A kick in the pants to efforts that seem to come up each legislative session to reduce access to public records.

This year, one of those bills would specifically exempt unmanned aerial systems test ranges, such as the one in Pendleton, from disclosing records that “would cause a competitive disadvantage to the test range or its users.”

We understand that dealing with private companies sensitive about their proprietary information can be complicated for public bodies, and there are some records it does make sense to protect, such as intellectual property regarding the design of unmanned aerial vehicles tested.

But we believe the language in this particular bill is overly broad, which in public records law is a recipe for abuse. The phrase “including but not limited to” throws open the door too widely when one could argue that any information that negatively reflects on the test range could put it at a “competitive disadvantage.”

The city has correctly argued that given the $20 million the public has invested in the Pendleton test range and the economic activity it has generated, it is in everyone’s interest that the facility succeed. However, part of the recipe for success is oversight and accountability to the taxpayers who put up the funds.

A tip of the hat to Morrow County and Tillamook County Creamery Association for providing another round of grants for small local businesses affected by the pandemic. As exciting as it is to see COVID-19 cases trending down and vaccination rates trending up, a lot of businesses are not out of the woods yet. It would be a shame for a business to make it this far only to not survive the final stretch, so we appreciate efforts to help sustain them.

A tip of the hat to high school sports teams returning to the competitive field for the first time since the pandemic began. We admire the students who have persevered through a difficult school year full of unknowns and constantly changing information. We also tip our hats to teachers, coaches and administrators who have worked hard to create what opportunities they can for students instead of throwing up their hands and saying, “We’ll just wait until next year.”

We wish everyone a safe and healthy season, however short and unusual it may be.