A8 OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian Wednesday, July 3, 2019 Brown: Democrats tout legislative session a success Continued from Page A1 some of those policies since entering state offi ce in the early 1990s. As a candidate for the House in 1992, Brown’s plat- form was “stable, adequate” funding for public schools. This year, lawmakers passed House Bill 3427 — which raises about $1 billion a year in new business taxes to pay for improvements to the state’s schools. “The Student Success Act marks a turning point for education in Oregon,” Brown said. “We can fi nally invest in an education sys- tem that will ensure every single student in our state is on a path to realizing their dreams for the future.” Some of what lawmakers did will require Oregonians to weigh in next year. Vot- ers will be asked whether to amend the state’s Constitu- tion to allow for restrictions on campaign donations, and whether to raise taxes on cigarettes and e-cigarettes to help pay for public health care. Lawmakers got more done than Brown said she had expected, including the paid family leave proposal and a law overturning man- datory minimum sentences for juvenile offenders, a modifi cation to Measure 11. Behind those accom- plishments was a politi- cal shift — and some very tough negotiations between parties. “It was pretty stunning what we were able to accom- plish,” Burdick said. “We were able to accomplish it through some pretty stormy waters at the time.” In November, Democrats gained signifi cant majori- ties in the House and Sen- ate enough to pass most bills without Republican help. However, a constitutional requirement gave Republi- cans leverage and came into play in a big way this ses- sion. Each chamber needed at least two Republicans to have enough legislators present to legally conduct business. Republicans in the Senate left twice to protest major bills — the school funding measure. and then cap and trade. In so doing, the Sen- ate couldn’t vote. The school funding leg- islation passed after Brown struck a deal with the Sen- ate Republican leader to kill bills tightening restrictions on guns and requiring more kids in public schools to get vaccinated. But the cap-and-trade walkout was another mat- ter, thrusting many other bills into uncertainty while lawmakers hurtled toward a June 30 deadline to fi nish their work. Republicans returned Saturday, June 29, with just enough time to pass a full budget for the state before adjourning. The House Republican caucus said the session was “defi ned by overreach.” “The failure of cap-and- trade was a turning point,” House Republican Leader Carl Wilson said in a state- ment. “The thousands of workers that came to the Capitol this past week sent a clear message to the super- majority that enough is enough.” Sen. Herman Baertsch- iger, Jr., R-Grants Pass, who leads Republicans in the Senate and spearheaded what were two improba- bly successful strikes by his party, could not be reached for comment. “The progressive poli- cies that my Democrat col- leagues have wanted for many years, they were suc- cessful in passing an enor- Farm: Oregon lawmakers expand Farm-to-School Program Continued from Page A1 $10.35 million from the state general fund through 2021, bringing the total to nearly $15 million. “We’ve been doing this for almost eight years now,” Sherman said. “It’s been a great program. It continues to grow.” Sherman said the pro- gram served 131 school dis- tricts in 2018, accounting for 90% of all school lunches in the state. With increased funding, HB 2579 will expand the Farm-to-School Program to federally funded early child care and summer food ser- vice centers, such as Head Start. Most of the money, $11 million, will go toward grants for schools to pur- chase Oregon-grown food. Some $2.5 million is set aside for farm and gar- den-based education grants. Oregon has 758 school gar- dens across the state, Sher- man said. HB 2579 allocates $500,000 to the Oregon Department of Agriculture to help farmers and ranchers with Farm-to-School mar- ket access. The rest of the money is for program eval- uation, technical assistance and administrative costs. Megan Kemple, direc- tor of the Oregon Farm- to-School and School Gar- den Network, said Oregon’s Farm-to-School Program is a “win-win-win,” not only supporting kids and com- munities, but connecting farmers with new markets for their products. “There are a lot of pro- ducers that really appreci- ate the schools as a market because they are reliable,” Kemple said. “It has allowed them to basically stabilize their businesses.” For example, Pollock & Sons, a watermelon farm in Hermiston, sold $3,842 worth of late-season fruit to schools during a time when grocery sales typically fall off at the end of summer. Port Orford Sustainable Seafood was also able to sell surplus fi sh to Rogue Valley Farm-to-School. Kemple said Oregon’s Farm-to-School Program is a model for the country. “At a time when the state is politically divided, bipar- tisan efforts like this bring Republicans and Demo- crats together and bridge the urban-rural divide,” Kemple said. State Rep. Brian Clem, D-Salem, was a chief spon- sor of the bill. He said he is excited to see the Farm-to- School Program expand. “We should always be using tax dollars to buy local,” Clem said in a state- ment. “It never made sense to me to buy apples from anywhere else than right here in Oregon. This pro- gram connects our schools and children to our most important industry: agri- culture. It’s Oregon farmers feeding Oregon’s children.” Grant: Pendleton City Council takes second shot at $25 million Continued from Page A1 trict to the intersection of Southwest Nye Avenue and Tutuilla Road. This is the second time the city has applied for the BUILD grant after coming up short last year. Laura Slater, an ODOT project manager, explained to the council that their last application was still for $25 million but more expansive. The Interchange Area Management Plan, the city’s roadmap for the project, calls for changes to Tutuilla Road and Southwest Hailey Avenue. Slater said ODOT updated their traffi c volume and cost estimates and realized they would need to add lanes to the northern improvements. Combined with the increased costs of construc- tion and right-of-way pur- chase, ODOT realized that the northside improvements would eat up most of the grant and match’s budget. The projects south of the interstate would cost another $20 million, and neither the city nor the state has the money to complete those phases. Councilor Dale Prim- mer asked how the project would affect nearby property owners. The latest proposal would move the signaled intersec- mous number of things that are going to affect Orego- nians signifi cantly,” said Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-On- tario. “I can say some were good. Many, I voted against because I think they’re overreaching.” Bentz pointed to the gross receipts tax on business to raise money for schools, a new law to allow undocu- mented immigrants to get driver’s licenses and to limit what crimes qualify for sen- tencing to the death penalty. Versions of each of those policies have gone before Oregon voters via ballot measure in the past. “I think it’s been rather surprising that these changes have been made without chance for the people of Ore- gon to weigh in on them,” Bentz said. It was with a detectable sense of relief that lawmak- ers adjourned on Sunday evening, but some lawmak- ers have raised concerns about how the Legislature functions in the future. Some Republicans say their constituents aren’t heard when one party dom- inates the political process. “The communities that we represent out in rural Oregon have just as many rights as the folks in Port- land do,” said Sen. Dallas Heard, R-Roseburg, before lawmakers adjourned. “And that’s really all I’m speaking to, is that there needs to be a renewing of mutual respect between the two parties and between the majority and the minority.” Democrats have worried publicly about a breakdown of the Legislature’s institu- tional norms. “If you look at the insti- tution and the hit it took, it’s at least D and maybe even an F,” said Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem. “It was really troubling to me to see this institution get clobbered the way I think it was getting clobbered. And I am concerned about that.” “I think it’s really clear that Senate Republican actions have subverted the Democratic process,” Brown said. “And instead of staying at the table and engaging in a productive discussion, they took their marbles and went home.” She said it was an “important conversation” for the Senate and House to have about whether to change the state’s quorum rules. Since time limits on legis- lative sessions were enacted, lawmakers must act more quickly to get their work done and a walkout is more disruptive. Baertschiger told report- ers on Friday that he was reluctant to walk out and thinks the tactic could be abused in the future. Bentz said it should only be used in “the most incredibly diffi cult of circumstances.” “The only reason that we used the tactic is because we viewed the cap-and-trade bill as an existential threat to Oregon in general and East- ern Oregon in particular,” Bentz said, “Because of the fact that energy is so incred- ibly important to our lives and to cede control of the price of energy to California — that won’t work.” Meanwhile, issues of the overall climate and work- place culture in the Capitol remain in the background. Next week, the Senate is expected to hold a hear- ing over remarks Sen. Brian Boquist, R-Dallas, has made, including saying that Oregon State Police ought to be “bachelors” and “heavily armed” should they be sent to bring him back to the Sen- ate to vote. Super: Aaron Duff hired as next Milton-Freewater superintendent in Washington before com- ing to MFUSD, will return The unanimous decision to the state to become at a special board meet- interim superintendent for ing came after President the Sequim School District. Duane Geyer initially told While Clark entered the the Walla Walla Union-Bul- superintendent position letin that the district would from the outside, he sees likely hire an interim super- Duff’s experience within intendent for the upcoming the district as both a bless- ing and a curse. school year. “The biggest challenge “That speaks not only of for him is going to be cre- myself, but to the board’s ating different relation- awareness of the difference ships,” Clark said. “They between the two options,” only knew me as the Duff said. Receiving the superintendent.” job’s full title, rather than Clark said there’s being on an interim some faculty in the basis, allows Duff to “I LOVE MILTON- district that Duff “hit the ground run- actually taught ning,” he said. FREEWATER. I WANT during his fi rst As he transitions into his new role, TO BE A PART OF THE years in the district. Though he added he Duff outlined his COMMUNITY FOR THE has no doubts in the goals for the district new superintendent’s in the coming years, YEARS TO COME.” ability to forge those such as expanding — Aaron Duff, new Milton-Freewater new relationships. college-level course superintendent Duff pointed to opportunities for the collaborative students, a young teacher mentorship pro- on,” he said. “I think hav- atmosphere of the region’s gram and maintaining the ing diverse teachers from schools as a large reason for recently upgraded facilities. age, race, men or women, him staying within the dis- As for the man he’s and even experience is all trict and said he’s already getting phone calls from replacing, Clark’s prized for the better.” accomplishment in the dis- Duff’s time at MFUSD people wanting to help him. “There is no better feel- trict came in 2016 with the began in 2004 as an agri- passing of a $12.5 million culture and technology ing than a peer reaching out bond that, along with $19 teacher for McLoughlin to offer help and knowing million in state and private High School until becom- they mean it,” he said. Though he climbed grants, helped open Gib ing principal at Freewater Olinger Elementary School. Elementary School in 2012. the ranks from teacher to The K-3 school, which Duff was then hired to his administrator to now the opened this past fall, was position of business and district’s chief position aided by Duff’s coordina- operations director in 2017. much quicker than he could tion of fi nances and design. All in all, Duff has spent have anticipated, Duff isn’t Duff also oversaw building roughly 14 years in the dis- looking to use his new role upgrades at other facilities trict. He says that experi- as a launching pad out of in the district thanks to the ence has allowed him to the region. “I love Milton-Freewa- 2016 bond. already know the commu- ter,” he said. “I want to be Outgoing superinten- nity and feel a part of it. dent Clark additionally Clark, who had spent 28 a part of the community for highlighted increasing years of his professional life the years to come.” Continued from Page A1 diversity of the district’s teachers as a success of his time at MFUSD. According to the 2018 Oregon Edu- cator Equity Report, 16% of the district’s faculty are considered “racially/ethni- cally diverse,” which is up from 10% in 2013-14. With over half of the district’s students identify- ing as Hispanic or Latino, Duff wants to continue that progress. “I think that the momen- tum has already moved and is something for us to build Staff photo by Kathy Aney A motorist takes the off -ramp from Interstate 84 on Tuesday afternoon at exit 209. tion west and realign South- west 20th Street and Exit 209, meaning the roads would run where several houses and businesses are now. ODOT area manager Ken Patterson said the depart- ment would meet with prop- erty owners and tenants one-on-one to discuss their options and connect them with a relocation program. The city has some reasons for optimism in its second attempt. One of the projects the city lost out to last year belonged to the Port of Morrow, which secured the BUILD grant on its second try. Additionally, ODOT told the city that the Exit 209 project had just missed the cut compared to other proj- ects in Oregon. Councilor McKennon McDonald asked the ODOT offi cials what would happen if the city’s grant application failed again. Slater said ODOT would continue to design the project up to 50% before shelving it until a source of funding was identifi ed. If the grant is successful, Slater said ODOT expected to acquire all right-of-way properties by 2022 and com- plete construction in 2025. After the councilors exhausted their questions, there wasn’t much discus- sion before the council unan- imously approved the $2 mil- lion match. The grant application is due by the end of the month and a decision on the BUILD grant is expected in the fall. In Observance of Independence Day the U.S. Post Office will close and the East Oregonian will neither be published, nor delivered on Thursday, July 4 Publication of all advertising, legal notices and obituaries will resume normal schedule on Friday, July 5 From the management and staff of the East Oregonian, Have a happy and safe Fourth of July holiday!