditions related to the pandemic have
caused significant reduction in advertising
revenues for magazines and newspapers.
To offset marked increases in cost, the legis-
lation could force publications to eliminate
home delivery to rural areas, exacerbating
the digital divide, and cut journalism jobs.
A recent study by Broadbandnow ranks
Oregon 34th among states based on broad-
band deployment, speeds and access to
low-priced plans. Those without broadband
depend on paper.
We strongly urge the Oregon State
Legislature to consider the impact of this
legislation on magazines and newspapers.
There are more appropriate ways to reclaim
post-consumer waste without disadvantag-
ing the state’s vital news and information
sources.
(Brigitte Schmidt Gwyn is President
and Chief Executive Office of MPA -
The Association of Magazine Media.
Laurie Hieb is Executive Director of the
Oregon News Publishers Association.)
By BILL POST
bans those under age 21 from purchas-
ing this product. Currently, HB 2646 is in
the Joint Committee on Ways and Means
and has large support from both parties. I
am hopeful the bill will pass and soon be
voted on in both chambers. There are many
important issues that have been and are
being addressed this session, and these are
two of them. I figure that lowering health-
care costs and protecting our kids are very
important.
Although these two concepts have been
on the top of my list, I’ve also been work-
ing on other very important issues. With
the help of my colleagues, I helped pass
legislation that brings property tax relief
for homeowners that lost their homes in
the wildfires. We banned the public disclo-
sure of private information on the internet.
We fully funded Court Appointed Special
Advocates (CASA), not only in Marion
County, but across the state and more.
Even in a super minority, this is just a
small amount of the work I’ve been able to
accomplish with the help of my colleagues
on both sides of the aisle. I imagine this ses-
sion will wrap up some time at the end of
next week and I am hopeful the 2022 short
session will be fully opened to the public
again.
(Bill Post represents House District
25. He can be reached at 503-986-1425
or via email at rep.billpost@oregonleg-
islature.gov.).
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