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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 2016)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016 Oregon lawmakers rethink biotech pre-emption rule Bill would allow local governments to regulate biotech crops By HILLARY BORRUD Capital Bureau By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI Capital Press SALEM — Local govern- ment authority over genetically engineered crops is being recon- sidered by Oregon lawmakers roughly three years after they prohibited most city and county seed restrictions. Critics of biotechnology claim that lawmakers haven’t enacted meaningful policies for genetic engineering since adopt- ing a 2013 law pre-empting local governments from setting their own seed rules. The pre-emption bill was included in a broader legisla- tive package that included pub- lic employee retirement sys- tem reforms that the Oregon Supreme Court later invalidated. Proponents of House Bill 4122, which would repeal statewide pre-emption speci¿- cally for genetically engineered crops, claim local governments should be permitted to pre- vent cross-pollination between organic, conventional and bio- tech cultivars. “In an ideal world, farmers will work together, but in real- ity, people are stubborn and do as they please,” said Jared Wat- ters, a Jackson County farmer, during a Feb. 9 hearing before the House Committee on Con- sumer Protection and Govern- ment Effectiveness. “Transgenic contamination” is recognized as an economic threat to organic and conven- tional producers who sell into markets that don’t accept bio- tech traits, according to support- Oregon forecast predicts slow growth in next budget cycle Capital Press file GMO Roundup Ready alfalfa is shown in this photo. Local government authority over genetically engineered crops is being reconsidered by Oregon lawmakers roughly three years after they prohibited most city and county seed restrictions. ers of H.B. 4122. While opponents of the bill claim that genetic engineering is best regulated at the state level, supports of H.B. 4122 claim that local governments are in the best position to understand how farmers in their area are affected by biotech crops and restrictions on them. “You don’t have to deal with any of that. This bill puts that decision with the local govern- ment,” said Elise Higley, direc- tor of Our Family Farms Coa- lition, which supports stronger regulation of biotech crops. Physical barriers, geographic distances and staggered plant- ings can prevent cross-pollina- tion among conventional crop varieties and work just as well with biotech cultivars, according to opponents of H.B. 4122. “Farmers need to work that out among themselves, not by voters at the ballot box decid- ing what can grow on their own property,” said Scott Dahlman, policy director of Oregonians for Food and Shelter, an indus- grown in the State of Oregon,” said Anna Scharf, whose family farms in the Willamette Valley. Another proposal recently considered by the committee, House Bill 4041, would effec- tively have reversed statewide pre-emption entirely, not just for biotech crops but for all seeds. However, that bill will not receive further hearings and would have to be resurrected in a future legislative session, said Shemia Fagan, D-Clackamas, who chairs the committee. H.B. 4041 was written so broadly that it could have applied to nonbiotech crops, including grass seed, said Marie Bowers Stagg, whose family farms in Lane and Linn counties Crop decisions are based on soil conditions, market demand and available equipment but should not be complicated by government interference, she said during a recent hearing on the bill. “We already have enough risks in our day-to-day life,” Bowers Stagg said. try group that opposes the bill. Lawmakers passed a bill last year that allows farmers of potentially conÀicting crops to seek mediation, which the Ore- gon Department of Agriculture is now in the process of “Àesh- ing out,” said Greg Loberg, manager of the West Coast Beet Seed Co. and president of the Oregon Seed Association. H.B. 4122, by contrast, is meant to give preferential treat- ment to nonbiotech crops, he said. “It’s not about co-exis- tence. It’s about exclusion.” Supporters of the bill say they’re not opposed to media- tion, but claim it’s not enough to guard against cross-pollination or compensate for the lack of regulation by the state and fed- eral governments. However, the idea that rules for biotech crops would vary across county lines is one of the main arguments against H.B. 4122. “Cities and counties are not equipped to micromanage which crops can and cannot be SALEM — Oregon’s econ- omists told lawmakers Wednes- day the state’s economy and government revenues con- tinue to grow at a strong pace as the state rebounds from the recession. However, the economists warned that growth will slow going into the next two-year budget that begins in mid-2017. “Oregon’s economy contin- ues to grow at a healthy pace, as do our primary sources of tax revenue, keeping up every bit with our expectations we’ve laid over the last year or two,” said state economist Mark McMullen. Economists expect the gov- ernment will receive nearly $61 million more in general fund and lottery revenues in the cur- rent two-year budget than they had projected in the last fore- cast in December, according to a document from the Legislative Revenue Of¿ce. The latest fore- cast is for $19.5 billion in total state revenues. At the same time, McMul- len said, Oregon is getting close to what economists would con- sider “full employment” and “that’s when we’re going to start to see things slow.” upcoming budgets. Oregon’s exports from non- technology sectors are slack- ening, with export growth in the ¿rst quarter expected to be nearly 20 percent lower than a year ago, according to a presen- tation by the state Of¿ce of Eco- nomic Analysis. “This is the most depress- ing number that’s out there now, which is the growth in our exports of nontechnol- ogy products,” said McMullen, who added that this particularly impacted agricultural and food product exports. Governor cautious Gov. Kate Brown struck a similarly cautious tone in her statement on the forecast. “I am pleased to see that job growth is steady and Oregon’s economy is likely to remain stable through the remainder of the biennium,” Brown said. “Although state revenues are on track to ful¿ll important com- mitments in education and other critical services, my optimism is tempered by longer-term dynamics in the forecast that call for caution. I will work with legislative leadership to build reserves for future needs.” Democratic leaders in the Legislature also pledged to maintain state budget reserves and handle the budget prudently. Manufacturing vulnerable Republicans concerned McMullen also reiterated a warning from previous fore- casts that Oregon is vulnera- ble to national problems in the manufacturing sector. “It’s obvi- ous manufacturing is weak,” McMullen said. McMullen said problems in the stock market that cut into Oregonians’ investment income, combined with the stronger exchange rate for the U.S. dollar, will likely weaken state revenue from personal and corporate income taxes in Republicans were more pessimistic. “Years of one-party rule plagued by overspending and government waste and an assault on small businesses has left us with a bleak economic outlook that needs to be addressed now,” Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, said in a written statement. The Capital Bureau is a col- laboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. State House passes bill to raise cap on wrongful death awards By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — The state House passed a bill Wednes- day that raises the cap on non- economic jury awards for wrongful death claims from $500,000 to $1.5 million. State Rep. Joe Gallegos, D-Hillsboro, said he proposed the measure to give victims who have lost loved ones the same opportunities for justice as victims in injury cases for which there is no jury award limit. After passing the House 33-26 Wednesday, the mea- sure now proceeds to the Senate. The legislation stirred up partisan passions on the House Àoor Wednesday. Republicans accused Dem- ocrats of railroading the leg- islation without giving full consideration of the conse- quences to rural physicians and others who might have to pay higher liability insurance under the measure. During the debate, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Port- land, ordered Rep. Bill Post, R-Keizer, to remove from the Àoor a poster portraying a $350,000 check written out to “Trial Lawyers.” A “yes” vote would be “signing the check,” Post said. Post said he used the visual aid to make a point that the House Committee on Con- sumer Protection and Gov- ernment Effectiveness had rejected an amendment to the bill by Rep. Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, that would have capped attorneys’ fees at $500,000. The $350,000 ¿gure was a reÀection of how much an attorney would be paid on average on a $1.5 million jury award, Post said. Post said the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association regularly contributes thousands of dollars to Democrat candidate cam- paigns. The Secretary of State’s database reÀects that to be true. Kotek said the visual aid impugned members who were voting in favor of the bill. Republicans challenged her ban on Post’s visual aid and called for a vote. Lawmakers supported Kotek’s order. Republican lawmakers said they also opposed the cap increase because it would jack up the cost of liability insur- ance for already struggling rural physicians. Rep. Susan McLain, D-Hillsboro, said the bill would help families like those of Andrew Lane, a 22-year- old laborer who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in 2014 while relieving him- self in a bucket in the back of a work truck. Lane’s family has ¿led a $4 million wrong- ful death claim in Multnomah County Circuit Court against Lane’s employer, Superior Home Maintenance. A similar bill passed the House in 2009 but died in the Senate, Gallegos said. Rep. Dan Ray¿eld, D-Cor- vallis, and Rep. Brent Barton, D-Clackamas County, who are personal injury attorneys, declared a conÀict of interest concerning the bill but still voted in favor of it. Ray¿eld is the vice chairman of the House Committee on Con- sumer Protection and Govern- ment Effectiveness. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. A sto ria E lks L o dg e #180 V alentin e’ s Day P R IM E R IB D IN N E R Montero leaves Seaside Downtown Development Association Board to search for replacement By KATHERINE LACAZE EO Media Group W A NTED ACCE P T IN G N E W P AT IE N T S Annual Haggle Day Sunday, Feb 14, 10 am to 5 pm B ARRY SE ARS, D .C. 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Ca ll toda y! deal W e bill m ost in su ra n ce com pa n ies in clu din g M edica re 5 03 -3 25 -3 3 11 2935 M ARIN E DR • AS TORIA “She left us in a great posi- tion,” Swenson said. “She established building blocks that will make it a very suc- cessful year for SDDA.” Keith Chandler, the board treasurer, agreed. “We’ll be ¿ne,” he said. “Everything works out.” SA T U R D A Y , F E B R U A R Y 13 T H $16. 00 P E R P E R SO N Dinner at 6 pm Music & Karaoke for your singing & dancing pleasure! 503-325-2806 Please make reservations B B Q PO R K R IB D IN N ER Reed ala Dan Friday February 12 th $ .0 0 8 4 pm ‘til gone “K araok e D ave” at 6 pm n o f e e Q “ u H e a r t h e t s ” SEASIDE — Tita Mon- tero has resigned as the exec- utive director of the Sea- side Downtown Development Association. Her resignation was effec- tive immediately, although she has offered her assistance during the transition. Sarah Dailey, administra- tive assistant at the associa- tion since last June, is ¿lling in as interim executive direc- tor while the nine-member board of directors searches for a replacement for Montero as soon as possible. “In a small organization, with just two of us, it was just kind of a natural for us to con- tinue working together, me “I’ve really come to a conversing and holding con- and the board,” Dailey said. Montero, who serves on time where I don’t want to be ference calls with Montero, the Seaside City Council, the person in charge,” Mon- who has offered her help until tero said. “You’re a new executive director is became the full- basically on call found. time executive “She put a lot of time into weekends and for director in February this. We just feel it’s only fair events.” 2015. She replaced She said she that we allow her to gain some Laurie Mespelt, plans to “take a of that time back in the next who became exec- breather,” which couple of week,” Swenson utive director in will give her time to said. “When she came to us 2007. Montero was pursue other inter- with this, it was easy enough the ¿fth execu- ests and spend time for us to say, ‘Let us make it tive director for the with her mother, easy for you. You’ve done so association since it Tita Montero sister and broth- many things for us.’” started in 1993. During her year as execu- er-in-law who President Ruth soon are moving to tive director, Montero helped Swenson said the make the Hot Rod Classic board was meeting with Prineville. Although the resigna- Charity Golf Tournament and Montero on Feb. 1 to dis- cuss general business, and tion was immediate, Swen- Auction Dinner in September a that was when she ¿rst pre- son said, she has continued big success for the association. sented her resignation. The move came as unexpected to the board. Montero said the position required a lot of abnormal Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber working hours and brought N orth w es t H a rdw oods • Lon gview , W A the kind of stress she does not Steve Axtell • 360-430-0885 or John Anderson • 360-269-2500 Contact: want in her life right now. V alentine’s D inner P rim e R ib D inne r Live Band “N orth Coast Country M usic” w ith Trim m in g s S atu rd ay, Febru ary 13 th 5 PM Tickets $18 each @ Po st 12 Ba r Our “Q ueen of H earts” w ill receive F low ers and a B ox of Chocolates ASTORIA AMERICA N LEGION 1132 Exchange Street • 503-325-5771
