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East Oregonian
BUSINESS: Employers cannot ask for
employees’ personal social media password
more than a check mark on a
box.
30 hours worked, up to 40
“Being in a small town,
hours of sick leave per year. everybody knows everybody,”
Those hours can be used by she said.
the employee or donated to a
Tim Mabry, owner of the
co-worker.
collection agency Credits
“A lot of businesses do not Incorporated, said he already
want the government to tell offers sick leave to all of his
them how to offer sick leave,” employees. The mandate
Pedro said.
could increase costs for busi-
House Bill 2960 will create nesses that don’t already offer
a statewide retirement plan for it, he said, but “people do have
workers whose employers do issues come up in their life
not offer a company retire- they have to deal with.”
ment plan. The bill requires
“You have to strike a
such employers to automat- balance between helping
ically enroll their employees people and not burdening
in the state plan and set up an small businesses,” he said.
automatic payroll deduction
On the minimum wage
system that feeds money into issue he said he could see
the plan unless the employee both sides. The money for
opts out.
the increased wage could
“That’s kind of one of hurt companies’ bottom line.
those costly mandates,” Pedro But in the collections line of
said. “It’s burdensome.”
public welfare, Mabry sees
One “Fair Shot” bill what happens when people
activists could not convince aren’t earning a living wage.
the legislature to pass would
Senate Bill 185 creates
have raised minimum wage to social media protections for
$13 an hour. Pedro said small workers. It bans employers
businesses in Eastern Oregon, from asking for employees’
with its lower cost of living or applicants’ personal social
and smaller customer base media passwords. It also bans
than Portland, would have had employers from requiring
trouble implementing such a employees to use their
steep hike.
personal social media accounts
%HFN\ 6OXSVN\ RI¿FH to promote the business.
manager for Heller & Sons in
Mabry said he does look at
Hermiston, agreed. She said peoples’ public social media
the company’s gas station hires accounts while hiring, but
mostly high school students thinks asking for a password
and it “would have had a big would be over the line.
impact on our budgeting.”
“I don’t think that’s our
As for sick leave, Slupsky business,” he said.
said the company would
When it comes to the law
have to talk about how best about asking for criminal
to implement the new law to history, Mabry said his
make sure shifts are covered if company had been asking
employees start calling in sick job applicants if they had
more often because they know past criminal convictions, but
they will still get paid.
DQ DQVZHU LQ WKH DI¿UPDWLYH
“We don’t have a lot of wouldn’t necessarily keep
people on call,” she said.
someone from getting a job
She wasn’t very concerned there. However, he said he
about House Bill 3025, which didn’t think the bill was good
bans employers from asking public policy.
about criminal history on job
“It paints with such a broad
applications. They can still ask brush for employers,” he said.
during a job interview.
Betty Bernt, communica-
Slupsky said most of the WLRQV RI¿FHU IRU WKH 2UHJRQ
company’s hiring, especially Department of Corrections,
when it comes to fuel station said people with prior criminal
attendants, ends up being convictions face a stigma that
people recommended by makes employers worried
current employees. Those about liability less likely to
recommendations mean a lot consider their applications.
+RZHYHU¿QGLQJZRUNFDQ
make it less likely someone
who served time in jail or
prison will offend again.
“For those who are
employment ‘ready’ to be
employed upon release,
obtaining and retaining stable
employment is a pro-social
stabilizing factor to remain
crime-free,” she said in an
email. “It can also assist them
with their supervision require-
ments (including costs for
WUHDWPHQW UHVWLWXWLRQ ¿QHV
fees, etc.)”
She said beyond the “Ban
the Box” bill the Department
of Corrections will also
address the issue by working
to provide recently released
inmates with ways to verify
their work history to employers
and with a letter explaining
that employers who hire them
could be eligible for the Work
Opportunity Tax Credit.
Two other workplace
protection bills, House Bill
2669 and Senate Bill 552,
extended workplace protec-
tions already in place for
regular employees, including
protection from harassment
and discrimination, to unpaid
interns and to domestic
workers like nannies and
housekeepers.
Jeannie Thomas, who
provides
housekeeping
services in Hermiston under
the business name Three
Wishes Housekeeping, said
working by herself instead
of for a large housekeeping
contractor means “I kind of
set the rules.” However, she
said even though she hasn’t
personally experienced it
she knows harassment and
discrimination by clients can
be a problem for independent
housekeepers.
The element of the law
that would most apply to her,
she said, was the provision
requiring breaks. She said
most clients don’t mind if she
rests for a few minutes during
long jobs — in fact one insists
on it — but she could think of
at least one situation where a
client seemed put off when she
took a break from scrubbing.
³$IRXURU¿YHKRXUMRELV
a long one for a housekeeper,”
she said.
SNAKE: Most hospitals have
anti-venom for poisonous snakes
HOTEL: Greater
demand for
high-end hotels
Continued from 1A
a lot of mice and ground
Continued from 1A
squirrels off the landscape,
important to be aware that especially in years like this
According to the
this is rattlesnake country,” where we had a mild winter
press
release, Hermiston
she said. “We have numerous and we have a lot of mice
doesn’t have enough
reports of rattlesnakes at our around,” he said. “They
hotel rooms to meet the
recreation areas along the play an important part in the
needs of visitors, espe-
river. It’s the water source for predator-prey relationships
cially during the summer.
local wildlife.”
of the ecosystem around here
In a 2013 study of
Baltrusch said animals in Eastern Oregon.”
the
transient room tax,
have been seeking more water
If someone is bit by a
Hermiston’s hotels were
with the recent hot weather, rattlesnake, Lt. Ed Clark, a
at a 77 percent occu-
but most, including snakes, paramedic for Hermiston
pancy rate in the third
prefer to avoid people.
Fire & Emergency Services,
quarter of 2013 and 66
“They don’t want to bite recommends seeking treat-
SHUFHQW LQ WKH ¿UVW WZR
you anymore than you want ment immediately.
quarters, which was 8
to be bitten. Just don’t mess
“The best thing to do
percent higher than the
with them,” she said. “The is to keep them as calm as
state average and 19
best thing to do is to give possible,” he said. “Obvi-
percent higher than the
them a wide berth and let ously, you’re not going to
rest of Eastern Oregon.
them be on their way.”
want to wait around. It’s
Assistant city manager
When people encounter something that you’re going
Mark Morgan said at the
a rattlesnake, Baltrusch said to want to get to the hospital
time the numbers showed
they should alert others in the pretty quick with.”
a greater demand for
area to the potential danger
Most hospitals have
high-end hotels, which
and call a professional, anti-venom for the common
had an occupancy rate
such as a park ranger or poisonous snakes in their
of between 80 and 85
law enforcement. She said region, and he said an ambu-
percent this year.
the Corps of Engineers has lance can usually provide a
A dispute over the
cooperative agreements with faster ride there, depending
property was resolved
WKH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH DQG WKH on the location of the inci-
in January after the city
Oregon Department of Fish dent. He said, if someone
divvied up ownership of
and Wildlife, which can else is available to drive the
the gravel West Ridgeway
safely move the animal to a snakebite victim toward the
Avenue between the
less populated area.
hospital, an ambulance can
hotel property and Sallee
During the summer, the even meet them along the
Properties, the neighbor
cold-blooded reptiles often way if the bite occurred in a
to the north.
lie in the sun in the morn- remote area.
ings and evenings and seek
shade in the middle of the
day, ODFW biologist Hans
Hayden said. Rattlesnakes
are usually found in rocky
to join us for our Open House Celebration
areas and sagebrush and the
distinctive rattle at the tip of
When: July 14th - 15th, 2015
their tail actually makes them
Where: Renata Anderson
easier to notice.
2237 Southwest Court Place
“Obviously, they can be
Pendleton, OR 97801
lethal, but they’re also pretty
From: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
easy to avoid if you’re aware
By appointment only. Additional evening hours available
upon request.
of their habitat,” he said.
“They rattle at you if they’re
During this event, you will receive the following complimentary
threatened. They usually give
services from Renata:
a pretty good warning before
• Free hearing screening and personal hearing aid
they bite something.”
consultation.
Hayden said rattlesnakes
•
Free
demonstration of the Phonak Audéo V hearing devices,
are not protected so it is not
programmed for your individual hearing loss.
illegal to kill them, but, in
• RISK-FREE TRIAL (nothing to lose to try them!)
most situations, he does not
encourage it. Snakes prey
on small mammals and are a
RSVP at:
natural part of the ecosystem,
he said.
541-276-5053
“As a general rule, they’re
a natural predator on the
Certified, Licensed Audiologist
landscape, and they take
Continued from 1A
You’re Invited...
Saturday, July 11, 2015
LEGISLATURE: Police cannot copy
data from smartphones without a warrant
health providers who prac-
tice gay conversion therapy.
ment. The law went into
,I \RX À\ GURQHV HB
effect April 22. And if you 2354 means you will have
are serving in active-duty to be more careful where
military
while
outside \RXÀ\7KHODZZKLFKLVLQ
Oregon, SB 494 will allow effect, removed the 400-foot
you to renew or replace your zone for civil actions against
driver’s license or permit GURQH RSHUDWRUV À\LQJ RYHU
without a photograph if private property. The law
the Department of Trans- also changes the state’s
portation does not have an GH¿QLWLRQ RI ³GURQH´ WR
DFFHSWDEOHSKRWRRQ¿OH7KH “unmanned aircraft system.”
law goes into effect Jan. 1.
(We’re still calling them
•If you served out-of- drones, though.)
state in the military,
•If you are a victim
government or a human- of domestic violence,
itarian aid organization, harassment, sexual assault
HB 2670 allows you to pay or stalking, SB 492 will
in-state college tuition in authorize you in 2016 to
certain circumstances.
use accrued sick leave or
•If you are a baker or personal business leave
cook and sell your goods rather than vacation.
out of your home directly to
•If you are a public
people who will eat it, SB 320 middle or high school
exempts you from the burden student, you’ll learn about
of Oregon Department of domestic violence under
Agriculture food regulations. SB 790. Hansell was a chief
Other conditions also apply, sponsor of the bill, which
including gross sales of goes into effect Jan. 1.
$20,000 or less. Republican
•If you are a police
Sen. Bill Hansell of Athena RI¿FHU the following applies
was the chief sponsor of the to you and goes into effect
bill, which goes into effect Jan. 1:
Jan. 1.
SB 641 prohibits you
•If you are a pharma- from duplicating or copying
cist, SB 520 gives you the data from smartphones or
permission to give vaccines other portable electronic
to people 7 or older.
devices without a warrant
•If you are a land- or consent;
scaper, SB 580 allows your
HB 2002 directs your
contracting business to agency to ensure it has
LQVWDOORXWGRRUDUWL¿FLDOWXUI policies and procedures to
•If you are homosexual SURKLELWSUR¿OLQJ
under 18 years of age, HB
and HB 2571 requires
2307 protects you from your department to estab-
Continued from 1A
lish policies and procedures
for keeping recordings from
RI¿FHUERG\FDPVZKLOHDW
the same time making the
recordings exempt from
Oregon’s Public Records
Law unless public interest
requires disclosure.
•If you are a western
juniper tree, your days are
numbered. HB 2997 and HB
2998 went into effect July 1
to create loans and grants for
people harvesting the trees
and turning them into other
products. Juniper trees cover
more than 6 million acres of
central and Eastern Oregon
and are water rustlers,
sucking up too much of the
precious resource in drought
country. The two bills use
Oregon Lottery funds to
provide $1.15 million to
aid loggers and mills and
develop markets.
•If you care about
transparency in Oregon
government, SB 515
directs the Department of
Administrative Services to
provide a method for users
of the Oregon Transparency
website (www.oregon.gov/
transparency/Pages/index.
aspx) to offer suggestions
regarding the website’s form
or content.
The law goes into effect
Jan. 1 and also requires
the state to post certain
economic
development
information, annual reports
of certain tax expenditures,
and to describe how to
request public records.
Washington Legislature adjourns
SEATTLE (AP) — The
Washington
Legislature
adjourned Friday after a
marathon triple overtime
session where lawmakers
raised the gas tax to pay
for transportation projects
across the state, cut college
tuition and put more money
toward the state’s education
system.
Lawmakers went home
Friday afternoon after
the House passed its last
remaining bills.
The House passed a
transportation
bonding
measure on a 63-29 vote,
and
a
transportation
spending bill for projects
across the state on a 61-30
vote. The two bills were the
¿QDO WZR FRPSRQHQWV RI D
$16.1 billion transportation
revenue bill passed by the
Legislature last week.
“This whole effort to get
a transportation package
is marked by bipartisan
compromise,” said Demo-
cratic Rep. Judy Clibborn,
the House Transportation
Committee chairwoman.
“It hasn’t been easy, but
nothing is easy that is worth
doing.”
Rep. Ed Orcutt, a Repub-
lican from Kalama, said that
while he was voting yes for
the two transportation bills,
he had concerns.
“I’m concerned about
the balance of who’s paying
and who’s receiving,” he
said.