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Tuesday, June 21, 2022
East Oregonian
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EASTERN OREGON ECONOMIC SUMMIT
‘One side can’t do it on its own’
Legislators praise
bipartisanship
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Unity became
a common theme at the 2022 Eastern
Oregon Economic Summit in Herm-
iston.
Participants, especially speakers,
mentioned the value of togetherness
and praised past examples of people
joining forces.
The summit was Thursday and
Friday, June 16 and 17, in Hermiston.
“I’m happy,” Rep. Bobby Levy
of Echo said when it was her turn to
speak.
This moment came during the
state legislator panel on June 17.
While the event promoted the panel
as a wrap-up of the legislative
session, lawmakers discussed little
policy. Instead, 11 state senators and
representatives spoke of something
else on their mind: the importance of
friendly relationships in government.
Levy is the president of the East-
ern Oregon Women’s Coalition,
which organized the summit. The
panel was a mix of Republicans and
Democrats. Levy, a Republican,
declared she was glad to be working
with, and spending time with, all her
colleagues on the panel.
Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Port-
land, joked that Levy “made it impos-
sible not to show up.” Others laughed,
and this is how the panel discussion
went.
Levy, Dembrow, Rep. Greg
Smith, R-Heppner, Sen. Jama Kayse,
D-Portland, Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Ath-
ena, Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale, Rep.
Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, Rep. David
Gomberg, D-Otis, Sen. Janeen Soll-
man, D-Hillsboro, Sen. Lew Freder-
ick, D-Portland, and Sen. Elizabeth
Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton, all
were on the panel — up on stage, at
the same time.
“One side can’t do it on its own,”
said Kayse, chair of the Senate
Committee on Housing and Devel-
opment. Kayse said we must come
together to solve our shared prob-
lems.
Others agreed, with Dembrow
stating we must see one another as
people, beyond the bumper stickers
on our vehicles.
Looking for the path ahead
Sen. Jeff Merkley
sees federal role in
solving local issues
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
Yasser Marte/East Oregonian
Local offi cials and business owners gather Friday morning, June 17, 2022,
at the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit in Hermiston.
Senate Republicans during the
2019 Legislature skipped floor
sessions in protest of House Bill 3427,
the big tax on businesses that helped
fund K-12 education. Later that same
session, 11 Republican senators —
including Hansell — walked out to
deny a quorum and protest a sweep-
ing Democratic proposal to address
climate change.
Findley said opposing people
were not enemies, and Frederick
expressed the sentiment that there are
no “good guys” and “bad guys” in the
Legislature. Instead, there are people
with varying opinions, who all want
to improve the lives of Oregonians.
“People want to do the best they
can,” he said.
Gomberg echoed this statement,
as he said members have diff erences
in party, experience, geography and
more, but they have an “aff ection” for
one another.
Legislators, including Hayward
and Findley, made a point of saying
they have a duty to represent the
entire state, not just their own partic-
ular district. Also, part of their job
includes reaching out to people
outside their districts, learning what
they can from them and then return-
ing home to tell their neighbors.
According to Dembrow, legisla-
tors must educate their constituents
on the “bigger picture.”
This education, according to the
Portland Democrat, includes telling
the people of his district about Herm-
iston.
Other panelists shared similar
feelings, adding distant commu-
nities, places and people have a lot
more in common than often thought.
Sollman said she relates to people in
Eastern Oregon because she, too,
comes from a farming area. Fred-
erick also shared his farming back-
ground.
Hayward said education goes the
other way, too. She said Portland is
not as bad as the media says. This
was something she could tell audi-
ences in Eastern Oregon.
They pointed out that many deci-
sions aren’t contentious. Republi-
cans and Democrats actually fi nd
common ground on most issues,
according to panel members. They
are able to push forward on issues
like improving sewer systems and
resolving many water issues, with-
out partisan complaints, Gomberg
and Helm said.
Gomberg added, though, that
there is a change happening in state
government. Much turnover is taking
place, he said. This means many
friendships are lost, too. And legis-
lators must work hard to create new
relationships; those connections help
to advance legislation.
Speaking at the end, Smith
expressed confi dence in the ability
of new legislators to work with one
another.
Smith praised the intelligence
and integrity of the three major
candidates for governor — Demo-
crat Tina Kotek, unaffi liated Betsy
Johnson and Republican Christine
Drazan — and said he would be able
to work with any of them.
Levy said she would be happy
to invite legislators back for the
next summit.
HERMISTION — Sen. Jeff
Merkley on Friday, June 17,
advocated for using the federal
government to fi nd solutions to
local problems in the wake of the
pandemic.
“It’s been a tough two years,”
he told the crowd after he stepped
onstage during the second day
of the 2022 Eastern Oregon
Economic Summit in Hermiston.
Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep.
Cliff Bentz also participated, but
they streamed in via video.
Merkely spoke of the diffi culty
of the pandemic years, the pains
of lockdowns and the struggles of
school children who suff ered isola-
tion. He also mentioned the recent
fl ooding in Echo, which he was
planning to visit later in the day,
as well as supply chain problems,
infl ation and global warming.
Still, he maintained, there were
solutions to our problems. Rising
gas prices, for example could be
addressed by reducing “our addic-
tion to oil.” By opening more ports,
we can fi x supply chain woes. And
earmarking government funds for
various government projects also
can help.
Merkley said we are planning
for a brighter future.
The Eastern Oregon Women’s
Coalition organized the event
June 16 and 17 in Hermiston. The
general session was June 17 at
Hermiston High School and open
to the public.
Following his speech, Merk-
ley retired to a classroom at the
school, where he met with indi-
viduals and talked more.
“Economic development is on
everybody’s minds, as well as the
immediate economic issues of
gas prices, food prices and drug
prices,” he said.
He called it “shocking” that
housing and gas prices have risen
quickly. Drugs, too, are expensive,
he said, which worries people. He
said he is fi ghting in Congress for
solutions, including for a windfall
profi ts tax.
“I hope we’ll be in a better
place in a year,” he said.
Merkley also said he was aware
of issues in Umatilla and Morrow
counties. He said he helped secure
a $500,000 community-initiated
project grant for Echo for water
infrastructure and was visiting the
town later June 17 to see fl ooding
damage.
“What I’m anticipating is that
they’re going to need a lot of repair
work that will involve the Corps of
Engineers,” he said. “I’ll be look-
ing to their guidance, but if they
are seeking to apply, Sen. Wyden
and I, and I’m sure Cliff Bentz,
will advocate to get help from the
Corps of Engineers and hopefully
funding to improve their protec-
tion from the next big rain impact.”
Merkley also discussed
groundwater pollution in Morrow
County.
“It’s a very big deal,” he said.
“Nitrate pollution has a lot of
health implications.”
Merkey said he was planning
to meet with Morrow County
Commissioner Jim Doherty, who
has been getting surveys of wells
in his county and has been discov-
ering dangerous levels of nitrates
in well water.
Merkey called this a problem
that has been known for decades.
It is only now, he said, that local
offi cials are taking it seriously.
“I’m looking forward to seeing
how I can help them out,” he said.
And he left a message for the
people of Eastern Oregon.
“Our future depends on our
investment in infrastructure and our
investment in education,” he said.
“In the meantime, though, we have
a lot of problems from the droughts,
from the fi res, from the conditions
in our forests, and I’m going to be
working with local communities on
tackling those problems from every
direction I can.”
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