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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 2009)
Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, February 5, 2009 Preliminary injunction halts labor measure for additional review Columbia County Circuit Court Judge Ted E. Grove is- sued a preliminary injunction, January 30, preventing an anti- immigrant ballot measure from taking effect on February 2. Columbia County Ballot Measure 5-190 was approved by voters in November, but was challenged in court by a coali- tion of Columbia County busi- ness owners and voters who are represented by attorneys for the ACLU of Oregon and the Northwest Workers’ Justice Project. The ACLU/NWJP challenge contends that Measure 1-590, which would fine employers for hiring or employing undocu- mented immigrants, exceeds the powers of Columbia County as granted by the state of Ore- gon, violates the Single Subject requirement of the Oregon Constitution, and is preempted by existing state laws, as well as land-use statutes and regu- lations. Also at issue in the court challenge are amend- ments to the initiative that were approved by the county Board of Commissioners in Decem- ber. Judge Grove issued the in- junction so he can review the issues in more detail. He did not indicate when he would is- sue an opinion. Measure 5-190 relies on E- Verify, a federal database de- signed to check employees’ names against Social Security records. Legal challenges at the federal level claim the data- base has proven to be flawed, ineffective and cumbersome. One transposed digit or mis- spelled name could flag even longtime citizens as “illegal.” Proponent Wayne Mayo, a local building contractor, has said he modeled the measure on Arizona’s Legal Worker Act, which has passed some court scrutiny, but faces continued challenges regarding its consti- tutionality. Arizona has spent more than $75,000 in legal fees to defend the law and has bud- geted $2.6 million for enforce- ment and notification this fiscal year. Similar measures in Hazelton, Pa.; Farmers Branch, Texas; Escondido, Calif; and other jurisdictions already have been struck down. The coalition of organiza- tions and individuals that initiat- ed the local legal challenge in- cludes the Rural Organizing Project, Columbia County Citi- zens for Human Dignity, Co- lumbia County business owner and resident Gary Liao, CAUSA Immigrant Rights Coalition, and others. “We are delighted with the court’s ruling today,” said Liao, “and we are optimistic the court will make the order permanent sometime soon.” “We hope this court action will be resolved soon so that at- tention on the immigration is- sue can be re-directed where it belongs: on the federal gov- ernment’s responsibility to car- ry out meaningful immigration reform,” said Marcy Westerling, Director of the Rural Organiz- ing Project in Scappoose. Approval given for zone change From page 1 existing private road for ac- cess, the affect of industrial de- velopment on wetlands and wildlife, and livability issues. On January 28, the Commis- sioners unanimously, though tentatively, approved the zone change. Each of the commis- sioners – Tony Hyde, Rita Bernhard and Earl Fisher – said that the neighbors’ con- cerns were important and need to be addressed when site plans are submitted to the plan- ning commission for review, prior to anything being done to the site. The commissioners also directed staff to include a prohibition against any firearms discharge on the property. Commissioner Bernhard, in a statement prior to approving the change said, “I believe most issues can be taken care of in future processes. One of the big things for me was the neighbors’ concerns. I think that’s something we didn’t take lightly, but the bottom line is [that] this is an airport and it’s going to expand and there will be changes and development that will be handled during site review considerations.” The next step is for county counsel and staff to draft the language for the zone change. No specific date was set for when the final language might return to the Commissioners for approval. Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Monday 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street American Legion Post #119 2nd Thursday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue Arts & Crafts Society 2nd Thursday 2:00 p.m., City Library Booster Club 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., VHS Library Boy Scout Troop 201 Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin Boy Scout Troop 860 Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Thursday 6:30 p.m., City Hall CERT 4th Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-3018 Chamber of Commerce 2nd Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-6081 Community Coalition 2nd Monday 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. Cub Scout Pack 201 Scout Cabin For Info Call 503-429-4250 Friends of the Library 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2 For Info Call 503-819-0143 Hands On Art Committee 1st & 3rd Thursdays 4:00 p.m., City Hall Izaak Walton League 3rd Thursday For location call 503-429-7193 Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., Buckhorn Restaurant Municipal Airport Committee 4th Thursday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Narcotics Anonymous Saturdays 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street Pioneer Museum For Info Call 503-429-3713 Public Works Committee 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Cares Directors For Info call 503-429-1414 Vernonia City Council 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Community PTA 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., WGS Library Vernonia Grange 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 2nd Monday 6:00 p.m., 510 Bridge St. Vernonia Learning Center 1st Wednesday 6:00 p.m., VLC Vernonia Parks Committee 3rd Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Planning Comm. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Pride 3rd Thursday 1:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Ridge Riders Last Thursday 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tuesday 6:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia School Board 2nd Thursday 6:00 p.m., District Office Vernonia Sr. Center Board 2nd Friday 1:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia Transfer Station 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Behind VHS Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st, 3rd & 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station WOEC Directors 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., WOEC MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday M-BRFPD Board Workshop 4th Tuesday M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd Thursdays M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd Wednesdays M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday M-B SAR Drill 3rd Wednesday M-B Volunteer Assoc. 1st Tuesday Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday T.O.P.S. Mondays Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-2401 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall 6:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Fridays 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church Alcoholics Anonymous Wednesdays 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church American Legion Post #90 2nd Tuesdays 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post Banks City Council 2nd Tuesday 7:30 p.m., City Hall Banks Fire District #13 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Station 13 Banks Library Commission 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Banks Planning Commission Last Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Banks School Board 2nd Monday 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library Banks Youth Group Sundays, Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. Chamber of Commerce 1st Thursday 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office CPO 14 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., City Library Friends of the Library 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Library Lions Club 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby Sunset Park Assoc. 3rd Wednesday 8:00 p.m., Gun Club T.O.P.S. Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners Wednesdays 10 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia Soil & Water District 3rd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes County Fair Board 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Tuesday Times vary, 1054 Oregon St. Mental Health Advisory Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Comm. on Children & Families 3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30 Local Alcohol & Drug Plann. Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.