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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 2017)
59/38 BASEBALL/1B FAMILY, FRIENDS REMEMBER FALLEN AIRMAN BIEREN REGION/3A BUCKS START LEAGUE RIGHT TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017 141st Year, No. 131 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Gun bills evoke strong emotions at state Capitol By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — At age 24, Jenna Yuille lost her mother in a mass shooting at the Clack- amas Town Center in 2012. Four years later, her father committed suicide using a fi rearm. “I have now lost not one but both of my parents to gun violence,” Yuille said. “I knew that my dad wasn’t doing too well, but I didn’t know how to help him.” A bill in the Legislature would provide a tool for families to block loved ones’ access to fi rearms if they posed a risk to themselves or others. The legislation would create an extreme risk protection order process. Families could obtain the temporary order — up to a 12 months — by petitioning to the court. The subject of the order could contest its issuance in court. Once issued, the protection order could be renewed annually. “What we’re trying to do is provide the best course of action to give family a chance to help themselves to prevent their veterans and other family members from killing themselves, prevent suicide by cop and worse, killing family members in despera- tion,” said Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas. Oregon has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation, including among veterans, Boquist said. See GUNS/8A Pendleton and Umatilla make world robotics championships By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Umatilla County will be well repre- sented at the world robotics championship. For the fi rst time, two county schools compete at the same FIRST Robotics Competition — Umatilla High School and Pendleton High School. Both schools will travel from Eastern Oregon to Houston, where they will be able to test out their robots on the world stage against teams from Canada, Mexico, China, Israel, Australia and more. Superintendent Heidi Sipe said Umatil- la’s robotics program, now in its sixth year, used to be one of the few in the region that participated in competitions. But in the past few years, robotics programs have proliferated to other schools like Hermiston, Helix and Pend- leton. “We’re thrilled that it’s starting to See ROBOTICS/10A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Lobbyists Craig Campbell, center, and Danelle Romain, right, chat while waiting to talk to representatives outside of the House of Representatives on Thursday during the session in the Oregon Capitol Building in Salem. The other representatives Lobbyists promote legislation that will help their Eastern Oregon clients By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian In the marbled hallways of The Building, as those in state politics affectionately call the Salem capitol, every interaction is an opportunity. Business is conducted on the House fl oor and in the offi ces of senators, but also in friendly hallway chats and in line for coffee at the café in the basement. “Serendipity in this building is probably the best thing in the world,” said Craig Campbell, a lobbyist from the fi rm The Victory Group. “Things happen through casual conversations more often than through setting up meetings.” Campbell counts Hermis- ton-based Umatilla Electric Cooperative among his clients, and like the rest of those in the “government relations” business, he works for UEC’s interests by spending plenty of time in The Building during the legislative session. Some of that time is in sched- uled sit-downs, but lobbyists also roam the halls looking for oppor- tunities to speak with legislators, aids and department heads about upcoming bills. If a lawmaker is Everyday citizens make their voices heard in Salem Staff photo by E.J. Harris Lobbyists Katie Fast and Jenny Dresler talk with Sen. Bill Hansell’s legislative director Branden Pursinger about an amendment to the Sick Leave Fix Bill on Thursday at the Ore- gon Capitol Building in Salem. on a tight schedule, their assistants will try to steer them clear of the hallway outside of the committee rooms, where they will almost always get waylaid by lobbyists or others who want a word. At other times, a representative may step outside the chamber during a fl oor session after a page delivers them a handwritten note from a lobbyist asking to borrow a moment of their time. The average citizen often knows who represents them in the legislature, but not necessarily to the legislature. While the word “lobbyist” tends to bring to mind slimy lawyers from Wall Street or a big oil company, Eastern Oregon farmers, electric cooperative members, teachers, correctional offi cers, real estate agents and See LOBBYISTS/8A “It’s fun being a lobbyist, and helping shape state policy.” — Danelle Romain, of The Romain Group While full-time lobbyists work hard behind the scenes to educate legislators on the effects of proposed laws, everyday citizens trying to make their voices heard are also a fi xture at in Salem. On Wednesday, 800 real estate agents — fi ve percent of the total number of Real- tors in Oregon — converged on the capitol to talk with representatives and senators about issues affecting home ownership. While a massive white tent offering free lunch to capitol staff and lawmakers was set up across the street, creating the opportunity for casual conversations on the issues, eight real estate agents from Umatilla and Morrow counties also met with Representative Greg Smith (R-Heppner) and Senator Bill Hansell (R-Athena) to voice their support or opposition to several bills. Suzi Frederickson, presi- dent of the Columbia Basin Board of Realtors, said they See VOICE/8A Singer talks about growing up black BMCC Arts & Culture Festival kicks off By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Professor Deletta Gillespie gestures while performing her piece “Black Lives Matter: A Performing Artist’s Perspective” in the theatre in Pioneer Hall during Art and Culture Week at BMCC in Pendleton. Deletta Gillespie learned her fi rst painful lesson about racism at age fi ve. “My best friend Jeanette was a little white girl who lived three doors down from me,” said Gillespie on Monday to an audience at the Blue Mountain Community College Arts & Culture Festival. “She’d come over after school to my house. We’d watch cartoons together. More inside For a list of festival events see page 10A We’d color in our coloring books. We’d play with dolls.” When the friend was late one day, Deletta walked over to her house. She just reached the yard when the door opened and an older sister came out and said, “She’ll be right out. Go on and walk home.” Later, Deletta asked her friend why they never played See GILLESPIE/10A