Oregon News, Wednesday, 5/20 – Election Primary Results Coming In

The latest news stories and stories of interest along the Oregon coast and around the state of Oregon from the online digital home of the Oregon coastal cities, OregonBeachMagazine.com.

Tuesday, May 20, 2020

Oregon Coast Weather

Today  Showers likely at times, high near 63.  Overnight low around 47.

Thursday   Rain, mainly before noon, then showers after noon. High near 54. West northwest wind 6 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Thursday Night   Showers. Low around 45. West northwest wind 7 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Friday  A 40% chance of showers, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 55. West northwest wind 5 to 9 mph.

Saturday   Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.

Sunday   A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 63.

Today’s Headlines

In local coastal election results from Tuesday night, Tillamook Mayor Suzanne Weber and Debbie Boothe-Schmidt, a Clatsop County trial assistant, will square off in the November election to replace state Rep. Tiffiny Mitchell in House District 32.

Weber won the Republican primary Tuesday over Vineeta Lower with an 80% margin.

In the Democratic primary, Boothe-Schmidt defeated George Kiepke, a former Clatsop County commissioner, 71% to 28%.

Mitchell, a democrat from Astoria represents Clatsop and Tillamook and parts of Washington Counties and has been in office since 2018.  Mitchell is leaving to move to Washington State.

Lane County and Oregon Election Results

These are the latest results for Lane County and some State of Oregon races and measures that we have as of 10AM Wednesday, May 20, 2020:

Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis has obtained 68% of the vote. Votes are still being counted.

Springfield Mayor incumbent Christine Lundberg taking 58% of the vote so far.

The Lane Community College bond is currently has 57% of the vote, with more votes to be counted.

For Secretary of State, the Democratic primary is split between three candidates in the early results, with Mark Hass at a slight lead and Shemia Fagan following closely. In the Republican primary, Kim Thatcher is winning with 85% of the vote.

Results from late Tuesday night:

Eugene Mayor
Vinis: 68%
Patterson: 3%
Zinke: 4%
Ricker: 3%
Westover: 6%
Yook: 3%
Hiura: 10%

Springfield Mayor
Lundberg: 58%
Eyster: 42%

US Representative 4th District
DeFazio: 85.5%
Canning: 14%

US Representative 5th District
Reynolds: 7%
Schrader: 69%
Gamba: 23%

State Representative 8th District
Reilly: 12%
Holvey: 87%

State Representative 9th District
Mukumoto: 68%
Daily: 30%

State Senator 1st District
Stone: 69%
Goodrich: 29%

State Senator 12th District 
Blunt: 10%
Hansen: 34%
Swartzendruber: 35%
Pool: 20%

Secretary of State
Hass: 37%
McLeod-Skinner: 27%
Fagan: 35%

REPUBLICAN

US Senator
Romero: 23%
Schwartz: 11%
Perkins: 49%
Verbeek: 8%

US Representative 4th District
Skarlatos: 86%
Ijih: 13%

US Representative 5th District
Roman: 8%
Courser: 53%
Dinkel: 22%
Nations: 14%

State Representative 11th District
Boshart Glaser: 52%
De Graff: 47%

State Representative 14th District
Rhoads: 38%
Cunningham: 61%

State Representative 17th District
Richards: 10%
Sword: 24%
Kirsch: 11%
Coleman: 11%
Cuff: 12%
Cate: 32%

Secretary of State
Thatcher: 85%
Stauffer: 14%

Coos County Local Option Levy to Replace 911 System
Yes: 62%
No: 38%

North Bend Charter Amendment
Yes: 77%
No: 23%

North Bend Public Safety Fee Reduction
Yes: 59%
No: 41%

This morning, Oregon economists delivered a bleak revenue forecast for the state over the next five years, predicting losses of almost $10.5 billion through 2025.  As the state’s latest economic outlook report came out state lawmakers quickly voicing their reactions.

Unsurprisingly, the outsized impact on Oregon’s revenue was attributed to the coronavirus pandemic and the state’s response, which has resulted in mass lay-offs and record unemployment.

Experts say the recession is “extremely severe” and the deepest we have seen since 1939. But they said the economy should return to good health by mid-decade, making it shorter than the great recession of 2008.

Oregon officials predicted a “strong initial rebound” when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, but said that the rally will be incomplete. Moreover, economists reported that the state’s reliance on income taxes has made its revenue outlook “more volatile than in most states.”

Gov. Kate Brown issued a statement shortly after the revenue forecast came out, pointing toward the federal government for help in making up for the major revenue shortfalls.

“The latest forecast for state revenue makes it clear that we have tough choices ahead. We will need to tighten our belts. I am working with legislative leaders to preserve critical state services, find efficiencies, and prepare for potential budget cuts,” Brown said.

“Make no mistake, the budget gap created by this pandemic is too large to bridge without additional Congressional action,” she continued. “I am thankful for the work of our congressional delegation to secure federal funding for Oregon in the relief packages Congress has passed so far. But those funds only address a fraction of our current need, especially since we are not permitted to use the funding we have received so far to address state budget shortfalls.”

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle quickly added their voices to the response. For Senate Republican leader Fred Girod, R-Stayton, the blame lay with Brown’s enduring coronavirus restrictions.

“Oregonians had a clearly defined goal from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic: to flatten the curve. Governor Brown’s insistence to keep Oregon’s economy shutdown despite flattening the curve weeks ago, has cost Oregon billions of dollars of revenue, impacting generations to come,” Girod said. “This revenue loss could have been mitigated if the Governor had been a leader and opened our state weeks ago.”

House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, struck a more hopeful note — referencing a rainy day fund that the state has worked to fill.

“Fortunately, our state is in a far better financial position than it was at the start of the Great Recession,” Kotek said. “We have strong reserves that should be tapped early to avoid additional damage to our economy. I also believe increased bonding for public infrastructure will help to jumpstart the economy and put people back to work.”

Oregon reports 33 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 8 new presumptive cases, 2 new deaths

COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 140, the Oregon Health Authority reported late yesterday.

Oregon Health Authority reported 33 new confirmed cases and 8 new presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 8 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 3,726. The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Curry (1), Deschutes (6), Jackson (1), Marion (12), Multnomah (9), Umatilla (3), Washington (6), Yamhill (3).

Around the state of Oregon

As the state of Oregon braces for deep cuts and a revenue shortfall of as much as $3 billion, state spending on direct coronavirus response has blown through the $100 million mark — and doubled in just the last two weeks reported, records show.

The high rate of spending provides context for ongoing tensions between Governor Brown and state and local governments over about $1.4 billion that the state received from the federal government under the federal CARES Act.

So far the state has agreed to shift about $415 million to local and tribal governments, but Multnomah Chair Deborah Kafoury and Clackamas Chair Jim Bernard said Friday that they aren’t getting enough to fund costs associated with their counties’ reopening.

The situation will take more shape with state economists’ release of a budget forecast this week.

But if state agencies continue spending $20 million to $30 million a week just on direct coronavirus spending, the 12-month total of unexpected spending would easily exceed $1 billion — and that does not include indirect costs caused by the pandemic.

The spending includes tens of millions for personal protective equipment, payments to local public health authorities, and a $4.2 million weekly payment to two nursing facilities that the state is paying to house nursing home residents who have COVID-19.

Andrew Phelps heads the state Office of Emergency Management, which has been tracking the spending. He said there are more questions than answers over how much of Oregon’s spending on the coronavirus will be recouped — even concerning the CARES Act money that’s already been authorized.

“We’ve gotten pretty definitive guidance that it can’t be used to make up for lost revenue that the state or more local jurisdictions experience,” he said, but beyond that, there’s been “so little guidance.”

One point of clarity: the CARES funding must be spent by Dec. 31.

The other area where the state can go for funding is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thanks to a disaster declaration issued for Oregon by President Donald Trump on March 29. But how much it will get is unclear.

That program typically reimburses state spending by a rate of 75%, but Oregon is seeking a full 100% — much as Puerto Rico received after Hurricane Maria in 2018, Phelps noted.

Gov. Kate Brown on May 1 made that request. About a dozen states have sent similar letters, said her spokesman, Charles Boyle. Oregon hasn’t yet received a response.

Brown recently said more federal coronavirus aid will be needed to offset the state’s planned cuts.

If you are lacking resources due to loss of income and are at risk of homelessness, Oregon Housing and Community Services’ COVID-19 Rent Relief Program may be able to help.

OHCS has allocated $8.5 million through a needs-based formula to regional Community Action Agencies (CAAs). The formula weighed severe rent burden data, poverty data, homelessness data and unemployment claims.

CAAs will begin taking applications in the coming days. Oregonians in need should contact their local CAA directly. Tenant income loss documentation and other materials are required to access this program. Rent payments will be made directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant.

The $8.5 million was allocated by the Oregon Legislature through the Joint Emergency Board. OHCS anticipates additional resources from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will be made available in the weeks ahead.

The funds were allocated statewide to local communities. See the Governor’s blog for the full list and contact information

Oregon has received its first shipments of the experimental coronavirus drug Remdesivir. (rem-desiv-ir.)  

The drug is being tested as a treatment for COVID-19 and is believed to help patients with severe symptoms recover faster.  The Oregon Health Authority has enough of the drug for 80 patients to receive a 10-day treatment course. There are currently 56 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Oregon.


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