This is KGW News at noon.
The Sergeant at Arms has reported that
unexcused members cannot be loc.
Therefore, there is no quorum fr
the Senate to conduct business
work in the Oregon Senate.
Once again, at a standstill tod,
Republicans did not show up for work.
This follows a series of walkouts last week.
Hello, I'm Christine Put.
Awanage. Thank you for joining
us here for KGW News at noon.
We are entering a second week of
the Senate failing to meet a qu.
The walkout started after Republicans
claimed bills on abortion,
gender rights and gun safety don't pass
what's called the readability t.
That means the average citizen
needs to be able to understand .
But here's the thing about not showing
up to work with an unexcused absence.
If a lawmaker has 10 or more,
they cannot run for reelection.
That's because of a new law that
voters passed back in November.
Some legislators say they're
ready to push the limits and tet
whether that's constitutional.
My oath of office supersede. Anything else.
You plan to go 10 days and test
it yourself? I plan to go until
we get bills that are readable
and comply with the law. The
Senate will try to reconvene tomorrow.
We'll keep you updated with the
latest on air and online at kgw.
Yeah, to our other big story.
Shamia Fagan officially steps down as
Oregon's Secretary of State in one hour.
She announced her resignation last Tuesday
after Willamette Week reported she had a side
job as a consultant for a cannabis company.
Now, lawmakers are considering changes to
ethics rules as well as increasing salaries.
A week ago today,
Fagan apologized to Oregonians,
saying her $77,000 annual salary
wasn't enough to support her fa.
Her cannabis consulting
job paid $10,000 a month,
with a chance for a $30,000 bon.
Both Willamette Week and
The Oregonian reported.
Fagan, let the owners of the
cannabis firm know about the
audit and voice their concerns.
The Oregon DOJ is expected to
take a second look at that audi.
Right now,
state ethics rules do allow
for outside employment,
but lawmakers are looking at changes.
Yes, I do think we need to
revisit those ethics laws.
Because I don't believe any
statewide elected officials shod
be receiving outside money.
I think it's, I think it's too dangerous.
But in the one thing that I thik
Shamia Fagan was right about was
is that salaries are too low.
I mean I think that the ethics rules,
we should be looking at the
ethics rules as well.
I think the pay issue is something that we
should address first and that's what I.
I believe that we are going to
try to address this session.
The Deputy Secretary of State,
Cheryl Myers, will take
over the office at 1:00 PM.
She will remain in that role until the
governor appoints a permanent replacement.
OK, let's check in with Rod
in the weather center.
And Rod, what are we looking
at weather wise today? So
far, if you're in Portland or
north has been a pretty nice da.
We are watching showers to the South.
Of the Rose city and and in
particular around the Salem are.
Here's the low that was offshor.
Now it's pushed inland.
It's going to continue to ride.
The California Oregon border
looks like this afternoon.
Look at all the actions throwinp
from South to north across our state.
Again Portland so far has been ,
partly cloudy.
Skies are some showers South of Salem.
We have showers starting to
line up over the Cascades.
And I want to take you out in te
central and Eastern Oregon because look
at the thunderstorms east of Ma.
Along Hwy.
26 S of John Day at around Baker City,
lots of stormy activity and this
will continue for you folks this
afternoon into this evening you can see
some cumulus clouds trying to bd
from the view of downtown Portld
looking off to the northeast frm
the top of the Wells Fargo buil,
but with dry weather and sun
we are now at 60 degrees.
Here's your planner 62 at 4:00 M
believing scattered showers will increase
around the Portland area this afternoon.
Doesn't mean you're going to get wet.
There could just be some rain
here and some rain there,
but not everywhere, if you will.
And then 57 with the scattered shower
threat still alive later at 8:0.
The big story on the seven day
rising temperatures into the 90.
And we'll talk more about that coming up,
Christine.
OK. Thank you, Rod.
We're just eight days away
from Oregon's special election.
In Multnomah County.
Many people are paying close attention
to a ballot measure that would
lead to a new capital gains tax.
The money collected would cover
lawyers for tenants facing evic.
Supporters say it would
help fight homelessness,
but critics say it would hurt homeowners.
Pat Doris takes a closer look.
In general, it seems like a fair
move that both sides of an evicn
would have a lawyer if they need one.
The folks in Multnomah County who put
this together modeled their Rigo
council measure on laws from otr
cities that they consider successful.
When you provide free legal representation
for tenants being
taken to eviction court
or at risk of displacement in
a surprising number of cases,
you can keep that tenant house
until they can be stabilized.
You'll see the tax on the
May ballot as Measure 26238.
Instead of taxing everyone,
this measure would only tax
people who have capital gains.
That's a term for the profit
that you make when you sell
something like property or a
home or stocks or mutual funds,
even digital currency.
The tax would start at .75%,
but it would be adjustable and t
could go up or they could go do.
On the other side,
folks like the Portland Business Alliance
say that tax would have a drama,
even if unintended,
impact on someone at any income
level trying to sell their home.
It's our responsibility to stand
up to proposals like this.
That may be well intended to
help get tenants representation,
but that impact,
the very thing that we know is driving
our region to a place of unaffordability.
So what are the chances of this passing?
I dialed up pollster John
Horvick for some insights.
His group asked about the measue
late last year and found 40% wee
in favor but 47% were opposed.
Traditionally,
Portland voters love new taxes.
The last time voters said no to a new tax
was for a Portland school bond in 2011.
The very next year,
voters approved the measure.
But Harvick with DHM research,
says the Multnomah County Capital gains
Tax that's running into tax frustration.
Many in the county field,
they're already paying too much
tax for too little service.
The tax may also be impacted by what is
typically low turnout for May elections.
Multnomah County told us every registered
voter should have their ballot by now.
It could be sitting in your maix
if you haven't checked yet.
That was Pat Dorris reporting.
Oregon's Department of Human Services said
it accidentally sent out EBT food cards
to students who were not eligib.
The department was supposed to d
EBT cards to families who have kids on
free or reduced lunch or if they have
kids under 6 and get SNAP benef.
The idea to make up for meals te
kids did not get at school when
schools were shut down due to C.
We're talking about roughly 3700
cards altogether going to people
who were not eligible.
It was worth close to one
and a half million dollars.
DHS, though,
says it recovered most of the
money by zeroing out card balan.
But if you did get a card by mie
and already spent the money,
you don't have to worry about returning it.
Well, illegal battle is just beginning
over the reopening of Cook Cree.
In the Tillamook State Forest.
The Center for Biodiversity and
Cascadio Wildlands filed A lawst
today against FEMA for its role
in reopening the logging Rd.
They say planned logging in thea
and road activity will harm coht
salmon as well as marbled merlo.
Both are protected under the
Endangered Species Act.
The road has been closed since a
large portion washed out during
storms back in 2015.
A reconstruction proposal indicates FEMA
has put restrictions and requirements
on land use along that roadway.
All Max lines are back
to a full service today.
Crews finished several track improvements
along the I-84 corridor yesterd.
Since the middle of last month,
passengers have been taking
shuttle buses between the Gatewy
Transit Center and NE 7th Ave.
TriMet says the blue-green
and Red lines are all back to
running on regular schedules.