NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Oregon takes steps toward
campaign fi nance reform
ments for polit-
ical ads.
But cam-
paign fi nance
limits would
Brown
still
require
a constitutional change, and
voters would need to approve
amending the state constitution
in addition to the caps proposed
by lawmakers.
Gov. Kate Brown secured
re-election over former Repub-
lican state Rep. Knute Buehler
in a race that broke fundraising
records when candidates raised
a combined total of $30 million.
Buehler received a $1.5 million
donation from Nike co-founder
Phil Knight, the largest dona-
tion by an individual to a candi-
date in Oregon history.
Brown, who received a
$500,000 donation from the
D.C.-based nonprofi t EMI-
LY’s List, has made political
spending limits a priority and
expressed support for the con-
stitutional change and the pro-
posed limits.
“We are way out of step with
the rest of this country on this
issue,” she said. “No one per-
son should be allowed to buy
a megaphone so loud that it
drowns out all the other voices
in the race.”
But the proposed limits have
drawn criticism, and Repub-
licans rapped a loophole in
the bill allowing for unlim-
By SARAH ZIMMERMAN
Associated Press
SALEM — Oregon is one
of only fi ve states to have abso-
lutely no limits on how much
money can be donated to politi-
cal campaigns.
But lawmakers took a step
to change that Thursday, when
the House passed a measure
approving the state’s fi rst cam-
paign contribution limits in
decades.
The proposal caps contribu-
tions to House and Senate can-
didates at $1,000 and $1,500,
respectively. Contributions to
all other statewide candidates
would be capped at $2,800.
The measure now goes to
the Senate, though voters would
need to approve the limits in the
2020 election.
Although legislators have
tried to implement campaign
fi nance reform, they’ve run into
legal complications thanks to
the Oregon constitution’s free
speech provision. The state’s
Supreme Court ruled in 1997
that campaign donations are a
form of free speech and can’t be
limited.
The high-priced gover-
nor’s race last year rekindled
the debate over spending limits
and has prompted lawmakers to
try again. In addition to dona-
tion caps, legislators are also
considering disclosure require-
Friday, June 7, 2019
Mining company denies Nez
Perce Tribe pollution allegations
By KEITH RIDLER
Associated Press
Rayfi eld
Helt
ited money to fl ow to candi-
dates through political party
committees.
Rep. Cheri Helt, a Republi-
can from Bend, said she sup-
ports campaign fi nance changes
but said she believed this pro-
posal “limits transparency.”
Other opponents say the lim-
its are far too high, higher than
limits voters approved back in
2006. Voters over a decade ago
approved capping donations to
$100 for legislative candidates
and $500 for statewide candi-
dates, but that law never took
effect because of the state’s
constitution.
This new proposal explicitly
overturns the 2006 law, ensur-
ing it can never be enforced even
if voters eventually approve a
constitutional amendment.
Rep. Dan Rayfi eld, the Dem-
ocrat from Corvallis behind the
proposal, said that while he
understands the criticism, the
state can’t afford to continue to
do nothing.
“This is a tough topic and it’s
probably why this legislature
hasn’t done anything on this
in 44 years,” he said. “This bill
sets up a strong structure in the
state of Oregon to build upon.”
BOISE, Idaho — A
mining company facing
a potential lawsuit by the
Nez Perce Tribe over pol-
lution at a historic min-
ing area in central Idaho
is not to blame for the
pollution because it has
never mined there, the
company said Thursday.
Midas Gold Corp. in
a statement said more
than a century of min-
ing by other companies
in the area about 3 miles
west of the Frank Church
River of No Return Wil-
derness is to blame for
the pollution. Compa-
nies owned by Midas
Gold acquired mining
claims in the area start-
ing in 2011, and then
acquired claims owned
by other companies.
“Midas Gold did not
cause the current water
quality issues at the site,”
the company said. “The
company’s actions have
been limited to study-
ing current conditions
in the district, evaluat-
ing the optimal solutions
for remediation and res-
toration and presenting
those solutions to the
regulators responsible
TODAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Mostly cloudy,
breezy and cool
Episodes of
sunshine
Partly sunny and
warmer
Partly sunny
Very warm with
periods of sun
64° 45°
69° 44°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
78° 49°
91° 59°
85° 55°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
75° 46°
83° 51°
97° 60°
91° 57°
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
56/49
58/41
66/42
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
64/49
Lewiston
59/50
71/48
Astoria
58/48
Pullman
Yakima 70/47
58/46
64/46
Portland
Hermiston
62/51
Salem
The Dalles 71/49
65/51
61/44
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
57/40
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Bend
63/41
57/31
54/37
Ontario
67/41
Caldwell
Burns
66°
58°
77°
52°
102° (2016) 41° (1988)
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
Eugene
Trace
Trace
0.16"
4.42"
4.96"
5.27"
Today
Medford
SALEM (AP) — Ore-
gon wants to make daylight
saving time permanent and
end the twice-yearly time
change.
The House voted 37-20
Thursday to establish year-
round daylight saving time
if other West Coast states
follow suit — and the fed-
eral government approves.
The measure now goes to
the governor, who will sign
it.
California is consider-
ing the switch while the
governor of Washington
state already signed a bill
approving permanent day-
light saving time.
But the U.S. govern-
ment still needs to give the
OK. While states can opt
Sat.
Boardman WSW 12-25
Pendleton
W 12-25
67/42
Oregon votes to
keep daylight
saving time
WINDS (in mph)
64/40
57/30
0.05"
0.05"
0.35"
9.33"
6.07"
6.86"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
64/45
62/45
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
Pendleton 53/36
63/47
Corvallis
57°
53°
75°
51°
103° (1931) 35° (1901)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
57/47
Aberdeen
60/43
65/49
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
57/50
proposed Stibnite Gold
Mine threatens the Nez
Perce Treaty rights,” Nez
Perce Tribal Executive
Committee Chairman
Shannon F. Wheeler said
in a statement. “Contrary
to their public promises,
the data clearly show
that Midas Gold is harm-
ing the environment.”
Previous
mining
dates back a century and
has left two open pits —
one now fi lled with water
that has been blocking a
salmon and steelhead
spawning stream since
the 1930s. The site also
has extensive tailings
left over from mining
operations that are the
source of elevated lev-
els of arsenic. The U.S.
Environmental Protec-
tion Agency has spent $4
million since the 1990s
trying to clean up the
area.
Midas Gold has
said modern mining
makes reopening the
pits economically feasi-
ble. The company said
it would process spent
tailings at the site to
recover gold past min-
ers missed, resulting in
removing tailings that
are themselves a source
of pollution.
BRIEFLY
Forecast for Pendleton Area
71° 49°
for the site.”
In 2016, Midas Gold
Idaho submitted plans
to the U.S. Forest Ser-
vice to occupy and use
forest lands for an open-
pit gold mine and ore
processing
facilities.
The company said it
will clean up the site if
its plan is approved by
federal authorities. The
company has said the
area in the headwaters
of the South Fork of the
Salmon River contains
an estimated 4 million
ounces of gold.
Federal
authorities
are in the process of ana-
lyzing the company’s
plan as part of an envi-
ronmental review and
permitting process.
The Nez Perce Tribe
on Wednesday issued
a 60-day notice of its
intent to sue the com-
pany for what it said are
violations of the fed-
eral Clean Water Act.
The tribe said that it has
fi shing, hunting, gather-
ing and pasturing rights
to the area reserved in
an 1855 treaty with the
United States.
“Midas Gold’s unlaw-
ful discharge of pol-
lutants into the waters
within and below their
into standard time perma-
nently — which Hawaii
and Arizona have done —
the reverse is prohibited
and requires congressional
action.
Dozens of states are con-
sidering legislation to pre-
serve that extra hour of
daylight.
President Donald Trump
even weighed in over Twit-
ter back in March to signal
his approval.
Coast Guard
rescues 2 in
separate incidents
WARRENTON (AP) —
Coast Guard offi cials say
helicopter crews rescued an
injured seaman off the Ore-
gon coast and a stranded
hiker in Southern Oregon in
separate incidents.
The U.S. Coast Guard
says a helicopter crew
hoisted an injured 26-year-
old Ukrainian man suf-
fering from upper-body
spasms from a boat about
72 miles off the coast on
Wednesday night.
The
spasms
were
believed to be linked to a
laceration he suffered two
days before that was not
treated for tetanus. The man
was taken to Astoria for
treatment.
The Coast Guard says
a different helicopter crew
Wednesday night helped
a rescue team in Curry
County, hoisting a hiker
from a ledge in Humbug
Mountain State Park after
it was determined that there
was no safe access to the
hiker by land.
Offi cials say the hiker
was taken to local respond-
ers in good condition.
St. Anthony Provider Spotligh t
WSW 6-12
WSW 6-12
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
58/28
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
5:07 a.m.
8:42 p.m.
9:34 a.m.
12:01 a.m.
First
Full
Last
New
June 9
June 17
June 25
July 2
Aimee Rogers, MD
is now accepting
new patients.
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 105° in Needles, Calif. Low 29° in Leadville, Colo.
Urologist
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Education: University of Louisville
School of Medicine, Board Certi-
fied Urology
Insurance Accepted: Most major
insurances, Medicare, Medicaid
Special Services: Urology
Aimee Rogers, MD
Call for your appointment today
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
50s
ice
60s
cold front
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