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NEWS A14 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAy, OCTObER 2, 2019 Local officials consider gun storage laws By JESSICA POLLARD STAFF WRITER During the last legislative session, a bill vying for gun storage requirements was scrapped after Senate Repub- licans walked out. But stor- age laws might live again as a ballot measure, and some officials in Eastern Oregon are less than enthused. “Personally, I think every home should secure their weapons but I would not be in support of mandating that,” said Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner. In 2019, the Cindy Yuille and Steve Forsyth Act pro- posed that gun owners be required to secure firearms with a trigger or cable lock when not in use or face a $500 fine. It also looked to require gun owners to report their firearms lost or missing within 24 hours of discov- ery, or else face a penalty of $1,000. The bill was created as a response to two peo- ple who lost their lives — Yuille and Forsyth — during the Clackamas Town Center shooting in 2012. It argued that 22,000 Ore- gon firearms had been sto- len in the past decade and that two-thirds of all school shootings since the 1970s involved weapons taken from home or a nearby neighbor. It also claimed that evidence shows safer gun storage may prevent child suicide and injury. Paul Kemp, the brother- in-law of Forsyth, helped turn in 2,000 voter signa- Hermiston Herald file photo These locks given out by Hermiston Police Department enable safe storage of guns with children in the home. tures to Oregon’s election office last week in an effort to revive the conversation on gun storage. The group collecting signatures, State of Safety Action, would still need over 100,000 more to get the mea- sure — which people are also referring to as the Cindy Yuille and Steve Forsyth Act — a spot on the 2020 ballot. Smith said he hadn’t seen any statistics about school shootings or suicides that would support gun storage restrictions, but that guns being lost and stolen is a reality. He said he plans to draw up legislation in the future advocating for gun safety education in schools. That’s something that would interest Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Rob- erts, though he notes many people feel that gun educa- tion doesn’t belong in public EOU looks to Umatilla, Morrow counties for on-the-job learning By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Eastern Oregon Univer- sity officials toured job sites around Umatilla and Mor- row counties on Thursday as they search for new ways to partner with businesses in the region. The university is bring- ing a new focus on “experi- ential learning,” with a hope that every student will grad- uate with hands-on experi- ence in the business commu- nity through internships, job shadows, freelance work, research projects on behalf of businesses and more. “As we’re looking at cur- riculum, we’re having an emphasis shift from what classes are you taking, to what skills are you learn- ing,” said Edward Hen- ninger, dean of EOU’s new college of business. To have those oppor- tunities for every student, the university will need to look beyond La Grande and into surrounding commu- nities. Henninger and other officials gathered business leaders for a luncheon in Hermiston during their tour Thursday to solicit feedback on building those opportuni- ties in Umatilla and Morrow counties. Several of those pres- ent on Thursday who work in Eastern Oregon are EOU alumni, including Greater Hermiston Area Chamber of Commerce Director Kim- berly Nevil. But EOU Presi- dent Tom Insko said when he asks seniors in April about their post-graduation plans, the most common thing he hears is that after gradua- tion they plan to move to Boise, Idaho or Seattle, and then begin looking for a job there. He wants to see more stu- dents tell him they already have a job set up locally. “Being an alum of EOU and having had it transform my life, for me it’s all about the students and how we can help them connect their edu- cational experiences with business and community,” he said. Now that the institution is on more solid financial foot- ing, there are new initiatives it is turning its focus to. Henninger was hired after the school split its business and education colleges this year and gave each its own Smith Henninger dean. EOU is also adding a new major next year called Sustainable Rural Systems, which will help students gain an understanding of rural communities through projects and classes around subjects, such as environ- mental resources and rural economics. EOU is starting the Rural Engagement and Vitality Center. The REV, as they’re calling it, will reach out to area communities and take ideas about how to bet- ter connect students to the Seydel settings. “The reality is that we encounter unsecured fire- arms at homes frequently,” Roberts said. He said that firearms were more frequently stolen from cars than from homes, a frus- trating phenomenon he’s seen more than once. But he also feels there are some complications involved with enforcing gun storage restrictions, par- ticularly when it comes to reporting firearms missing within 24 hours of discovery. “There are going to be too many people who are going to resist because the government is telling them what to do,” he said. “Peo- ple aren’t going to want to report their firearms miss- ing if they’re worried about being charged for not storing them properly.” Both Roberts and Herm- iston Police Chief Jason Edmiston expressed con- cerns about being able to enforce storage laws. “Bills like this don’t have much teeth to them,” Edmis- ton said. He said he sympathized with the spirit of a legisla- tion made in honor of shoot- ing victims, but that in order for officers to know whether a gun is being safely stored in someone’s home, they’d need a search warrant. Umatilla County Com- missioner John Shafer said that when his children were young, he chose to lock his guns. But now the kids are older, he doesn’t want any- one telling him how to store his guns. “I guess my first thought really is that any time you start restricting a citizen’s rights, it’s a slippery slope,” he said. Kimberly Lindsay, exec- utive director of Commu- nity Counseling Solutions — which oversees mental health care across Eastern Oregon — said she wasn’t well versed on solutions to gun violence. But she did feel certain about something. “Safe storage is a good idea. I’m not sure how peo- ple could argue about that. You should be thoughtful about the placement of fire- arms,” she said. “Certainly, when you have kids around who may have no intention of harming themselves and inadvertently pick up a gun that might be loaded.” We Hear You! You deserve total audiological care. Professional. Experienced. Local. Insko local business community. Academic Vice President Tim Seydel said it will be a one-stop place where peo- ple interested in partnering with students can present their ideas and have EOU staff look into the logistics of making it a reality. “Many times those things turn into jobs,” he said. As an example of on-the- job learning, Greg Smith, who runs EOU’s Small Business Development Cen- ter, brought two student employees of the SBDC. Renata Anderson, MA Pam Wagenaar, Administrative Assistant 2237 SW Court, Pendleton 541-276-5053 www.renataanderson.com I got screened. Now, I’m talking about it. Screening can prevent colorectal cancer or catch the #2 cancer killer early when it’s highly treatable. Most people get screened because they’re encouraged by someone they know and trust. So if you’ve been screened, please talk about your experience. And encourage others to get screened too. COLORECTAL CANCER The cancer you can prevent. 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