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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 2016)
A8 State Blue Mountain Eagle Minimum wage bill headed to House Àoor By Paris Achen Capital Bureau SALEM — A controver- sial proposal to set three re- gional minimum wage rates in Oregon is headed for a vote by the House of Repre- sentatives. After holding a three-hour public hearing, the House Business and Labor Com- mittee voted 6-to-5 Monday to recommend passage of the bill. The vote was along party lines, and Republicans said they plan to offer a minority report and alternative to the proposal on the House Àoor. The vote could come as early as Thursday. “I think what you have before you in this particular legislation is a policy deci- sion and that is whether we expect that Oregonians who are working full time should be living in poverty,” Gov. Kate Brown told lawmakers Monday. “The answer for me is no.” The Senate approved the measure 16-to-12 Thursday, also largely along party lines. The bill hikes wages from $9.25 to $14.75 in the Portland metro area, $12.50 in rural and coastal areas with struggling economies and $13.50 in the rest of the state by 2022. The rates are based on median income and cost of living in those regions and what it takes to be “self-suf¿cient” ± to pay basic expenses such as food, housing and transpor- tation, said Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, who proposed the measure. The proposal hikes wag- es beginning in July from $9.25 to $9.75 statewide. The minimum gradually would climb to $14.75 in 2022 in the Portland urban growth boundary, which in- cludes parts of Multnomah, Washington and Clacka- mas counties. It will rise to $13.50 in Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Deschutes, Hood River, Jackson, Josephine, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Mari- on, Polk, Tillamook, Wasco, and Yamhill counties, and parts of Multnomah, Clack- amas and Washington coun- ties outside Portland’s urban growth boundary. A MAN WAKES UP in the morning after sleeping on... an advertised bed, in advertised pajamas. He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR, have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE. Then it’s too late. AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK? DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it! Blue Mountain Eagle MyEagleNews.com Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710 Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Sex workers, advocates oppose EiOO aiPed at sex traI¿ckinJ By Paris Achen Capital Bureau SALEM — Sex workers and their ad- vocates are speaking out against a bill on the fast track for passage in the Oregon Legislature that would criminalize re- ceiving goods or services for promoting prostitution. The bill is designed to allow district attorneys to prosecute human traf¿cking cases when traf¿ckers receive goods, services or something else of value in exchange for the sexual contact with victims. 8nder existing law, traf¿ckers commit a crime of promoting prostitution only when they accept monetary com- pensation for facilitating sexual contact with a victim. ³Many traf¿ckers and exploiters un- derstand the law and have changed their tactics to take advantage of this over- sight,” said J.R. Ujifusa, a Multnomah County deputy district attorney. The bill would close that loophole, Ujifusa said. Matilda Bickers, a strip club dancer and founder of the Portland chapter of Sex Workers Outreach Project, said the proposed provision makes no distinc- tion between sex traf¿ckers and pimps or client screening services that receive compensation in a consensual business relationships with sex workers. “Unfortunately, there are actually sys- tems in place which would be de¿ned as pimping in this bill, which are actually ways that sex workers use to stay safe,” Bickers said. Bickers gained publicity last year for suing Casa Diablo Vegan Strip Club in Northwest Portland for wage theft and harassment. The bill passed the House unanimous- ly Feb. 4. The Senate Judiciary Commit- tee unanimously voted Monday to rec- ommend the bill for consideration by the Senate. Capital Bureau/Paris Achen Sex worker advocates, left to right, Matilda Bickers of the Portland chapter of the Sex Workers Outreach Project and Michelle Schilz of the Sex Workers Outreach Coalition, discuss their testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. House doubles renewable mandate, nixes coal By Hillary Borrud Capital Bureau SALEM — Lawmakers in the Ore- gon House voted 39-20 Monday to pass a bill that would double the state’s re- newable energy mandate and eliminate coal from the state’s power mix. The bill heads next to the state Senate, where lawmakers could make changes in committee before it comes up for a vote. Critics have raised concerns the bill will cost Oregonians more than utilities have projected, yet do little to reduce the state’s carbon emissions compared to the status quo. Supporters said the bill could create renewable energy construc- tion and maintenance jobs and is critical for Oregon to meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals. Republicans cast all of the “no” votes on Monday, but a handful of Republi- cans — Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, Rep. Mark Johnson, R-Hood River, Rep. Wayne Krieger, R-Gold Beach, Rep. Vic Gilliam, R-Silverton and Rep. John Huffman, R-The Dalles — voted for the measure. State Rep. Brent Bar- ton, D-Oregon City, was excused from the House vote on Monday. Buehler said he would vote for the bill based on information he received that showed it would have a minimal impact on Oregonian’s power bills, but “a big impact” on reducing pollution. A TTENTION G RANT C OUNTY V ETERANS : Did you know a service-connected disabled veteran is entitled to FREE use of Oregon State Parks? See your Grant County Veteran Services Officer today for more information, located at Grant County Courthouse. Open Mon, Wed, & Fri, 10 am - 4 pm, by appointment. Call 541-575-1631 Stuck on the wrong network? Get up to $650 to get unstuck. Trade in your phone and we’ll help you switch to Verizon. “I’ve been assured after looking at a va- riety of data from many sources that the impact on rates will be small,” Buehler said. Paci¿cCorp and Portland General Electric, the state’s largest utilities, re- leased analyses in January that showed House Bill 4036 would increase the cost of power to customers by roughly 1 percent annually in the lead-up to full implementation. Paci¿Corp’s analysis showed the bill would reduce Oregon’s carbon emissions through 2040 by 35 million tons. That is approximately 58 percent of the total greenhouse gases Oregon emits in one year, according to data from the state Department of Envi- ronmental Quality. MEET YOUR LOCAL DENTIST DR. KENT CHERRY ADVANTAGE DENTAL CLINICS Advantage Dental Group, PC 750 West Main John Day, OR 97845 888-468-0022 ext. 61863 www.AdvantageDentalClinics.com Emergencies, most Insurance Plans and Oregon Health Plan Patients are all welcome.Some level of treatment inancing is available to everyone. Dealer DP Home Entertainment 139 E Main St. • John Day 541-575-1637 New smartphone device payment activation & port-in req’d. Get up to $650 prepaid card for installmen t plan balance less trade-in value (or up to $350 prepaid card for early termination fees less trade -in value). Trade-in must be in good working condition and be worth more than $0. Line must remain activ e for 6 mos. Visa prepaid card mailed within 8 weeks after receipt of claim.
