NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Friday, October 27, 2017
Court rules health care ballot title is unclear
File photo
The Oregon Supreme Court Wednesday ruled that the
ballot title for a January referendum on Oregon’s health
care funding scheme must be made clearer.
changed to better explain the
direct effects of the measure.
The court also said that the
statement and the summary
should not address an open
legal question — whether or
not temporary assessments on
hospitals would be delayed or
removed altogether as part of
the referendum.
The ballot title “no” state-
ment currently says that a part
of the law that the petitioners
want to repeal would merely
80,000 gallons of
raw sewage spill
into Columbia
did, that the revenues went
toward health care for low-in-
come individuals and families,
and “stabilizing reinsurance
premiums” through a reinsur-
ance program.
Parrish had previously
raised questions about the
process used to write the mate-
rials that the Supreme Court
said on Wednesday should be
changed.
Separate legislation had
created a committee of four
Democrats and two Repub-
licans to write the ballot title
for the healthcare referendum,
although
typically
the
Attorney General does that.
The ballot title was
approved in a 5-to-1 vote by
the committee assigned to
write it. The sole dissenter was
Republican Rep. Greg Smith,
of Heppner.
Both
opponents
and
supporters of the referendum
say the ruling is a victory.
“The court affirmed nearly
100 percent of our concerns
which the partisan legisla-
tive committee completely
ignored,”
Hayden
said
in a written statement on
Wednesday. “Their direction
clearly demonstrates why the
Legislature shouldn’t have
hijacked the time-tested ballot
title process which otherwise
balances the powers between
the three branches of govern-
ment.”
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — The Oregon
Supreme
Court
ruled
Wednesday that the ballot
title on the referendum on
the state’s health care funding
scheme must be clearer.
Three
Republican
lawmakers — State Reps. Julie
Parrish, of Tualatin/West Linn;
Cedric Hayden, of Roseburg;
and Sal Esquivel, of Medford
— want to repeal parts of a
state law that requires health
care providers and insurers to
pay assessments to the state
for its Medicaid program.
The three had argued that
the ballot title approved by
a legislative committee in
September didn’t fully or
clearly explain the effects of
the potential repeal.
A ballot title is the official
written material that voters
see. In Oregon, a ballot title
includes a caption, summary
and statements that explain the
results of a “yes” and a “no”
vote.
The court found that the
caption needed to explain the
assessments with more detail
or describe them as “taxes,”
and explain that insurers were
allowed to increase certain
premiums under the law.
The “yes” and “no” vote
result statements, the court
determined, should also be
BRIEFLY
be delayed, due to how the
referendum petition was
written.
That’s a matter of legal
interpretation, the court
said, and added it should be
resolved at a later time, in the
event that voters vote “no” and
the partial repeal is successful.
The court did reject some
of the petitioners’ arguments.
For example, the court
found it was appropriate to
include, as ballot title writers
VANCOUVER, Wash.
(AP) — About 80,000
gallons of feces, urine
and laundry waste rushed
into the Columbia River
on Wednesday.
The Columbian reports
that the untreated sewage
spewed into the river
while a contractor was
calibrating pumps at
Vancouver’s Westside
Wastewater Treatment
facility.
This is the second
such spill into the river
in the past four weeks.
The first release was
about 400,000 gallons of
raw sewage and 110,000
gallons of partially
treated sewage.
Vancouver Public
Information Officer
Loretta Callahan said the
spills are not related.
The Department of
Ecology is investigating
both incidents. The city
could be directed to make
specific fixes or receive a
notice of violation. A fine
is also a possibility.
No weapons found
at scene of police
shooting
PORTLAND (AP)
— Portland police say
no weapons were found
at the scene where an
officer shot and wounded
a bank robbery suspect.
The agency said in a
news release Thursday
that the man’s clothing
and a backpack still must
be searched, and inves-
tigators were awaiting
the approval of a search
warrant.
The wounded man
remains in serious
condition at a Portland
hospital. He is expected
to survive.
Police say Officer
Ryan Reagan fired
multiple shots
Wednesday when
the man reached into
Cop on new phone law: ‘That thing is hot lava now’
constitutes distracted driving
and increased the penalties
for it.
Before the law went into
effect Oct. 1, drivers already
were not permitted to text or
call from a cellphone while
driving.
But the new law is a virtual
hands-off policy when it
comes to cellphone use now,
making it illegal to hold or
touch a cellphone for any
reason, including listening
to music or using apps for
navigation.
“That thing is hot lava
now. Don’t touch it,” Massey
said. “I don’t care what you’re
doing with it. I don’t care if
you’re scratching your face
with it. You can’t do it.”
Hands-free cellphone use
still is permitted.
Cell
phones
cradled
in a dashboard mount are
By CHELSEA
DEFFENBACHER
The Register-Guard
SPRINGFIELD — In the
three years that Springfield
police officer Mike Massey
has been a motorcycle traffic
enforcement officer, he’s
seen it all when it comes to
cellphone use and driving.
In addition to witnessing
drivers talking or texting on
their cellphones while driving,
he’s seen them writing Face-
book comments, using Snap-
chat to take selfies — even
watching pornography.
Massey has pulled over
such drivers, lectured them
and sometimes written them
up for it.
But the 2017 Legislature
passed House Bill 2597
this past summer, which
broadened and clarified what
was changing my music.’ ‘I
was checking my clock.’ I’m
tired of the excuses; you were
using your phone. Period.”
Massey, who has been
with Springfield police for
13 years, has been working
in a team of three on traffic
enforcement for the past three
years. Officers Tom Speldrich
and Matt Bohman also work
the motorcycle patrol.
Massey and Speldrich
were working one recent
morning on Main Street and
then on Gateway Street,
stopping drivers spotted with
a phone in hand.
“We could literally write
tickets all day long. But we’ve
seen an improvement since
the law went into effect,”
Massey said. “I’m sure once
the surprise and newness
wears off, people will go back
to using them.”
considered hands-free and
are acceptable, but only if
the functions in use require
just a single touch or swipe to
activate or deactivate.
Planning to make a quick
call or answer a text at a red
light? That, too, is illegal. The
car must be safely parked
before a cellphone can legally
be used.
The first violation of the
new cellphone law is a $260
fine; a second violation — or
if the first violation involves
a wreck — is a $435 fine. A
conviction for a third offense
can result in six months in jail
or up to a $2,500 fine.
Drivers younger than age
18 cannot use any device
while driving, even if it’s
hands-free.
“I’m glad they changed
the law because I’ve heard all
the excuses,” Massey said. “‘I
— 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
postal holidays, 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 © 2017, EO Media Group
TODAY
SUNDAY
SATURDAY
Sunshine
Plenty of sunshine
60° 39°
63° 41°
MONDAY
Plenty of sunshine
TUESDAY
Mostly sunny
Mostly sunny
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
61° 39°
55° 32°
59° 39°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
61° 36°
63° 38°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
62°
59°
82° (1986)
42°
37°
14° (1911)
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"
1.41"
0.86"
13.70"
9.80"
9.80"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
64°
61°
83° (1955)
42°
36°
19° (2002)
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"
0.79"
0.54"
7.80"
6.80"
7.10"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
First
Full
Oct 27
Nov 3
7:28 a.m.
5:49 p.m.
2:11 p.m.
11:58 p.m.
Last
New
Nov 10
59° 30°
60° 33°
Seattle
66/46
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
63° 38°
Nov 18
Today
Spokane
Wenatchee
56/38
60/39
Tacoma
Moses
65/37
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 61/35
61/42
66/45
64/37
65/35
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
66/40
61/43 Lewiston
61/36
Astoria
63/43
69/45
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
69/46
Pendleton 61/38
The Dalles 61/36
60/39
64/40
La Grande
Salem
61/36
70/43
Albany
Corvallis 69/42
69/43
John Day
69/43
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
66/36
67/43
64/37
Caldwell
Burns
64/37
65/28
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
69
66
64
65
65
61
67
58
61
69
72
61
59
81
68
68
66
62
60
69
64
70
56
62
66
61
65
Lo
45
33
37
53
28
38
43
38
36
43
34
36
35
44
49
49
36
36
39
46
32
43
38
36
43
43
35
W
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Lo
49
69
59
41
49
30
42
50
48
62
58
W
s
pc
s
s
s
sn
pc
pc
s
pc
s
Lo
44
31
40
52
28
40
44
41
38
43
34
38
37
45
48
48
36
36
41
46
35
45
38
37
44
44
35
W
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
Sat.
Hi
62
82
69
60
72
37
58
70
74
79
63
Lo
35
68
54
53
51
33
48
48
48
66
59
W
pc
s
t
c
pc
sf
pc
pc
s
pc
r
WINDS
Medford
81/44
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
72/34
Boardman
Pendleton
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: Partly sunny today, but
sunnier across the north; pleasant in central
parts.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Plenty of
sunshine today; pleasant in the south and
near the Cascades. Clear tonight.
Western Washington: Mostly sunny today;
patchy morning fog in central parts. Clear
tonight.
Eastern Washington: Sunny today. Clear
tonight. Plenty of sunshine tomorrow.
Cascades: Partly to mostly sunny today.
Clear to partly cloudy tonight. Sunny
tomorrow.
Northern California: Plenty of sunshine
today. Clear tonight. Plenty of sunshine
tomorrow.
Today
Saturday
NE 4-8
NNW 4-8
ENE 3-6
N 4-8
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
0
2
2
2
2
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 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
67
84
79
57
75
33
61
70
71
72
68
Classified & Legal Advertising
1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678
classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sat.
Hi
64
68
72
64
67
66
67
63
63
73
73
67
66
78
62
62
64
63
63
68
71
70
60
68
67
63
65
WELCHES (AP) — A
hiker missing for almost
five days near Oregon’s
Mount Hood has been
found alive, authorities
said Thursday.
The Clackamas
County Sheriff’s
Office said 34-year-old
Nathan Mitchell was
being guided out of the
Salmon-Huckleberry
Wilderness in the Mount
Hood National Forest.
Russ Gubele, presi-
dent of Mountain Wave
Search and Rescue,
said Mitchell was doing
well, able to walk out
on his own. Gubele said
Mitchell was found not
too far off a trail.
Mitchell, a Portland
attorney, had gone for
a day hike Saturday in
Wildwood Recreation
Area near Welches. He
was reported missing
the next day, triggering
a days-long search by
rescuers and friends of
Mitchell.
Searchers earlier this
week found a rain cover
from Mitchell’s back-
pack about five miles
from the parking area
where he left his car.
The weather was
bad on the first day of
the search, but it’s been
sunny the past few days.
It’s unclear if Mitchell
had supplies.
“In a situation like
that, if you have a little
bit of food with you and
a way to keep yourself
dry, you can actually
survive a long time,”
Gubele said. “There’s
plenty of water up
there.”
Corrections
REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
Hiker missing for
days found alive
near Mount Hood
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
Advertising Director: Marissa Williams
541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com
Advertising Services: Laura Jensen
541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com
Multimedia Consultants:
• Kimberly Macias
541-278-2683 • kmacias@eastoregonian.com
• Jeanne Jewett
541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com
• Dayle Stinson
541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com
• Angela Treadwell
541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com
• Audra Workman
541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com
• Grace Bubar
541-276-2214 • gbubar@eastoregonian.com
Subscriber services:
For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops
or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1
his pocket instead of
putting his hands in the
air. Officers had been
searching for a man who
robbed a North Portland
bank.
The suspect’s name
has not been released.
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: A snowstorm will blast part of the Upper Midwest today. Rain will
extend from the central Great Lakes to the Texas coast along the leading edge of cold air.
The East Coast and the West will be dry.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 98° in Palm Springs, Calif.
Low 17° in Waverly, 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
55
73
65
67
56
73
65
61
75
75
47
68
58
46
59
64
37
41
85
70
50
79
45
83
54
88
Lo
36
56
56
46
43
44
41
48
58
50
36
44
37
29
37
40
25
19
70
40
33
60
27
60
33
65
W
s
s
s
s
pc
pc
s
s
s
s
c
pc
pc
s
pc
s
sn
pc
pc
t
r
pc
pc
s
r
s
Sat.
Hi
62
60
70
71
71
54
67
66
78
55
45
48
62
58
47
69
36
44
84
63
44
83
50
84
55
90
Lo
41
38
63
55
42
37
41
56
58
34
31
37
40
38
35
44
25
30
71
38
31
57
28
60
29
64
Today
W
s
t
s
pc
pc
r
s
s
sh
r
sh
r
s
pc
r
s
pc
s
pc
s
c
pc
pc
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
61
83
48
39
72
82
63
51
43
65
91
59
62
72
47
75
86
48
62
81
78
66
88
68
49
Lo
37
35
74
38
28
38
50
53
27
25
51
63
39
44
48
23
40
50
36
40
62
54
46
57
52
26
W
r
r
pc
c
sn
pc
c
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
s
s
s
Sat.
Hi
50
54
83
48
41
51
62
68
56
53
72
90
62
68
72
57
76
84
49
64
79
71
66
87
72
55
Lo
36
34
73
32
26
34
45
62
34
27
59
63
49
55
57
39
41
49
30
43
62
54
46
57
57
31
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
c
pc
r
sh
c
pc
pc
s
s
pc
s
s
s
s
pc
pc
s
s
c
s
s
s
s
s
pc
s