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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 11, 2020)
DAVIS AMUSEMENT CLOSES BUSINESS REGION, A3 WEEKEND EDITION KEN DANIEL LEADS BMCC FOUNDATION TO FILL AFFORDABILITY GAP PAC-12 CHAMP HELPS OUT HERMISTON WRESTLING TEAM LIFESTYLES, C1 SPORTS, B1 E O AST 144th Year, No. 61 REGONIAN JANUARY 11-12, 2020 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD EO SPOTLIGHT Working relationships Local law enforcement works together to keep Eastern Oregon safe ‘Motor votor’ bill does not bring more voters to the polls By ALEX CASTLE East Oregonian U MATILLA COUNTY — Uma- tilla and Morrow counties cover more than 5,000 square miles and, according to 2019 projections, are home to more than 90,000 people. Nearly a dozen law enforcement agencies are tasked with keeping them and the region safe, and no one department can do it alone. “It’s a reality of this kind of work in rural Oregon,” Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts said. “We understand we’re going to have to work together.” At a basic level, the region’s law enforcement agencies are signed into a mutual aid agreement, which was most recently updated and agreed to in 2013. The agreement, Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston said, specifi es the understanding that a majority of the agen- cies in the region are small and rural with limited resources, and require assistance from one another. The agreement allows for agencies to freely request backup or Unaffi liated voters lag behind parties in voter turnout By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Pendleton Police Offi cer Ben Carleton enters information from a hit-and-run colli- sion in the parking lot of Bi-Mart in Pendleton on Friday morning. additional resources, whether that be equipment or expertise, from whoever can provide it. While the mutual aid agreement remains in place, Roberts said there’s mostly an informal understanding of a “gentleman’s agreement” to help each other out whenever it’s needed without the need for fi nancial reimbursement. But in order to help each other, the agencies must fi rst communicate, and dispatch centers are at the root of that communication. “Any emergency call starts with us,” said Capt. Kathy Liueallen, the Umatilla County dispatch commander. “We’re the See Law enforcement, Page A9 Offi cer Ben Carleton, with the Pendleton Police Department, speaks with a driver during a traffi c stop on the corner of Southeast Court Avenue and Southeast Ninth Drive in Pendle- ton on Friday morning. The driver was cited for failure to show proof of insurance and driving uninsured, and the vehicle was towed from the scene. UMATILLA COUNTY — When Oregon created the “motor voter” bill, which automat- ically registers people to vote when they get an Oregon driver’s license or update their address with the DMV, the move was hailed as a pro- gressive step to increase voter registration. A look at turnout rates for unaffi liated vot- ers in the state suggests there is still some work to be done to get those less-motivated voters to turn in a ballot, however. Kim Lindell, who oversees elections in Umatilla County, said she hasn’t tracked indi- vidual “motor voters” to check if they have started turning in a ballot since being automat- ically registered. But what she has noticed is an overall trend: “Registration continues to rise, but turnout has not,” she said. When the state registers voters using DMV information, it makes them unaffi liated by default. In order to register to a specifi c party, the voter must take the initiative to return a postcard mailed to them after registration or change their affi liation online. That practice contributed to Umatilla Coun- ty’s number of unaffi liated voters going from 8,424 in October 2015, before the law took effect, up to 18,510 as of October 2019. So do Oregon’s unaffi liated voters vote? Not many do during the primaries, accord- ing to data from the Oregon Secretary of State’s offi ce. During the May 2018 primaries, 13.8% of unaffi liated voters in Oregon turned out for the primary, compared to 47.3% of Republi- cans and 43.8% of Democrats. In May 2016, only 20.7% of unaffi liated voters turned in their ballots, compared to 69.4% of Democrats and 60.8% of Republicans. Lindell said one reason unaffi liated voters likely turn out in much lower numbers in the primaries is that they see far fewer choices on their May ballot than those registered to a party. Oregon’s two main political parties hold closed primaries for partisan races, such as president or senator, meaning only people registered to their party can vote on which candidate will repre- sent that party in the general election. “They’re written out of the process,” Lin- Staff photo by Ben Lonergan See Voters, Page A9 New climate plan coming into focus Democrats claim new emissions plan would be easier on industry By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Less than a month before legislators con- vene again, a new proposal to cap Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions is taking fi rmer shape. The aim is to reduce the state’s overall emissions from electricity, fossil fuels like natural gas and diesel, and industrial processes like INSIDE The Oregon Legislature’s short session begins Feb. 3, with lawmakers planning to resurrect climate legislation after last session’s controversial “cap-and-trade” proposal failed. Page A2 Brown Dembrow making cement, steel and semi-conductors. Together, those three sec- tors account for about 80% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a briefi ng provided Thurs- day by two Democratic state senators. In a nod to industry, the new plan does not enact lim- its on natural gas emissions from high-emissions facto- Girod Roblan ries. Key industries would still remain subject to lim- its on other emissions from their production. And to cut the impact on rural Oregon, the new plan still limits emis- sions attributable to fuel sup- pliers, but fi rst in Portland, and then just in other popu- lous areas. The proposal hinges on a system of emission allow- ances — essentially permits to emit greenhouse gases — that can be bought and sold. “In terms of those who are directly going into the market to purchase allowances, aside from the utilities, we’re really just looking at about nine or so industrial customers at this point,” said state Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Port- land. “Everyone else, it will be done through their utilities. And the big fuel importers.” The bill aims to reduce Oregon emissions 45% below 1990 levels in the next 15 years, and to 80% below 1990 emissions levels by 2050. The legislative concept was expected to be posted on the Legislature’s website on Jan. 10. A legislative commit- tee is expected to consider the legislation on Jan. 13. See Climate, Page A9
