Oregon officials - please help

[Mark Padgett]

Please email our Governor and ask him to sign Senate bill 613, which makes it a crime to not leave a sporting event when directed to do so by an official. Here is the link to the site on which you can email him. Thanks.

http://governor.oregon.gov/contact.htm

[canuckrefguy]

Awesome idea....

Good Luck Oregon!

[Johnnyweekends]

Mark,
While I am for most anything that can help keep "excited" people in check, I question the need for sending unruly fans to jail simply because we (Umpire, referee, etc) say so. It's always been my understanding that there were already laws on the books dealing with assault and trespass, not to mention the option of forfeiting a contest, that the bill being considered is simply duplicating and needlessly expanding on avenues already available to deal with agitated spectators. As a person with many years of officiating experience(30 years baseball, 19 years hockey), I can't understand why our state legislature, which can't pass a state budget or fund our schools, is even considering this bill. It seems, while noble in it's efforts, to be a monumental waste of time which could be better spent on matters of a more important nature in our daily lives, which affect way more people than dealing with an unruly fan at a sporting event does.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by Johnnyweekends
Mark,
While I am for most anything that can help keep "excited" people in check, I question the need for sending unruly fans to jail simply because we (Umpire, referee, etc) say so. It's always been my understanding that there were already laws on the books dealing with assault and trespass, not to mention the option of forfeiting a contest, that the bill being considered is simply duplicating and needlessly expanding on avenues already available to deal with agitated spectators. As a person with many years of officiating experience(30 years baseball, 19 years hockey), I can't understand why our state legislature, which can't pass a state budget or fund our schools, is even considering this bill. It seems, while noble in it's efforts, to be a monumental waste of time which could be better spent on matters of a more important nature in our daily lives, which affect way more people than dealing with an unruly fan at a sporting event does.

Too late, dude. The Governor signed the bill on August 4th.

[Johnnyweekends]

Originally posted by Mark Padgett

Too late, dude. The Governor signed the bill on August 4th. [/B]

Dude? Awfully informal, aren't we?

Again, while I am behind efforts to make the officiating atmosphere better, I still find it a bit baffling that our state can pass a bill into law like that, but do little to bring down the unemployment rate and nothing at all to pass a balanced budget. Governor "Tax-and-gouge-me" needs to figure out priorities.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally posted by Johnnyweekends

Dude? Awfully informal, aren't we? [/B]

Oh! Excuse me Mr. Weekends, sir. I didn't realize I was being "awfully informal". I thought I was being "informally awful". Please accept my abject apology.