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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 2018)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018 Key bills could impact all Oregonians By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau Hundreds of bills, resolu- tions and referrals are lined up for lawmakers’ consideration during the state Legislature’s 32-day session beginning in February. Among those, at least five concern issues that Oregonians deal with on a daily basis: health care, internet freedom, global warming, gas prices and electricity prices. Health care While some Republicans in Congress seek to roll back entitlements such as Medic- aid and Medicare, members of Oregon’s predominantly Dem- ocratic legislative assembly are hoping to receive the OK from voters to make health care a right under the state Constitution. State Rep. Mitch Green- lick, D-Portland, has pro- posed a joint resolution to amend the Oregon Constitu- tion and obligate the state gov- ernment to ensure every res- ident has access to effective and affordable health care. The resolution refers the proposed amendment to voters in the November election. The resolution coalesces with a bipartisan bill intended to bring more transparency to the way pharmaceutical com- panies set prices for prescrip- tion drugs. House Bill 4005, spear- headed by Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, would require pre- scription drug manufacturers to report increases in the price of medications and the costs associated with development and marketing. The proposal is modeled after a new law passed last year in California. Two Democrats and two Republicans are sponsor- ing the bill: Nosse, Sen. Lee Beyer, D-Springfield; Rep. Ron Noble, R-McMinnville, and Sen. Dennis Linthicum, R-Klamath Falls. The intent of the bill is to boost transparency and under- standing of steep, and often mysterious, increases in drug prices, said Greenlick, the chairman of the House Com- mittee on Health Care. “The hypothesis is that drug companies might have some shame,” Greenlick said. “I haven’t seen much evidence that they do, but there is a pos- sibility that if the process (of setting prices) is open and in public, drug companies will be more restrained in what they do.” Net neutrality House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, D-Port- land, is seeking state regula- tions to discourage internet companies from blocking or charging more for certain con- tent, a concept known as net neutrality. The Federal Com- munications Commission in December repealed net neu- trality, prompting lawmakers in at least 15 states to introduce legislation to restore the pro- tection in local jurisdictions, according to the Pew Charita- ble Trusts. Williamson’s proposal wouldn’t go that far, but it would require state divisions to purchase broadband access from providers in full compli- ance with net neutrality provi- sions, as an incentive to pro- viders to keep the internet open to Oregonians. The providers would have to guarantee transparency in network management prac- tices, full access to websites and equal traffic speeds, Wil- liamson said. She announced last week that she plans to amend an internet privacy bill, House Bill 4155, to include the net neutrality rules. That bill renews an attempt from last year to outlaw internet ser- vice providers from disclosing or selling customers’ personal information without express consent. Gas prices One way to slow climate change is to reduce the amount of carbon emitted into the air. Democrats Sen. Michael Dembrow of Portland and Rep. Ken Helm of Washing- ton County have filed a bill to put a price on industry-emit- ted carbon, a concept called “cap and invest.” Senate Bill 1507 would require compa- nies to buy permits to emit more than 25,000 tons of car- bon per year. Sold at auc- tion, proceeds from the per- mits would go toward projects intended to curb greenhouse gases. Dembrow has said that the program would likely drive up electricity and gas prices. While economic modeling has projected carbon pric- ing could drive up gas prices, there is no evidence of that at the pump in California, where a cap-and-invest pro- gram has been operating since 2013, said Tera Hurst, execu- tive director of environmental group Renew Oregon. About 100 businesses emitting 25,000 tons of car- bon per year — including fuel suppliers, electricity provid- ers, landfills and manufactur- ers — would have to buy per- mits, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Electricity prices Legislation by Republican Sens. Dennis Linthicum and Herman Baertschiger Jr., both of southern Oregon, have pro- posed an electricity Ratepayer Protection Act. Senate Bill 1552 would cap public electricity providers’ rate of return at 4.5 percent and would limit increases in fees. It’s unclear how that would affect residential rates, but the intention is to curtail any steep increases in prices. The Public Utility Commis- sion has no limit on how much rates can be increased each year, but under law, electric- ity companies have the right to request, but not receive, a return on par with similar companies. The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. Trump’s infrastructure plan comes with a huge hole By JOAN LOWY and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press WASHINGTON — When President Donald Trump unveils his plan to beef up the nation’s infrastructure next month, it will include a cra- ter-sized hole. The trust fund that pays for most federal highway and tran- sit aid is forecast to go broke in about three years unless the government significantly scales back its transportation spending or comes up with more money. But Trump’s infrastructure plan is silent on the looming prob- lem, an administration official familiar with the plan told The Associated Press. The official wasn’t authorized to speak pub- licly about the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. Fulfilling a campaign prom- ise, Trump’s plan proposes to generate $1 trillion in infra- structure spending over 10 years. But the plan seeks only $200 billion in federal dollars, relying instead on state and local governments and private investors to come up with most of the rest of the money. The administration views the plan as a supplement to current infrastructure spend- AP Photo/Ted S. Warren Truck and automobile traffic mix on Interstate 5 headed north through Fife, Wash. ing. The money would be dis- tributed through new types of programs that are designed to generate greater state and local government and private sector spending. Also, there’s no guar- antee how much of the money will go to transportation proj- ects since the administration is broadly defining infrastruc- ture as everything from build- ing water treatment plants to expanding high-speed internet access to rural areas. The administration is open to working with Congress to address the trust fund later, although those conversations haven’t yet begun, the official said. Republican leaders have been waiting to see what the White House will propose. There is wide, bipartisan sup- port for continuing, and even increasing, transportation spending. But most lawmakers have been unwilling so far to back tax increases or spending cuts to pay for it. The federal government is currently spending $15 billion a year more than the Highway Trust Fund takes in through gas- oline and diesel taxes. Autho- rized trust fund spending for the federal budget year that ends in September is about $56 billion. “Addressing the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund is the most important infrastruc- ture issue facing us today,” said Bud Wright, executive direc- tor of the American Associ- ation of State Highway and Transportation Officials, which represents state transportation departments. “A failure to address the long-term solvency of the (trust fund) could mean a 40 per- cent drop in highway spending in 2021,” Wright said. “We’re hopeful the president will play a strong leadership role in addressing this challenge.” The U.S. Chamber of Com- merce last week called for a 25-cent, phased-in increase in the federal gas tax to shore up the trust fund. Congress hasn’t passed a gas tax increase since 1993, primarily because being associated with a highly visible tax hike felt by most Americans is viewed by many lawmakers as political poison. Asking law- makers to vote for an increase in an election year seems a stretch. On the other hand, 26 states have raised their own fuel taxes since 2013 without signif- icant political repercussions. The American Trucking Associations has proposed increasing the wholesale trans- portation fuels tax by 5 cents a gallon a year over four years — a little less visible than an increase at the pump. That State penalties tripled for underage pot sales The previous penalty was a 10-day license suspension or a $1,650 fine. (More on http://Petfinder.com/ ) 1315 SE 19 th Street, Warrenton • 861 - PETS www.dogsncats.org What’s Fresh ◊ Dungeness Steamer Clams (Willapa Bay) Crab (Local) Oysters Razor Clams (Seaside - Local) Petrale Sole (Oregon Coast - Local) $ (Willapa Bay) EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All Rents Electricity · Garbage · Water Include: ASK ABOUT NEWLY REMODELED APARTMENTS Noon to 4pm, Tues-Sat WHERE STYLE MEETS SUSTAINABILITY Schedule your FREE In-Home Consultation today! 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Court documents show the alleged victim went to a party on Dec. 17, 2014 and returned home intoxicated. She said she woke up the next morning to find her clothes undone and a door window broken. Investigators say they linked Schirato to the incident through DNA evidence. WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Adopt a Pet Hoss Ex-Fish and Wildlife employee found guilty of rape, burglary Associated Press The temporary rule will take effect today and remain in effect for six months. le PORTLAND — The state has announced it will tempo- rarily increase penalties for those who unintentionally sell marijuana to minors. The announcement was made Thursday by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees the state’s rec- reational marijuana industry. It comes on the heels of a statewide sting in December in which almost 20 percent of state-licensed marijuana retailers sold pot to customers under 21. The commission’s exec- utive director Steve Marks called the results of the opera- tion “unacceptable.” In response, the commission announced it will triple pen- alties for those who sell mari- juana to minors unintentionally. Those first-time offenders will now face a 30-day license suspension or a fine of $4,950. Sa Associated Press would generate about $340 bil- lion over 10 years, the group estimated. Passing the administration’s infrastructure plan without bol- stering the trust fund would amount to “taking one step forward and two steps back,” said David Bauer, executive vice president at the American Road & Transportation Build- ers Association. Michael Sargent, a transpor- tation and infrastructure expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said the adminis- tration appears to view the trust fund shortfall as “Congress’ problem.” And, even if it’s not in the infrastructure plan, “a gas tax increase is still on the table — the administration hasn’t writ- ten it off,” he said. Chris Spear, president of the trucking group, said passage of a tax overhaul bill last month provides lawmakers with polit- ical cover if they decide to raise fuel taxes. “You have a situation where the White House and Congress sent historic amounts of money back to the taxpayer,” he said. “We’re here to help this pres- ident get a bill passed … but there has to be real dollars in there.” FREE CORDLESS on Select Signature Series Salmon (Washington) 6 DAILY SOUP & LUNCH SPECIALS MONDAY - FRIDAY • OPEN DAILY AT 11AM Woven wood shades with custom drapes In-Home Consultation • Expert Measuring • Professional Installation • The Strongest Warranty 1 BLOCK OFF BROADWAY • 1 BLOCK FROM BEACH 20 N. 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