The Observer paper 11-7-14

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LA GRANDE BURGLARIES ELECTION 2014: THE AFTERMATH

IN THE FACE OF REPUBLICAN TIDE Oregongetse llttle moreblue While Republicansacross the country did well in Tuesday's election, it was Democrats whoincreasedtheir influence in theOregonLegislature. Republican incumbent Sen. Betsy Close, R-Albany, lost her seat to Democratic challenger SaraGelser in SenateDistrict 8. House District 20, an openseat that previously belonged to Republicans, waswon byDemocrat PaulEvans.Senate District 05, which includes Hillsboro and Forest Grove,was still too close to call betweenRepublican incumbent Sen. BruceStarr and Democratic challenger ChuckRiley.

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Andy Zeigert I The Bulletin

• Democrats pick up at least one seat in House, Senate following Tuesday's election By Taylor W. Anderson VVesCom News Serwce

Democrats bucked the national Republican trend and added to theirlead in the Oregon House and Senate, sending a loud message across the country that this is a solid blue state. In an election in which Democrats lost their majority in the U.S. Senate and several Democratic governors were unseated by Republican challengers, Oregon actually tilted m ore to theleft. Midterms generally shed seats from the incumbent majority's lead. That's what happened in New York, which saw its Senate go to Republicans. It happened in Washington state, where officials were still counting ballots but early results showed the state Senate would likely stay

with Republicans. But Oregon Democrats went the other way. "Not only did Oregon differentiate itself from what's going on in the rest of the country, but it will be the focus of innovative campaign strategies on a couple big issues" in 2016, said Len Bergstein, a longtime political insider in Oregon. Oregon, which had one of the highest turnouts in the nation at 69.5 percent, had a groundswell of Democratic support that campaigns will look to tap in upcoming elections, Bergstein said. The lost seats stunned GOP leadership in Oregon. House Minority Leader Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, won his re-election by a 3-to-1 ratio. In the run-up to the election, McLane thought

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hear your thoughts. Email letters to the editor to letters@ lagrandeobserver. com and join the conversation on The Observer Opinion

page. his party could win a majority in the House. Instead, Democrats widened their lead by one, to 35-25, having picked up outgoing Republican Rep. Vicki Berger's Salem district. "Oregonians want one party in charge of government," McLane said Tuesday night, "so we're going to live by the consequences by what they choose to do and what

they choose not to do." Voters chose to keep Democrat John Kitzhaber for a fourth term despite weeks of questions about the consulting work ofhis fiancee from the governor'sofftce. U.S. Sen.JeffM erkley declared victory within an hour ofballots being counted. He ended uptaking a decisive5539 percent lead over Wehby. Senate Democrats picked up another seat and now control at least 17 of 30. Ballots are still being counted in the race between incumbent Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Hillsboro, and Democrat Chuck Riley also of Hillsboro, which was separatedbyjust123 votesas of 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. ''We're definitely bucking the national trend, and I think we're a model for the SeeShift / Page 5A

What legal marijuana in Oregon means for you • Pot possession is still illegal until next July By Taylor W. Anderson VVesCom News Serwce

Oregon joined Alaska and the nation's capital in voting Tuesday to legalize recreational marijuana in the face of federal law that says it's still a banned and dangerous substance. The state will have a textbook of sorts to follow when the Oregon Liquor Control Commission starts drafting rules for the newly created industry.

After Washington and Colorado blazedthe trailto create unprecedented marijuana industries, Oregon should have an easier time creating the boundaries for new businesses to operate in. That should help when the state first starts taking applications for businesses Jan. 4, 2016. "I am in the best mood that I've been in in months," said Jason Levin, the Pacific Green Party candidate who finished third in the Oregon governor's race and who owns a marijuana-infused productsbusiness form edical

INDEX Calendar........SA Classified.......1B Comics...........7B Crossword.....3B Dear Abby .....SB

WE A T H E R Health ............6C Horoscope.....3B Lottery............2A Obituaries......3A Opinion..........4A

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Inside Voter turnout in Union County down from 2012 election numbers. Page 2A

Inside

By Dick Mason The Observer

The individuals responsiblefor 14 burglariesofLa Grande and Island City businesses last month have not struck again in two weeks. But that does not mean shop owners should let their guard (lown. Businesses are urged to continue to be on high alert, said La Grande Police Chief Brian Harvey. "Always be cautious... Complacency creates opportunities for criminals," Harvey said. Business owners are being encouraged to keep taking fundamental precautions like never leaving cash out and keepingtheir storeslocked and well lit at night. The La Grande Police Department and the Union County Sheriff's 0$ce are continuing to pursue new leads in the case, which they have made one of their top priorities.

Two men were arrested Tuesday night just before10 p.m. after their vehicle crashed into two yard fences while being pursued by a La Grande Police officer. Page 2A

SeeCrime / Page 5A

WALLOWA COUNTY

Lostine man sentenced for

illegal grow Drug bust

Katy Nesbitt

During an October ENTERPRISE — A 2013 raid, 39- year-old members of Lostine man the Union' was sentenced Wallowa Wednesday for County drug charges stemtask force ming from a Butzien 20 1 3 marijuana found 161 plants and grow bust. Jay Butzien was originally processed charged with manufacturing marijuana and possession of marijuana, equaling two counts of felon in posses- eight pounds at the home sion of firearms, six counts of Butzien. of endangering the welfare of a minor and six counts of recklessly endangering SeeSentence / Page 5A The Observer

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cardholders." It'sgoing to behuge." The liquor commission will work with attorneys at the state Department of Justice to create the rules in the new recreational industry approved by 55.7 percent of voters on Tuesday. The rules will allow for a bigger market for owners such as Levin, whose Portland business, Bald Brothers, sells triple-filtered marijuana butter for cooking, along with other products. Starting July 1, 2015, any adult 21 and older in Oregon can SeePot / Page 5A

• Businesses urged to keep their guard up

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541-963-3161 Issue 134 3 sections, 26 pages La Grande, Oregon

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