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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2019)
A3 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2019 Decades later, Courtney again takes aim at DUII threshold State senator wants limit at 0.05 percent By AUBREY WIEBER Oregon Capital Bureau Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Bruce Jones took the oath of offi ce Monday as mayor of Astoria from former Mayor Arline LaMear. Astoria mayor apologizes to city councilors Jones tells his colleagues he made ‘a rookie mistake’ By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Astoria Mayor Bruce Jones has apologized to his fellow city councilors for a tense exchange that hap- pened between him and a city board member during a meeting Monday. “I made a rookie mis- take,” Jones said at a work session on Thursday . “I allowed myself to get a little provoked and give a response on the spur of the moment that in hind- sight I would have just said, ‘Thank you for your comment and if we want to discuss it further, we probably should set up a meeting with the (human resources) manager, the city manager and the city attorney.’” Sarah Jane Bardy, who serves on the Design Review Committee, had twice voted against a pro- posal to build a four-story hotel on the waterfront. On Monday, she said she received a closed-door reprimand from Jones for her comments and conduct at an appeal hearing of the Fairfi eld Inn and Suites project in front of the City Council in December. At that hearing, Bardy spoke against the project. She also suggested that the names of the city council- ors who voted to move the project forward be put on a bench in front of the future hotel so everyone would know who helped approve the hotel. Jones, City Councilor Tom Brownson and former Mayor Arline La Mear had voted to uphold the hotel develop- er’s appeal. “I was scolded for attending, speaking and clapping after public testi- mony at the Marriott hotel City Council appeal hear- ing, all of which I believe I have the right to do,” Bardy told the City C oun- cil during a public com- ment period. It is unusual for city councilors to respond to public comments, but Jones replied at length, defending the discussion he had with Bardy and not- ing that other city board members and councilors advised him to remove Bardy from the Design Review Committee over concerns that she could not be impartial. Jones said today that he believes it is the responsi- bility of a mayor and any- one on the C ity C ouncil to listen calmly to public tes- timony and address crit- icism, like Bardy’s, in a thoughtful way. “It was a long day, a long night and I let my guard down and allowed myself to be provoked,” Jones said. “The wiser choice would have been simply to address the issue later, not in the heat of hav- ing just been attacked with some comments that, in my view, grossly mischar- acterized our conversa- tion. … It was not the right time for me to address it.” Bardy remains on the Design Review Commit- tee. Jones said he has not spoken to her since the Monday meeting. As a state representative in 1983, Peter Courtney introduced legislation to lower the drunken -driving threshold from 0.10 blood alcohol content to 0.08. It was a radical move from a new lawmaker who was expected to bide his time. Courtney had little support outside of a bud- ding advocacy group called Mothers Against Drunk Driving, but he introduced the bill anyway. It passed and Oregon and Utah became the fi rst states to move to a 0.08 threshold for drunken driving. Court- ney proved to be ahead of the times, as it wasn’t until 1998 that President Bill Clinton called on all states to enact the 0.08 standard. Now Courtney wants Oregon to be a leader again. He is taking the political point to push Oregon to an even lower limit — 0.05. “You’re not as good after you drink as you are before you drink,” the Senate pres- ident said. Today, Courtney said, drivers are confronted in their cars with more lights and screens than ever. Add in bike lanes and homeless people walking around at night, and there is too much distraction while driving something that can be used as a deadly weapon, he said. The Salem Democrat knows his proposal will be unpopular. “Sooner or later, you’re going to have to fi ght that battle,” Courtney said. “You don’t wait until the timing’s perfect. You don’t wait until everything lines up.” Courtney said he’s always been keenly aware of the downsides of alco- hol, which has killed sev- eral chronic drinkers in his family. But this isn’t about drinking, it’s about safety, he said. “I’m not trying to stop you from drinking,” Court- ney said. “I’m not trying to stop this explosion of brew pubs. Go, all of you. Go tonight, go every night. I’m AP Photo/Don Ryan Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney wants to lower the threshold for drunken driving. ‘SOONER OR LATER, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGHT THAT BATTLE. YOU DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE TIMING’S PERFECT. YOU DON’T WAIT UNTIL EVERYTHING LINES UP.’ Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney not trying to make a state- ment about drinking.” Utah is the only state with such a standard, which went into effect in Decem- ber after nearly two years of hot debate and push- back from the restaurant industry, citizens and some lawmakers. That was in teetotal- ling Utah, where the reli- gious beliefs of two-thirds of the state mandate they abstain from alcohol. It was even fought before a Mormon-dominated L eg- islature, prompting former state Sen. Jim Dabakis to famously drink two mimo- sas before a fl oor speech to show he wasn’t impaired. So far, Courtney is miss- ing crucial allies. Mothers Against Drunk Driving so far isn’t endors- ing the Courtney move and the Oregon State Police are neutral on the idea. Capt. Tim Fox said there is no research on the difference of impairment at 0.05 and 0.08. Superintendent Tra- vis Hampton said if the new limit were to pass, state police wouldn’t have enough troopers to enforce the new law. Courtney is undeterred. “I’ll be talking with him,” Courtney said of Hampton. And that’s the law enforcement and anti-drunk driving community. Oregon also has robust wine, craft beer, spirits and restaurant industries with powerful lobbies. Greg Astley, the gov- ernment affairs director for the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, said the proposal misses the mark, saying a 120-pound woman could get arrested for having one glass of wine after work. Courtney’s offi ce says it would take a 160-pound man three drinks in an hour to get to 0.05. He also points to the National Transporta- tion Safety Board, which has been promoting 0.05 since 2013, which says someone between 0.05 and 0.079 blood alcohol con- tent is seven times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than a sober driver. A University of Chi- cago study based on data from international coun- tries with a 0.05 limit esti- mated 1,790 lives would be saved each year if all states adopted the limit. In 2016, there were 2,636 crashes involving drinking, caus- ing 154 deaths. Drivers can be cited for being under the infl uence of less than 0.08 but the penal- ties are less severe. In 2017, of the 4,671 DUII arrests, 184 drivers registered less than 0.08, according to state police data. The penalties that apply to the current limit would also be linked to the lower limit under Courtney’s pro- posed legislation. That means drivers involved in fatal accidents who are found to be impaired at the 0.05 level could face negli- gent homicide charges. Astley said reducing the limit could make people fearful of going to happy hour or ordering a drink with dinner. Meanwhile, he said, there are more and more people under the infl uence of marijuana get- ting behind the wheel. “It seems like this bill is trying to zero in on a very narrow subset of people that under current law wouldn’t be impaired,” he said. But Courtney said this increased regulation is part of the progression of soci- ety. With ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft, it’s eas- ier than ever to not drive after drinking. It’s a prac- tice he’s started himself. In recent years, New York, Delaware, Hawaii and Washington state con- sidered but rejected moves to the lower limit. Courtney acknowledged that may be the fate his idea endures in Oregon. “Well alright then, I’ll lose, but I’m still not pull- ing the bill,” he said. Herrera Beutler joins Democrats in vote to reopen government By MOLLY SOLOMON Oregon Public Broadcasting U..S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler bucked her party this week, joining the increasing number of Republicans who want to reopen parts of the federal government. Herrera Beutler, who rep- Please resents southwest Washing- ton state, has voted in favor of three funding packages to reopen federal agencies. On Wednesday, she was among eight Republican lawmakers who voted to reopen the Treasury Depart- ment and the IRS. And during multiple votes Thurs- Adopt a Pet! LUCK Y Elegant senior female Pit Terrier day, she joined Democrats in voting to fund the Depart- ment of Transportation, Housing and Urban Devel- opment, and the Department of Agriculture. It’s a reversal from her stance a week ago, when she voted against Demo- cratic funding packages that did not include funding for a border wall. “Ultimately, I want to see those government responsi- bilities fulfi lled and I want to make sure people are getting paid,” said Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground. “It just seemed like the right step.” WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 “There is nothing like the power of a quiet, constant love.” -Leigh Standley See more on Petfinder.com CLATSOP COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER • 861-PETS 1315 SE 19th St. • Warrenton | Tues-Sat 12-4pm www.dogsncats.org THIS SPACE SPONSORED BY BAY BREEZE BOARDING 5:00 pm Downtown Astoria Every month, year ‘round! you wonderful customers k n a ! Th Meeting Monday, January 14 th 6pm We are closed for vacation Jan. 12 th January 5th-23rd Visit Downtown Astoria on the 2nd Saturday of every month for art, music, and general merriment! 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