NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Petitioners appeal provider tax ballot title
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — A trio of Republican
lawmakers who want to refer Oregon’s
Medicaid funding scheme to voters
are challenging a description of the
measure that voters could see on their
ballots in January.
Medicaid is a health coverage
program for people below certain
income thresholds, funded by the
federal government and the state.
Oregon collects payments from health
care providers — assessments often
called a provider tax — to pay its share
of the costs.
Three lawmakers want to challenge
some of those payments, and they are
at work gathering the nearly 59,000
signatures required to get the issue to
the ballot in a special election Jan. 23.
Their deadline for the signatures is
Thursday.
And now they are asking the
Oregon Supreme Court to review the
ballot title’s caption, summary and its
description of the results of “yes” and
“no” votes on the potential referendum.
The language that the petitioners
are challenging was approved by a
legislative committee Sept. 20.
A copy of the appeal was provided to
the EO Media Group / Pamplin Media
Group Capital Bureau by petitioner
State Rep. Julie Parrish, R-Tualatin/
West Linn, Monday evening.
Parrish is joined by two other
Republican state representatives —
Cedric Hayden, of Roseburg, and Sal
Esquivel, of Medford.
They are essentially arguing that
the summary of the measure, and the
description of what a “yes” and “no”
vote mean, don’t accurately convey
the legislation’s meaning or the conse-
BRIEFLY
budgeted costs for providing health
care to low-income individuals and
families and individuals with disabil-
ities and for stabilizing premiums
charged by insurance companies for
health insurance purchased by individ-
uals and families.”
—Julie Parrish, Cedric Hayden and Sal Esquivel,
Republican lawmakers, in a statement
It also states that a “no vote” would
delay a certain aspect of the law, rather
than eliminate it as the referral peti-
tioners want.
Petitioners intended to refer a .7
percent assessment on certain hospitals
to the ballot.
But legislative attorneys have
opined that aspect of the legislation
would merely be delayed rather than
nixed because of an omission in the
referral petition.
That’s an interpretation that the
petitioners challenge.
In a press release when the ballot
title was approved in late September,
the Coalition to Protect Healthcare —
advocates who oppose referring the
issue to voters and support the way the
legislation in question collects money
to pay for Medicaid — said that the
ballot title “clearly lays out what will
happen if the referendum passes or
fails.”
A defendant who pleaded
guilty to last year’s occupa-
tion of the Malheur
National Wildlife
Refuge in Oregon
is asking a judge
to delay his trial
in Nevada, set to
begin next week.
Ryan Payne has
also been charged
for his role in
a 2014 armed
standoff between Payne
ranchers and the
Bureau of Land Manage-
ment.
In a court filing Monday,
Payne’s attorneys argued
Sunday night’s shooting in
Las Vegas — which killed at
least 59 people and injured
more than 500 — would
prejudice potential jurors
and make it difficult to
assess the credibility of
government witnesses.
“The horror of this recent
shooting is too recent, and
the impact of this
incident on the
community is too
severe, for a fair
trial to commence
next
week,”
Payne’s attorneys
wrote.
They’ve asked
the judge to delay
the trial, which
would take place
in Las Vegas, by at
least 60 days.
“This is not the time to
pick a jury and commence
a trial in this case,” Payne’s
attorneys wrote.
“It is clear that this
unprecedented
act
of
violence will prevent the
defendants from having
a fair trial in this city one
week from now.”
Payne pleaded guilty to
conspiracy for his role in the
41-day long armed standoff
in Eastern Oregon.
He has been charged
in Nevada with numerous
counts, including conspiracy,
assault on a federal officer
and use and carry of a
firearm in relation to a crime
of violence. The charges
stem from a 2014 armed
standoff between the Bureau
of Land Management and
ranchers in Bunkerville,
Nevada.
“The shooting has imme-
diately led to a discussion
about guns, with negative
attention on a perceived
laxity of gun laws and on
persons who choose to bear
and carry high-powered fire-
arms, as is legal in Nevada,”
the court filing states.
MEDFORD (AP) —
Police in southern Oregon
arrested a 15-year-old girl in
the killing of her father, and
two men are also charged in
the death.
Medford police said
Tuesday they believe
50-year-old Aaron Friar
was killed with a weapon
while he was sleeping. They
say his daughter and two
men — 22-year-old Russell
Jones and 19-year-old Gavin
MacFarlane — then stole his
vehicle, using it to haul the
body to a dirt embankment.
Investigators recovered
Friar’s body Monday
afternoon. An autopsy is
pending.
Police say Friar’s
daughter has been in a
sexual relationship with the
19-year-old MacFarlane.
Detectives believe that
caused tension between the
couple and the father.
MacFarlane, Jones and
the 15-year-old girl have
been charged with murder,
robbery and tampering with
evidence. MacFarlane is also
charged with third-degree
rape.
Many supporters of
rancher Cliven Bundy have
argued that their actions in
Nevada and Oregon were
supported by their constitu-
tional right to own and carry
firearms.
Payne’s attorneys also
argue in court documents
it will be difficult for
jurors to assess the credi-
bility of law enforcement
witnesses.
“First responders have
been (justifiably) praised
for their response to the
shooting,” the attorneys
wrote.
Payne’s attorneys said
the FBI and Clark County
Sheriff Joe Lombardo
have been involved in the
shooting investigation and
also serve as witnesses
for the government in the
trial over the Bunkerville
incident.
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TODAY
THURSDAY
Partly sunny and
cool
Partly to mostly
sunny
64° 39°
67° 42°
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Mostly sunny,
breezy and nice
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REGIONAL CITIES
Mostly sunny
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
77° 50°
65° 44°
59° 39°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
70° 38°
68° 35°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
60°
70°
88° (1892)
32°
44°
28° (2012)
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"
0.05"
0.10"
12.34"
8.02"
9.04"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
66°
71°
85° (1952)
35°
42°
28° (1999)
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"
0.03"
0.06"
7.04"
5.44"
6.62"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Full
Last
Oct 5
Oct 12
70° 46°
66° 36°
Seattle
68/48
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
77° 53°
New
6:57 a.m.
6:29 p.m.
6:23 p.m.
5:29 a.m.
First
Oct 19
Oct 27
Today
SUNDAY
Partly sunny and
not as warm
Spokane
Wenatchee
64/40
68/43
Tacoma
Moses
68/38
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 70/35
62/40
68/44
70/37
73/36
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
71/41
65/45 Lewiston
69/36
Astoria
66/42
70/44
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
72/44
Pendleton 59/35
The Dalles 68/35
64/39
75/39
La Grande
Salem
59/32
73/42
Albany
Corvallis 72/39
73/40
John Day
61/38
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
66/38
72/38
62/32
Caldwell
Burns
63/38
60/24
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
70
62
62
68
60
59
72
61
68
61
64
59
57
74
66
69
66
70
64
72
63
73
64
57
71
65
73
Lo
44
29
32
48
24
35
38
37
35
38
27
32
30
40
46
46
38
35
39
44
26
42
40
30
43
45
36
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NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Thu.
Hi
69
66
66
70
63
61
74
65
70
65
68
63
61
77
66
69
66
71
67
73
68
75
63
61
73
68
74
Lo
46
29
35
51
25
37
40
41
38
40
28
34
33
42
47
47
36
38
42
46
29
43
40
33
44
46
35
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
W
s
pc
s
s
pc
pc
s
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
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s
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WORLD CITIES
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Hi
72
91
77
60
71
47
63
76
70
73
67
Lo
45
80
60
51
55
44
47
56
54
62
58
W
pc
t
s
pc
t
r
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
Thu.
Hi
70
90
75
61
71
49
64
75
72
79
67
Lo
51
81
60
47
54
44
46
61
57
63
60
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WINDS
Medford
74/40
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
64/27
Boardman
Pendleton
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: Sunny today; pleasant
across the north. Clear tonight. Plenty of
sun tomorrow.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Partly sunny
today, except more clouds in central parts. A
moonlit sky tonight.
Western Washington: Mostly sunny today.
A moonlit sky tonight. Sunshine tomorrow.
Eastern Washington: Abundant sunshine
today. Partly cloudy tonight. Partly to mostly
sunny tomorrow.
Cascades: Mostly sunny today; warmer in
central parts. A moonlit sky tonight. Sunny
tomorrow.
Northern California: Mostly sunny today;
cold. A moonlit sky tonight; cold. Mostly
sunny tomorrow.
Today
Thursday
NNW 3-6
W 4-8
SW 3-6
W 4-8
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
1
CRESWELL (AP) —
Protesters staged a rush-hour
demonstration against a
pro-marijuana measure that’s
on the ballot next month in
Creswell.
If approved, marijuana
retailers would be allowed
in the small town south of
Eugene. The Register-Guard
reports about 80 protesters
stationed themselves at the
Interstate 5 exit on Monday,
urging passing motorists to
keep the prohibition in place.
Creswell voters have
already banned marijuana
retailers once — 53
percent to 47 percent. But a
company seeking to open a
shop said the decision was
close enough to warrant
another vote. The company
gathered enough signatures
to put the question on the
November ballot.
If the measure passes,
a company plans to put a
marijuana shop in the town.
Corrections
Copyright © 2017, EO Media Group
Forecast
Protesters tell
Creswell voters to
reject pot measure
There were 168 Republicans in a recent icitizen poll.
Incorrect information appeared in the article “Half have
unfavorable view of Gov. Brown” (Oct. 3, 2017, 2A)
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.
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SHERWOOD (AP)
— An Oregon mayor has
resigned rather than face a
recall election.
Sherwood Mayor
Krisanna Clark-Endicott said
she is leaving the Portland
suburb to be with her new
husband — Redmond
Mayor George Endicott. The
two were married in July.
Supporters of the
recall are upset about
Clark-Endicott’s handling
of a contract to manage the
city-owned recreation center
that houses the YMCA.
Two city councilors,
Sally Robinson and Jennifer
Harris, will face a recall
election on Oct. 17.
Girl charged with
killing father; 2
men also arrested
Bunkerville defendant: Jurors will be biased
against gun owners after Las Vegas shooting
By CONRAD WILSON
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Mayor resigns to be
with new husband
— also a mayor
PORTLAND (AP) — The
U.S. Supreme Court says it
will not hear a challenge to
non-unanimous jury verdicts
in Louisiana and Oregon.
With the decision
Monday, Oregon and
Louisiana will remain the
only states to allow juries
to convict most felony
defendants with a 10-2 vote.
Oregon does require a 12-0
vote to find people guilty of
murder.
The high court was
considering whether to hear
the case of a defendant from
New Orleans.
“(The law) is a tax in every normative
sense of the word.”
quences of a vote, and have proposed
an alternative.
They argue that the word “assess-
ment” could mislead voters, and that
an assessment on net revenues “is a tax
in every normative sense of the word,”
according to the appeal.
The petitioners argue that the
legislation in question needed the
three-fifths majority vote in both legis-
lative chambers that is required to raise
revenue in Oregon.
But “assessment” is the language
written into the law. Legislative counsel
has said that there are legal differences
between the terms “assessment” and
“tax.”
The petitioners also say that the
ballot title “inappropriately focuses on
programs that may be funded by (the
legislation) but were not direct subjects
of (the referendum petition).”
The ballot title approved last month
states that a “no” vote “underfunds
The men were booked
into the Jackson County
Jail. The girl was lodged at a
juvenile detention facility.
Supreme Court
opts against
non-unanimous
jury case
2
3
3
2
1
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: Warmth and dryness will linger in much of the South and East today.
Downpours will drench South Florida and extend from Texas and New Mexico to Michigan.
Rain and snow will fall on the interior Northwest.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 95° in Tucson, Ariz.
Low 3° in Hohnholz Ranch, 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
77
80
75
77
54
83
60
76
81
83
74
81
87
68
76
86
50
60
87
89
78
83
69
82
84
80
Lo
60
60
64
57
36
59
41
62
65
56
54
59
69
48
52
70
39
42
78
69
65
68
62
60
63
61
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Thur.
Hi
78
83
79
84
57
84
65
77
84
82
69
78
88
68
75
89
51
62
89
87
78
83
74
86
84
84
Lo
60
62
65
59
38
62
41
58
68
54
59
60
69
47
57
69
36
43
76
67
62
74
65
61
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61
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Today
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
84
84
84
74
62
85
84
77
76
69
77
98
76
76
79
60
67
80
77
67
75
73
68
98
79
75
Lo
62
63
77
51
48
58
71
62
65
58
62
72
57
61
54
42
37
48
65
43
61
54
48
70
61
66
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Thur.
Hi
83
85
84
66
60
85
86
80
82
70
84
99
75
80
83
60
69
84
82
63
77
75
69
99
85
77
Lo
62
63
79
56
50
58
70
64
66
57
65
70
52
57
56
40
37
48
65
42
62
55
48
67
64
66
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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pc
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