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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017
Richardson reopens comment on initiative
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Oregon Secre-
tary of State Dennis Richard-
son has revised a proposal to
ease restrictions on qualifying
measures for the ballot.
The updated proposal
allows petitioners to gather
signatures for an initiative
before the measure’s ballot
title is finalized. The change
could enable more measures to
make the ballot.
Existing rules suspend the
signature-gathering process
until legal battles have been
settled and a title is finalized.
“Legal challenges often
create delays of two to three
months, or even longer, which
is unnecessarily burdensome
for grassroots petitioners that
do not have the resources to
hire a signature gathering ser-
vice,” said Alyssa Orlando,
Secretary of State
Dennis Richardson
Richardson’s spokeswoman,
in a statement.
Under the proposal, peti-
tioners may circulate the ballot
title issued by the state attor-
ney general’s office even if
the title has been challenged
in court.
The ballot title is a short
description for ballot mea-
sures intended to be infor-
mative and unbiased. Both
petitioners and opponents
can appeal the description
to the state Supreme Court.
The changes proposed
Wednesday were based on
public comments Richardson
has received since he made
the original proposal in late
August.
Richardson credited mem-
bers of the League of Women
Voters of Oregon for suggest-
ing the revisions “to ensure
voters have a clear idea of
what they are signing.”
He has reopened the public
comment period until Thurs-
day to accept feedback on the
revisions.
The Republican secretary
of state’s proposal has trig-
gered opposition from some
Democrats and from the for-
mer executive director of
labor-backed advocacy group
Our Oregon.
State Rep. Dan Rayfield,
D-Corvallis, an attorney, said
Richardson may lack the legal
authority to make the changes,
which could spark a legal
challenge.
Opponents argue that gath-
ering signatures before finaliz-
ing a ballot title would allow
petitioners to circulate inaccu-
rate or misleading information
about the proposed measure to
the public.
Rayfield said he could see
a scenario in which petition-
ers gather signatures for vari-
ous iterations of a ballot title,
which could threaten the integ-
rity of the initiative petition
process.
He said he would pre-
fer any changes to the restric-
tions on qualifying measures
for the ballot to come from the
Legislature.
Comments on the revised
proposal can be emailed to
the secretary of state’s office
at elections.sos@oregon.gov
until 5 p.m. Thursday.
Cape D Coast Guard members arrested on rape charges
EO Media Group
ILWACO, Wash. — Two
active-duty members of the
Coast Guard stationed at Cape
Disappointment were arrested
Thursday and booked into
Pacific County Jail on charges
of second-degree rape and
first-degree voyeurism.
The arrests of Guillermo
J. Gutierrez, 27, of Ilwaco,
and Salvador M. Zamora, 24,
of Tacoma, were made by the
Pacific County Sheriff’s Office
with assistance from Coast
Guard Investigations, accord-
ing to the sheriff’s office.
Gutierrez is being held on
$150,000 bail, and Zamora is
being held on $100,000 bail.
The arrests were made as
the result of an investigation
by the two agencies of a sexual
assault that allegedly occurred
just outside of the incorporated
limits of Ilwaco. Investigators
learned of the sexual assault
allegations in early Septem-
ber and began inquiries. The
sheriff’s office obtained search
warrants and collected evi-
dence that ultimately led to the
arrests.
“The Pacific County Sher-
iff’s Office values the rela-
tionship it has with the U.S.
Coast Guard and appreciates
the assistance they provided in
investigating this case,” Sher-
iff Scott Johnson said in a
press release.
Clatsop County still
struggling to air live
commission meetings
By JACK HEFFERNAN
The Daily Astorian
Clatsop County viewers
hoping to watch live broad-
casts of Board of Commis-
sioners meetings likely have
been left staring at black
screens.
Following a contentious
six-year process, Charter
Communications installed
the infrastructure needed
for broadcasting prior to an
October meeting. The county
has tried to air three meetings
live on public access channel
190 since then, but technical
hiccups have prevented all or
some parts of the meetings
from being viewable.
The first two broadcasts
were unsuccessful because
the county possessed the
wrong piece of equipment
that acts as an interface
between the Judge Guy Boy-
ington Building and Charter,
County Manager Cameron
Moore said. Though that
issue was fixed, the broad-
cast was still unavailable for
Wednesday’s meeting, mean-
ing technicians will need to
search for another source of
the issue.
“It takes six months to a
year, sometimes, to get every-
thing figured out and work-
ing the way it needs to work,”
said Moore, who cautioned
residents prior to the first
broadcast attempt to expect
early glitches.
A $90,000 contract to
upgrade audio and install
video capabilities at the
Judge Guy Boyington Build-
ing, where the meetings take
place, was approved by com-
missioners in 2016. Upgrades
include video cameras, a pro-
jector and a retractable screen
and audio improvements.
Meeting broadcasts have
been posted on YouTube and
the county website.
Other technical issues and
a lengthy negotiation over
a franchise agreement had
drawn out the public access
channel’s unveiling. County
officials reached a franchise
agreement with Charter in
2015 following several years
of negotiations, and the com-
pany paid $39,000 to cover
the cost of the channel.
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In Memory Of
Bobby Jorgensen
December 16, 1970-October 22, 1988
It is that time of year again. Birthdays are generally a time of reflection of the
past year and making goals for the coming year. Bobby Jorgensen would have
been 47 years old on December 16. What would his life have been like? What
would his occupation be? How many kids would he have? What would be his
passions? These unanswered questions fill my heart every year. I know I am
not alone in my pain, as Bobby impacted SO MANY people. I don’t know what
birthdays are like in heaven, but here on earth that special day comes with
heartache for what should have been.
You should have gotten married and been a Dad. What a fun Dad I bet you
would be! You should have had many mischiefs with your friends as you drifted
a bit to find where to plant your roots. You should have been at Christmases
with your family...mentoring your little brothers, protecting your sisters and
celebrating their lives. You should have been playing with your nieces and
nephews. You should have been growing old with us...keeping your childhood
friends and making new ones. You should be here with us as we enter the new
phase of watching our children spread their wings and fly.
But you already have wings. You have been in heaven watching and protecting
us for 29 years. Many of our fellow Warriors have joined you up there in this
time and for that I feel comfort that you have them.
We miss you Bobby Jorgensen. Happy Birthday in Heaven.
Love,
Jessica Dee
Brenda Hunt
Julie Jorgensen Martineau
Michael Jorgensen
Alan Jorgensen
and Your Dad,
who loves you so very much ,
Bob Jorgensen
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