NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Federal government again seeks halt to climate change suit
EUGENE (AP) — The
federal government has
again asked a judge to sus-
pend legal proceedings in a
climate change lawsuit filed
by a group of young peo-
ple that is scheduled to go
to trial in Oregon later this
month.
The
Register-Guard
reports government attor-
neys filed a motion last week
in federal court in Eugene,
requesting a stay pending
a review of the case by the
U.S. Supreme Court.
“A brief stay to allow
the Supreme Court to con-
sider whether a lawsuit is
the appropriate means to
address climate change will
not appreciably harm plain-
tiffs,” the motion states.
If a judge at the district
court level does not agree
to halt proceedings, the gov-
ernment plans to ask the
9th U.S. Circuit Court of
Appeals for a stay sometime
this week, according to the
motion.
Both the 9th Circuit and
the Supreme Court declined
in July to intervene in the
case, after reviewing gov-
ernment requests to do so.
In a news release, Julia
Olson, one of the plaintiffs’
lawyers, called the gov-
ernment’s latest request a
“redundant motion” and “a
show of fear.”
Another attorney for the
young people, Philip Greg-
ory, said he is “doubtful”
Brett Kavanaugh’s appoint-
ment to the Supreme Court
would make it more likely
that the case is dismissed
at this stage, “given the fact
that Justice (Anthony) Ken-
nedy and the rest of the
court, less than three months
ago, determined the case
should proceed forward to
trial.”
A group of 21 young peo-
ple filed the suit in 2015,
arguing that the federal gov-
ernment’s actions violate
their constitutional rights to
life, liberty, and property,
and the government has vio-
lated its obligation to hold
certain natural resources in
trust for future generations.
The case is part of
an effort led by the Ore-
gon-based nonprofit Our
Children’s Trust to force
governments to take action
on climate change.
Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard via AP, File
In this July 18, 2018, file photo, lawyers and youth plaintiffs lineup behind a banner
after a hearing before Federal District Court Judge Ann Aiken between lawyers for
the Trump Administration and the so-called Climate Kids in federal court in Eugene.
The federal government has again asked a judge to suspend legal proceedings in
the climate change lawsuit scheduled to go to trial in Oregon later this month.
Gubernatorial candidate Starnes files complaint over debate snub
ville, participated in the first
debate Oct. 2 in Portland
after the Independent Party
threatened legal action.
Starnes wasn’t allowed
in the Oct. 4 debate hosted
by KOBI television in Med-
ford or Tuesday’s debate,
hosted by KGW and The
Oregonian.
Only incumbent Gov.
Kate Brown and state Rep.
Knute Buehler, R-Bend,
were included.
Starnes’s
complaint
governor’s race. He was left
out of the debate.
He has been barred from
participating in two out
of the three gubernatorial
debates before the Nov. 6
election.
Organizers of the three
televised
gubernato-
rial debates have resisted
including Starnes, largely
because of limited broad-
cast time and his low odds
of winning.
Starnes, from Browns-
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
Patrick Starnes, a cab-
inetmaker and gubernato-
rial candidate from the Inde-
pendent Party of Oregon, on
Tuesday filed an elections
complaint that could test a
2017 state law that encour-
ages debate hosts to invite
all major party candidates.
Starnes filed the com-
plaint just hours before the
final debate in the Oregon
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
Mostly cloudy and
cool
Plenty of sunshine
Plenty of sunshine
Plenty of sunshine
Plenty of sunshine
56° 34°
60° 37°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
68° 37°
58° 30°
61° 36°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
63° 34°
61° 33°
71° 38°
64° 31°
OREGON FORECAST
63° 33°
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
63/43
55/31
62/31
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
57/38
Lewiston
67/41
62/34
Astoria
62/44
Pullman
Yakima 62/33
64/39
59/37
Portland
Hermiston
67/43
The Dalles 61/33
Salem
Corvallis
68/39
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
53/31
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
69/37
54/27
53/30
Ontario
60/37
Caldwell
Burns
57°
51°
68°
40°
86° (1934) 23° (1931)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
68/39
0.66"
1.14"
0.15"
6.29"
7.04"
6.71"
WINDS (in mph)
58/37
52/22
0.79"
1.38"
0.28"
7.90"
12.36"
9.22"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 50/30
68/40
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
56/34
65/37
53°
47°
67°
42°
90° (1934) 23° (1916)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
63/39
Aberdeen
55/33
59/40
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
64/46
Today
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
71/39
Thu.
N 4-8
WNW 4-8
ENE 3-6
NW 4-8
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
59/29
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
First
7:05 a.m.
6:19 p.m.
8:38 a.m.
7:37 p.m.
Full
Last
New
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 97° in McAllen, Texas Low 13° in Bodie State Park, Calif.
Oct 16
against
KGW/
The
Oregonian
and KOBI marks
the first time any-
one has sought to
enforce the law.
“I think we are
on the high ground
here,” Starnes said
Tuesday. “People
are really ready for Starnes
more choices.”
By filing the complaint,
he hopes to force news out-
lets to report the cost of
the debates and air time as
in-kind contributions to the
campaigns of Brown and
Buehler.
“We have looked care-
fully at Mr. Starnes’ new
claims and remain confi-
dent that we are on firm
ground, fully supported by
Oregon law,” said Duane
Bosworth, a Portland attor-
ney for KGW and The Ore-
gonian. “The format we are
using best serves Oregon’s
voters.”
Lawyers with the Inde-
pendent Party argued that
excluding a major party
candidate carries a require-
ment to report an in-kind
campaign contribution to
the candidates who were
included. The Independent
Party became Oregon’s
third major political party in
2015.
Starnes had planned to
Oct 24
Oct 31
Nov 7
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
file the complaint
against the news
outlets with the
state
Elections
Division last week
and met in Salem
with state Elec-
tions
Director
Steve Trout to dis-
cuss his position.
But a day later,
the state concluded
that such debates weren’t
subject to the law requir-
ing spending reports. Trout
told Starnes in a call that he
and his staff concluded that
a debate is not considered
a campaign finance con-
tribution, said Deb Royal,
chief of staff for Secretary
of State Dennis Richardson.
Starnes said he opted to
file the complaint to force a
written decision by the Elec-
tions Division. The com-
plaint focuses on a letter by
legislative attorney in July
who supported the Indepen-
dent Party’s argument.
Deputy Legislative Coun-
sel Dan Gilbert wrote that
if a debate occurred within
two months of the general
election, “it would likely fall
within the expanded defini-
tion of a ‘communication in
support of or opposition to a
clearly identified candidate
or measure.’”
As a result, a media outlet
that excluded a major party
BRIEFLY
Crews search for missing
injured hiker on Mount Hood
MOUNT HOOD (AP) — Authorities are
searching on Mount Hood for a 30-year-old
injured hiker from Phoenix, Arizona, who
was last seen on Monday.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
said Tuesday that David Yaghmourian was
hiking the Timberline Trail with a compan-
ion when he injured his leg.
The sheriff’s office says on the last day of
their hike on Monday Yaghmourian stopped
to rest while his friend continued to Timber-
line Lodge.
The sheriff’s office says the friend waited,
but Yaghmourian never arrived.
Yaghmourian was last seen wearing
a black jacket and tan pants at the east-
ern junction of the Timberline Trail at the
Pacific Crest Trail. He also had a large back-
pack with what appears to be a yellow towel
attached to it.
People who may have seen him are asked
to call authorities.
Mom sues McDonald’s for
teen’s alleged burns from hot
water
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
ice
50s
cold front
— 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
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.
Copyright © 2018, EO Media Group
60s
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
high
110s
low
PORTLAND (AP) — A woman has filed
a $1.56 million lawsuit against a central Ore-
gon McDonald’s restaurant, claiming her
teen was badly burned after being served a
cup of water that was too hot.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the
suit filed last week by Shirelle Thomas in
Multnomah County Circuit Court seeks
$10,000 in medical bills and related
expenses, $50,000 in future expenses and
$1.5 million for pain and suffering.
Subscriber services:
For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops
or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1
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
Single copy price:
$1 Tuesday through Friday, $1.50 Saturday
Circulation Manager:
Bonny Tuller, 541-966-0828
nominee would “likely”
have to report the value of
the debate as an indepen-
dent expenditure or a contri-
bution to the campaigns of
the two participating candi-
dates, he stated.
“It appears that the sec-
retary of state intends to
dismiss Mr. Gilbert’s legal
analysis,” Starnes wrote in
the complaint. “As Mr. Gil-
bert points out, to ignore the
statute in the way the secre-
tary of state intends would
effectively gut the statute.”
Starnes argued that
“there is no logical differ-
ence” between a candidate
debate hosted by a nonprofit
group such as the League of
Women Voters and one orga-
nized by KGW or KOBI.
“Yet, the secretary of
state has stated its intent
to find that in one case, the
(organizer) must follow the
law and count the produc-
tion as a contribution and in
the other, it becomes a news
event because it’s organized
by the media,” he wrote.
“The secretary of state is
making a distinction with-
out a difference and gutting
the reporting law, and ignor-
ing the opinion of Legisla-
tive Counsel.”
Royal said Tuesday it
was too early to comment on
how the Elections Division
would act on the complaint.
ADVERTISING
Regional Publisher and Revenue Director:
Christopher Rush
541-278-2669 • crush@eomediagroup.com
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
The lawsuit doesn’t list the water tem-
perature or explain if the 14-year-old girl
spilled the water on herself or someone
spilled it onto her at the Madras McDonald’s
in July 2017.
The suit claims the teen suffered “partial
thickness burns” to her abdomen, groin and
inner thighs.
It lists the McDonald’s corporation and
the individual franchise, Taylor Enterprises,
as defendants.
Neither returned messages seeking
comment.
Lawsuit: Fred Meyer camera
pointed at dressing room
PORTLAND (AP) — A Fred Meyer
customer in Clackamas, who says she was
caught on store video while half-naked in a
dressing room, has filed a $300,000 lawsuit.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Car-
lee Gish filed the lawsuit against the shop-
ping chain Monday in Clackamas County
Circuit Court.
Gish claims in the lawsuit that she entered
a dressing room May 10 to try on clothes
and was wearing only underpants when she
noticed the reflection of a camera pointed at
the mirror.
The suit claims Gish then located the
camera up in the rafters.
She says she complained to customer
service and was told the camera would be
removed but the lawsuit says when she
returned to the store in July she found the
camera still pointed at the dressing room
mirror.
Fred Meyer spokesperson Jeffery Temple
said Tuesday he couldn’t comment “on mat-
ters under investigation and/or litigation.”
Classified & Legal Advertising
1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678
classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@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