NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Friday, February 16, 2018
Oregon reports
increase in
deaths related
to meth use
House passes bill to keep guns from abusers
Under existing law, only
convicted abusers in domestic
relationships, such as a spouse,
former spouse, co-parent or
live-in partner, are prohibited
from having guns. The bill
expands the ban to current and
past intimate partners of all kinds
and stalkers.
Barker said as a compromise
with reluctant supporters of the
bill, he and other sponsors agreed
to remove a provision that would
automatically dispossess an
accused abuser or stalker of their
guns if they missed one court
hearing.
A study by the Oregon Depart-
ment of Justice showed that more
than 16 Oregonians were killed in
nine separate domestic violence
incidents between Dec. 25, 2016,
and Jan. 16, 2017. Not all of the
fatalities involved romantic rela-
tionships.
Women are more likely to be
killed in domestic disputes when
a gun is present in the home,
Barker said.
Laws aimed at keeping guns
from abusers have reduced
homicides of intimate partners,
according to recent research
published in the American Journal
of Epidemiology.
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
SALEM — The Oregon
House of Representatives passed
a bill 37-to-23 Thursday to keep
domestic abusers and stalkers
from having firearms.
House Bill 4145 closes the
so-called “boyfriend loophole,”
or “intimate partner loophole,”
in state law that omitted stalkers
and domestic abusers who are not
a spouse, former spouse, live-in
partner or co-parent from the gun
ban.
“I believe from the bottom of
my heart this bill will save lives
in Oregon,” said Rep. Jeff Barker,
D-Aloha.
The bill now heads to the
Senate for consideration.
Floor debate over the bill
drew out emotional speeches and
revelations about personal expe-
riences from lawmakers. Barker,
a former police officer, recounted
responding to a gruesome scene
in which a young mother had
attempted to protect herself from
her abuser and had her hand
blown off before being killed.
Rep. Janeen Sollman, D-Hill-
sboro, wept as she talked about
verbal and physical abuse she
Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune
The Oregon House voted 37-to-23 Thursday to close the so-
called “boyfriend loophole” in state gun law. “I believe from
the bottom of my heart this bill will save lives in Oregon,” said
Rep. Jeff Barker, D-Aloha.
experienced from an alcohol
father.
Rep. Andy Olson, R-Albany,
said he also had witnessed horrific
domestic abuse during his former
career as a police officer. Olson
voted against the bill because, he
said, it would not prevent abusers
from obtaining guns illegally and
killing or injuring others. The
legislation also fails the address
the root cause of gun violence, he
said.
“This bill doesn’t fix the
systemic problems our state is
experiencing; that is why I am
going to vote no.”
The legislation also would
require Oregon State Police to
notify other law enforcement
when they learn someone has
tried to obtain a gun illegally.
SALEM (AP) — Deaths connected
to the use of methamphetamine have
reached higher rates than previously
recorded in Oregon, surpassing the
death rates from heroin and nearly
matching the rates from opioids,
according to state figures.
The state recorded 141 meth-related
deaths in 2016, rising from the 51
overdose deaths from meth recorded
in 2012, according
to numbers from
“We can’t
the Oregon Health
arrest our
Authority.
During
the
way out
same time frame,
heroin-related
of this.”
deaths decreased
Dave Okada,
from 124 to 107.
Pharmaceutical Salem Police Lt.
and
synthetic
opioid overdoses dropped from 174 to
149, the Statesman Journal reported.
Numbers from the Oregon State
Medical Examiner show 232 meth-re-
lated deaths in 2016 and 93 in 2012. It
also recorded 124 heroin-related deaths
in 2016 and 147 in 2012.
The discrepancy between the figures
from the state agencies can be attributed
to the interpretation of what constitutes a
meth-related death. The health authority
collected its data from death certificates.
As meth-related deaths have
increased, so too has the number of
convictions for meth possession. The
Oregon Criminal Justice Commission
recorded a steady rise in convictions
from 2008 to 2016, according to its
sentencing data.
The state had more than 2000
meth possession convictions in 2008,
according to the commission. By 2015,
that number soared to 3,665 convictions.
The next year saw a slight decrease,
dropping to 3,612 convictions.
Law enforcement agencies are
looking to curb drug use by empha-
sizing treatment options like through
drug courts.
Salem Police Lt. Dave Okada
said agencies are working together to
address the issue, but it’s going to take
considerable combined effort to make a
dent in the problem.
“We can’t arrest our way out of this,”
Okada said. “It’s a societal issue, and
what we really need to do is continue
with education and prevention efforts.”
Lawmakers move to ease scrubbing of racist provisions
By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
SALEM — When Oregon
lawmaker Julie Fahey and her
husband bought a house, the deed
said that only whites could live
there unless the person was a
domestic servant.
Across America, many home
owners and buyers of older prop-
erties like Fahey are shocked to
see racist exclusions remaining
on deeds, decades after they were
outlawed. Fahey researched how
to remove the offensive language,
and discovered that doing so would
be complicated and expensive.
Notice would have to be served to
every person and institution with
financial interest in the property
and a request filed in court.
Fahey, a Democrat in the
Oregon House of Representatives
who is white, decided to sponsor a
bill to make it easier for people to
scrub the offensive language from
their deeds. The measure unani-
mously sailed through Oregon’s
House of Representatives on
Wednesday, but not before it
opened a window on how the
racist provisions are hurtful, and
race unenforceable. They were
outlawed by the federal Fair
Housing Act of 1968. Before, the
Federal Housing Administration
denied mortgages based upon race
and ethnicity, a practice
known as redlining that
kept people who weren’t
white from buying into
more desirable areas
where property values
were rising.
C a l i f o r n i a
lawmakers passed a bill
in 2009 to have racist
covenants purged when-
ever property changes
hands, but former Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed it,
noting the covenants are already
void and raising concerns about
counties raising fees to cover
costs. California lets residents
request to have the covenants
redacted, and several other states
have also taken measures to purge
racist language from housing
documents.
Still,
these
whites-only
covenants remain on property
deeds across the country, from
South Carolina, to Missouri, to
Washington state. A study by the
how they underscore housing
inequalities that persist today.
Sen. Lew Frederick, an
African-American representing
Portland, told a hearing on the bill
last week that the deed
to his own home still has
language that says he
cannot live there.
“This is not enforced,
but it’s quite a surprise
to discover that I am
illegal living in my own
house,” Frederick said.
Rep. Mark Meek,
who is a realtor and
represents the Portland Fahey
suburb of Oregon City,
described “uncomfortable discus-
sions” with clients that arise when
racist exclusions are listed.
“I say it’s not enforceable, but
the history of it and really the
true ugliness of it (persists) even
though we’re in a different era,”
said Meek, a Latino. “I think it
comes to a time where we don’t
erase that history but ... we make
a path for those citizens and those
owners of those properties who
say that’s no longer allowed here.”
The U.S. Supreme Court in
1948 made restrictions based on
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REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
SUNDAY
SATURDAY
Mainly cloudy and
breezy
Mostly cloudy with
a few showers
51° 42°
54° 35°
MONDAY
Snow and rain;
breezy, colder
Very cold with
clouds and sun
Sunshine, but cold
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
40° 17°
26° 10°
31° 10°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
57° 37°
56° 44°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
46°
47°
66° (1982)
31°
29°
-5° (1923)
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"
0.46"
0.62"
2.05"
2.36"
2.00"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
50°
48°
63° (2016)
28°
29°
-8° (1936)
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"
0.48"
0.52"
1.58"
2.29"
1.80"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
First
Full
Feb 22
Mar 1
Last
Mar 9
32° 16°
36° 19°
Seattle
49/43
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
44° 21°
6:56 a.m.
5:23 p.m.
7:31 a.m.
6:27 p.m.
New
Mar 17
Today
TUESDAY
Spokane
Wenatchee
40/30
51/33
Tacoma
Moses
49/42
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 54/35
40/34
49/43
49/41
59/35
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
48/44
50/42 Lewiston
57/42
Astoria
49/39
50/43
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
50/44
Pendleton 40/34
The Dalles 56/44
51/42
54/42
La Grande
Salem
43/37
52/44
Albany
Corvallis 49/44
51/43
John Day
46/37
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
49/32
50/42
47/35
Caldwell
Burns
49/34
43/26
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
50
44
47
56
43
40
50
50
56
46
52
43
41
53
49
52
49
56
51
50
48
52
40
41
49
50
59
Lo
43
32
35
43
26
34
42
41
44
37
27
37
36
36
44
45
32
40
42
44
32
44
30
34
45
42
35
W
r
c
pc
s
pc
c
pc
pc
c
pc
s
c
c
pc
sh
pc
pc
c
c
r
pc
r
c
c
r
c
c
Hi
48
48
52
52
49
46
52
53
57
51
53
48
46
56
50
52
53
57
54
52
55
53
43
46
51
56
56
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Lo
21
64
46
36
49
21
35
40
19
71
38
W
s
pc
s
pc
pc
sn
pc
pc
pc
s
pc
Lo
37
29
29
39
27
31
35
33
37
35
28
33
30
34
37
38
34
35
35
36
29
36
23
28
38
36
28
W
r
sh
r
c
c
sh
r
sh
sh
sh
pc
sh
sh
r
r
r
c
c
sh
r
sn
r
r
sh
r
sh
sh
Sat.
Hi
45
69
48
49
76
26
47
56
34
81
52
(in mph)
Klamath Falls
52/27
Boardman
Pendleton
Lo
30
64
43
38
48
22
31
45
21
71
34
W
c
pc
pc
pc
pc
sn
pc
c
s
pc
pc
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: Rain and drizzle across the
north today; clouds and sun in central parts.
Mostly sunny in the south.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Clouds and
sun today with a shower during the after-
noon; breezy across the north.
Western Washington: On-and-off rain and
drizzle today with snow in the Cascades.
Rain tonight.
Eastern Washington: Mostly cloudy today. A
bit of snow in the mountains; a bit of snow and
rain in the north and near the Idaho border.
Cascades: Clouds and sun today; a couple of
fl urries, but a little rain across the north.
Northern California: Plenty of sunshine
today. Clear tonight. Sunny to partly cloudy
tomorrow.
Today
Saturday
WSW 12-25
WSW 10-20
WSW 12-25
WSW 12-25
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
0
1
2
2
1
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Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
WINDS
Medford
53/36
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NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sat.
WORLD CITIES
Hi
46
74
60
49
78
25
49
54
39
83
47
Corrections
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— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
TODAY
University of Washington found
racial restrictions in scores of
neighborhoods in Seattle and its
suburbs.
“No person other than one
of the Caucasian race shall be
permitted to occupy any portion of
any lot in said plat or any building
thereon except a domestic servant
actually employed by a Caucasian
occupant of said lot or building,”
says a restriction in Seattle’s
Beacon Hill neighborhood.
Another covenant says: “No
part of said property hereby
conveyed shall ever be used or
occupied by any Hebrew or by
any person of the Ethiopian,
Malay or any Asiatic Race.”
Fahey’s own deed for her house
in the university town of Eugene,
dated May 31, 1949, says only a
“Caucasian” can use or occupy
any building in the subdivision
“except as domestics.”
Her bill, which goes before
the Senate, would enable a home-
owner to notify interested parties
by certified or registered mail
about the plan to scrub a racist
covenant. The new process would
ensure that no other fees would be
imposed.
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. ©2018
-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: Rain will soak areas from northeastern Texas to southern New England
today. Rain will also fall on the coastal Northwest and in part of New Mexico. Expect snow
over the northern Rockies and Appalachians.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 89° in Presidio, Texas
Low -8° in Crosby, N.D.
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
52
72
58
59
33
67
45
48
80
60
28
35
60
46
33
57
17
25
80
76
38
79
38
62
58
75
Lo
33
54
28
26
15
49
33
24
58
30
12
23
41
25
17
43
0
16
67
55
24
58
26
44
36
51
W
c
c
sh
c
pc
c
pc
sh
pc
r
pc
c
r
s
pc
r
pc
s
pc
sh
pc
pc
s
s
r
s
Sat.
Hi
57
70
42
39
30
67
50
34
73
46
35
40
61
52
35
65
18
23
80
70
40
80
52
68
50
75
Lo
35
49
36
29
8
44
34
30
56
33
20
30
46
35
27
47
6
7
68
54
27
57
31
45
36
49
Today
W
s
sh
pc
pc
c
sh
c
pc
pc
r
sn
pc
r
s
pc
c
pc
pc
pc
sh
sn
c
s
s
r
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
51
61
85
28
23
64
80
58
46
31
62
71
46
54
78
38
56
65
39
48
73
65
49
65
61
45
Lo
31
40
65
16
18
39
60
26
34
25
27
49
17
24
44
16
28
37
26
35
50
45
43
48
31
30
W
r
r
pc
s
s
r
pc
sh
c
s
sh
pc
sh
sh
sh
s
s
s
pc
s
s
s
r
c
c
pc
Sat.
Hi
44
47
85
35
34
48
79
37
61
43
40
74
31
37
47
30
64
69
47
58
71
64
48
71
43
61
Lo
34
37
68
22
18
36
61
32
34
27
33
52
26
30
39
19
38
43
28
45
51
49
36
53
33
34
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
r
r
s
sn
c
r
c
pc
c
s
pc
s
pc
pc
r
c
s
s
c
pc
s
s
r
pc
r
pc