NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Saturday, February 27, 2021
Senate Republicans stage one-day walkout
Governor’s
extension of
COVID-19 state
of emergency
prompts move
By GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — A one-day
Republican walkout in the
Oregon Senate on Thursday,
Feb. 25, was
sparked by
Gov. Kate
B r ow n’s
a n nou nce -
ment that she
will extend
the COVID-
19 state of
Hansell
emergency
until May 2.
“We had to get their atten-
tion,” said Sen. Tim Knopp,
R-Bend, one of the lawmak-
ers who was not present for
the scheduled session on Feb.
25.
The Republicans sent a
letter to Brown protesting her
decision and other COVID-
19 restrictions, and calling
on her to support reopening
the Oregon Capitol, which
has been closed since March
2020.
“We need an open process
for our constituents to engage
in testimony on bills,” said
Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Ath-
Bradley W. Parks/Oregon Public Broadcasting
Oregon Senate Republicans boycotted the Oregon Legislature’s fl oor session on Thursday,
Feb. 25, shortly after Gov. Kate Brown announced she was extending her COVID-19 related
emergency order.
ena. “We want transparency
so people can have a voice in
what is going on.”
Hansell said he was taking
part in virtual committee
hearings on Feb. 25 and will
continue until the next sched-
uled Senate fl oor session on
March 3.
“I plan to be there,”
Hansell said.
Hansell estimated that
75% of the calls his offi ce
receives are about the
pandemic, from who gets
priority in the vaccine roll
out to why businesses cannot
open and operate. He said he
joined with his colleagues to
send a message to the gover-
nor to reconsider COVID-19
policies and how well they
are working. The emergency
declaration extended on Feb.
25 gives the governor the
legal power to issue exec-
utive orders on health and
safety, including restrictions
on businesses, schools, meet-
ings and activities. It also now
covers vaccine distribution.
Oregon currently has the
Forecast for Pendleton Area
| Go to AccuWeather.com
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
A.M. snow showers;
mostly cloudy
Mostly cloudy
Periods of clouds
and sunshine
Cool with periods
of sun
Milder with sunny
intervals
45° 33°
52° 36°
52° 40°
57° 36°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
58° 34°
57° 36°
52° 34°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
61° 36°
60° 36°
55° 36°
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
46/42
34/23
50/30
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
44/33
Lewiston
49/39
52/39
Astoria
48/42
Pullman
Yakima 49/34
48/40
42/27
Portland
Hermiston
50/41
The Dalles 52/40
Salem
Corvallis
50/35
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
35/19
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
50/36
44/25
37/21
Ontario
42/19
Caldwell
Burns
53°
41°
52°
30°
71° (1932) 5° (2011)
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
50/35
Trace
0.49"
0.89"
1.08"
0.36"
2.17"
WINDS (in mph)
41/20
37/16
0.01"
2.09"
1.05"
3.00"
4.06"
2.43"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 30/12
50/38
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
45/33
50/38
44°
38°
50°
31°
71° (1926) 0° (1993)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
48/39
Aberdeen
38/28
44/31
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
48/41
Today
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
50/29
Sun.
WSW 6-12
W 7-14
WSW 7-14
SW 8-16
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
42/20
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
6:37 a.m.
5:39 p.m.
6:19 p.m.
7:17 a.m.
Full
Last
New
First
Feb 27
Mar 5
Mar 13
Mar 21
second lowest rate of infec-
tion in the nation, which
Brown and Oregon Health
Authority leaders have cred-
ited to strong measures to cut
off the spread on the virus.
While trends in the past
month have shown a steep
drop in COVID-19 cases, the
OHA says the virus is still a
major threat and spikes have
been caused by earlier moves
to loosen the rules to allow
more social and business
interaction.
“When I issued my fi rst
High 90° in McAllen, Texas Low -18° in Clayton Lake, Maine
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
have been moved into posi-
tion for votes next week are
now delayed. The 18 Demo-
crats could not move ahead
without some GOP help.
“We need two more to
satisfy our constitution to
have a quorum to do the
people’s business — all the
people’s business, not just our
own,” Courtney said.
He asked the Republicans
to return to the fl oor for the
session next week. He then
gaveled the chamber into
adjournment.
“Very regrettable,” a glum
Courtney said.
Republicans walked out
in 2019 and 2020 over carbon
cap legislation that Demo-
crats said they had enough
votes to pass in both cham-
bers. House Republicans
joined in the 2020 walkout.
Knopp and then-Rep.
Cheri Helt, R-Bend, did not
join the 2020 walkout. Both
lawmakers were locked in
tight reelection campaigns
in increasingly Democratic
districts. Knopp narrowly
won his district, while Helt
was defeated by now-Rep.
Jason Kropf, D-Bend.
Republicans attended
three special sessions last
year to deal with emer-
gency legislation addressing
the COVID-19 pandemic,
its associated economic
upheaval, wildfi re recovery
and police reforms.
Bill would allow more schools
and public buildings to ban guns
By DIRK VANDERHART
Oregon Public Broadcasting
SALEM — A bill that
would allow local govern-
ments, school districts and
universities to prohibit hand-
guns in public buildings is
on its way to the Oregon
Senate fl oor, following a tense
committee hearing Thursday,
Feb. 25.
Senate Bill 554 is the fi rst
gun control bill of the 2021
legislative session to move
toward a fl oor vote. And in
normal fashion, the measure
drew intense opposition from
gun owners.
Currently, anyone with a
concealed handgun license in
Oregon can legally bring their
weapon into buildings, such
as city halls, public university
buildings, or public schools.
SB 554 would not change that,
but it would allow govern-
ments, school districts, ports
and other entities to create their
own rules banning fi rearms in
their buildings.
Those bans would need to
be made clear with signage and
online notices. Anyone violat-
ing the rules could be subject
to a class C felony.
SB 554 would also
increase fees for applying for
a concealed handgun license
from $50 to $100, and the fee
for renewing a license from
$50 to $75.
In committee hearings and
hundreds of pieces of written
testimony, opponents of the
bill argued that it amounted to
an unnecessary infringement
on gun rights. Many pointed
out that concealed handgun
licensees need to pass back-
ground checks and must meet a
range of requirements, includ-
ing not having misdemeanor
convictions within four years
and no outstanding warrants.
Those requirements, oppo-
nents say, mean that CHL
holders tend to be law-abiding
citizens. Many people referred
to claims that concealed hand-
gun licensees are less likely
to be convicted of a crime
than police offi cers, though
the data surrounding that
comparison is fuzzy.
Others have argued that
people with concealed-carry
licenses are a last defense
against criminals and mass
shooters. The FBI tracks active
shooter incidents in the U.S.,
along with how those events
end, and typically fi nds a rela-
tively small percentage are
stopped by armed citizens
and unarmed citizens alike.
The numbers behind the FBI
reports are sometimes disputed
by gun rights advocates.
“There’s confusion about
CHL holders and violent
crime,” Senate Minority
Leader Fred Girod, R-Lyons,
testifi ed in a hearing Monday,
Feb. 22. “There’s a huge differ-
ence between the two.”
Though SB 554 did not
contemplate the Oregon Capi-
tol, Girod said he and his wife
routinely carry guns in the
building, and would not stop.
“I’ll be darned if I’m going to
be a sitting duck for a person
who wants to come in and start
shooting,” he said. “It’s just not
right.”
IN BRIEF
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
state of emergency declara-
tion last March, there were
14 known cases of COVID-
19 in Oregon,” Brown said.
“Today, we have now seen
more than 150,000 cases
across the state, and, sadly,
2,194 deaths.”
The walkout caught
senators who arrived at the
Capitol by surprise, with
18 Democrats gathering on
the Senate fl oor, an activity
that some lawmakers have
worried could expose them
to infection. All lawmakers
were wearing face coverings
on Feb. 25.
Senate President Peter
Courtney, D-Salem, the
Legislature’s longest-serving
member, came to the podium
after the roll call showed no
Republicans had come to the
fl oor.
“I did not know they
would do this,” Courtney told
the senators. “Yes, there are
hard feelings here and there,
but nothing of this magni-
tude.”
Cour tney called the
Republican action “game-
playing” and said he wouldn’t
take part, opting instead to
adjourn until March 3.
“They need to be here and
do what they need to do to
show their opposition on the
fl oor and allow us to move
forward,” Courtney said.
The Republicans’ move
meant five bills that could
State tax collections buck
pandemic unemployment trends
SALEM — More than 150,000 Oregonians
remain out of work as a result of the coronavi-
rus pandemic, but income tax collections that
support state services and public schools are
likely to exceed pre-pandemic forecasts.
State economists told lawmakers on
Wednesday, Feb. 24, that is good news for
the current two-year state budget — but not
so good for the next couple of budget cycles,
including the spending plan lawmakers are
putting together now.
State Economist Mark McMullen likened it
to what happened in 1990, when Oregon under-
went a relatively mild economic downturn, but
growth in tax collections slowed for a few years
afterward.
“We have a couple of years with fl at growth
… without any gains in revenue, which is good
for a recession, but bad for keeping up with the
spending side,” McMullen said at a quarterly
presentation to House and Senate revenue
committees.
He and senior economist Josh Lehner had
projected a $2 billion drop in tax collections
right after the start of the pandemic in spring
2020. But in their latest forecast, they said
lawmakers will have about $800 million more
in collections available for the current budget
period and the next, which starts July 1. Even
with lawmakers tapping it on Dec. 21, 2020,
the ending balance and two state reserves will
have about $3.1 billion at the start of the new
budget period.
Largely as a result of billions in federal aid
to individuals and businesses, McMullen said,
Oregon’s overall income levels were up 5%, not
down, despite the sharpest one-month nose-
dive in Oregon’s unemployment rate from a
record-low 3.3% in March 2020 to 14.2% in
April 2020. The December 2020 rate was 6.4%.
— Oregon Capital Bureau
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