Cheers: To limits on port races. Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a bill that will cap campaign contributions to port commission races, extending limits that previously applied only to the state’s largest ports — Seattle and Tacoma. Support for the legislation was clear: The bill passed the House of Representatives 98-0 and the Senate 47-0 (Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, had an excused absence from the vote).
A 2017 race for a spot on the Port of Vancouver Board of Commissioners provided the impetus for the bill. More than $1 million flowed into that election, in which Don Orange defeated Kris Greene as a proposal for a massive oil terminal at the port drove interest. “The issue was that one industry contributed enormous sums of money to one campaign in the hopes it could turn downtown Vancouver into the largest oil terminal on the West Coast and possibly in the United States,” said Rep. Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver. Limiting the influence of corporations and other big-money donors represents a victory for the public.
Jeers: To dwindling fish. Advocacy group American Rivers has named the Willamette River as one of the 10 most endangered in the country. Of course, the river is not going anywhere, but diminishing runs of spring chinook and winter steelhead through the 187-mile waterway led to the designation.
A 2008 federal document mandated changes to dams along the river to ease migration for the fish, but advocates say progress has been minimal. David Moryc of American Rivers says, “It’s like they’ve been operating in slow motion. The fish can’t wait anymore.”
Cheers: To Jaime Herrera Beutler. The Republican representative from Washington’s 3rd Congressional District helped lead the way in passage of the Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act, which has been signed into law by President Donald Trump and will make it easier for children with medically complex conditions to access care over state lines. This is particularly important in Southwest Washington, where specialized care often requires a trip to Portland.
The legislation, which Herrera Beutler has been seeking for years, was wrapped into a broader package of Medicaid bills, H.R. 1839, before being passed. “This health care solution to benefit low-income children has been a long time coming, and I couldn’t be more proud to finally have it signed into law,” she said.
Sad: The death of Justin DeRosier. The 29-year-old Cowlitz County sheriff’s deputy was shot to death April 13 in the line of duty. A funeral service was held Wednesday in Portland, following a procession that traveled along Interstate 5 through Vancouver.
A suspect in DeRosier’s killing was found by Kelso police following a manhunt and was killed in an armed confrontation. But the focus must be on DeRosier and other law enforcement officers who work to keep our communities safe. The loss of a young public servant who leaves behind a wife and 5-month-old daughter is felt throughout Southwest Washington.
Cheers: To Odin. The police K-9 with the Coos County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon is back at work, days after an encounter with a porcupine left him with some 200 quills stuck in his head and body. Odin was searching for a suspect when he got the worst of a run-in with the porcupine.
Photos of the quill-pocked German shepherd drew national attention, and there was concern that his eyesight would be damaged. Instead, Odin has returned to duty and is ready to track down more bad guys.
