NORTHWEST East Oregonian Page 2A Friday, October 19, 2018 Richardson’s treatment for cancer raises concerns only, “It’s as serious as brain cancer is.” Since Richardson revealed his diagnosis, his office has continued its usual work of releasing audit reports, regis- tering corporations and pre- paring for the Nov. 6 election. Richardson has continued posting occasional videos to his official Facebook page, such as ones in which he encourages residents to vote or asks fifth-graders to apply for his Kid Governor pro- gram. The latter was posted just this week. Yet there have been signs that the cancer or the treat- ment of it may be taking a toll. Richardson’s physical appearance has changed as a side effect, giving the nor- mally trim statesman a puffy face and eyes. In September, he attended the national con- ference of ombudsmen, but By GORDON FRIEDMAN The Oregonian/OregonLive PORTLAND — How severely brain cancer is affecting Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson remains unclear, as a curtail- ment of his public schedule and delegation of some duties to a deputy raise questions about his future in the state’s second-highest office. Richardson, 69, was elected secretary of state in 2016 and is the only Repub- lican holding statewide office in Oregon. He disclosed his cancer diagnosis in June and said he has been aware of the brain tumor since May. Richardson and his aides have declined to give spe- cifics about his diagnosis or treatment regimen. Asked for details Wednesday, Deb Royal, his chief of staff, said AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez, File In this Nov. 8, 2016, file photo, Oregon Republican Sec- retary of State candidate Dennis Richardson greets supporters at the Salem Convention Center in Salem. Deputy Secretary of State Leslie Cummings gave his scheduled opening remarks. And a senior state official, who recently had a meeting with Richardson, described his cognitive abilities as “severely diminished.” The official said it is unclear if that is due to cancer treatments or the disease itself. “He was such an energetic person,” the official said. “It just makes the contrast stronger.” Richardson, who as sec- retary of state is second in line to the governorship, has declared he does not intend to resign. Royal signaled Wednesday that he hopes to be re-elected in 2020. But Richardson has del- egated away one key duty, even if temporarily. This week he informed Brown and state Treasurer Tobias Read that Cummings will sit in his place with them on the State Land Board, after he struggled to communicate at the board’s previous meeting. Royal said that struggle was because can- cer treatments have rendered Richardson exhausted. “These treatments, they knock your socks off some- times,” Royal said. Cummings, the deputy, is already charged with oversee- ing day-to-day operations of Richardson’s agency. Cum- mings was previously a state technology manager, and briefly embroiled in a con- troversy involving an expen- sive IT project, before being named deputy secretary of state by Richardson. If Richardson were to leave office, Brown would appoint an interim secretary of state. She has already done that once, when she appointed longtime Democratic legis- lative aide Jeanne Atkins in 2015 after she became gov- ernor upon John Kitzhaber’s resignation. Royal said Richardson’s aides have not discussed his leaving office and remain positive. “We’re planning for him to pull through this,” she said. Measure 104 could make it harder to raise state fees regulate certain crops like blueberries and hazelnuts, and licensing boards, which oversee professions from teaching to tattooing. Creating or increasing fees now only takes a major- ity of legislators to say yes. Supporters of Measure 104 say they want the state’s Constitution to require a Oregon imposes thou- sands of fees on everything from wastewater permits to overnight camping fees in state parks, and is expected to round up about $1.5 bil- lion worth of them in the current two-year budget. Many fees are tied to the state’s commodity commis- sions, which promote and By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Capital Bureau SALEM — If you drive, hunt, or run a business in Oregon, you pay a fee to the state for that privilege. A measure on the state- wide ballot could make it harder for the Legislature to increase those fees. Forecast for Pendleton Area TODAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY Nice with plenty of sunshine Pleasant with plenty of sunshine Pleasant with sunshine Sunny and nice Sun followed by clouds 69° 41° 69° 40° PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 68° 40° 67° 42° 66° 45° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 70° 37° 70° 37° 68° 39° 70° 40° OREGON FORECAST 68° 48° 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 61/43 68/43 69/35 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 68/46 Lewiston 70/42 68/36 Astoria 61/43 Pullman Yakima 68/34 65/37 69/43 Portland Hermiston 74/45 The Dalles 70/37 Salem Corvallis 74/39 Yesterday Normals Records La Grande 69/38 PRECIPITATION John Day Eugene Bend 75/40 76/38 74/42 Ontario 70/35 Caldwell Burns 65° 31° 64° 38° 85° (1940) 23° (1976) 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 75/41 0.00" 1.14" 0.33" 6.29" 7.19" 6.89" WINDS (in mph) 69/36 71/28 0.00" 1.39" 0.59" 7.91" 12.55" 9.53" through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Pendleton 69/38 76/42 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 69/41 74/41 65° 37° 63° 39° 85° (1940) 20° (1917) PRECIPITATION Moses Lake 63/38 Aberdeen 65/39 66/42 Tacoma Yesterday Normals Records Spokane Wenatchee 65/46 Today Medford 82/43 Sat. NE 3-6 N 4-8 Boardman Pendleton NE 3-6 NNE 4-8 75/32 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018 Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today 7:17 a.m. 6:03 p.m. 4:15 p.m. 1:47 a.m. Full Last New First Oct 24 Oct 31 Nov 7 Nov 15 NATIONAL EXTREMES Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 93° in Winter Haven, Fla. Low 4° in Bodie State Park, Calif. NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. -0s 0s showers t-storms business owners may have gotten a bigger tax break in the wake of last year’s recent federal tax overhaul. A majority of lawmakers voted to disallow a 20 per- cent income tax deduction for qualifying business own- ers on the state level, spark- ing a lawsuit from state Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, and state Sen. Herman Baertsch- iger, R-Grants Pass. Anthony Smith, state director at the Oregon chap- ter of the National Federation of Independent Business, said that a non-controversial fee increase likely would pass even with a superma- jority requirement. And Smith thinks such a requirement will require legislators to work together to reach a consensus on the more controversial fees — which he would see as a pos- itive change. “More debate, more con- sensus, more coalition build- ing is probably a good thing for the state,” Smith said. Meanwhile, state Sen. Mark Hass, chair of the Senate Finance and Reve- nue Committee, opposes the measure because he thinks tax policy shouldn’t be writ- ten into the Constitution. He said including fees in its provisions could affect the overall budget process. Budget bills often include fee increases. “I think it’s not out of the question, it could have an effect,” Hass said. “Now you’re giving decision-mak- ing on day-to-day operations to a small group of people, 12 to 13 people, on a fee, whether it’s necessary to a particular group or to run a state agency.” Hass, a Democrat from Beaverton in the Legisla- ture since 2001, said fees have gotten more controver- sial with the rise of the fis- cally conservative tea party. “There’s just certain peo- ple who will vote against all fees, no matter what,” Hass said, “Even if the constitu- ent group requested the fee increase, they’ll still vote against it.” Revenue to fund state operations is harder to come by, which means the state has been more dependent on sources, such as fees, said Legislative Fiscal Officer Ken Rocco. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, for example, got about 29 per- cent of its revenues from license fees in the 2015-17 budget. “I think what people are more apt to question is, how often do you raise fees?” Rocco said. “And how big is the increase? And how is it justifiable, what are you doing differently that would require you to generate more money from fees?” Reporter Claire Withy- combe: cwithycombe@ eomediagroup.com or 503- 385-4903.Withycombe is a reporter for the East Ore- gonian working for the Ore- gon Capital Bureau, a col- laboration of EO Media Group, Pamplin Media Group, and Salem Reporter. SUN AND MOON Klamath Falls -10s greater number of lawmak- ers to approve fee changes. Measure 104 means three-fifths, or a “superma- jority,” of lawmakers in the House and Senate would have to vote “yes” to pass fee changes That matters because the current makeup of the Leg- islature — where Democrats are one seat shy of a super- majority in each chamber — means that bills subject to a three-fifths voting require- ment have to get some Republican support to pass. Supporters point to recent efforts by Demo- cratic lawmakers to create a carbon pricing fee as jus- tification for changing the Constitution. They say such legisla- tion raises revenue but isn’t technically considered a tax, which requires 60 percent approval by lawmakers in the House and Senate. “By calling it a fee instead of a tax, they get around a three-fifths majority,” said Paul Rainey, who manages the Yes on 104 campaign. Measure 104 would also impose stricter voting requirements on bills that change tax credits, exemp- tions and deductions. The “Yes” campaign has received significant backing from the real estate indus- try, which is eager to protect a tax deduction on mortgage interest that saves Orego- nians about a $500 million on their taxes per year. And had Measure 104’s provisions been in place ear- lier this year, certain Oregon 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 BRIEFLY Commissioner: Lawmakers ignored subpoenas in #MeToo probe PORTLAND (AP) — State Labor Com- missioner Brad Avakian in a court fil- ing has accused top legislative officials of ignoring subpoenas issued by his agency in its investigation of sexual harassment at the Oregon Capitol. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the filings Wednesday seek contempt of court rulings and $1,000 a day fines against Senate President Peter Courtney, House Speaker Tina Kotek, Senate Republi- can Leader Jackie Winters and nine oth- ers who Avakian accuses of disregarding subpoenas. Through a private attorney, Edward Harnden, legislative officials subpoenaed by the bureau all declined to turn over requested records and sit for interviews. They argued its demand for informa- tion was overly broad, and said compli- ance would require them to break pledges of confidentiality made to people who reported harassment. Representatives for Courtney, Kotek and Winters directed questions to Harn- 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 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 den, who said he’s confident a judge will find no wrongdoing by members of the Legislature. Federal court: Salmon must have protection from warm water PORTLAND (AP) — A federal court has ruled that the U.S. Environmental Pro- tection Agency must come up with a plan to protect salmon from warm water tem- peratures, which can be fatal for the fish species. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports Thursday that record-high water tempera- tures in rivers across the Pacific Northwest in 2015 led environmental groups to sue the agency. That summer, around 250,000 adult sockeye died in the Columbia and Snake rivers. The threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead can die if water gets above 70 degrees. The Wednesday ruling says dams are a big reason rivers get too warm. Columbia Riverkeeper’s Brett Vanden- Heuvel says the EPA now must figure out how to minimize the impact of the dams on water temperature. 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