NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Friday, January 27, 2017
Legislative leaders, governor lay out priorities
Kotek, D-Portland, “from
the scope of the things we’d
like to accomplish as well as
the challenges that are facing
us.”
The biggest issue is the
budget, Kotek said.
She argued that the state’s
current revenue stream
would make it “difficult” to
maintain services that Orego-
nians have asked for, ranging
from veterans’ services to
education.
Minority Leader Rep.
Mike McLane, R-Powell
Butte, struck a discordant
note.
Leaders on both sides of
the aisle, though, say that
this year they want to pass
a transportation package to
update the state’s infrastruc-
ture.
Congestion in the Port-
land area and deteriorating
roads east of the Cascades
have legislators talking about
potential increases to the gas
tax.
In 2015, attempts to pass
a comprehensive transporta-
tion package stalled, which
McLane on Thursday blamed
on Democrats.
“I’m hopeful this year
that the process won’t be
hijacked by the left again and
that we’ll get a transportation
package done,” he said.
McLane also criticized
the state’s growth in both
revenues and costs, and said
he is not willing to consider
tax changes until Democrats
agree to cut costs — including
the costs of the state’s public
pension system.
“Claiming corporations
need to pay their fair share
is not a plan, it’s a political
philosophy, one that was
rejected by Oregonians,”
McLane said, referring to
Measure 97, which would
have charged a 2.5 percent
tax on certain C-corporations
with annual sales in Oregon
exceeding $25 million.
McLane has set two
conditions for agreeing to
the increased taxes that
Democrats say they need:
business-friendly
policies
that he claims will grow the
state’s economy and cutting
back on state government
costs.
“When those commit-
ments are made, Republicans
will sit down and talk about
revenue reform,” McLane
said.
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
and PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Oregon’s
legislative leaders say they
have a difficult session ahead
of them.
With the games due to
begin Feb. 1., balancing the
state’s budget is top of mind.
Health care costs, educa-
tion programs and rising state
employee costs all mean that
the state has nearly $1.8
billion less than it needs to
maintain the present level of
government services.
Possible changes in
federal immigration and
health care policies also
seemed to muddy the waters
as legislators discussed
their agendas for 2017 with
members of the press in a
forum at the Oregon Capitol
organized by The Associated
Press.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown,
for her part, said she is focused
on finding solutions to the
state’s immediate deficit and
emphasized improving the
state’s transportation system
and maintaining access to
health care.
Legislators have until
midnight on July 10 to do
their main job, which is to
balance the state’s books;
Senate
President
Peter
Courtney, D-Salem, warned
this week that legislators
might go into a special
session after that deadline.
Gov. Kate Brown
Brown, a Democrat, said
she’s focused on the next
two-year budget cycle but is
willing to discuss changes to
stabilize the state’s revenue
system for the long term.
“We are working on a
number of levels,” Brown
said. “I am continuing to
have informal conversations
with the business community
as well as labor about how
we close the deficit gap for
the short term. I am also
committed to having longer-
term conversations about
how we close the structural
deficit.”
She said maintaining
access to health care for
everyone — despite the
high costs of expanding the
Oregon Health Plan — was
“fundamental and founda-
tional to creating a thriving
Oregon.”
To address the state’s
AP Photo/Don Ryan
Oregon House Minority Leader Mike McClane, left,
R-Powell Butte, talks as House Speaker Tina Kotek,
D-Portland, listens in Salem on Thursday.
housing crunch, Brown said
rent control — not currently
permitted in the state —
needed to be discussed at the
Legislature.
Senate Leadership
Senate Majority Leader
Ginny Burdick, D-Portland,
predicted the 2017 session
will be the most difficult in
several years.
“We have a huge budget
challenge, a huge challenge
with the transportation
package we are trying to
get through,” Burdick said.
“This is my 10th term, and
I can’t remember a more
difficult session than the one
we’re going into.”
With the three-fifths
majority required to pass tax
measures, Democrats will
need Republicans to push
through priorities for revenue
reform and passing a trans-
portation package.
Senate Minority Leader
Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day,
reminded
Democrats
Thursday that his party is
urging certain concessions
for their votes.
Specifically,
Ferrioli
wants to curtail costs
associated with the Public
Employees
Retirement
System and to roll back the
state’s low-carbon fuels
standard.
“Republicans are willing
to help, and we have been
reaching out, and so far,
we haven’t heard anything
positive from the Democrats
on partnering on Oregon’s
problems of PERS, transpor-
tation, low-carbon fuels stan-
dard and getting a handle on
spending so we can have real
conversations on revenue,”
Ferrioli said.
“We do not think kicking
the can down the road for
another legislative session is
prudent,” Ferrioli said.
Republicans have been
“signaling furiously that if
Democrats are able to press
down those cost curves we
will be willing to look at new
revenue streams,” Ferrioli
said. “We have been reaching
out, and so far, we haven’t
heard anything from Demo-
crats on PERS, low-carbon
fuels and getting a handle on
spending,” he added.
Ferrioli has suggested his
party will want a modifi-
cation of the fuels standard
to support a transportation
package.
The program, extended by
legislation in 2015, requires
distributors to reduce carbon
content in vehicle fuel by 10
percent over the following
decade. Republicans wanted
a lower standard because of
the requirement’s impact on
the cost of fuel.
Courtney, the Senate
president, said he is worried
he doesn’t have the votes to
increase revenue to make up
the state’s nearly $1.8 billion
shortfall.
“It’s a very bad situation,”
Courtney said. “We are very
much in that situation now,
and I’m terrified.”
House Leadership
Housing, the state budget,
education and transportation
were among the key issues
that Democratic leadership
in the Oregon House say
face them in the upcoming
session.
“I think this session is
probably one of the most
challenging sessions that
legislators have encountered
in quite a few years,” said
Speaker of the House Tina
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Copyright © 2017, EO Media Group
SATURDAY
Cloudy with fog,
freezing early
Cloudy with fog,
freezing early
36° 23°
36° 22°
SUNDAY
Clearing; fog,
freezing early
MONDAY
Intervals of clouds
and sunshine
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
39° 26°
42° 26°
35° 22°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
35° 25°
36° 26°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
36°
30°
43°
28°
67° (1934) -18° (1957)
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
0.02"
1.35"
1.21"
1.35"
1.13"
1.21"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
37°
32°
43°
29°
67° (2003) -31° (1957)
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
0.01"
1.40"
1.08"
1.40"
0.87"
1.08"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
New
First
Jan 27
Feb 3
Full
Feb 10
40° 28°
36° 24°
Seattle
50/36
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
37° 26°
7:22 a.m.
4:54 p.m.
7:00 a.m.
4:59 p.m.
Last
Feb 18
Today
TUESDAY
Cloudy and cold
Spokane
Wenatchee
35/22
32/23
Tacoma
Moses
51/30
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 35/25
32/21
51/37
51/31
37/25
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
50/33
37/25 Lewiston
35/25
Astoria
35/25
54/38
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
47/31
Pendleton 31/16
The Dalles 36/26
36/23
39/30
La Grande
Salem
34/19
49/31
Albany
Corvallis 51/31
49/32
John Day
37/24
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
27/13
50/32
38/21
Caldwell
Burns
29/16
22/2
Klamath Falls
33/11
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
REGIONAL FORECAST
Eastern Washington: Cloudy today. Fog;
freezing fog across the south and in the
mountains.
Cascades: Partly sunny today. Areas of fog,
freezing late tonight. Areas of fog tomorrow.
Northern California: Plenty of sunshine
today; very cold in the interior mountains.
ONTARIO (AP) —
Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden
and Jeff Merkley are asking
the federal government to
begin the process to bring
relief money to farmers
and businesses in Malheur
County who have lost
income and property due to
extremely heavy snow in
the past few weeks.
The letter released
Thursday asks the U.S.
Department of Agriculture
to formally declare a
disaster in Malheur and
surrounding counties so
Hi
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Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Hi
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47
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78
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Sat.
Hi
40
72
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52
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38
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25
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41
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s
s
(in mph)
Today
Saturday
Boardman
Pendleton
NE 3-6
NNE 4-8
NE 4-8
NNE 4-8
UV INDEX TODAY
0
1
1
1
0
UO building
name will stay
despite man’s
pro-slavery stance
EUGENE (AP) — The
president of the University
of Oregon said he will not
change the name of the
oldest building on campus,
which honors the school’s
founder. The name became
controversial because of
the founder’s pro-slavery
views.
The school’s Black
Student Task Force
demanded in November
2015 that Deady Hall be
renamed, reported The
Register-Guard. The group
said black students “should
not be subjugated to walk
in any building named
after people who have
vehemently worked against
(the) black plight.”
UO President Michael
Schill invited the group’s
members to his house for
dinner Monday to discuss
his decision.
He announced the
decision Wednesday,
saying founder Matthew
Deady was ethically a
mixed bag. Deady died in
1893 and promoted slavery
before the civil war. He
also spoke up for Chinese
immigrants.
“Certainly he is not
somebody we would
consider praiseworthy in
all senses,” Schill said. “I
do believe he had racist
behavior. On the other
hand, he did a lot of good
things.”
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COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Manager: Mike Jensen
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Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
WORLD CITIES
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Coastal Oregon: Partly sunny today. Mostly
cloudy tonight, but mainly clear in the
south.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Mostly cloudy;
clouds breaking near the Cascades. Fog, freezing
early across the north; morning fog elsewhere.
Western Washington: Partly sunny today;
areas of morning fog.
Oregon senators:
Give federal relief
after snow in SE
Oregon
farmers and businesses can
apply for federal loans and
insurance relief.
The senators say the
region received 16 inches
of snow overnight on Jan.
18 on top of about two feet
of existing snow.
The accumulation
caused numerous roofs to
collapse and roads were
impassable for days.
Large stretches of I-84
were closed and residents
in some communities
continue to dig out.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sat.
WINDS
Medford
51/30
EUGENE (AP) — Two
Willamette Valley school
administrators have been
placed on leave after
sending text messages
in which they mocked
students.
The Register-Guard
reports Creswell High
School Principal Andy
Bracco and Assistant
Principal/Athletic Director
Jordan Osborn were placed
on paid administrative
leave Wednesday.
District Superintendent
Todd Hamilton said the
men would be on leave
pending the outcome of a
“complete investigation.”
The text conversation
happened Jan. 13 during
a high school basketball
game. Someone in the
stands took a photograph
over Osborn’s shoulder of
the texts to Bracco on his
phone.
One text made fun of a
student’s weight. Another
suggested a former student
was doing drugs.
The administrators
apologized for their
comments in an email to
Creswell High School
families.
REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
TODAY
Oregon school
officials on leave
for mocking
students
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— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
BRIEFLY
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. ©2017
-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: As lake-effect snow ramps up over the interior Northeast, rain show-
ers will dampen southern parts of Florida and Texas today. Winds will buffet Southern
California as fog shrouds the interior Northwest.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 85° in Tamiami, Fla.
Low -22° in Bryce Canyon, Utah
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
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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
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Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
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