TWO The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday April 5, 1979
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
Volume of bills before
Legislature is staggering
L jf" ui i of the str to insta11 prtabU
I-."?! Talking Pictures" equipment
4ktait. ., ..i.Ji,iI ll ' hacic HO vparc nan this week.
Two years ago the Oregon
Legislature was wallowing in
its own paper and many
observers feared that 59th
Assembly would founder be
fore it adjourned.
It nearly did. Faced with the
task of considering a record
2,812 legislative proposals,
hard-pressed lawmakers deli
berated for five months and
had agreed to enact only about
300 bills.
Weary and fearful that
session would set an all-time
record for length, an hercu
lean effort succeeded in
breaking the logjam of re
maining legislation. Seven
hundred measures were
enacted in the final month,
nearly 500 of those in the last
20 days. That session ground
to a halt after 177 days three
short of the record and
succeeded in enacting 978
measures.
Twenty of those bills a
modern record were vetoed
by then Gov. Bob Straub. And
though no special session was
convened to correct legisla
tive errors, a session was
deemed necessary last Sept
ember in response to an
initiative campaign by irate
taxpayers.
The burden of the law
making process appeared
more than a part time, citizen
Legislature could reasonably
carry. Pressure mounted for
annual sessions in place of
traditional biennial, odd-year
meetings. And the likelihood
that Salem would become the
year-round home for profes
sional full time Legislators
seemed nearer than ever
before.
When the current session
convened last January, con
certed efforts were made to
both ease the Legislature's
workload and streamline the
process.
State Agencies were re
quired to prefile their propo
sals before the session start
ed. House and Senate leader
ship urged restraint upon the
membership regarding intro
duction of bills. And rules
aimed at speeding the process
were adopted in both cham
bers. Senate Pres. Jason Boe said
he hoped all bills from that
chamber would be sent to the
House of Representatives
within 100 days. A Senate rule
required all committees ex
cept Ways & Means to report
bills in their jurisdiction
within 75 days of assignment.
If a bill had subsequent
referral to a second commit
tee, the first committee was
given 35 days for considera
tion and the second committee
the remaining 40 days. Bills
failing to meet the deadline
would be tabled automatically
in committee.
On the House side, all
committees except Ways &
Means, Judiciary and Reve
nue had similar limits. Their
bills had to be reported in 60
days. An additional 30 days
were allowed for bills with
subsequent referral to a
second committee. Judiciary
and Revenue got the full 90
days for their bills and again
only Ways & Means was
totally exempt.
With the current session of
the 60th Assembly into its 13th
week (Monday, April 2, was
the 85th day ) one would expect
the legislative pace to quicken
as a large volume of bills
automatically died on prover
bial committee tables.
But as the 12th week came to
a close, that wasn't happen
ing. A total of 2,163 measures
had been introduced 441 few
er than had been proposed at
the same time two years ago.
Senate committees still were
considering 787, had reported
out 275 and tabled only 127.
House committees still held
1,051 bills, had reported out
226 and tabled only 74.
Altogether, both chambers
had agreed to pass only 78
measures and Gov. Victor
Atiyeh had signed 42.
On the Senate side the
100-day goal to send all of the
bills to the House appeared
unattainable. And the Senate
rule limiting committee con
sideration looked more like a
case of moving the goalposts
whenever it suited a commit
tee's fancy. A simple majority
vote in a Senate committee
can reactivate for 14 days a
bill tabled automatically un
der the new rule and the
practice is increasing.
It may be too early to tell
how the new House rule is
working because that cham
ber got a later start than the
Senate. The session's first
week saw no bills assigned to
committee because majority
Democrats couldn't agree on a
Speaker. And it was well into
the second week before rules
were adopted. So the 60-day,
90-day limits in House com
mittees will only begin to
surface in the immediate
weeks ahead.
Resurrecting an automati
cally tabled bill in a House
committee will be much more
difficult than in the Senate,
however. That exercise will
take 31 votes on the House
floor and reactivate a bill for
only 10 days.
Although deliberating on
considerably fewer bills than
last session at this point, the
60th Assembly so far is
slightly behind last session's
pace for enactment of meas
ures. If a large number of bills
is tabled automatically in
committee one would expect
speedier action on the remain
der. But only time will tell.
, . s
- "lit mam .1.1 urn 'i iS'I JT I " 'm-m .
'",: , , ., -finrr - n - 4',W
i ... . ?zr- . jr
Sifting f4
through
the TIMES
f
Construction on the new Morgan Street Bridge is moving
along rapidly with warm March temperatures. The Doug S.
Coats construction company from Bend expects to have the
bridge completed by the end of April. Approach-way paving
will follow this summer.
Governor's energy council moves questioned
Editor:
Governor Atiyeh's recent actions re
garding the Energy Facility Siting Council
threaten to destroy the Council's credibility.
This seven member Council has been
struggling for eighfyfears to decide whether
or not to permit construction of the two
Pebble Springs Nuclear Plants (at an initial
construction cost of over $3.5 billion.)
To remove two members who have
served on the Siting Council and its
predecessor, the Nuclear and Thermal
Energy Council, over eight years each,
Public Officials
U.S. Sen.
Mark O. Hatfield
Hiism'II Srmih' Dllicc Klrtu . WihiiiKlon.
I(' -" 1 1 1 Member cil Appripri;il ions
('(immitliT. liilciMir (nminillcv. Rules Cnm
liiillcc. .Hid Indiiiti Pnliry Heviru Coiniins
Mini I'mll. mil other. Pioneer Couithoiise.
Km HIT ."i.'n S U Morrison. IVtNinri. (ire
H72H4 (ilione 11 ,.mi.
U.S.
Bob
Sen.
Packwood
Dirkst'ii SeiiMlc ( llliee Hld! . VV;ishinylon.
DC l'ii.Mii Meniher (il Kiniinec ('(immillec
;iikI ( omiiieree ( 'onimillec Piirlliinrl oHic-e.
line N K ll(ilhirl;i . Km. 7(1(1 i P I) Box i.
PorllaiKt. (Ire (I7JHR. phono 2:V.V1
U.S. Rep. Al Ullman,
Of The Second District
House (llliee Bldg . Washington. DC
2ii.il.) Member of Ways and Means Commit
tee Salem olliee. 5:i Center St.. Km :l:i(l (P.O.
Bo 247i. Salem. Ore 97:!OK. phone :W9-5724.
Gov. Vic Atiyeh
Slate Capitol. Salem. Ore 97310. phone
:i7R-:sni(i.
State Sen.
Ken Jernstedt
'Morrou. (iilliam and other counties).
Stale Capitol. Km SUIT. Salem. Ore. 97310.
phone 37K HH.io
State Sen.
Robert Smith
i vwicoier. (.rant and other counties).
Stale Capitol. Km S323, Salem. Ore. 97310.
phone 37H-K17I;
State Rep.
Bill Bellamy
'Ainrrow. (,1111am and other counties).
Slate Capitol. Km H3M. Salem. Ore. 97310
phone 37H-KB.i3.
State Rep.
Max Simpson
i Wheeler. Grant and other counties),
Slate Capitol. Km. H4H1. Salem. Ore 97310,
phone 378-K7K9.
Persons wanting information on bills,
hearings, and other doings of the
Oregon Legislature may call,
toll-free, 1-800-452-0290
...have something
to say?
The Gazette-Times welcomes
letters from readers on any subject
of general interest.. .letters should
be not more than 250 words
OBITUARIES
Tress W. McClintock
destroys the purpose of allowing public
citizens to decide this question free from
political pressure. To remove two members
now when the decision is about to be made,
when those two members have expressed
doubts about the wisdom of building another
plant before safe, permanent waste disposal
has been developed is like tampering with a
jury. And it has the effect of stacking the
deck, especially when two other members
are being left on who have indicated strong
favor for more nuclear plants. Those two,
Chi Wong and Phil Schneider have served as
long as two who are being tossed off.
The Governor is destroying a process of
fair government. If you agree, please write
me at the State Capitol, write your legislator
demanding the retention of Bill Luch and
John Thorpe, write your newspaper, and
write to the Governor.
Thank You,
Jan Wyers
State Senator, District 6
Writer thanks
clean-up crews
Editor:
I wish to publicly express my grateful
thanks to the Columbia Basin Electric crew
of Dale Adlard and helper with chipper,
which last Saturday removed four years'
accumulation of limbs and prunings in front
of my place.
It certainly improved the appearance of
the street and relieved my worries of what
to do with it.
Irene Anhorn
Heppner
The Official Newspaper of the
City of Heppner and the
County of Morrow
OJTPA
Oregon Nwipapar
Alloc lO'ion mi w
The Heppner
GAZETTE-TIMES
Morrow County's Award-Winning Weekly Newspaper
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Published every Thursday and entered as second-class matter at the Post Office
at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Second-class postage
paid at Heppner, Oregon
$8.00 In Morrow,
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
Unatilla, Wheeler & Gilliam County; S 10.00 elsewhere
GM Reed, Publisher
Terry M Hager, General Manager
Eileen Sahng, Office Manager
Melissa Scott, Composition
Justine Weatherford, local Columnist
Delores Reed, Co-publisher
Rick Steelhammer, News Editor
Gayle Rush, Composition
Cmdi Doherty, AdvertisingOffice
Ron Jordan, Printer
Tress W. McClintock. 75,
Pendleton, formerly of Hep
pner and Monmouth, died
Wednesday, March 28, in
Pendleton.
Mr. McClintock was born
Sept. 8. 1903, in Wasco, the son
of William A. and Edith
McClintock. He was a resident
of Heppner for many years,
where he owned and operated
a blacksmith and machinery
shop before moving to Mon
mouth. He moved to Pendle
ton from Monmouth in 1978.
Funeral services were Sat
urday, March 31. at the First
Baptist Church, Monmouth, at
2 p.m. Interment was at
Fircrest Cemetery, Mon
mouth. Mr. McClintock was pre
ceded in death by his wife,
Bonnie, in 1968. He is survived
by three sons; Gale A.
McClintock, Pendleton;
James McClintock. Umatilla;
and Jay McClintock of Van
couver, Wash.; two brothers,
Frank, of Portland and Wil
liam of Pendleton; four sis
ters, Mrs. R.A. (May) Broth
ers, Vancouver, Wash.; Mrs.
Arthur (Irene) Dalzell. Cul
ver; Mrs. George (Ada ) York,
Condon; and Mrs. Elmer
Sybil C. Bran
Sybil C. Bran. 89, Heppner,
died Sunday, April 1. in
Heppner.
She was born Nov. 13. 1889.
in Heppner, the daughter of
James Monroe and Winifred
Jeannette Holman Hager.
In 1917, she was married to
Hugh Bran and moved to
Santa Ana, Calif., where she
lived until the death of her
husband in 1983. She then
returned to Heppner and lived
here ever since.
Graveside funeral services
(Mildred) Weizzel. Beaver
Creek: ten grandchildren and
nine nieces.
Contributions may be made
to the Oregon Heart Associa
tion direct, or through the
Folsom-Bishop Funeral
Home. Pendleton.
were held Wednesday, April 4,
at 2 p.m.. at Heppner Masonic
Cemetery, with the Rev. Steve
Tollelson of the United Meth
odist Church officiating.
Sweeney Mortuary was in
charge oi arrangements.
Mrs. Bran is rnrvived by
four sisters; Grace Storey,
Chilliwack, B.C.; Edith
Leach. Pendleton; Ruth
McMurdo. Corvallis; and
Marie Sims, La Grande; six
nephews and seven nieces.
Hospital
Notes
Patients admitted to Pio
neer Memorial Hospital the
past week and still receiving
treatment are Evelyn Warren,
Alta Cutsforth and Eddie
Thorpe, all of Heppner.
Patients admitted and later
discharged the past week
were C.R. McElligott, lone;
Penny Miller and Hubert
Wilson, both of Heppner.
Greenfield Grange
Favorable response to a recent demon
stration of "talking" motion pictures at
Heppner's Star Theater prompted the owner
the Star to install portable "Paratone
on a trial
basis 50 years ago this week.
Mr. Sigsbee-, owner of the Star,
indicated he would buy permanently
installed "talkie" equipment if attendance
and comments continued to be favorable.
The Gazette-Times was apparently
favorably impressed with the new movie
gear, calling it the "latest advancement in
science," bringing "perfect tonal quality
and marvelous reproduction of the voice to
the otherwise silent drama." According to
the Gazette-Times, "many of the favorite
stage and screen stars, vaudeville head
liners and revue leaders have been signed
by Paratone and are making talking
pictures at their big studio in Universal City,
Calif."
During the same week, Heppner's town
baseball team was decked out in "brand
spanking new uniforms," according to the
G-T, for the 1929 season opener against lone
at the rodeo grounds.
The Gazette-Times reported that the
"familiar blue trimmed in white has been
replaced by grey with blue stripes, with
'Heppner' standing out in deep red and blue
on the shirt fronts."
Starting pitcher for Heppner in the
opening game of Wheatland League play
was Portland-transplant "Ducky" Drake,
who shut out the Ionians 4-0, allowing only
five hits. lone came close to scoring in the
ninth inning, when Werner Rietmann tried
to cross home plate while advancing from
second on a single, only to be tagged out by
Heppner catcher Clair La Mear.
During the same week in 1929, young
Joe Brosnan of Lena was knocked
unconscious when his horse stumbled and
fell. After being laid out cold for several
hours, the Brosnan youth staggered to a
nearby sheep camp and was brought to
Morrow General Hospital, where it was
determined that no serious damage was
done.
The G-T carried a rather unusual
classified ad during this first April week 50
years ago: "Lost lower plate false teeth.
Finder leave at this office." There may have
been a story there, somewhere. For obvious
reasons, the advertiser did not leave a
name.
Heppner began its on-again, off-again
association with parking meters 30 years
ago this week. City officials entered an
agreement with a manufacturer of parking
meters a pact that seemed too good to pass
up. Under the terms of the agreement, the
manufacturer was to install the meters at no
cost to the city, and the city could use the
meters for a year's time, to determine if
they would be truly profitable.
If the city chose not to keep the meters,
they would be removed free by the
manufacturer, and the city could keep half
of the coins collected.
Twenty-five years ago this week,
Heppner's rumor mill was working over
time, as the Gazette-Times duly noted:
"Except for a couple of minor points,
one of the best news stories of the year
occured at 8:30 last Sunday evening in front
of Heppner City Hall, when one man was
reportedly shot dead and another seriously
wounded in a major gun duel over a woman.
"Local police and the sheriff were
deluged Monday morning with requests for
the names and details as the story spread
around town practically before the shots had
died out. Even the hospital staff reported
receiving calls asking about the condition of
the victim.
"As far as the police were concerned,
the minor points mentioned previously
consisted only of the fact that nobody could
find the body, the injured man, the woman,
the gun, any evidence of the crime or anyone
who had witnessed the shooting though
everybody knew all about it. All were minor
matters, though somewhat necessary to
police bent on investigating a crime.
"No one has yet definitely established
the source of the story about the city's major
crime wave, though the Gazette-Times'
special secret operator uncovered one lead
which could solve the problem. According to
reports, a local businessman innocently
gave out the gory details 'just to see how far
the story would go.'
"He should know by now.
Parking meters popped back in the
news 10 years ago this week, when Heppner
City Council tabled action on a petition to
oust the machines.
The petition, signed by 32 persons, was
presented by former councilman Harlan
McCurdy Jr. McCurdy told the council that
there was "an undercurrent of resentment"
against the meters. Adding to the resent
ment was the fact that dimes often failed to
register when dropped in the machines,
rooking drivers out of parking time.
A bomb threat prompted the evacuation
of Pioneer Memorial Hospital five years ago
this week.
A receDtionist at the hosnital
received a telephone call about 4:30 p.m.
chili feed Saturday from a man wh0 sounded as though he was
trvinff to rlisptii: hie imipo Ui ctin
- o o ii oiaicu limy
that "a bomb is set to go off at seven
o'clock," then hung up.
Taking no chances, administrators
ordered that the hospital's 27 patients be
evacuated to St. Patrick's Parish Hall.
Luckily. 7 o.m, ticked bv without incirlnnr
Greenfield Grange, Board
man, will have a chili feed and
bingo party Saturday April 7.
The supper will start at 6:30
p.m.; bingo will start at 7 p.m.