The BulleTin • SaTurday, april 10, 2021 A7
DMX • 1970-2021
PRINCE PHILIP • 1921-2021
‘Nothing less than a giant’ Prince was defined by role of
husband to the British queen
Associated Press
NEW YORK — DMX, the iconic hip-hop
artist behind the songs “Ruff Ryders’ Anthem”
and “Party Up (Up in Here)” whose distinc-
tively gruff voice and thoughtful messages in
his rhymes made him one of rap’s biggest stars,
has died, according to a family statement Fri-
day. He was 50.
The Grammy-nominated performer died
after suffering “catastrophic cardiac arrest,”
according to a statement from the hospital in
White Plains, New York, where he died. He
was rushed there from his home April 2.
His family’s statement said DMX, whose birth
name was Earl Simmons, died with relatives by
his side after several days on life support.
“Earl was a warrior who fought till the very
end. He loved his family with all of his heart,
and we cherish the times we spent with him,”
the family said, adding that his music “inspired
countless fans across the world.”
Memorial plans were not yet set.
DMX — who rapped with a trademark
raspy delivery that was often paired with
growls, barks and “What!” as an ad-lib — built
a multiplatinum career in the late 1990s and
early 2000s, but he also struggled with drug
addiction and legal problems that repeatedly
put him behind bars.
“His message of triumph over struggle, his
Smith
Continued from A1
Chief Operating Officer
Curtis LeGeyt will become
president of the NAB on Jan.
1. He joined the group in 2011
and previously was head of
government relations.
LeGeyt had previously
worked for top Democrats, in-
cluding U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy,
D-Vt., and the 2008 campaign
of President Barack Obama.
Smith, originally from Pend-
leton, had taken the job as
NAB’s top officer in 2009, the
year after he lost his re-election
bid to Democrat Jeff Merkley.
Smith had signed a contract
extension in 2017 to keep him
the top job through 2023.
On Aug. 4 , Smith was ad-
mitted to a Washington D.C.-
area hospital with what at first
Redistricting
Continued from A1
After Sept. 27, if legislators
do not come up with a plan,
the Constitution gives the task
to the secretary of state.
The U.S. Census Bureau says
it will be late summer before it
will release census-block data,
which Oregon and other states
rely on to redraw their political
maps after each 10-year census.
Nothing in state law bars Ore-
gon from using other sources
of data.
Senate President Peter
Courtney and House Speaker
Tina Kotek, joined by Repub-
lican minority leaders, asked
the court for an extension be-
yond July 1. Fagan said the
court lacked the authority to
order an extension, and that
any delay would interfere with
the timetables for the 2022 pri-
mary election. The filing dead-
line for the May 17, 2022, elec-
tion is March 8.
The justices decided the
matter based entirely on writ-
ten arguments and did not
conduct a hearing.
The court’s order takes ef-
fect April 19, unless Fagan re-
quests a reconsideration from
the court — a request that the
court rarely takes up.
The court, in the opinion
written by Chief Justice Mar-
tha Walters, said the deadlines
specified in the Oregon Con-
stitution are less important
than the process laid out in
amendments that voters ap-
proved in 1952 and updated
in 1986.
Walters wrote:
“We have been presented
with no reason why the voters
who adopted the 1952 amend-
ments would have been con-
cerned with the exact date by
which the Legislative Assem-
bly or secretary (of state) are
required to enact or make a
plan, except as part of a larger
framework calculated to result
in the adoption of a timely fi-
nal plan.
“Nor is there any indication
that the voters would have in-
tended to require the Legisla-
tive Assembly to adhere to the
July 1 deadline for legislative
action in the unforeseen event
that federal census data — the
Associated Press
Peter Kramer/AP file
DMX arrives at the 2009 VH1 Hip Hop Honors at the
Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.
search for the light out of darkness, his pur-
suit of truth and grace brought us closer to our
own humanity,” his record label, Def Jam Re-
cordings, said in a statement describing him as
“nothing less than a giant.”
Fellow hip hop artists remembered him
likewise, with Eve praising him as “one of the
most special people I have ever met” and Nas
calling him “Gods poet” in an Instagram post.
DMX made a splash in 1998 with his first
studio album, “It’s Dark and Hell is Hot,” which
debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums
chart. The multiplatinum-selling album was
anchored by several hits including “Ruff Ry-
ders’ Anthem,” “Get At Me Dog,” “Stop Being
Greedy” and “How It’s Goin’ Down.”
was reported as a mild stroke.
Smith issued a statement on
Aug. 6 that rapid medical in-
tervention had helped him
avoid a stroke.
Smith decided earlier this
year it was time for a change
in the association’s leadership.
LeGeyt was chosen as his suc-
cessor. Smith will remain em-
ployed as an NAB lobbyist
through 2024.
Former U.S. Rep. Greg
Walden, R-Hood River, had
been considered a strong can-
didate to replace Smith in 2023.
Walden’s family has a back-
ground in radio broadcasting,
and he frequently worked with
Smith on legislation over his
two decades in Congress.
Walden was a frequent
speaker at NAB events and re-
ceived major donations over
the years from the group.
impetus for drawing new dis-
trict lines in the first place —
was not available by that date.
“Instead, the voters’ para-
mount interests seem to have
been to direct the Legislative
Assembly to enact a reappor-
tionment plan based on cen-
sus data in advance of the next
general election cycle and to
provide an alternative means
by which a plan would still be
made if the Legislative Assem-
bly fails to act.”
Democrats react
Courtney, a Democrat from
Salem, and Kotek, a Demo-
crat from Portland, issued this
statement after the court an-
nounced its decision:
“The Supreme Court has
done its job. Now it’s time for
the Legislature to do its con-
stitutional duty: to redraw the
district boundaries for the state
of Oregon in a way that’s fair
and accurate. We have full faith
in the legislative redistricting
committees to lead this work.”
The court said that lawmak-
ers can adopt a plan in a special
session, rather than the 2021
regular session, which is sched-
uled to end June 28. If law-
makers do not meet the new
deadline of Sept. 27, the court
said that Fagan will have until
Oct. 18 to come up with her
own plan.
Fagan said in a statement af-
terward:
“Our agency’s core objec-
tives were to prevent moving
the 2022 election dates and to
preserve robust public input
by starting the process with
available population data. We
appreciate that the Oregon Su-
preme Court thoughtfully ad-
opted both of our objectives.
Representation matters and
that is what redistricting is all
about. That is why we will con-
tinue to engage Oregonians in
the Legislature’s public hear-
ings from all corners of the
state.... Every Oregonian has a
stake in this process, which is
why we must continue to work
together to ensure all Orego-
nians have the fair, equitable
representation they deserve.”
Republicans comment
Senate Republican Leader
Fred Girod of Lyons said he
LONDON — Prince Philip,
the irascible and tough-
minded husband of Queen
Elizabeth II who spent more
than seven decades supporting
his wife in a role that both de-
fined and constricted his life,
has died, Buckingham Palace
said Friday. He was 99.
His life spanned nearly a
century of European history,
starting with his birth as a
member of the Greek royal
family and ending as Britain’s
longest serving consort during
a turbulent reign in which the
thousand-year-old monarchy
was forced to reinvent itself for
the 21st century.
He was known for his oc-
casionally deeply offensive re-
marks — and for gamely ful-
filling more than 20,000 royal
engagements to boost British
interests at home and abroad.
He headed hundreds of char-
File photo/Oregon Capital Insider
Former Oregon U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith decided earlier this year it
was time for a change in the leadership of the National Association of
Broadcasters.
When Walden announced in
2019 that he would not seek
reelection, Smith praised
Walden’s tenure in office.
“He is one of the finest pub-
lic servants I’ve ever known,”
was satisfied that the court left
the initial stage of redistricting
to the Legislature.
“Oregonians expect their
district to be fairly drawn,”
he said in a statement. “The
most important principles for
Republicans are ‘One-Per-
son-One-Vote’ and upholding
the Voting Rights Act. Ger-
rymandering is unacceptable
and by keeping this process
in the Legislature, we have a
chance to come to a biparti-
san agreement to draw fair
lines.”
House Republican Leader
Christine Drazan of Canby re-
stated her support for an inde-
pendent commission to redraw
both legislative and congressio-
nal district lines. A proposed
initiative failed to qualify for
the 2020 general election bal-
lot, although its advocates went
to federal court in an attempt
to reduce the signature require-
ments because of the corona-
virus pandemic. A measure to
create such a commission is
pending, but even if lawmakers
referred it to voters, it would
not come to a statewide elec-
tion until 2022.
“Oregon needs to commit to
a nonpartisan and transparent
redistricting process,” Drazan
said. “Shockingly, we are the
only state on the West Coast
that does not currently have
an independent redistrict-
ing commission. In fact, we’re
behind 26 other states in the
country that have or are mov-
ing to an independent system
this year. Oregonians deserve
better, and they overwhelm-
ingly support independent re-
districting.”
Congress excluded
The court’s decision does
not apply directly to congres-
sional redistricting. Although
the court is the final arbiter of
such a plan if lawmakers do
not come up with one — the
court appoints a special panel
under a law passed in 2013 —
the rules governing congres-
sional redistricting are in state
law and not the Oregon Con-
stitution.
Oregon expects to gain a
sixth U.S. House seat as a result
of the 2020 Census.
e e
pwong@pamplinmedia.com
Smith said. “Greg’s career has
been defined by success — as
a committed local broadcaster,
as a bipartisan political bridge
builder, and as a brilliant leg-
islator.”
GI Bill
Continued from A1
Hawkins was suddenly
able to use his GI Bill bene-
fits — which he earned from
his U.S. Marine Corps ser-
vice from 1990 to 1996 — for
the first time at the business
center.
“It felt great,” he said. “Who
doesn’t love saving money?”
On Wednesday, COCC
announced that it was ac-
cepting GI Bill benefits for
its noncredit courses at the
Small Business Development
Center.
Although veterans could
use these benefits — which
either lower or completely
eliminate tuition costs for col-
lege classes — for credit or
degree-seeking courses, they
previously couldn’t use them
at the noncredit-only business
center, said Ken Betschart, the
center’s director.
But after becoming ac-
credited by the Oregon De-
partment of Veterans Affairs
Lefteris Pitarakis/AP
Britain’s Prince Philip shares a
joke with a war veteran follow-
ing a ceremony for the Opening
of the Field of Remembrance on
the grounds of the Westminster
Abbey in 2006 in central London.
ities, founded programs that
helped British schoolchildren
participate in challenging out-
door adventures, and played a
prominent part in raising his
four children, including his el-
Some industry publications
cast LeGeyt’s appointment as
Smith’s successor to be well-
timed because of the the 2020
election results.
“LeGeyt’s Democratic con-
nections certainly can’t hurt
with a Democrat in the White
House and current slim major-
ities on the Hill,” Radio World
wrote Wednesday.
Walden and Smith could
not be reached for comment
Friday.
Smith was a state senator
when he ran in a special elec-
tion in January 1996 to re-
place U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood,
R-Oregon, who had resigned
over sexual harassment allega-
tions.
Smith lost the special elec-
tion by 18,200 votes to then-
U.S. Rep. Ron Wyden, D-Port-
land.
to do so in March, the Small
Business Development Cen-
ter is now the only noncredit
business center in Oregon to
accept GI Bill benefits, Bet-
schart said. This could give
local veterans a big boost in
starting their own businesses,
he said.
“Our courses don’t tend to
be expensive to begin with,
but it can be a barrier for
some folks,” Betschart said.
“This allows them to use their
veteran benefits to cover the
cost of tuition.”
Although other similar
small-business centers in Or-
egon could also accept GI
Bill benefits, COCC is the
first one to do so. This could
be because the accreditation
process itself is obscure, Bet-
schart said.
“When I heard this was
available to us, I’ve talked
to other (business centers
) across the state, and they
weren’t aware it even ex-
isted,” he said. “There’s not a
lot of knowledge about us-
dest son, Prince Charles, the
heir to the throne.
Philip spent a month in the
hospital earlier this year before
being released on March 16.
“It is with deep sorrow that
Her Majesty The Queen has
announced the death of her
beloved husband, His Royal
Highness The Prince Philip,
Duke of Edinburgh,” the pal-
ace said. “His Royal Highness
passed away peacefully this
morning at Windsor Castle.”
Philip saw his sole role as pro-
viding support for his wife, who
began her reign as Britain re-
treated from empire and steered
the monarchy through decades
of declining social deference
and U.K. power into a modern
world where people demand in-
timacy from their icons.
The queen, a very private
person not given to extrava-
gant displays of affection, once
called him “her rock” in public.
U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield,
R-Oregon, announced he
would not seek reelection in
1996. Smith launched his sec-
ond bid for the U.S. Senate in
the same year, winning the No-
vember election in a three-way
race.
Smith was reelected in 2002,
defeating the Democrat, Or-
egon Secretary of State Bill
Bradbury, by 18 percentage
points.
Oregon House Speaker Jeff
Merkley defeated Smith in
2008.
No Oregon Republican has
served in the U.S. Senate since
Smith’s departure. Merkley was
reelected in 2014 and 2020.
Wyden still serves in the U.S.
Senate and has announced his
plan to run for another term
in 2022.
e e
gwarner@eomediagroup.com
ing GI benefits for noncredit
courses.”
The GI Bill benefits for
these business classes will
depend on the individual
veteran, said Sue Pierce, the
veterans certifying official for
COCC.
Veterans who served in
active duty for at least 36
months would be eligible for
a 100% tuition deduction, she
said.
Those who served for less
than that, but were still hon-
orably discharged, can likely
still receive a discount of
some type, Pierce said.
Pierce said GI Bill benefits
for COCC noncredit business
courses will be useful to local
veterans.
“This is a new avenue for
veterans to use their benefits
in a less traditional institute of
higher learning, and pursue
a course that may be more in
line with their interests,” she
said.
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Reporter: 541-617-7854,
jhogan@bendbulletin.com