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Wallowa County Chieftain State wallowa.com March 29, 2017 A9 Senate passes bill to raise smoking age to 21 By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau SALEM — The Oregon Senate Thursday passed a bill to raise the smoking age to 21. If the House concurs, Or- egon would become the third state in the nation to prohibit the sale of tobacco to people younger than 21. “The is pure and simple a public health bill,” said the bill’s chief sponsor, Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-Beaverton. The bill passed 18-to-9, with all Democrats and two Republicans, Sens. Jackie Winters of Salem, and Sen. Bill Hansell of Athena, vot- ing in favor. Winters and Democrat swing vote Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose changed their votes. A Re- publican, Rep. Rich Vial of Scholls, co-sponsored with Steiner-Hayward. Both law- makers have said they lost loved ones to tobacco-related diseases. Sen. Alan Olson, R-Canby, argued the bill looked like the work of a “nanny state.” “I appall smoking,” Olson said. But the senator said he felt people have the right to make that choice for them- selves. Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, said people who are old enough to serve in the mili- tary ought to be able to decide whether they want to smoke. He said the law change would create a new illicit market for people between the ages of 19 and 21. Steiner Hayward, who is a family physician, retorted that states have prohibited people younger than 21 from drinking alcohol and that al- cohol is less addictive than tobacco. Recent research, including some from the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office, shows that brains under age 26 are more susceptible to addiction. The legislation would im- pose first-time civil penalties of $50 for clerks and $500 for managers who sell to minors. “We made a conscious de- cision not have criminal pen- alties because we know that tobacco companies tend to target low-income communi- ties who can least afford it,” Steiner Hayward said. Taking 18- to 20-year-olds out of the legal market would result in an estimated loss in tobacco tax revenue of $1.6 million every two years, ac- cording to a projection by the Legislative Revenue Office. An increase in the tobacco tax proposed by Gov. Kate Brown could offset some that loss. In 2015, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to raise the smoking age to 21. California followed suit last year. An additional 210 cities and counties, including New York City and Boston, have similar laws. Irrigators criticize $100 water rights fee proposal Proposal to require water measurement devices also draws objections By Mateusz Perkowski Capital Bureau SALEM — A proposed $100 an- nual fee on all Oregon water rights has met with criticism from irrigators who say it would contribute to already mounting financial burdens. Farmers overwhelmingly testified against House Bill 2706, which aims to raise money for water management, during a March 22 hearing before the House Committee on Energy and En- vironment. Members of the Klamath Water Users Association, for example, are already paying steep costs to comply with the Endangered Species Act and engage in water rights adjudication in the region, said Dave Jensen, a farmer and representative of the group. “Would $100 break a bunch of farmers out there? Probably not, but there is always the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Jensen said. For irrigators with multiple water rights, the bill would cap total fees at $1,000 a year, while municipalities could pay up to $2,500 a year. The money raised would pay for EO Media Group A linear irrigation system operates in a corn field in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. A bill under consideration in the Legislature would impose an annual $100 fee for each of Oregon’s nearly 89,000 water rights. the administrative, technical and field duties performed by the Oregon Water Resources Department, which over- sees 89,000 water rights in the state. The bill would effectively impose a discriminatory tax on irrigators and other water users, said Curtis Martin, a rancher and chair of the Oregon Cat- tlemen’s Association’s water resources committee. “There is no additional service being delivered to the users of the re- source,” Martin said. Opponents also argue that electric- ity costs have continued rising, adding to the cost of pumping water, and irri- gators would have to pay the manage- ment fee even if they didn’t fully use their water rights. “When they shut you off, you still have to pay that bill,” said Tom Mal- lams, a rancher and Klamath County commissioner. House Bill 2705, a companion pro- posal requiring the installation of wa- ter measurement devices at irrigation diversions, also drew objections from irrigators at the hearing. Complying with the requirement would be expensive and the Oregon Water Resources Department doesn’t have enough staff to analyze the new information anyway, said John O’Keeffe, president of the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. “Additional data for the sake of data does not solve any problem,” O’Keeffe said. It would be more realistic to ensure that watermasters — who can already order water measurements when nec- essary — are properly equipped to do their jobs, he said. Installing water measurement de- vices also isn’t practical for farmers who rely on flood irrigation and di- vert water directly from streams onto fields, according to opponents. Some opponents also questioned the fairness and wisdom of exempting domestic well users from the bill. “If you’re going to manage water, I don’t know how you’re going to do that without looking at private wells,” said Irene Gilbert of La Grande, Ore. Water conservation groups argued that a new funding source is needed because OWRD’s cost of administer- ing water rights is largely borne by state taxpayers. The private interests who primarily benefit from the system, meanwhile, only pay a one-time application fee to establish water rights, said Kimberley Priestley, senior policy analyst with WaterWatch of Oregon. “This is the public’s water. The public is currently paying through the general fund for the management of its water,” said Priestley. An annual management fee has al- ready been identified as a stable source of funding by the Oregon Water Re- sources Commission, which oversees OWRD, she said. As for measurement devices, the requirement is needed because “what gets measured gets managed,” Priest- ley said. Proponents claim that only 20 per- cent of Oregon’s water rights holders currently measure and report their usage, since this is a requirement for irrigation districts, governments and those with rights issued since 1993. Despite recognition by the Oregon Water Resources Commission as a key management tool, there has been lim- ited progress in expanding water mea- surement, according to bill supporters. “We can no longer afford to put our heads in the sand and pretend water management issues will just go away,” said Joe Furia, general counsel for the Freshwater Trust nonprofit. The committee’s chair, Ken Helm, D-Beaverton, said the bills were “con- versation starters” and would likely change in response to input from a “broad stakeholder group” he’s con- vened, which includes agriculture and environmental groups. BARGAINS OF THE MONTH ® While supplies last. 5.99 SALE PRICE -2.00 MAIL-IN REBATE* 1-Cu.-Ft. Potting Mix L 462 572 B65 * $2 mail-in rebate. Limit 2 rebates. Customer responsible for taxes and fees. M-F 8AM-6PM • SAT 8AM-5PM • SUN 9AM-3PM W ALLOWA COUNTY Sale ends 01/31/2014 On Sale April 1st - 30th Sale ends 01/31/2013 Gambling Problem? HUMANE SOCIETY THANKS OUR COMMUNITY Your Generous Donations are deeply appreciated! And a Big thanks to Our Volunteers! In 2016, Wallowa County Humane Society spent over $23,000 in our community for animal care! • 295 local puts ruciuvud $10 off coupons on spays/nuuturs at local vuts. • Ovur 60 dogs and cats wuru adoptud to nuw foruvur homus. • 11 dogs and 1 cat wuru ru-unitud with thuir ownurs. • Many low-incomu familius and suniors ruciuvud financial assitancu to spay/ nuutur puts. • Our voluntuurs fosturud 69 cats and dogs. Additional thanks to: Double Arrow Veterinary Clinic, Enterprise Animal Hospital, Red Barn Veterinary Clinic, Mt. Joseph Family Foods, Wallowa County Grain Growers, KWVR radio, Wallowa County Chieftain, Copper Creek Mercantile, Up Town Art, R’s Consignment & More, Wallowa Food City, The Dollar Stretcher, Safeway, Wallowa County Sheriffs Office, Enterprise Police Department, Lear's Restaurant, The Stubborn Mule, Joseph Hardware, Mary Edwards, and many others locally and from outside our area who have donated time, money, and assistance. WCHS IS COMMITTED TO THE WELL-BEING OF COMPANION ANIMALS, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO BETTER THE LIVES OF ALL. Signs & Symptoms • Deterioration of work performance • Problems in concentration • Missing deadlines and important activities • Frequently borrowing money • Gambling to escape boredom, pain or loneliness • Lying to loved ones about gambling • Trying to win back money lost YOUR SUPPORT ALSO HELPS WITH OUR TRAP-NEUTER-RELEASE PROGRAM TO REDUCE THE FERAL CAT OVERPOPULATION IN OUR COUNTY; AND TO ASSIST LOW- INCOME AND SENIOR CITIZENS WITH VETERINARY CARE. WCHS is an ALL volunteer NON-PROFIT 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION. Please VISIT our INFORMATION CENTER at 104 North River Street in Enterprise, OR ( Thurs-Sat 11am-2PM) DONATIONS may be sent to WCHS, PO BOX 565, Enterprise, OR, 97828, or thru PAYPAL on our website: If you or someone you care about is experiencing a gambling problem, HELP IS AVAILABLE It's Free – It's Confidential – It Works. WWW. WALLOWACOUNTYHUMANESOCIETY.ORG Call today: Wallowa Valley Center for Wellness Visit our website to see pets for adoptions, schedule of events, and meet our Board Members! 541-426-4524 • Or 1-877-My-Limit (24 hour Helpline) 207 SW 1st, Enterprise, OR 97828
