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Blue Mountain Eagle
A16
Wednesday, March 31, 2021
Bill
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broad discretion over who
could obtain licenses. Oregon
now has about 300,000 peo-
ple with such licenses.
“The events of 2020 are a
flashing red light that we need
to do something,” she said.
Burdick was referring to
a crowd opposed to the clos-
ing of the Oregon capitol
who breached a door to the
building on Dec. 21 during
a special session of the Leg-
islature. Police were able to
block the group in a vestibule
and eventually ejected them.
Proponents also brought
up the swarm of gun-tot-
ing activists who went to the
Michigan capitol in Lansing.
Several men were arrested
for allegedly plotting to kid-
nap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a
Democrat.
The series of incidents cul-
minated in a mob of support-
ers of then-President Don-
ald Trump who invaded the
U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 during
the verification of Electoral
College votes. Members of
both the U.S. House and U.S.
Senate were forced to evac-
uate their chambers for sev-
eral hours until police and
National Guard were able to
secure the building.
Burdick said the bill gives
local governments flexibil-
ity, rather than impose a state
policy.
A bill that would bar firearms from state buildings has passed the Oregon House.
“I think you are safer with-
out a gun; the National Rifle
Association thinks you are
“HERE’S THE DEAL. THIS IS STILL MARCH. THE SESSION GOES
safer with a gun,” she said.
THROUGH JUNE 27. THAT BILL IS GOING TO STOP EVERYTHING
“Neither of us gets to decide.
The local community gets to
BETWEEN NOW AND WHENEVER WE COME BACK BECAUSE WE CAN’T
decide. That’s as it should be.”
Sen. James Manning Jr.,
WALK AWAY FOR FOUR MONTHS.”
D-Eugene, a 24-year Army
—State Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale
veteran, said the bill is consis-
tent with a 2008 U.S. Supreme
Court decision that recognizes sample from the Portland area
What local
Knopp said, if the bill’s inalizing this,” Sen. Lynn
legislators said
an individual right to bear and Democrats; however, it proponents in the Sen- Findley, R-Vale, said.
Findley said the Republi-
firearms under the Second mustered 49% support outside ate were confident that it
Sen. Betsy Johnson,
had public support, they D-Scappoose, was the lone cans made substantive argu-
Amendment. The decision, the Willamette Valley.
should vote to put it up for Democrat to join six Repub- ments on the bill last week.
written by Justice Antonin
What opponents said
Findley, who faced criticism
a referendum on a statewide licans to oppose the bill.
Scalia, also allows regulation
Sen.
Tim
Knopp, ballot.
Four other Republicans from constituents in his district
of firearms in sensitive places
A motion calling for a — Dallas Heard of Rose- for not walking out of the ses-
such as schools and govern- R-Bend, argued the bill
ment buildings.
would deprive thousands of referendum failed on a par- burg, Dennis Linthicum of sion, said he and others in the
“This bill does not take concealed-handgun license ty-line vote.
Klamath Falls, Art Robin- GOP put in over four hours
anyone’s freedoms from holders from being able to
Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Ath- son of Cave Junction and on the Senate floor expressing
ena, a former Umatilla Kim Thatcher of Keizer, arguments against the bill.
them,” Manning said.
defend themselves.
Sen. Floyd Prozanski,
“Had our colleagues who
Knopp said he could County commissioner, said among the most conserva-
D-Eugene, and Judiciary think of only one instance counties do not want the tive senators — chose not chose to walk been there to
Committee chairman, said — a 2019 shooting at a burden of having to decide to attend the session and help us, it would have driven
even Tombstone, Arizona, Eugene middle school that whether firearms should be were considered absent.
at home a little harder,” he
Three other senators said. “That’s their right. I felt
barred guns from town limits resulted in police killing a allowed in public buildings.
When
Oregon
vot- were officially excused, I needed to represent the peo-
back in 1880 as violence grew. male parent involved in a
Sen.
Brian ple in my district on the rest of
A recent survey conducted custody dispute — when ers are removing criminal including
penalties, including those Boquist of Dallas, now an the issues coming before this
by DHM Research of Portland there was a conflict.
indicated 59% support for
“What we have here is a for possession of small independent, whose step- (Legislature), and their voices
such a measure, 31% opposi- bill in search of a problem,” amounts of drugs other than son took his own life by a need to be heard on how wrong
tion, with most support in the he said.
this bill is.”
marijuana, “we are crim- firearm in 2016.
The problems
Evans said, while Phillips is
the kind of landlord that would
“bend over backward” for
his tenants, getting him to fix
things has been difficult. She
said belongings from the pre-
vious tenant were still at the
apartment when she moved
in, and the apartment appeared
as if it had not been painted in
several years.
She said she complained
about “black mold” behind her
shower wall for over a year and
that she constantly had to use
bleach to keep it at bay.
Evans told the Eagle that
What’s next?
County Commissioner and
Prairie City Mayor Jim Ham-
sher said the people at Kircher
Korners have been in the area
for years, and he does not want
to see them have to relocate.
Evans said she hopes Phil-
lips can appeal and get an exten-
sion to get the property recerti-
fied with HUD.
In a Friday email, Lombardi
said, while he cannot speak to
Kircher Korners’ contract spe-
cifically, a property owner’s
chances of successfully appeal-
ing this type of action are slim.
“Absent a legitimate com-
mitment to improving the phys-
ical condition of the property,”
he said, “I think it follows that
such an appeal would be pretty
weak.”
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Kircher Korners, a subsidized housing complex in Prairie City, is losing its HUD contract April 1, and
tenants are uncertain where to go.
MT. VERNON VOLUNTEER
FIRE DEPARTMENT
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Phillips tore down the back
porch of another unit over
a year ago and still had not
replaced it.
Larkin’s son Charles Wil-
liams said one of the apart-
ments has no key for the front
door and that they have to
leave the sliding glass door to
the porch unlocked.
Nonetheless, like Evans,
Williams said Phillips is a
“decent man.”
Phillips said the reasons for
not keeping up on the repairs
were due to COVID-19. Phil-
lips, who lives in La Grande,
said his wife works with peo-
ple who have tested positive
for COVID-19 and he did not
want to take the chance of
exposing residents to the virus.
He said walking out would
stop everything he and other
lawmakers are working on in
the Legislature. It would be
“nonsensical” at this point, he
said.
“Here’s the deal. This is
still March. The session goes
through June 27,” he said.
“That bill is going to stop
everything between now and
whenever we come back
because we can’t walk away
for four months.”
Findley pointed out that,
had he walked out, a bill spe-
cific to Grant County, Senate
Bill 21, would have died. The
bill would direct the state Fish
and Wildlife Commission to
develop and adopt an invasive
grass pilot program in the Phil-
lip W. Schneider Wildlife Area.
“If I would have walked,
the bill was dead,” he said.
He said SB 21 has good
momentum to make it out of
committee. Findley said sev-
eral people believe the bill
makes good sense.
Blue Mountain Eagle
reporter Steven Mitchell con-
tributed to this story.
ANNUAL EASTER EGG HUNT
SATURDAY, APRIL 3
AT 10:00 A.M.
CLYDE HOLLIDAY STATE PARK
LOTS OF PRIZES
This is the Fire Departments way of
getting back to normal. Face masks will be
required by anyone 5 years and up.
If you or anyone in your party is ill please
stay home. We know it will be
difficult to keep the 6 ft distance during
the actual Easter Egg Hunt but, please
try to adhere to this guidance at
all other times.
Monday - Thursday
7am-
6pm
Monday
- Thursday
7am-
6pm
Friday
8am
- 5pm
Friday Sharpe
8am - 5pm
Mendy
FNP
Mendy
Sharpe FNP
Apppointments
available
Contact City Hall at
541-932-4688
with any questions.
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139101
Housing
PMG file photo
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