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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 28, 2018)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Groups push limits on Oregon campaign contributions By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — As one of several states that doesn’t limit how much individuals, businesses or unions can contribute to candidates, parties or causes, Oregon has earned an “A plus” rating from a Virginia-based group founded by an advocate of deregulating campaign finance. The rating comes as supporters of campaign finance reform are renewing efforts to amend the Oregon Constitution to allow such limits. Oregon, Alabama, Nebraska, Utah and Virginia each got a perfect score in rankings released this week by the Institute for Free Speech. “When people want to change government, they donate to and volunteer for candidates, parties and groups,” the institute’s leaders wrote in a foreword to the rankings. “Restrictions on these contributions protect incumbents and result in less speech.” The Institute for Free Speech was founded in 2005 by Bradley Smith, a proponent of deregulating campaign finance and a former commissioner and chairman of the Federal Election Commission under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The organization has filed amicus briefs and pursued litiga- tion involving campaign finance limits and provided co-counsel in the case SpeechNow.org v. Federal Election Commission. The outcome of that case allowed so-called “super PACs” to flourish. Super PACS are a type of political action committee that can raise unlimited amounts of money, but can’t contribute to or coordinate directly with parties or candidates. As of March 25, Super PACs have raised $259 million and spent about $58 million in the current election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. David Delk, chair of the Oregon Progressive Party, says unlimited political contributions can reduce voters’ faith in the democratic process. The Oregon Progressive Party is one of several groups collecting signatures for a citizen initiative petition to amend the state’s constitution to allow limits on campaign contributions and File photo Effort to impose limits on campaign contributions comes as a group gives Or- egon an “A plus” rating for allowing unlimited contribu- tions to candidates, parties and campaigns. expenditures. If supporters get enough signatures, the measure would be on the statewide ballot in 2020. Delk points to a $250,000 contribution from Nike founder Phil Knight to the campaign of then-Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat seeking reelection, in 2014. In late 2012 Knight had lobbied Kitzhaber for assurances the company’s tax structure wouldn’t change as it made a planned expansion. The Legisla- ture passed a measure in special session giving Kitzhaber the power to grant such certainty as long as the company met certain benchmarks. For Delk, that scenario created the appearance of a quid pro quo. “It gives credence to the view that the system is rigged,” Delk said. Delk disagrees that limits on campaign contributions consti- tute restrictions on free speech. “Money is property,” Delk said. “And when you spend it, it should be subject to regulation.” Neither the Democratic Party of Oregon or the Oregon Repub- lican Party have taken a position on the proposed initiative, the parties confirmed Tuesday. Daniel Weiner, senior counsel for the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program, says unlimited political contribu- tions create the risk of corruption. “It can contribute to a negative climate in terms of ethics, but that doesn’t mean it necessarily will,” Weiner said. Other factors can mitigate unlimited campaign donations, Weiner said. For example, Oregon also encourages popular political participation by virtue of 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 Breezy with clouds and sun Clouds and sun 58° 37° 60° 42° FRIDAY SATURDAY Intervals of clouds and sun Partly sunny 62° 41° Clouds and occasional sunshine 59° 40° 60° 42° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 65° 44° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 56° 57° 76° (1952) 39° 37° 23° (1975) 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 Trace 1.38" 1.24" 3.71" 6.19" 3.75" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH Yesterday Normals Records LOW 60° 61° 78° (2015) 42° 37° 15° (1944) 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" 0.75" 0.78" 2.38" 4.84" 3.02" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Full Last Mar 31 Apr 8 64° 43° 65° 46° Seattle 53/41 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 67° 40° New 6:43 a.m. 7:18 p.m. 4:15 p.m. 5:32 a.m. First Apr 15 Apr 22 Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com ADVERTISING Advertising Services: Grace Bubar 541-276-2214 • gbubar@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 NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: call 541-966-0818 or 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 sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com Business Office Manager: Janna Heimgartner 541-966-0822 • jheimgartner@eastoregonian.com COMMERCIAL PRINTING Production Manager: Mike Jensen 541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com Today SUNDAY PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 63° 39° Correction Gwen Fjeld is the president of the Pendleton Rotary Club. An incorrect title was attributed in the article “Fireworks show ready to re-ignite,” Page 1A, March 27. 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. REGIONAL CITIES Forecast Spokane Wenatchee 52/32 57/37 Tacoma Moses 54/37 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 60/34 51/35 52/40 55/36 63/37 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 54/37 58/41 Lewiston 64/37 Astoria 58/39 52/39 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 57/40 Pendleton 51/32 The Dalles 63/39 58/37 60/41 La Grande Salem 55/34 59/37 Albany Corvallis 60/36 59/35 John Day 56/34 Ontario Eugene Bend 64/38 58/35 58/32 Caldwell Burns 62/35 57/29 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 52 58 58 63 57 51 58 56 63 56 61 55 51 67 52 56 64 63 58 57 61 59 52 51 56 58 63 Lo 39 31 32 46 29 32 35 37 39 34 30 34 32 39 38 40 38 35 37 40 31 37 32 30 38 41 37 W c pc c pc pc pc c pc pc pc pc pc pc pc c pc pc c pc c c c c pc c c c NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Thu. Hi 53 59 62 65 59 54 60 61 65 59 65 58 55 71 55 59 64 64 60 59 66 61 51 56 58 60 65 Lo 40 32 34 46 29 35 37 42 44 34 32 36 35 41 41 43 38 39 42 43 33 39 37 34 40 45 39 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. W c pc pc pc pc pc c pc pc pc pc pc pc pc c pc pc pc pc c c c c c c pc c WORLD CITIES Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Hi 77 79 77 47 81 30 55 61 64 81 69 Lo 45 70 56 35 52 11 37 51 49 67 53 W pc s pc r pc pc r pc s s s Thu. Hi 68 78 61 50 81 32 54 64 65 81 69 Lo 39 69 48 42 53 15 40 53 45 68 50 W pc pc pc r pc c t pc pc s s WINDS Medford 67/39 (in mph) Klamath Falls 61/30 Boardman Pendleton REGIONAL FORECAST Coastal Oregon: Clouds and sun today, but low clouds across the north; pleasant in the south. Eastern and Central Oregon: Clouds and sun today, except cloudy near the Cascades. Partly cloudy tonight. Western Washington: Cloudy today and tonight. Low clouds tomorrow; a passing shower at the coast. Eastern Washington: Mostly cloudy today. Today Thursday WSW 7-14 WSW 10-20 WSW 7-14 WSW 8-16 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. 1 3 4 3 3 1 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. Cascades: Variable cloudiness today. Partly cloudy tonight. Clouds and limited sun tomorrow. Northern California: Sunshine today; pleas- ant in central parts. A moonlit sky tonight. EUGENE (AP) — An Oregon teenager who sued her father and a lawn mower manufacturer after she lost her left leg when she was a toddler has been awarded more than $12 million. The Lane County jury sided with 14-year-old Isabelle Norton in Monday’s verdict, finding her father Kirk Norton and Deere & Co. at fault, The Register- Guard reports. Kirk Norton had backed over his daughter with a riding lawn mower outside their Springfield home in May 2006. Lawyers for the teen had argued that the father was negligent and the lawn mower had inadequate safety features. The manufacturer was ordered to pay $9.5 million. Kirk Norton was order to pay about $2.7 million. “It’s been a long nine years of waiting for this verdict,” Isabelle Norton said. “I’m very grateful to the jury and for my attorneys for all the hard work they did. Now I just hope that John Deere and other manufacturers will change the design so that no one else will have to go through what I’ve been through.” Deere attorney James Brogan told jurors that the mower that Norton bought and used in his backyard had met all applicable standards and contained no manufacturing defects. “It was designed with everything necessary to make it safe,” Brogan said. The teen’s lawyer Don Corson said the case could drag on for several more years should Deere seek an appeal. Deere initially won the case in 2009, but that verdict was appealed, leading to this trial. Kirk Norton, meanwhile, was arrested for child molestation in 2010, and he pleaded guilty in the case one year later. He’s now serving a 17-year prison sentence. Norton’s criminal case was unrelated to Isabelle, according to one of her lawyers. PORTLAND (AP) — A Portland man has sued the city and Mayor Ted Wheeler, claiming the mayor’s office has improperly kept secret records about a homeless shelter project. Tyler Bechtel, who works as an Oregon State Police detective, filed a public records request for city and county emails related to the shelter plan. Bechtel claims Wheeler’s office acknowledged it had some records, but a city paralegal withheld an email and attachment, saying state law allows it to keep the records secret because they contain exempt financial and personal information and because the records contain “internal advisory communications,” according to records. Bechtel claims the city erred on procedural grounds because it should have given him copies of the records with confidential portions blacked-out. The city disagreed in its own filings. Wheeler’s office declined to comment, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Bechtel and other critics of the shelter say it would be too close to a school and too far from the offices of social services agencies, and may pose a public safety problem. “We believe that a shelter might be the right idea but not in this location,” Circulation Manager: Marcy Rosenberg • 541-966-0828 • mrosenberg@eastoregonian.com Copyright © 2018, EO Media Group Teen who lost leg from lawn mower awarded $12M Man sues Portland, mayor for records on homeless shelter project Single copy price: $1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday 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. Bechtel said, who has banded together with other east Portland residents as an organization called Southeast Allied Communities, which bills itself as opposed to the shelter. The proposed shelter, which county commissioners approved in January, would be at Foster Road and Southeast 61st Avenue in Portland and plans to shelter up to 120 people. EUGENE (AP) — It’s spring break at the University of Oregon, but not for its police department. The Register-Guard reports the university has increased patrols as officers look for the criminals responsible for four robberies and two holdup attempts on or near campus in recent weeks. Those crimes are among the dozen robberies that have taken place in Eugene and Springfield over the past month. The latest robbery happened Friday night, when a man with a gun robbed an employee at a pizza place in west Eugene. The crime spree has put UO students on alert and their parents on edge. In addition to having more officers on nightly patrol, the university has extended the hours of its shuttle service. being a vote-by-mail state with an automatic voter registration law. Weiner is skeptical of the argument that incumbents benefit more from campaign contribution limits. While very low limits on contributions can “create a system where it’s hard to amass that critical amount of seed money you need to launch a campaign,” incumbents typically have more to offer wealthy donors, Weiner said. The latest initiative petition is not the first effort to create limits on political contributions in Oregon. In 2006, Oregon voters approved Ballot Measure 47, which created limits on indi- vidual donations to state and local elected office, and unions, corporations or other entities from payments called “indepen- dent expenditures” supporting or opposing a candidate or political party. However, Measure 46, which went before voters in the same election and would have amended the state’s constitution to allow the limits in Measure 47, was defeated. Supporters had initially wanted to get the constitutional amendment on the ballot this year, but ran out of time to collect enough signatures after the Oregon Supreme Court reviewed public comments on the proposed measure, Delk said. On the local level, Multnomah County and other supporters are currently appealing a March 6 circuit court ruling that held county limits on campaign contributions are unconstitu- tional. Weiner says Americans are witnessing the effects of political giving on both politics and public policy — he points to the recent passage of sweeping federal tax reforms as an example of donors’ political influence. The role of money in politics also contributed to a sense of “disempowerment,” Weiner said, that drove the rise of candidates with populist appeal such as now-President Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. “What we’re seeing right now in our country is that campaign finance rules and how we deal with money in politics matters,” Weiner said. 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 To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to www.eastoregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ THURSDAY Eugene, and Springfield crime spree puts University of Oregon on alert SUBSCRIPTION RATES www.eastoregonian.com TODAY NORTHWEST BRIEFLY Subscriber services: For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1 — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — Wednesday, March 28, 2018 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: As spotty snow affects the North Central states, drenching rain is in store from Texas to Pennsylvania with showers for the rest of the Northeast today. Severe storms will erupt near the Gulf coast. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 92° in McAllen, Texas Low -3° in Lake Yellowstone, Wyo. 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 60 78 51 56 44 80 58 51 77 63 58 51 66 50 56 70 31 40 81 79 60 80 55 77 67 78 Lo 38 58 44 48 30 64 36 40 60 56 41 44 53 26 40 50 16 20 67 64 47 58 38 58 56 56 W s pc c c sn pc pc pc pc r pc c t sh pc s pc sf s t c s pc s r s Thur. Hi 64 72 56 71 48 72 59 52 79 71 48 55 68 53 51 75 33 38 83 85 56 83 51 79 69 79 Lo 40 57 51 59 31 52 39 45 62 50 31 35 49 29 30 50 15 17 69 59 36 60 32 58 44 56 W s c c c pc t pc r pc sh r r c sf r s c pc pc sh r pc pc s r pc 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 64 67 78 52 54 70 83 52 56 60 55 80 49 54 74 48 65 78 56 57 71 72 53 74 62 55 Lo 56 59 70 37 27 59 68 46 43 32 48 59 32 40 56 25 40 50 46 39 56 51 41 50 53 40 W r r pc pc pc r pc c sh pc c s pc pc c c s s c sh s s c s c pc Thur. Hi 66 67 81 45 43 67 75 54 54 48 67 85 49 57 78 42 69 80 51 59 72 73 55 81 77 55 Lo 44 45 71 29 28 47 59 49 34 33 58 61 41 48 60 22 39 49 36 44 56 52 45 54 60 32 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 pc pc pc t t c pc c c s pc r c c s s r pc pc s c s c sh
