NORTHWEST
‘Motor Voter’ raised turnout, lowered percentage
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Regulators tell Portland
to reduce lead levels
More voters are registered,
but many did not vote
PORTLAND (AP) — The
Oregon Health Authority has
ordered Portland to reduce
lead levels in drinking water
on the heels of new testing that
found too much lead at some
taps.
In a Nov. 4 letter to the
Portland
Water
Bureau,
Oregon public health director
Lillian Shirley said the city
must submit a plan for lead
reduction by Dec. 2, and iden-
tify immediate steps it will
take to fix the problem.
To permanently solve the
issue, Portland must upgrade
its water treatment facilities
and infrastructure, Shirley
said. She gave the city six
years to get it done.
City officials contacted by
The Oregonian/OregonLive
on Wednesday declined to say
what steps they might suggest
Dec. 2. Past studies have shown
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Oregonians voted in
Tuesday’s election at a slightly lower
rate than usual for a presidential elec-
tion, which may be attributable to the
state’s new automatic voter registration
law.
About 76.2 percent of the state’s
2.56 million registered voters cast
ballots, according to unofficial ballot
returns compiled by the Oregon Secre-
tary of State and published Wednesday
morning.
In the 2012 election, about 82.8
percent of registered voters returned
ballots, according to the Secretary of
State’s Office; in 2008, turnout among
registered voters was 85.67 percent,
and in 2004, 86.48 percent.
Since the last presidential election,
the state implemented a landmark law
automatically registering new drivers
to vote.
As of late October, about 230,000
people were registered to vote through
the 2015 law, referred to as “Motor
Voter.”
Jim Moore, a professor of political
science at Pacific University, said the
law probably had the “expected” effect
— dilution.
“...the Motor Voter act brought in
new people who didn’t vote,” Moore
said. “That’s totally to be expected.”
Although the number of registered
voters leapt the highest numerically it
ever has in a two-year period, that jump
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A voter drops off a ballot at the Umatilla County Courthouse in
Pendleton on Tuesday.
is merely the fourth-highest percentage
increase in registered voters in Oregon
history, Moore said. The state saw a
higher percentage increase when the
voting age was lowered from 21 to 18,
for example, Moore said.
About 1.95 million ballots were
returned this year.
Moore noted that Democratic Gov.
Kate Brown likely benefited from the
unusual timing of this year’s guberna-
torial race.
That contest is usually held in the
even years between presidential elec-
tions. But because Brown succeeded to
the governorship when John Kitzhaber
resigned early in his term, she was
required to run this year to fill out the
remainder of his four-year term.
More people tend to participate
in presidential elections, and when
there’s higher turnout in Oregon more
Democrats usually vote, Moore said.
Participation rates appeared highest
among registered Republicans and
Democrats in this election, according
to the Secretary of State’s Office.
About 85.1 percent of the 715,
845 registered Republicans returned a
ballot, while 84 percent of the 985,696
registered Democrats returned a ballot.
Meanwhile, about 74.8 percent of
the 119,268 registered Independents
returned ballots and about 56.6 percent
of the 675,809 nonaffiliated voters did
so.
Under Oregon’s law, unless a person
chooses to register with a particular
party or opts out of registration, Motor
Voters are registered as nonaffiliated.
BRIEFLY
Palmer wins bid
for re-election
Grant County Sheriff
Glenn Palmer won a close
race for reelection Tuesday
evening.
Final unofficial results
released by Grant County
Clerk Brenda Percy showed
Palmer earned 2,208 votes,
while challenger Todd
McKinley earned 2,065.
Palmer has held the office
since 2000. He faced scrutiny
from some for meeting in
John Day with some of the
people who occupied the
Malheur National Wildlife
Refuge in Burns earlier this
year. Although some pleaded
guilty to conspiring to impede
federal employees, the leaders
of the occupation, Ammon
and Ryan Bundy, and five
others were recently found not
guilty of the crime by a jury.
Palmer is still the subject of
an ongoing state Department
of Justice investigation into
complaints filed after he met
with the occupiers.
— Blue Mountian Eagle
Oregon GMO mediation needs legislative fix
When the ODA began the
rulemaking process for the mediation
program, the agency discovered it
lacked the authority to legally imple-
ment it.
Another bill passed in 2015, House
Bill 2444, clarified language related to
mediation by the agency and removed
key provisions that ODA relied upon
for the GMO mediation program.
“Through the hustle and bustle of
the legislative session, it wasn’t cross-
checked with the other mediation bill,”
said Kathryn Walker, special assistant
to ODA’s director.
The problem will require a legis-
lative fix during the 2017 session, she
said. “There is interest in correcting the
situation.”
Since the law was passed, though,
the agency has received no requests for
mediation under the program, Walker
said.
Growers can seek similar media-
tion through the USDA, but none have
expressed interest with that agency,
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
SALEM — A legislative mix-up
has blocked the Oregon Department
of Agriculture’s implementation of
a mediation program for growers of
conventional, organic and biotech
crops.
A lack of interest in the program,
however, raises questions about its
necessity.
In 2015, Oregon lawmakers passed
House Bill 2509, which created
mediation protocols for growers who
believe nearby farming practices are
interfering with their operations.
While the wording of the legislation
is broad, it was considered a compromise
bill to soothe conflicts among producers
of genetically modified organisms, or
GMOs, and their neighbors.
Another proposal to create “control
areas” where GMOs would be subject
to restrictions died in committee that
year.
either.
Problems of cross-pollination
among GMOs and other crops aren’t
prevalent, said Barry Bushue, presi-
dent of the Oregon Farm Bureau.
“My guess is there’s probably not a
lot of need for it,” Bushue said of the
GMO mediation program.
Bushue pointed to a USDA survey
that found only 92 organic farms
across the U.S. experienced crop
losses from GMOs between 2011 and
2014, while the nation has more than
14,000 organic farms.
“It’s incredibly small,” he said.
Oregonians for Food and Shelter,
an agribusiness group, wants to know
what kind of problems exist, but the
lack of conflicts reported to ODA or
USDA indicate they’re likely minimal,
said Scott Dahlman, the group’s policy
director.
“It speaks volumes to the fact that
farmers know how to work together
and find ways to figure it out them-
selves,” he said.
Didn’t receive your paper? Call 1-800-522-0255
before noon Tuesday through Friday
or before 10 a.m. Saturday
for same-day redelivery
— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211
333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed major holidays
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Local home delivery Savings off cover price
EZPay
$14.50
41 percent
52 weeks
$173.67
41 percent
26 weeks
$91.86
38 percent
13 weeks
$47.77
36 percent
*EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit or debit card/check charge
www.eastoregonian.com
To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255
or go online to www.eastoregonian.com
and click on ‘Subscribe’
East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday
and Dec. 25, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801.
Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to
East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801.
Single copy price:
$1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday
Copyright © 2016, EO Media Group
TODAY
SATURDAY
FRIDAY
Fog in the morning;
mostly sunny
Cloudy most of the
time
58° 41°
59° 45°
SUNDAY
A morning shower;
partly sunny
Mostly cloudy
MONDAY
Partly sunny with a
shower
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
60° 42°
57° 45°
59° 42°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
60° 45°
59° 40°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
65°
52°
72° (1989)
41°
34°
19° (1986)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.19"
0.36"
10.58"
6.94"
10.39"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
67°
54°
71° (1995)
38°
34°
13° (1936)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.00"
0.09"
0.33"
7.42"
4.74"
7.64"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Full
Last
Nov 14
Nov 21
New
Nov 29
58° 44°
60° 39°
Seattle
60/50
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
63° 39°
6:48 a.m.
4:30 p.m.
2:38 p.m.
1:41 a.m.
First
Dec 7
Today
Spokane
Wenatchee
57/43
58/44
Tacoma
Moses
61/46
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 60/40
63/47
60/51
60/46
64/42
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
61/49
56/45 Lewiston
59/39
Astoria
64/45
64/50
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
63/49
Pendleton 60/40
The Dalles 59/40
58/41
62/43
La Grande
Salem
63/41
62/48
Albany
Corvallis 62/47
62/48
John Day
63/32
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
62/36
62/48
65/37
Caldwell
Burns
61/37
64/31
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
64
62
65
63
64
60
62
56
59
63
67
63
62
67
62
64
62
60
58
63
67
62
57
61
64
56
64
Lo
50
33
37
52
31
40
48
40
40
32
37
41
40
45
51
50
36
39
41
49
40
48
43
39
48
45
42
W
c
s
s
pc
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
pc
pc
s
s
s
pc
s
pc
s
s
pc
s
pc
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Lo
28
64
59
37
55
35
40
51
42
63
49
W
pc
r
pc
sh
pc
sn
sh
pc
r
pc
c
Lo
54
45
41
52
38
49
50
44
45
39
41
49
44
47
53
54
41
46
45
52
41
50
46
44
51
48
44
W
r
pc
c
sh
pc
pc
r
c
c
c
pc
pc
pc
c
r
r
s
c
c
r
c
r
pc
c
r
c
c
Fri.
Hi
51
76
72
47
67
38
49
66
58
73
58
Lo
32
73
56
42
55
22
37
44
37
65
53
W
s
pc
pc
pc
t
sn
pc
t
r
pc
r
WINDS
Medford
67/45
Klamath Falls
67/37
(in mph)
Today
Friday
Boardman
Pendleton
VAR 3-6
N 3-6
VAR 2-4
ENE 3-6
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: Times of clouds and sun
today. Cloudy tonight; however, partly
cloudy in the south.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Mostly sunny
today; areas of fog across the north during
the morning.
Western Washington: Clouds and sun
today; areas of morning fog. A little rain at
the coast tonight.
Eastern Washington: Sunshine today; however,
some clouds toward the Cascades; fog across the
south, near the Idaho border and in the mountains.
Cascades: Partly sunny and warm today;
pleasant in central parts.
Northern California: Partly sunny today.
Partly cloudy tonight. Showers tomorrow
afternoon at the coast.
0
1
2
1
0
NEWS
• To submit news tips and press releases: • call 541-966-0818 •
fax 541-276-8314 • email news@eastoregonian.com
• To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News:
email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at
541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers in at 541-966-0818.
• To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries:
email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian.
com/community/announcements
• To submit a Letter to the Editor: mail to Managing Editor Daniel
Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email
editor@eastoregonian.com.
• To submit sports or outdoors information or tips:
541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Manager: Mike Jensen
541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
WORLD CITIES
Hi
51
68
76
51
66
39
52
62
51
74
55
Classified & Legal Advertising
1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678
classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Fri.
Hi
64
62
64
62
64
63
64
58
60
63
62
65
62
67
64
67
62
57
59
62
66
62
58
62
63
59
60
PORTLAND (AP) — A
second defendant in the Oregon
ranching standoff case has asked
to withdraw his guilty plea.
The Oregonian/OregonLive
reports that Eric Lee Flores says
“newly discovered evidence”
presented at the recent trial of
seven people who took over
a federal wildlife refuge in a
41-day armed standoff with
authorities is grounds for the
plea withdrawal.
Flores’ lawyer, Ernest
Warren Jr., says testimony from
FBI informants revealed that
they were encouraging others
to violate the law and escalate
confrontations with officers.
Prosecutors said during the trial
that 15 FBI informants were
involved in the investigation of
the occupation of the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge,
including nine who were at the
refuge during the takeover.
Flores was scheduled to be
sentenced on Dec. 8.
Corrections
REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
Second standoff
defendant wants to
withdraw plea
The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely
regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please
call 541-966-0818.
Advertising Director: Marissa Williams
541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com
Advertising Services: Laura Jensen
541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com
Multimedia Consultants:
• Terri Briggs
541-278-2678 • tbriggs@eastoregonian.com
• Elizabeth Freemantle
541-278-2683 • efreemantle@eastoregonian.com
• Jeanne Jewett
541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com
• Chris McClellan
541-966-0827 • cmcclellan@eastoregonian.com
• Stephanie Newsom
541-278-2687 • snewsom@eastoregonian.com
• Dayle Stinson
541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com
• Audra Workman
541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com
Subscriber services:
For home delivery, vacation stops or delivery concerns: 1-800-522-0255
that Portland could increase
pH levels and alkalinity,
which would likely reduce the
pipe corrosion that causes lead
release, particularly in homes
with lead-soldered plumbing
or brass faucets.
As for the long-term plan,
Scott Bradway, Portland’s lead
hazard reduction manager,
said the City Council will be
asked to approve a new water
treatment plant.
“Right now, our indications
are this is probably the best
path,” he told the newspaper.
Portland’s lead levels are
higher than others nationally
because regulators in the 1990s
allowed the city to sidestep
rules meant to minimize lead
and pipe corrosion. Officials at
the time considered exposure
to lead paint a bigger problem,
and were allowed to focus on
that issue.
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: Much of the nation will remain free of rain and snow today. The main
exception will be lingering showers in southern and western Texas. Warmth will hold over
the West and build briefly into the Northeast.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 98° in Miramar MCAS, Calif.
Low 8° in Walden, Colo.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
59
71
59
60
59
72
66
51
68
60
65
60
69
68
60
64
25
59
84
74
60
72
68
79
67
90
Lo
38
44
47
42
36
40
44
43
44
41
44
48
54
32
43
46
15
31
69
52
43
44
43
57
42
61
W
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
pc
s
s
pc
c
s
s
c
s
s
s
s
s
s
Fri.
Hi
61
73
63
63
66
74
69
58
76
59
51
53
75
60
52
66
26
46
85
75
56
78
59
78
71
83
Lo
38
49
35
34
45
47
48
34
49
33
31
35
53
33
30
46
12
35
71
53
31
49
35
56
44
60
Today
W
s
pc
s
pc
s
pc
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
s
pc
sh
c
s
s
pc
pc
pc
s
s
s
s
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
65
67
81
63
63
68
75
56
68
68
58
83
47
54
63
67
71
77
66
63
86
72
60
78
62
69
Lo
44
45
66
42
39
41
56
47
48
38
45
61
39
41
41
29
41
51
46
42
60
56
50
55
46
43
W
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
s
s
s
Fri.
Hi
62
70
81
51
49
69
75
60
69
59
62
83
54
59
69
58
71
75
60
65
82
70
61
78
64
62
Lo
38
46
64
33
33
41
58
36
42
30
37
60
26
31
38
35
44
52
38
43
60
58
51
53
39
36
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
pc
pc
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
s
s
s
s
pc
pc
s
s
pc
pc
s
s
s
pc
r
pc
s
s