NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Friday, February 22, 2019
Millennial voter Evictions and rent hikes push
registration soars Oregon to statewide rent control
voting are over the age of
65, then that’s who can-
didates listen to,” Brown,
a Democrat, tweeted on
Thursday. “If we get more
young people out to vote,
it will absolutely change
the issues candidates are
focused on.”
The report comes as the
state considers changing
its constitution to lower the
voting age to 16, an idea
that’s expected to be met
with stiff opposition.
But the Center for
American Progress sug-
gests that the state’s cur-
rent registration system
could be a possible solu-
tion in engaging millen-
nial voters, who comprise
the largest electoral bloc
but commonly don’t turn
out for elections.
If automatic registration
were implemented nation-
wide, the report estimates
there could be 22 million
newly registered voters in
the first year alone, with
7.9 million expected to
cast a ballot.
Oregon was the first
state in the country to
implement
automatic
voter registration. Four-
teen other states and the
District of Columbia have
since implemented similar
laws.
By SARAH
ZIMMERMAN
Associated Press
SALEM
—
Ore-
gon Gov. Kate Brown on
Thursday touted the suc-
cess of the state’s unique
automatic voter registra-
tion program, pointing to a
new report that argues the
“Oregon model” could be
key to engaging millennial
voters nationwide.
The study by the non-
profit Center for Ameri-
can Progress found that
voter registration numbers
among youths have soared
since Oregon switched to
an automatic registration
model in 2016. The law
registers eligible voters
when they apply for a driv-
er’s license.
More than 390,000 Ore-
gonians were registered
under the program in 2017,
and half of those voters
were under the age of 40.
The report also noted
the success of the state’s
pre-registration program
for 16- and 17-year-olds.
Nearly a quarter of those
who pre-registered and
reached voting age before
the 2018 election turned
out to vote, the study said.
“I tell young people: if
90% of the people who are
Poised to become
the first state to
impose mandatory
rent controls
By ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
SALEM — Faced with a
housing shortage and sky-
rocketing rents, Oregon is
poised to become the first
state to impose mandatory
rent controls, with a measure
establishing tenant protec-
tions moving swiftly through
the Legislature.
Many residents have tes-
tified in favor of the legisla-
tion, describing anxiety and
hardship as they face higher
rents. Some have gone up by
as much as almost 100 per-
cent — forcing people to
move, stay with friends or
even live in their vehicles.
The Oregon housing
shortage is getting worse
because of a big influx of
people moving to the state
— lured by the state’s job
opportunities and its forests,
mountains, coastline and
relaxed lifestyle. Many move
from California, where the
cost of living is often more
expensive.
Cities across the West
Coast are struggling with
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
A p.m. rain or snow
shower
Mostly cloudy and
cold
Colder with a little
snow
Cloudy, snow
possible; very cold
Mainly cloudy and
very cold
39° 28°
39° 27°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
32° 21°
26° 19°
26° 19°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
42° 29°
40° 29°
35° 24°
30° 20°
29° 19°
OREGON FORECAST
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
45/36
Kennewick Walla Walla
39/30
Lewiston
42/34
39/26
Astoria
46/37
28/24
37/21
Longview
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
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Pullman
Yakima 33/18
43/33
33/27
Portland
Hermiston
43/35
The Dalles 40/29
Salem
Corvallis
46/36
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
36/27
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
47/38
41/28
37/29
Ontario
39/27
38/27
31/22
Trace
1.47"
0.72"
3.00"
1.61"
2.00"
WINDS (in mph)
Caldwell
Burns
35°
26°
50°
30°
75° (1995) 9° (1957)
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
46/37
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 33/21
45/36
Trace
1.72"
0.86"
3.79"
2.22"
2.24"
HERMISTON
Enterprise
39/28
38/32
31°
26°
48°
30°
69° (1988) 2° (1894)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
44/33
Aberdeen
28/18
29/19
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
44/36
Today
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
47/32
AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File
In this April 12, 2017, file photo, supporters of a bill to ban
most no-cause evictions of home renters in Oregon demon-
strate on the Oregon Capitol steps in Salem.
“WE’VE WAITED TOO LONG AS IT IS,
AND THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE
LIVING IN TENTS. IT IS AN EMERGENCY.”
Rep. Tawna Sanchez, a Portland Democrat
soaring housing prices and a
growing homelessness prob-
lem. The small southern Ore-
gon city of Medford recently
authorized churches to offer
car camping for the homeless
on their parking lots.
A state legislative House
committee on Wednesday
backed the measure, send-
ing it to the full chamber for
a vote as soon as next week.
The state Senate passed it
last week.
Gov. Kate Brown told
reporters she expected the
full House to approve the
measure.
“I look forward to sign-
ing the bill,” said Brown, a
Democrat.
The committee rejected
an amendment that would
have exempted cities with
populations under 150,000
and another that would have
delayed the measure from
becoming law until Jan. 1,
2020, instead of immediately
after Brown signs it.
“We’ve waited too long
as it is, and there are too
many people living in tents.
It is an emergency,” said
Rep. Tawna Sanchez, a Port-
land Democrat and mem-
ber of the House Commit-
tee on Human Services and
Housing that endorsed the
legislation.
Lawmakers said Oregon
will be a pioneer in statewide
Sat.
SW 6-12
SSW 7-14
SW 4-8
WSW 6-12
BRIEFLY
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
35/20
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Last
6:47 a.m.
5:31 p.m.
9:41 p.m.
8:47 a.m.
New
First
Full
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 90° in Jacksonville, Fla. Low -31° in Daniel, Wyo.
Feb 26
Mar 6
rent control if the measure
becomes law. New York has
a statewide rent control law
but cities can choose whether
to participate.
California restricts the
ability of cities to impose
rent control. Last November,
voters defeated a ballot ini-
tiative that would have over-
turned that law.
“Homelessness
and
affordability have no bound-
aries,” said Rep. Mark Meek,
a Democrat from a Portland
suburb. “We’re going to be
leading the nation now with
this legislation.”
Oregon’s measure pro-
hibits landlords from ter-
minating month-to-month
leases without cause after
12 months of occupancy and
limits rent hikes to once per
year. Those increases are
limited to 7 percent above
the annual change in the con-
sumer price index.
Landlords can terminate
tenancies only with 90 days’
written notice and payment
of one month’s rent, with
exemptions in some cases. A
landlord can refuse to renew
a fixed-term lease if the
tenant receives three lease
violation warnings within
12 months and the landlord
gives 90 days’ notice.
The Oregon Rental Hous-
ing Association, which rep-
resents small-scale land-
lords, said the measure
protects good tenants while
not encouraging landlords to
leave the business and invest
their money elsewhere.
“I believe most landlords
will be able to adapt and
operate within the param-
eters,” said Jim Straub, the
group’s legislative director.
Eric Lint, who lives
in Bend, one of the fast-
est-growing cities in the U.S.,
urged lawmakers to pass the
protections because of spi-
raling rents. The medical
lab where he works is chron-
ically understaffed because
potential hires say there is a
lack of affordable housing.
Lint said his hourly pay
has risen 8 percent over five
years. Meanwhile, his rent
has increased 66 percent. He
plans to move away in the
fall but did not say where in
his testimony.
Anna Pena, a senior at
the University of Oregon
in Eugene who works full
time, described living in a
house smaller than 1,200
square feet with five room-
mates and spending over half
her income on rent that then
increased by 15 percent.
“Ultimately,
housing
insecurity has been one
of the biggest setbacks for
my education and personal
health,” she said.
Sen. Tim Knopp, a
Republican from Bend, said
before he voted against the
measure last week that it
does not address the housing
supply issue.
Another measure aiming
to deal with that issue would
require cities and counties
to allow duplexes and some
higher-density housing in
lands zoned for single-fam-
ily homes.
House Speaker Tina
Kotek, a Democrat, said
30,000 housing units must
be built per year to meet the
state’s current housing defi-
cit and to build for the future
as more people move to
Oregon.
Oregon ranked second to
Vermont as the top moving
destination in 2018, accord-
ing to a study by United Van
Lines, the largest U.S. house-
hold goods mover.
About 60 percent of Ore-
gon’s new arrivals come for
jobs or because they’re look-
ing for work, said Josh Leh-
ner, a state economist. At
least one-third of the new
arrivals are from California,
he said.
Mar 14
Mar 20
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Oregon lawmakers demoted
for rude behavior
Bill would require Holocaust
education in Oregon schools
SALEM (AP) — Two Oregon lawmak-
ers have been demoted following com-
plaints of disrespectful and rude behavior.
Rep. Mitch Greenlick on Thursday was
removed as chairman of the House Com-
mittee on Health Care. The Portland Dem-
ocrat has also been booted off the House
Conduct Committee.
Greenlick on Tuesday called a pharma-
ceutical lobbyist “stupid” during a hear-
ing on a drug pricing bill. He quickly
apologized but Republicans called for his
demotion saying his behavior contrib-
uted to a “disrespectful atmosphere” in the
statehouse.
Republican Rep. Bill Post of Keizer lost
his seat from the House Judiciary Commit-
tee after calling a state senator “cray-cray”
and provoking a gun-control advocacy
group via Twitter.
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Indus-
tries in January filed a civil rights com-
plaint against the Legislature, accusing its
leaders of allowing harassment to persist.
PORTLAND (AP) — A proposed bill
would require Oregon school districts to
teach students about the Holocaust and other
acts of genocide.
KGW-TV reports the bill, which the
Senate Committee on Education is debat-
ing this week, requires the curriculum to
“enable students to evaluate the morality of
the Holocaust, genocide and similar acts of
mass violence and to reflect on the causes of
related historical events.”
The bill’s aim is to “develop students’
respect for cultural diversity and help stu-
dents gain insight into the importance of the
protection of international human rights for
all people.”
Lake Oswego student Claire Sarnowski
spoke at Holocaust survivor Alter Wiener’s
memorial about her friendship with Wiener,
and their effort to work to get a bill requir-
ing Holocaust education passed in the Ore-
gon Legislature.
If passed, the bill would take effect
during the 2020-21 school year.
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
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showers t-storms
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