ANDREW CUTLER
Publisher/Editor
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Owner
ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Editor/Senior Reporter
SaTuRday, deCemBeR 4, 2021
A4
Founded October 16, 1875
OUR VIEW
Closing the
‘justice gap’
M
ost tenants in disputes with
their landlords in Oregon
are not represented by
lawyers. The tenants may not be able
to afford a lawyer, not realize how
much it could help, or a lawyer may
not be available.
The Oregon State Bar is taking
public comments on a proposal to
consider allowing licensed paralegals
to provide some legal services in land-
lord/tenant disputes and also in family
law cases. “These are two of the areas
of law with the greatest unmet need
for legal assistance in Oregon,” the
state bar says.
The Oregon Supreme Court will
make the final decision on whether
Oregon law allows this. But the state
bar would like public input. There
is more information and the place to
provide public input is here: www.
osbar.org/lp.
The numbers of Oregonians who do
not have an attorney in family law or
landlord/tenant disputes are high. It’s
nearly 4 out of 5.
“It’s what we refer to as the ‘justice
gap,’ which includes not only the
poverty population that legal aid
serves (125% of federal poverty guide-
lines), but also those of modest income
who don’t quality for legal aid, but still
cannot afford a lawyer,” Kateri Walsh,
the communications director for the
Oregon State Bar, told us in an email.
The bar’s program would allow
licensing of trained paralegals to do
that work. Rules and requirements
would be created.
In family law cases, for instance,
the paralegals could handle disso-
lutions of marriage, separations or
annulments, custody and parenting
times, child and spousal support and a
bit more. Would it be a better if there
was a lawyer involved? Probably. But
allowing paralegals to do that work
would provide more access to legal
advice to more people and at a price
more people could afford.
The analogy the state bar uses is to
nurse practitioners in medicine. They
can’t do everything a doctor can do.
They do enable more people to get
better care.
What do you think? Should Oregon
do it? Once again, the link for more
information and to provide your feed-
back is here, www.osbar.org/lp.
EDITORIALS
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East
Oregonian editorial board. Other columns,
letters and cartoons on this page express the
opinions of the authors and not necessarily
that of the East Oregonian.
LETTERS
The East Oregonian welcomes original letters
of 400 words or less on public issues and public
policies for publication in the newspaper and on
our website. The newspaper reserves the right
to withhold letters that address concerns about
individual services and products or letters that
infringe on the rights of private citizens. Letters
must be signed by the author and include the
city of residence and a daytime phone number.
The phone number will not be published.
Unsigned letters will not be published.
SEND LETTERS TO:
editor@eastoregonian.com,
or via mail to Andrew Cutler,
211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801
YOUR VIEWS
Winter season brings
peace and quiet
The nice thing about winter is that
it’s very quiet and peaceful. The rush of
summer activities are put to rest. The
pleasant prospect of enjoying what we
worked for is sometimes carried out
by a blazing fire in a fireplace or a spot
by a window. This solace matches the
season of the renewal of life, displayed
in nature.
Hot chocolates, teas, roasted meats
and the smell of fresh baked goods fill
the home with pleasant times and quiet
repose. Soft snowflakes fall lazily to the
ground, turning the world into a beau-
tiful winter wonderland. Happy sounds
of children’s laughter and play. It’s time
for sleds, snowmen, snowballs, skating
and of course snow angels; a wonderful
time of year.
Sometimes the earth looks dead and
barren, cold and foreboding. But the
promise of renewed life is in every plant
and the animal kingdom as well. When
the time is right, life will burst forth in
newness and the trials of winter forgot-
ten.
Bertina Eastman
Baker City
End dirty diesel
school buses
Dirty diesel powered school buses
carry hundreds of thousands of students
to school every day in Oregon. Diesel
is a known carcinogen and is known to
cause cardiovascular and respiratory
illnesses.
For children with growing lungs,
diesel exhaust is linked to impaired
lung growth. While most students
are getting on a diesel powered bus, a
number of students started to ride elec-
tric school buses when they returned
to school in person this fall. These
districts have recognized that invest-
ments in electric school buses can
improve student health, reduce climate
causing emissions and reduce mainte-
nance.
The great news is that on Nov. 17, the
Environmental Quality Commission
voted to pass the Clean Truck Rules,
which will accelerate the supply of
zero-emission medium and heavy duty
trucks, such as school buses, as well
as clean up new trucks. These Clean
Truck Rules will help school districts
by helping provide more vehicles for
districts to purchase and to shift the
development and availability of these
buses across manufactures.
Electrifying our school buses that
take kids to school helps protect young
lungs from harmful diesel pollution
while reducing carbon pollution. These
Clean Truck Rules will help Oregon
improve public health for all and help
supply the necessary transition for elec-
tric school buses that we need for all
kids.
Neil Baunsgard
electric mobility program
manager, Environmental Center
CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
U.S. PRESIDENT
Joe Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
GOVERNOR
Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, OR 97301-4047
503-378-4582
U.S. SENATORS
Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
La Grande office: 541-962-7691
Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753
Pendleton office: 541-278-1129
REPRESENTATIVES
Bobby Levy, District 58
900 Court St. NE, H-376
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1458
Rep.BobbyLevy@state.or.us
Greg Smith, District 57
900 Court St. NE, H-482
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1457
Rep.GregSmith@state.or.us
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
Cliff Bentz
2185 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6730
Medford office: 541-776-4646
SENATOR
Bill Hansell, District 29
900 Court St. NE, S-415
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1729
Sen.BillHansell@state.or.us