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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 22, 2018)
DailyAstorian.com // TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2018 145TH YEAR, NO. 231 ONE DOLLAR Legislature approves business tax break expansion Governor had called special session By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown on Monday got her wish to expand an existing business tax break that will cost the state $11.3 million in 2018. During Monday’s eight-hour spe- cial session, the state House voted 51-8 and the Senate voted 18-12 to pass the tax break for certain sole proprietorships via House Bill 4301. “It was really clear in general, that Republicans wanted more — more tax breaks for small businesses,” Brown said. “The Democrats wanted different or more revenue-neutral proposals. We weren’t able to reach a compromise in those conversa- tions so we went with my very sim- ple straightforward proposal that would ensure tax fairness for our businesses.” Brown, a Democrat who is seek- ing re-election this year, called the special session after signing another tax bill — Senate Bill 1528 — in MORE INSIDE Ethics commission asked to weigh in on special session by Republican state senator/Page 3A April that was unpopular with some members of the business commu- nity. That law eliminated a 20-per- cent business tax deduction that was included in federal tax reform and would have resulted in the loss of $200 million to $300 million in state revenue. Oregon’s tax code automat- ically conforms with federal code unless lawmakers specifically pass legislation to change it. The governor said while she was considering Senate Bill 1528, she realized that state lawmakers needed See SESSION, Page 4A HUNGRY BIRDS Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Josh Saranpaa, executive director of the Wildlife Center of the North Coast, holds a brown pelican treated at the facility. Food a concern for brown pelicans By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian T he Wildlife Center of the North Coast has already cared for sev- eral starving young California brown pelicans this spring. Brown pelicans, which migrate north in the spring from nesting colonies off Southern California and Mexico, spent several decades on the federal endangered species list because of exposure to pesti- cides like DDT and other contaminants. Their delisting in 2009 was a success story, but concerns remain about the birds’ continued survival. Chief among these concerns is the availability of food. Anchovy and sardine stocks — import- Several brown pelicans are treated at the wildlife center. ant sources of food for brown pelicans — have collapsed in portions of the birds’ range. At nesting colonies in the south, researchers are concerned that lack of food is affecting the pelicans’ productiv- ity. Some researchers theorize shifting ocean conditions could drive both prey and predators northward. In the meantime, a northern stock of anchovies remains an important source of food in the birds’ non- breeding range, which includes roosts in Clatsop County. “That’s a major concern and threat for this species,” said Michelle McDowell, a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Brown pelicans have long lives — with See PELICANS, Page 4A Column to be lit up for Pride Week Usually, landmark is lit twice a year By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian E ven though Astoria has already hit the maximum number of requests to light the Astoria Column different colors for different causes, the City Council approved a request Monday night to light the monument in honor of Astoria Pride celebrations in June. To organizers, the action signals important solidarity and support by city government. “That seems particularly important,” said Cameron Toman, the member of the Astoria Pride Committee who submitted the lighting request, “not to the individuals who will be at the Pride Parade — you know the ‘out and loud’ folks among us — but to the middle school kids who still get bullied because there’s nothing Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian The Astoria Column is illuminated in pink light in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month. See COLUMN, Page 4A