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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Only a few bills still alive in what remains of Oregon legislative session ... Oregon Senate GOP wreaks havoc with Democrat agenda ... Ashland police seek suspect in armed robbery ... Only a few bills still alive in what remains of Oregon legislative session ... Oregon Senate GOP wreaks havoc with Democrat agenda ... Ashland police seek suspect in armed robbery ... OUR VIEW Our View: Bill would shield officers threatened with death Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Oregon lawmakers are rapidly responding to a request from the Oregon State Police in the wake of the shooting death of one of the occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The bill deserves prompt approval. House Bill 4087 would let police agencies petition the courts to keep secret the name and identifying information of an officer for 90 days if the officer or the officer's immediate family received credible death threats. The request from the OSP came after a state trooper shot and killed LaVoy Finicum at a roadblock set up to arrest leaders of the Malheur occupation on an Eastern Oregon highway. The incident remains under investigation, and under normal circumstances, the name of the officer involved would be subject to public disclosure when the investigation concluded. In this case, however, supporters of Finicum demanded that the OSP release the trooper's name and made it clear they intended to kill him in retaliation for Finicum's death. Ordinarily, we would object to a new law limiting the public's access to information about a public employee involved in a fatal shooting. But a temporary restriction is a reasonable step to protect the life of a law enforcement officer, and this measure has safeguards built in to prevent a police agency from arbitrarily refusing to disclose public information. Under the terms of the measure, only a judge could order the identity protected, and then only after the petitioning police agency presented clear and convincing evidence of a credible death threat. The identity would remain undisclosed for a specified time, although the police agency could ask the court for an extension of time. The House passed HB 4087 55-3 on Wednesday. The Senate should approve the bill as well. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Feb. 18, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501