Senate approves military and veterans legislation

Published 3:55 pm Friday, April 2, 2021

The Oregon Senate last week approved legislation on military and veterans issues. All now go to the House for consideration.

Closing military memorial sign loophole: Senate Bill 441A was unanimously approved by the Senate. It fixes a loophole in state law to allow recognition on roadside memorial signs for Oregonians who were listed as missing in action in wars, but whose remains were later found and returned to Oregon. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, now goes to the House. An identical measure, House Bill 2700, whose sponsors include Rep. Jack Zika, R-Redmond, was unanimously approved by the House in early March. The bill is now in the Senate Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee. Both bills are being championed by Dick Tobiason of the Bend Heroes Foundation. The “dual tracking” of identical legislation allows for the bill that makes faster progress to gain approval. Because of the back-up of bills in the House, the House version now in the Senate committee is the more likely to advance to Gov. Kate Brown for expected approval.

Highway honors: Senate Bill 790 was unanimously approved by the Senate. Tobiason was also the lead advocate of the legislation, which would designate the portion of U.S. Highway 30 in Oregon to be known as Oregon Veterans Memorial Highway. The stretch would go from Astoria on the Pacific Ocean, through Portland, then on through Hermiston, Pendleton and La Grande before the highway passes into Idaho. Tobiason is working to have other states designate their portions of the cross-country highway with the same honorific. The bill now goes to the House. 

Honoring Oregon Marine: Senate Concurrent Resolution 15A was unanimously approved by the Senate. The resolution, sponsored by Knopp, R-Bend recognizes and honors the service of Marine Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, who was among seven Marines and a sailor who died when their amphibious landing craft sank in waters off Camp Pendleton in California. The resolution now goes to the House for expected unanimous approval.