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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 20, 2017)
Page 12A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian Friday, January 20, 2017 BUDGET: Much of the shortfall comes from loss of federal subsidies for health care costs Continued from 1A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Ione Elementary students portraying the Marine Corps Marching Band perform during the Ione Community School’s presidential inauguration on Thursday in Ione. PRESIDENT: Some preparation lost to snow days Continued from 1A Neiffer said in this year’s mock election, students elected Trump by a small margin. Teachers have talked a lot with students about the election, and plan to watch some of Trump’s inaugura- tion Friday. “The kids are curious,” Neiffer said, adding that most of them were unfamiliar with the process. But many have older siblings who played roles in past inaugurations. While the older students stood in for dignitaries and politicians, third and fourth graders presented the colors, marching in carrying American flags and wearing matching red uniforms. After the Pledge of Alle- giance and some introductory remarks by emcee Madison Orem, Pence (played by Cameron Proudfoot) and Trump took their oaths of office, administered respec- tively by House Speaker Paul Ryan (John McElligott) and Chief Justice John Roberts (Bryce Rollins). Rietmann gave a brief inaugural address, in which he said he hoped to work with others to solve the nation’s problems. The kindergarten, first and second grade classes sang “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and students marched through the gym, ending the event with a mock “inau- gural ball.” “We’ve been using P.E. to Staff photo by E.J. Harris Kindergartners and first-graders perform “You’re a Grand Old Flag” during the Ione Community School’s presidential inauguration on Thursday in Ione. teach students the box step,” said Collin. “It’s been hard to practice because of the snow days, but we’ve been out here whenever we could.” Some aspects of the mock inauguration, such as speeches and choreog- raphy of the event, have been similar in past years. But planning for the event was rushed, teachers said, because of school closures— leaving students with only a short time to learn their roles. “Some preparation was lost to snow days,” said sixth grade teacher Haley Winters. “We started right after Christmas.” Rietmann said he enjoyed playing the role of Donald Trump and learning about the inauguration. “I was a little nervous when I first found out,” Rietmann said of his role as the president-elect. “But it was good.” Collin said while it was a controversial election year, students did not seem impacted by the negativity that surrounded much of the race. “We’re in a more Repub- lican county,” she admitted. “But we kept it to the facts.” Donald Trump won 67.6 percent of the Morrow County vote in November’s presidential election. Collin added that students are most excited about the tradition of the mock inaugu- ration. There is a wall in the school’s hallway with photos of past ceremonies — a tradi- tion unique to Ione. “If you look out there,” she said, pointing to the stands where parents and students watched, “you’ll see kids and other people who were the president, the vice president or dignitaries in past years.” AIR: Original proposal also called for tax incentives for dairies Continued from 1A 2019. The bill was filed at the request of the Senate Environ- ment and Natural Resources Committee. It comes at a time when the state is considering whether to allow a proposed 30,000-cow mega-dairy in Morrow County, dubbed Lost Valley Ranch, which would be built just 25 miles away from the even larger Threemile Canyon Farms. A coalition of environ- mental groups has fought against Lost Valley Ranch, citing both air and water quality concerns. Lauren Goldberg, staff attorney for Columbia Riverkeeper, previ- ously said she was “taken aback” by the lack of air and other public health measures in the state’s permitting. Ivan Maluski, policy director for Friends of Family Farmers, said they are solidly in support of this latest legis- lation. “It should be something everyone who was involved in that task force back in 2008 can get behind,” Maluski said. In adopting new rules, the Environmental Quality Commission would consult with agencies and appoint an advisory committee to provide input. The committee would be made up of dairy industry representatives, environmental advocates and university scientists. Coming up with a set of management practices for dairies will hinge on continuing research and air quality monitoring, Maluski said. “It’s hard to know what practices or changes in management would be best if you’re not even monitoring what’s going on,” Maluski said. The original 2008 proposal also called for tax incentives to help dairies meet their new air quality targets. Agencies would then work with the industry to provide technical assistance and education, while ODA would be in charge of enforcement. Marty Myers, general manager of Threemile Canyon Farms, served on the 2008 task force and said he stands by those recommen- dations. He said the bill is “pretty vague,” and is unsure about its intentions. “I think this is a reaction to the Lost Valley Ranch permit, and continuing to find a way to oppose that,” Myers said. For its part, Threemile Canyon claims it removes 60,000 tons of carbon every year from the atmosphere by running a methane digester on site, which it installed in 2012. When it comes to manage- ment practices, Myers said he considers Threemile Canyon at the top of the curve. There are 126,000 milking cows in Oregon, according to a 2016 ODA report. Milk was the state’s fourth-most valuable commodity in 2015, raking in $474 million at the farm gate. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. BRIEFLY Doctors consider removing breathing tube for George H.W. Bush HOUSTON (AP) — Doctors treating former President George H.W. Bush for pneumonia considered Thursday whether to take out a breathing tube while his wife, Barbara, said she was feeling much better after undergoing treatment for bronchitis. Family spokesman Jim McGrath said physicians for the 92-year-old Bush were evaluating him for removal of the tube, which was inserted Wednesday in a procedure to clear his airway. The 41st president has been in the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital since Wednesday, relying on a ventilator to breathe. Removing the tube — a procedure known as extubation — would allow Bush to breathe on his own. He was struggling to breathe when he was admitted to the hospital Saturday. Bush “had a good night’s rest” and remained in stable condition, McGrath said. “We are hopeful he will be discharged from the ICU in a few days.” Barbara Bush, 91, was admitted Wednesday and diagnosed with bronchitis after feeling fatigued and coughing for weeks. She reported feeling “1,000 percent better” on Thursday. Crews work through night after avalanche hits hotel FARINDOLA, Italy (AP) — Rescue crews who reached the four-star mountain resort on skis found only eerie silence Thursday after a huge avalanche flattened the hotel, trapping more than 30 people inside. Two bodies were recovered, but the search for survivors was hampered by heavy snowfall and fears the buildings would collapse. Two people escaped the devastation at the Hotel Rigopiano in the mountains of central Italy and called for help. But it took hours for responders to verify their claims and arrive at the remote earthquake-stricken zone. They worked through the night, but hopes were dimming of finding survivors. Days of heavy snowfall had knocked out electricity and phone lines in many central Italian towns and hamlets, and the hotel phones went down early Wednesday, just as the first of four powerful earthquakes struck the region. It wasn’t clear if the quakes triggered the avalanche. But emergency responders said the force of the massive snow slide collapsed a wing of the hotel that faced the mountain and rotated another off its foundation, pushing it downhill. percent less than needed to maintain current service levels, while the Depart- ment of Human Services would receive 8.7 percent less. Proposed cuts vary in size between K-12, higher education and other state education programs that don’t fall into those two categories, such as career technical education. The co-chairs were also quick to note that cuts to some state services mean cuts to matching funds from the federal govern- ment. It’s also unclear whether any direct cuts to federal funding may be coming down the pike under the new administration. Much of the $1.8 billion shortfall comes from the loss of federal subsidies for health care costs for low-income Oregonians, and the mounting costs of the state’s public pension system, which faces $22 billion in unfunded liability. This year, the state must now also pick up some of the tab for insuring addi- tional Oregonians under the Oregon Health Plan, as a result of the Legisla- ture’s decision to expand coverage in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act — a decision Devlin and Nathanson said they stood by Thursday. The federal government covered the initial costs of implemen- tation. Devlin and Nathanson attributed the deficit to a “fundamental imbalance” caused by these and other policies enacted in Oregon’s past. Measure 5 in 1990, for example, reduced property taxes and required local public schools to be funded by the state’s general fund rather than by local taxes. Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Port- land, called the framework a “call to action.” “The fact that we face such a deficit during a booming economic period in our state demonstrates the need for comprehen- sive revenue reform,” Burdick said. She said legislators were looking for ways to maxi- mize the state’s dollars but reiterated the need “to reform our revenue system to make sure it is fair to all Oregonians.” House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, D-Portland, said the state couldn’t “afford to move backward.” “We can’t afford to move backward in our investments in education, health care and critical services for struggling families,” Williamson said in a statement. “We shouldn’t shortchange our economic future by making it harder for students to get a good education. And I don’t believe that any Oregonian wants us to make these painful cuts.” Jim Green, the head of the Oregon School Boards Association, called for both revenue and PERS reform in a statement Thursday. “Our students need leadership on these two issues from the governor and our legislative leaders,” Green said. Republicans, however, generally praised the framework. In a statement, Sen. Jackie Winters, R-Salem, also called the budget a “starting point.” “Now the work begins,” Winters said. “We have our work cut out for us to craft a sound, sustainable budget (that) benefits Oregonians, urban and rural alike.” Sen. Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, said the budget the co-chairs presented was “based in reality.” “It’s time Oregonians understood the conse- quences of explosive growth of government and overspending, coupled with anti-business climate and restrictive anti-land use laws,” Ferrioli said. “The only way Oregon will get through the current budget crunch is by setting better spending priorities and demonstrating budget discipline.” Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner, who is also House Republican Caucus Budget Chair, also framed the framework as an opportunity for “spending reform.” “This Legislature has an opportunity this session to finally address the struc- tural deficits that led us to this position in the first place,” Smith said, “and to put Oregon on the path to a more stable financial future.” The co-chairs said Thursday that the Joint Ways & Means committee plans to release recommen- dations for the 2017-19 state budget after the next state revenue forecasts, which is due to come out Feb. 22. EMERGENCY: Hansell wants to designate border collie as the state dog Continued from 1A for any emergency clauses. They are “way over-used,” he said, and admitted he also is guilty of using them. Hansell also said the Senate could simply pass a rule requiring the 2/3 majority vote. The down- side, he said, was a future Senate could change the rule. Barreto and Hansell also teamed up as chief sponsors of House Bill 2383 to require “legislative measure to contain brief and impartial statement of problem measure is intended to solve.” Barreto said he pushed the bill in 2013 session, and it passed the House but died in the Senate. The need for the bill, though, remains. “Some of these bills are just confusing and we’re trying to figure out what they’re supposed to do, and we should have on the bill what it is meant to do,” he said. The meat of Barreto’s proposal is 55 words in three sentences. The bill is simple and direct, he said, and would bring clarity to proposals. Hansell also has two “Some of these bills are just con- fusing and we’re trying to figure out what they’re supposed to do.” — Rep. Greg Barreto Senate joint resolutions to designate the Kiger Mustang as the official state horse and the border collie as the official state dog. Kiger Mustangs come from the Steen Mountain area in southeast Oregon, and Hansell said one resi- dent of Athena even has a herd. The breed makes for fine pack animals, he said, and comes with a deep connection to Oregon. The border collie, though, lacks that connec- tion. Hansell said he was carrying the resolution at the request of a constituent. But the challenge, Hansell said, is that everyone has a favorite type of dog. ——— This story is part of a short series on what local state lawmakers are proposing for the legislative session that begins Feb. 1.
