A12 The BulleTin • Wednesday, april 14, 2021
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
TODAY
THURSDAY
TONIGHT
HIGH
53°
LOW
30°
Sunshine
Sunshine
MONDAY
78°
38°
Very warm with plenty of
sunshine
Yesterday Normal
Record
54°
56° 93° in 1904
32°
30° 10° in 1968
PRECIPITATION
24 hours through 5 p.m. yesterday
0.00"
Record
0.50" in 1937
Month to date (normal)
0.00" (0.33")
Year to date (normal)
1.18" (3.68")
Barometric pressure at 4 p.m.
30.08"
SUN, MOON AND PLANETS
Rise/Set
Today
Thu.
Sun
6:23am/7:48pm 6:22am/7:49pm
Moon
7:48am/10:39pm 8:15am/11:41pm
Mercury 6:20am/7:20pm 6:20am/7:27pm
Venus
6:40am/8:11pm 6:39am/8:14pm
Mars
9:20am/1:01am 9:19am/12:59am
Jupiter
4:17am/2:35pm 4:13am/2:32pm
Saturn
3:41am/1:25pm 3:37am/1:21pm
Uranus
7:01am/9:03pm 6:58am/9:00pm
First
Full
Last
New
Apr 19
Apr 26
May 3
May 11
Tonight's sky: Hercules, the Hero, emerging
in the east after sunset.
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
UV INDEX TODAY
10 a.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
4 p.m.
4
6
6
4
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index ™ number,
the greater the need for eye and skin protection. 0-2 Low,
3-5 Moderate; 6-7 High; 8-10 Very High; 11+ Extreme.
POLLEN COUNT
Trees
High
Weeds
Absent
EAST: Sunny to partly
cloudy, breezy and
cool Wednesday.
Mostly clear and cold
at night. Partly sunny
Thursday.
CENTRAL: Mostly
sunny Wednesday
with a cool breeze.
Clear and chilly at
night. Sunny and
pleasant Thursday.
WEST: Sunny and nice
Wednesday. Clear and
cool at night, then
sunny and warm both
Thursday and Friday.
Seaside
64/42
Cannon Beach
63/45
Yesterday
Today Thursday
Yesterday
Today Thursday
Yesterday
Today Thursday
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
City
Hi/Lo/Prec. Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
Astoria
65/48/0.00 62/40/s 65/44/s
La Grande
54/33/0.00 56/29/s 62/31/pc
Portland
66/38/0.00 71/44/s 75/47/s
Baker City
55/33/0.00 56/27/pc 63/30/pc
La Pine
48/29/0.00 50/25/s 58/29/s
Prineville
52/25/0.00 58/24/s 58/29/s
Brookings
70/44/0.00 61/44/s 58/44/s
Medford
67/39/Tr
70/38/s 73/42/s
Redmond
55/33/0.00 56/26/s 63/29/s
Burns
55/26/0.03 55/26/pc 62/29/pc
Newport
64/36/0.00 58/39/s 60/44/s
Roseburg
68/35/0.00 71/38/s 75/43/s
North Bend
63/33/0.00 60/41/s 61/43/s
Eugene
66/38/0.00 70/37/s 72/40/s
Salem
65/35/0.00 70/39/s 74/42/s
Klamath Falls
55/35/0.00 57/25/s 61/28/pc
Ontario
64/34/0.00 62/37/pc 67/41/pc
Sisters
51/20/0.00 55/29/s 61/33/s
Lakeview
53/30/0.00 54/22/pc 60/26/pc
Pendleton
61/26/0.00 61/33/s 64/37/s
The Dalles
65/39/0.00 70/40/s 74/41/s
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice, Tr-trace, Yesterday data as of 5 p.m. yesterday
NATIONAL WEATHER
WATER REPORT
As of 7 a.m. yesterday
Reservoir
Acre feet
Capacity
Crane Prairie
47298
86%
Wickiup
113362
57%
Crescent Lake
22386
26%
Ochoco Reservoir
11233
25%
Prineville
90329
61%
River fl ow
Station
Cu.ft./sec.
Deschutes R. below Crane Prairie
77
Deschutes R. below Wickiup
605
Deschutes R. below Bend
74
Deschutes R. at Benham Falls
960
Little Deschutes near La Pine
80
Crescent Ck. below Crescent Lake
14
Crooked R. above Prineville Res.
396
Crooked R. below Prineville Res.
163
Crooked R. near Terrebonne
120
Ochoco Ck. below Ochoco Res.
3
-0s
0s
10s
20s
30s
40s
50s
60s
70s
80s
90s
100s
110s
NATIONAL
EXTREMES
YESTERDAY (for the
In inches as of 5 p.m. yesterday
Base
90-111
0-205
0-189
45-64
41-71
T-storms
Shown are today’s noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
Rain
Showers
Snow
Flurries
Ice
Warm Front
Stationary Front
Cold Front
Source: OnTheSnow.com
The Eddy
Apart-
ments are
located
at SW
Shevlin
Hixon
Drive and
SW Brad-
bury Way
in Bend.
Dean
Guernsey/
The Bulletin
Apartments
Continued from A1
In an appeal to the state Land
Use Board of Appeals in the
spring of 2019, Old Mill Dis-
trict developer Bill Smith and
Shevlin Dental shared concerns
about the height not fitting in
with the aesthetics of the area
and the amount of parking. The
appeal prompted the developer,
Evergreen Housing Develop-
Legislature
Continued from A1
Both parties agree the
COVID-19 pandemic and
2020 wildfires, along with the
state budget, are at the top of
the agenda.
Republicans say that’s
enough for the narrowly-
focused session they want.
“The House is running a
crushing number of commit-
tees and pushing controversial
legislation,” House Republi-
can Leader Christin Drazan,
R-Canby, said early in the ses-
sion.
Democrats say they have
large majorities because voters
want more affordable hous-
ing, health care, environmen-
tal safeguards, police reform,
social equity, gun control and
more.
“Votes matter,” Kotek has
said of Republican opposition.
Whatever the outcome, the
Legislature has 75 days as of
Wednesday — weekends in-
cluded — left on its calendar.
ment Group, to mediate and
adjust the design, according to
a public meeting held by the
housing group in 2019.
The developer scaled back
the design in 2019, down from
170 units. Reducing the num-
ber of units led to the elimi-
nation of the fourth story to
address community concerns
about the height of the build-
ing, according to a public
meeting held in August 2019.
After June 28, lawmakers are
required to adjourn, no matter
what.
Democrats have enough
votes to pass any legislation
without Republican votes.
While unable to defeat bills,
Republicans can slow or stall
all lawmaking.
Senate Republicans held a
one-day walkout early in the
session to remind Democrats
that they ignored GOP input
at their peril. Republicans in
both chambers departed Sa-
lem in 2020, killing the session
with hundreds of bills awaiting
action.
Drazan has opted instead to
use parliamentary rules to re-
quire bills be read out loud in
their entirety. The glacial pro-
cess reached its bizarre apex
when a computer program
with a metallic female mono-
tone voice read a 170-page
bill. It took two days to finally
vote on mostly technical revi-
sions to the newly-designated
Oregon Liquor and Cannabis
Commission.
Yesterday
City
Hi/Lo/Prec.
Abilene
66/53/Tr
Akron
66/45/0.00
Albany
65/33/0.00
Albuquerque
68/42/0.00
Anchorage
39/31/0.02
Atlanta
86/59/0.00
Atlantic City
56/46/0.00
Austin
81/70/0.00
Baltimore
66/49/Tr
Billings
37/24/Tr
Birmingham
85/54/0.00
Bismarck
32/24/0.04
Boise
57/35/0.00
Boston
58/43/0.00
Bridgeport, CT 61/43/Tr
Buffalo
58/44/0.00
Burlington, VT
67/41/0.00
Caribou, ME
58/41/0.00
Charleston, SC 81/55/0.00
Charlotte
79/54/0.00
Chattanooga
83/51/0.00
Cheyenne
37/21/Tr
Chicago
54/42/0.00
Cincinnati
67/43/Tr
Cleveland
62/45/0.01
Colorado Springs 48/33/0.00
Columbia, MO
64/46/0.01
Columbia, SC
83/49/0.00
Columbus, GA
88/52/0.00
Columbus, OH
66/41/0.00
Concord, NH
66/30/0.00
Corpus Christi
85/73/Tr
Dallas
80/56/0.31
Dayton
66/43/0.00
Denver
51/31/0.00
Des Moines
55/35/0.00
Detroit
65/42/0.00
Duluth
35/30/0.13
El Paso
77/53/0.00
Fairbanks
48/24/0.00
Fargo
31/25/0.11
Flagstaff
62/33/0.00
Grand Rapids
54/35/0.00
Green Bay
46/42/0.00
Greensboro
73/52/0.00
Harrisburg
67/49/Tr
Hartford, CT
68/39/0.00
Helena
41/23/0.00
Honolulu
81/69/0.03
Houston
86/69/Tr
Huntsville
82/54/0.03
Indianapolis
67/45/Tr
Jackson, MS
75/51/0.00
Jacksonville
78/54/0.00
Today
Thursday
Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
61/52/r
60/54/sh
64/39/pc
48/38/c
70/46/c
49/35/r
75/50/s
74/42/c
39/32/sh 41/32/pc
79/57/pc 69/48/pc
63/52/c
60/43/r
79/58/c
67/59/c
64/53/r
65/43/c
36/26/c
40/30/c
73/53/r
69/49/s
38/25/c
42/29/c
54/37/c
61/39/pc
52/43/pc
49/41/c
61/46/c
49/39/r
58/41/pc
49/37/r
67/46/pc
55/38/r
59/31/s
61/32/pc
82/65/pc 74/52/sh
81/60/t
71/44/s
74/52/sh
68/44/s
35/26/c
34/23/sn
51/37/pc 54/37/pc
63/41/c
57/37/c
61/40/pc 48/40/sh
44/32/c
48/29/t
61/36/pc 59/41/pc
86/63/pc 76/48/pc
81/61/pc
72/51/r
64/40/c
52/38/sh
63/39/pc
53/35/c
87/72/c
78/71/t
69/55/c
66/56/c
63/39/c
53/38/c
47/32/c
45/28/sh
51/33/pc 52/38/pc
57/35/c
49/37/sh
45/31/c
49/32/c
84/63/s
83/58/c
42/23/c
42/30/pc
36/27/c
44/26/c
59/34/s
57/25/pc
49/34/c
45/33/r
45/35/sf
52/33/c
79/55/t
67/42/s
65/51/c
62/42/r
70/44/pc
50/36/r
41/27/c
47/32/c
82/69/s
82/68/pc
82/64/t
74/62/sh
67/49/r
65/43/s
61/37/pc 57/37/pc
69/55/r
72/52/s
86/64/pc
81/61/r
Amsterdam
Athens
Auckland
Baghdad
Bangkok
Beijing
Beirut
Berlin
Bogota
Budapest
Buenos Aires
Cabo San Lucas
Cairo
Calgary
Cancun
Dublin
Edinburgh
Geneva
Harare
Hong Kong
Istanbul
Jerusalem
Johannesburg
Lima
Lisbon
London
Madrid
Manila
47/34/pc
70/52/pc
66/57/sh
80/56/pc
92/78/t
70/50/s
68/59/s
47/32/sh
67/51/c
48/34/c
74/65/s
81/67/s
80/57/s
51/29/s
87/73/pc
51/35/pc
53/32/pc
52/34/pc
81/54/s
81/73/sh
64/48/s
71/50/s
81/59/s
71/65/c
67/58/sh
52/33/pc
67/47/pc
94/80/pc
City
Juneau
Kansas City
Lansing
Las Vegas
Lexington
Lincoln
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Louisville
Madison, WI
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Newark, NJ
Norfolk, VA
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Orlando
Palm Springs
Peoria
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Pittsburgh
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Richmond
Rochester, NY
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Antonio
San Diego
San Francisco
San Jose
Santa Fe
Savannah
Seattle
Sioux Falls
Spokane
Springfi eld, MO
Tampa
Tucson
Tulsa
Washington, DC
Wichita
Yakima
Yuma
Yesterday
Hi/Lo/Prec.
40/36/0.92
62/39/0.00
60/38/0.00
84/66/0.00
66/45/0.02
58/31/0.00
73/58/0.00
63/58/0.00
70/53/Tr
48/37/Tr
76/61/0.00
88/68/0.00
50/41/0.00
37/33/0.04
74/53/Tr
77/65/4.02
65/44/0.25
66/41/0.21
62/52/Tr
71/47/Tr
56/36/0.00
90/57/0.00
82/61/0.00
58/41/0.00
65/46/0.02
91/66/0.00
68/42/0.00
64/36/0.00
61/41/0.00
76/49/0.00
42/26/0.00
58/39/0.04
70/51/Tr
60/46/0.04
75/49/0.00
65/50/0.07
57/36/0.00
84/71/0.00
63/59/0.00
61/51/0.00
65/49/0.00
60/37/0.00
80/54/0.00
64/40/0.00
41/31/Tr
55/36/Tr
63/50/Tr
88/61/0.00
88/60/0.00
69/54/0.00
68/50/0.06
60/39/0.00
62/45/0.00
89/62/0.00
Today
Thursday
Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
44/38/r
46/39/pc
58/34/pc 58/42/pc
51/33/c
46/34/sn
76/54/s
76/55/s
58/39/c
56/36/pc
55/29/pc
56/38/c
60/47/sh 66/48/pc
64/52/pc 67/53/pc
64/44/pc 62/41/pc
45/34/pc
53/33/c
60/48/sh
65/48/s
83/69/s
84/68/s
47/38/pc
52/37/c
47/35/c
51/38/c
60/45/r
63/40/s
78/69/r
74/63/t
68/50/c
54/41/r
69/51/c
56/41/r
71/58/r
68/49/sh
59/45/c
58/46/sh
53/31/pc 55/37/pc
85/64/s
86/67/pc
80/55/s
85/61/pc
53/35/pc 55/38/pc
66/52/sh
60/42/r
86/63/s
82/60/pc
66/42/c
50/37/c
53/37/pc
50/37/c
59/43/pc
52/41/r
82/58/t
69/42/s
44/25/c
37/29/sn
54/33/pc 63/37/pc
69/54/r
67/43/pc
60/40/c
49/37/r
74/46/pc
75/44/s
64/39/s
61/42/pc
51/38/sh 50/35/sh
84/64/c
71/63/c
63/56/c
66/57/pc
66/48/s
63/49/s
69/45/s
68/45/s
68/39/pc 70/31/pc
85/65/pc
74/54/r
67/43/s
73/47/s
48/30/pc
49/34/c
61/39/s
65/41/s
62/37/pc
59/44/s
85/69/s
80/71/pc
86/56/s
83/54/c
62/45/pc
61/46/c
64/54/r
66/45/pc
61/41/pc
56/41/c
68/42/s
71/43/s
83/52/s
83/55/pc
94/72/0.00
81/60/0.04
64/43/0.00
72/40/0.00
77/59/0.27
81/70/0.00
102/70/0.00
71/58/0.61
39/30/0.08
64/48/0.00
52/36/0.00
77/73/0.41
61/52/0.00
88/48/0.00
68/64/0.06
58/46/0.27
58/52/0.00
65/58/0.00
89/79/0.01
43/30/0.12
73/54/0.00
82/68/0.03
69/50/0.00
63/52/0.53
57/45/0.00
55/39/0.00
39/37/1.10
43/37/0.15
95/70/pc
77/57/pc
64/44/pc
70/45/c
77/60/t
80/65/s
102/75/pc
67/43/pc
47/27/s
63/42/pc
54/34/s
80/70/pc
58/42/s
78/48/s
72/62/pc
46/35/pc
56/39/s
60/51/pc
89/77/pc
46/29/s
81/58/s
70/65/r
75/57/s
69/48/r
59/39/pc
61/43/s
47/35/c
41/35/sh
INTERNATIONAL
48 contiguous states)
National high: 99°
at Death Valley, CA
National low: 5°
at Daniel, WY
Precipitation: 4.41"
at Acadiana, LA
SKI REPORT
Ski resort
New snow
Mt. Bachelor
0
Mt. Hood Meadows
2
Timberline Lodge
0
Aspen / Snowmass, CO
0
Mammoth Mtn. Ski, CA
0
Cloudy, a shower possible;
not as warm
NATIONAL
Hood
River
541-683-1577
71°
34°
TRAVEL WEATHER
Umatilla
67/40
Rufus
Hermiston
67/42
66/37
68/41
Arlington
Hillsboro Portland
Meacham Lostine
68/42
72/39 71/44
54/27
Wasco
54/27 Enterprise
Pendleton
The Dalles
Tillamook
51/24
65/38
61/33
Sandy
70/40
McMinnville
65/39
Joseph
Heppner
La
Grande
68/43
Maupin
Government
72/44
56/29
50/25
Camp
61/35 Condon 56/33
Union
Lincoln City
55/33
53/37
56/29
Salem
60/44
Spray
Granite
Warm Springs
70/39
Madras
59/29
Albany
47/26
Newport
Baker City
60/30
60/27
Mitchell
58/39
67/38
56/27
Camp Sherman
53/30
Redmond
Corvallis
John
Yachats
Unity
56/30
56/26
67/39
Day
Prineville
59/43
55/27
Ontario
Sisters
58/24
Paulina
55/29
62/37
Florence
Eugene 55/29
Bend Brothers 52/27
Vale
60/41
70/37
53/30
49/26
Sunriver
62/36
Nyssa
51/26
Hampton
Cottage
La Pine
62/36
Juntura
Oakridge
Grove
50/25
51/25
OREGON EXTREMES Coos Bay
Burns
59/29
65/37
69/37
Fort
Rock
62/39
55/26
Riley
YESTERDAY
Crescent
52/25
54/23
High: 70°
50/24
Bandon
Roseburg
Christmas Valley
Jordan Valley
at Brookings
Beaver
Frenchglen
Silver
59/42
71/38
52/24
49/27
Low: 20°
Marsh
Lake
54/27
Port Orford
52/25
53/25
at Meacham
Grants
Burns Junction
Paisley
60/46
Pass
54/27
Chiloquin
55/26
72/40
Rome
Medford
56/24
Gold Beach
70/38
55/29
57/48
Klamath
Fields
Ashland
McDermitt
Lakeview
Falls
Brookings
55/29
66/39
57/25
49/26
61/44
54/22
-10s
75°
36°
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
Astoria
62/40
TUESDAY
Remaining warm with
clouds and sunshine
Plenty of sun
OREGON WEATHER
TEMPERATURE
Source: Oregon Allergy Associates
SUNDAY
72°
37°
Mild with plenty of sun
ALMANAC
Grasses
Absent
SATURDAY
67°
36°
59°
33°
Partly cloudy
Bend Municipal Airport through 5 p.m. yest.
High
Low
FRIDAY
As a part of this adjustment,
the group also kept the amount
of parking the same at 176
spots, despite a reduction in
units.
The housing group hopes to
complete the project by Novem-
ber, said the group’s president,
Andrew Brand, in an email.
e e
e e
Editor’s note: Bill Smith is an investor in
The Bulletin.
Reporter: 541-633-2160,
bvisser@bendbulletin.com
Kotek has countered Dra-
zan’s slo-mo move by doubling
the weekly floor sessions to
including evenings and Satur-
days.
Starting Thursday, Kotek is
having three sessions per day.
While the fight in the House
has hogged the political spot-
light, the Senate has remained
mostly collegial, keeping its
usual hours and pace. That
hasn’t always sat well with the
most bitter opponents of the
Democratic agenda.
When GOP senators vehe-
mently opposed a bill to ban
concealed weapons in state
buildings late last month,
Democrats passed it 16-7 with
no Republicans voting yes.
But afterward, some gun
control opponents were furious
there was any vote at all, saying
the GOP senators should have
walked out as they had before
over taxes and environmental
legislation.
A group mounted a recall
drive against Senate Minority
Leader Fred Girod, R-Stayton.
50/32/0.00
68/48/0.00
70/61/0.08
81/60/0.00
95/79/0.00
62/34/0.00
64/54/0.00
48/28/0.00
66/48/0.01
46/39/1.52
72/59/0.00
82/62/0.00
75/52/0.00
45/16/Tr
86/79/0.00
50/36/0.00
52/27/0.00
50/36/0.00
78/54/0.00
86/74/0.00
63/42/0.05
64/41/0.00
80/57/0.00
72/65/0.01
66/55/0.30
52/32/0.00
57/45/0.30
91/79/0.00
50/35/pc
68/53/s
68/61/pc
84/58/c
94/80/t
70/47/pc
72/62/s
45/36/c
66/50/t
48/33/sh
74/65/pc
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Idaho lawmakers hear pitch to
absorb three-fourths of Oregon
BY KEITH RIDLER
The Associated Press
BOISE, Idaho — Idaho
lawmakers appeared in-
trigued but skeptical on Mon-
day when pitched a plan to
lop off about three-fourths of
Oregon and add it to Idaho
to create what would become
the nation’s third-largest state
geographically.
Representatives of a group
called Move Oregon’s Border
For a Greater Idaho outlined
their plan to a joint meeting
of Idaho lawmakers from the
House and Senate on Mon-
day.
The Idaho Legislature
would have to approve the
plan that would expand Ida-
ho’s southwestern border to
the Pacific Ocean. The Ore-
gon Legislature and the U.S.
Congress would also have to
sign off.
Supporters of the idea said
rural Oregon voters are dom-
Senate Republican Cau-
cus spokesman Dru Draper
confirmed late last week that
some senators have received
death threats. Draper showed
Oregon Capital Bureau one
email telling a senator that he
should be gunned down.
“We have instructed mem-
bers to report all emails like
these to OSP,” Draper said.
Girod said earlier walkouts
over tax proposals and a car-
bon cap program had created
expectations of more depar-
tures to block voting on multi-
ple issues.
“People now expect it for all
bills that, from a Republican
perspective, are seen as a bad
bill,” Girod told Oregon Public
Broadcasting. “The problem
that we had is trying to walk
for 3½ months just was not
doable.”
Girod said the GOP caucus
discussed a walkout over the
gun bill. Girod and other se-
nior lawmakers in the party
said they could not aban-
don the session with the state
inated by liberal urban areas
such as Portland, and would
rather join conservative
Idaho. Portland would remain
with Oregon.
“There’s a longtime cultural
divide as big as the Grand
Canyon between northwest
Oregon and rural Oregon,
and it’s getting larger,” Mike
McCarter, president of Move
Oregon’s Border for a Greater
Idaho, told Idaho lawmakers.
If everything falls in line
with Oregon, supporters en-
vision also adding adjacent
portions of southeastern
Washington and Northern
California to Idaho. Backers
said residents in those areas
also yearn for less government
oversight and long to become
part of a red state insulated
from the liberal influence of
large urban centers that tend
to vote Democratic.
“Values of faith, family, in-
dependence. That’s what we’re
budget and bills to aid state
businesses hurt by the pan-
demic still awaiting approval.
It wasn’t unanimous — four
Republicans were recorded
as absent when the vote was
taken.
Whether some kind of rec-
onciliation can be found be-
tween Kotek and Drazan will
be worked out in this second
half of the session. Bad blood
has surfaced before between
Courtney and Girod.
No controversial bills have
yet come up for a vote that
would send a bill to Brown
to be signed into law. Despite
the slowdown, such votes will
soon be common. Will Re-
publicans stay or go?
Democratic leaders have
ruled out capitulation, but last
week dangled a carrot to en-
tice Republicans from depart-
ing Salem early.
All legislators received invi-
tations last week from Kotek
and Courtney asking for ideas
on how to spend about $780
million in federal money.
about,” said Mark Simmons,
an Eastern Oregon rancher
and former speaker of the Or-
egon House. “We don’t need
the state breathing down our
necks all the time, microman-
aging our lives and trying to
push us into a foreign way of
living.”
The group’s strategy has
been to get advisory votes
in Oregon counties likely to
make the switch. But in No-
vember the group had mixed
success with two counties
opting to join Idaho but two
wanting to stay a part of Or-
egon. Supporters blamed the
setback on the coronavirus
pandemic and an inability to
get their message out. Five
more Oregon counties are ex-
pected to vote on the matter
in May.
The county votes carry no
weight, but are intended to
potentially sway lawmakers to
ultimately approve the plan.
The letter, first reported by
The Oregonian, called for ideas
on using part of the state’s por-
tion of the $1.9 trillion Amer-
ican Rescue Plan approved by
Congress and signed into law
by President Joe Biden.
“We are really looking for
bigger and bolder ideas to in-
vest that money for the future,
for one-time things and some
ongoing needs to move our
state forward,” Kotek wrote.
Any of the new projects
would be money on top of the
$1.6 billion sent directly by
Congress to Oregon counties,
cities, and towns.
With current financial lar-
gess from Congress unlikely
to be repeated and a possible
2023-25 state budget crunch
looming, Kotek encouraged
lawmakers to act on the oppor-
tunity in the 2021-22 budget.
Democrats’ message: There
could be a Sequoia-sized
“Christmas Tree” in July, if the
Legislature is still there to pass
the bill.
e e
gwarner@eomediagroup.com