Top Democrats in the Oregon House and Senate say they’ve reached agreement on a corporate tax plan that would raise nearly $900 million in the next two years to patch the state’s budget hole and increase education funding, but whether it can garner business support or Republican support needed to pass a tax package remains in doubt.  The complex proposal, crafted by House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate Revenue Chairman Mark Hass, would temporarily hike corporate income taxes and, beginning in 2019, overhaul how the state taxes businesses.  But Republican 52nd District Representative Mark Johnson says the complexity may make it difficult to garner support, and the allowance for modification of the gross receipts tax rate, once it is established, by a simple majority vote could make the business community nervous.  Johnson adds the package also lacks cost containment measures Republicans say have to be adopted to get the GOP vote in each chamber to pass a revenue measure.

City of The Dalles and Wasco County officials will sign a proclamation on Friday declaring the upcoming week to be “Parents Who Host Lose The Most…Don’t Be A Party To Teenage Drinking Week.”  The YouthThink organization developed the resolution to add support and awareness to the problem of underage drinking.  The proclamation will coincide with other efforts including yard signs for businesses and residents, Facebook posts, radio commercials and PSAs, plus a variety of other methods.  The program will also provide opportunities for law enforcement to partner with other community leaders to communicate clear community standards related to underage drinking.

The Bingen City Council has decided to go ahead and appropriate 19-thousand dollars to replace light bulbs in street and decorative lamps with LED bulbs.  Bingen received a state grant for the project, but estimates came in $19,000 over budget.  Mayor Betty Barnes says the Council decided it was worth the cost to go ahead with the replacement, because of anticipated savings in electricity costs in the long run.  In other business, the Council set priorities for improvements to Daubenspeck Park, but will wait on moving forward until they see what impact state budget decisions have on the City’s financial situation.

The Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance will host the first ever Pride Parade in Hood River on Saturday.  The alliance was recently formed to provided resources, education, and networking opportunities for a growing LGBTQ-plus community in the Gorge.  The Hood River Pride Parade will begin Saturday morning at nine at 6th and Oak, finishing up at 2nd and State.

The Port of Hood River will be filing an application with the City for subdividing lots on the property knows as “Lot 1” at the eastern edge of the waterfront.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says they expect to do the filing sometime next week, and notes it will start a six month process.  At the same time, McElwee says the Port and the City will discuss an intergovernmental agreement to determine how much street development will have to occur when a project is done, and developing a more specific idea on the economics of development at that location and to see if there is a case for seeking a partnership with the Urban Renewal Agency for development of infrastructure.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality will be placing an air toxics monitor in The Dalles this summer.  DEQ spokesman Greg Svelund says this monitor tries to gauge air toxins from all kinds of sources, and The Dalles was chosen because the agency does not have baseline data for the city.  Svelund adds the DEQ has not yet decided where to place the monitor, which will be in place for about a year, but he indicates it will be as centrally located as possible to get the best readings from as many different sources as they can.  He says the monitor should arrive sometime in July.  Svelund also says this monitor is unrelated to the study of naphthalene related to the Amerites plant, which is about to enter into a third 30-to-60 day monitoring period this summer.

Hood River County Lions Clubs will be collecting food donations for the FISH Food Bank at a number of different locations on Saturday.  Becky Bugge of FISH Food Bank says they have a list of items they will give to people coming through the grocery stores where collections take place this weekend.  Food collections will be taken Saturday at Rosauers and Wal-Mart in Hood River, Mid-Valley Market in Odell, and McIssac’s Store in Parkdale.  The Lions will also be collecting used eyeglasses and hearing aids for its sight and vision efforts.

The Next Door, which runs over two dozen programs that serve families and children in seven different Gorge counties, is entering the final days of its spring fundraising campaign.  It’s called “Mighty Roots and Beautfiul Blossoms,” and Justine Ziegler of The Next Door says the campaign is both to raise money for the programs and increase awareness of what they do.  To donate, go to nextdoorinc.org and click on the “donate now” button in the upper right hand corner of the home page.  The Next Door’s goal in this campaign is to raise $10,000.

The Dalles Unit of the Oregon Department of Forestry will enter into fire season on Wednesday.  That includes all ODF lands in Hood River and Wasco counties.  All industrial operations on forest land will be required to have fire tools, water supply, and fire extinguishers on site and immediately available, and a one hour fire watch is required each day at the end of shift for any machinery on an active operation.  There will also be a burn ban in effect beginning July 1 in conjunction with all local fire districts.  Debris burning is still allowed in a burn barrel with a current permit only, with no debris pile burning.

Three people from Klickitat were injured in a Monday afternoon motor vehicle accident on Highway 142 eight miles north of Lyle.  According to the Washington State Patrol, a 40-year-old woman was driving a car eastbound on Highway 142 just before 3:30 Monday afternoon when she fell asleep, drifted over the center line, and collided with an SUV driven by a 45-year-old woman.  The SUV came to rest in the westbound ditch, while the car came to rest blocking both lanes and caught fire, sparking a brush fire on the eastbound bank.  The two drivers were taken to area hospitals, while a 14-year-old female passenger in the car was taken by LifeFlight to Portland’s Emanuel Hospital.