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NEWS/PUZZLES WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2020 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A11 Gov. Brown pushes business tax to support public schools By PETER WONG OREGON CAPITAL BUREAU Gov. Kate Brown says she will not recommend a suspension of Oregon’s new corporate activity tax, con- trary to what groups, such as the Portland Business Alli- ance have asked her to do. Brown made the state- ment April 22 in an hourlong video conference arranged by the alliance, which says more than 1,000 people lis- tened in. The governor and her chief of staff, Nik Blosser, also outlined their emerg- ing plans for restarting pub- lic life and business activ- ity that have been frozen by the coronavirus pandemic. As Brown spoke last week, the Oregon Health Author- ity announced 57 new cases for a total of 2,059; the death toll remained at 78. On Tuesday, that toll had risen to 2,385 cases and 99 deaths. Brown responded to a comment from Craig Smith, lobbyist for Food North- west, formerly known as Northwest Food Proces- sors Association. Businesses have organized in an attempt AP Photo/Sarah Zimmerman, File Gov. Kate Brown speaks with the media at the Oregon Capitol in Salem in 2019. to persuade the governor and Legislature to suspend the tax for six months. Smith said a suspension would allow some businesses to retain money for cash fl ows while their activity is cur- tailed or shut down. The new tax was approved by the 2019 Leg- islature to raise a projected $1.175 billion to pay for school program improve- ments under the Student Success Act. Quarterly reports are due April 30, July 31, Oct. 31 and Jan. 31. Brown said she will ask the Department of Revenue not to penalize businesses for fi ling such reports late. She also said that businesses with less than $1 million in Oregon commercial activity already are exempt from the tax, proceeds from which go into an earmarked fund. “We are not talking about your local pizza shop, cor- ner store or your barber,” she said. Public schools, which get the lion’s share of their oper- ating money from the state budget, have been closed since mid-March and will remain closed through June. “We know that closure of schools due to COVID- 19 is going to affect chil- dren across the state. They are missing out on weeks of learning, even as our schools and our teachers are moving mountains to implement dis- tance learning,” Brown said. “The investment we make now in our schools via the Student Success Act will help our state’s chil- dren recover and get us back on track for the future of Oregon.” Only the Legislature can suspend a tax, and lawmak- ers are unlikely to meet in a special session before the state’s next quarterly eco- nomic and revenue forecast on May 20. Pending forecast Brown said the numbers are still being developed. But she said the state bud- get will be affected by the economic downturn — the number of unemployment claims fi led in the past four weeks are more than dou- ble the 147,000 net jobs lost during the most recent reces- sion in 2007-10 — and the resulting decline in personal and corporate income taxes, which account for more than 90% of Oregon’s gener- al-fund state budget. Brown also said that in addition to the usual increased demands on some services, such as state-sup- ported health care for low-income people, the downturn has resulted in new staff expenses for the Employment Department and Oregon Health Author- ity and technology for state employees to enable them to work from home. “We are going to face some diffi cult budget deci- sions in the coming months as those bills come due and our state revenues adjust to the new economic reality unfolding before us,” she said. “But our normal tools (for cost-cutting) are not partic- ularly helpful right now,” such as a hiring freeze. The governor can order an across-the-board cut in most state agency budgets, but the limit is 2%. Brown has joined gov- ernors across the country, Democrats and Republicans, urging Congress to approve aid to states and local gov- ernments. Congress did not do so in its latest $484 bil- lion coronavirus aid pack- age — most will go to small businesses and hospitals, but $25 billion will go toward virus testing — but the issue is likely to resurface in dis- cussions about the next aid package. Not business as usual Brown and Blosser dis- cussed elements of their emerging plan for reopen- ing public life and business activity. Blosser said he hoped ele- ments of the draft, which is being worked on by groups focused on specifi c industry sectors, would be made pub- lic by May 4. Among the groups: Restaurants, which have been limited to takeout and delivery services since Brown issued an execu- tive order March 16; retail- ers, personal-care services and outdoor activities, all affected by Brown’s March 23 order for Oregonians to stay at home. Some busi- nesses deemed essential, such as grocery stores and gas stations, were allowed to remain open. Large-scale gatherings in churches, concerts and sports arenas are likely to be last to resume. COVID-19 Medical Advisory Panel helps governor make decisions By DICK HUGHES FOR THE OREGON CAPITAL BUREAU When Dr. Bruce Gold- berg encountered a diffi cult case as a family physician, he would gather a bunch of smart consultants in the room for their advice on how to help the patient. That, he said, is what Gov. Kate Brown has done in cre- ating her COVID-19 Medical Advisory Panel. She credited the panel with helping her decision last week to let hos- pitals, clinics and other health providers resume nonurgent medical procedures on May 1 under certain guidelines. Brown fi rst convened the panel on April 7. It has been meeting by Zoom videocon- ference two or three times a week. Goldberg and the other seven members come from urban and rural Oregon and represent front-line health providers, hospitals, aca- demia and government. “She charged us with helping the state and her identify blind spots that we would all need to be aware of as we face this pandemic together, and also devel- oping strategies for how to Staff photo by Ben Lonergan A sign on the door of the laboratory at Interpath Laboratory advises that personal protective equipment is required. The governor’s medical advisory council is providing expertise on testing and other components of the state’s COVID-19 response. battle this pandemic,“ said Goldberg, a former head of the Oregon Health Authority and now a professor of health policy. Goldberg said there is consensus in Oregon and nationally on the critical steps in fi ghting COVID-19 while awaiting development of an effective vaccine: per- sonal protective equipment for front-line workers, test- ing people for the corona- virus, adequate health care resources and social distanc- ing and other measures. CRYPTOQUIP But each state is different. Oregon is more rural than many states. As far as big cities, Goldberg said, “Port- land as a metropolitan area is really different from New York City in that we don’t have the type of crowded mass transit systems. We don’t have the plethora of tall high-rises and people living in really tight quarters. “I think every commu- nity is different and has to be looked at through that lens,” he said. Because COVID-19 is a new disease, scientists, health care providers and policymakers learn more about its symptoms, spread and treatment every day. During the medical advi- sory panel’s meetings, mem- bers discuss the latest data and other information, pro- vide perspectives from front- line health workers and offer input on policies. Dr. Dana Hargunani, chief medical offi cer for the Ore- gon Health Authority, said: “It’s in part topics that are brought forward for input. And it’s in part, what are the hot topics that the group is hearing from the front lines and in the rest of the com- munity that we may not be thinking about on a state level, and how do we make sure we think about and respond to those?” That came into play in discussing whether nonur- gent medical and dental pro- cedures should resume. “If we relax the policy, then how can that be insti- tuted in the hospitals and what does that mean for some of the other impacts like PPE (personal protec- tive equipment) and staffi ng SUPER CROSSWORD: JOB SCREENING and allowing people to travel outside their homes, which relates back to policy,” said Dr. Renee Edwards, chief medical offi cer at Oregon Health & Science University. “We are an advisory panel. Her team listens, collates our thoughts, clarifi es things but ultimate authority absolutely is with the governor.” As of Monday, nearly 52,000 Oregonians had been tested for the novel coronavi- rus. One focus for the advi- sory panel is how to expand testing and then trace those who have come in contact with the infected individuals. “How do we understand the community prevalence? How do we understand how when one person gets sick, how many more people they might spread it to, so that we can get a better handle on our contact tracing, which then helps us contain the disease spread?” Edwards said. Oregon’s social distanc- ing and other restrictions have held down the rate of transmission compared with many states, but Edwards said COVID-19 will be with us for a long time, so a bal- ance must be found between protecting public health and resuming public life. “We have to get to a place where we relieve some of the restrictions such that our economy can function and we can all function all as a society,” she said. “But we have to realize that when we relieve some of those restric- tions, that’s going to result in some increasing spread of the infection, which is going to mean some people getting sick and some people dying.” Dr. Bob Dannenhof- fer, the public health offi - cer in Douglas County, said Brown has given Oregonians the appropriate directions: Stay home if you possibly can, and defi nitely if you are sick. Maintain social dis- tances to avoid transmission of the virus. Wash your hands frequently. And pay attention to your mental health. “This is a tough, tough time. This is a health cri- sis, an economic cri- sis and a social crisis,” he said. “Sleep well, do fun things, get some exercise and don’t worry about stuff that really doesn’t make a difference.” SUDOKU DIFFICULTY THIS WEEK EASTERN OREGON EVENTS The place to fi nd everything happening in Eastern Oregon. Post your events. It’s fast and easy! e-Edition For Hermiston Herald information 541-567-6457 • info@hermistonherald.com 333 E. Main St. • HermistonHerald.com Exact digital replica of this print edition is available online, every Wednesday by 5:30 a.m. Check out Hermiston Herald.com for more information.
