The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released results from the Oregon Statewide Assessment System’s spring 2024 summative tests, which highlights the need for more work to reach pre-pandemic academic performance levels. The results included key areas of progress statewide, with six out of seven grade levels showing improved math scores, while recovery in literacy scores has been slower and more uneven across the state.

While ODE is patting themselves on the back claiming gains were made in math scores, overall the gain was 0.4 percent for 31% achievement rate compared to pre-pandemic of 45.8%. That’s barely noticeable to base progress on and still leaves a gap of 14.8. It doesn't show real gains when the national average is approximately 70.9%.

Districts who have shown improvement are pointing to several factors that have contributed to this progress, including teacher collaboration time, an emphasis on connecting the math lesson to other school subjects such as science and social science, and a focus on conceptual understanding.

ODE says English Language Arts (ELA) data reveals it as a critical area of concern as students are not consistently demonstrating grade-level knowledge and skills. The ELA scores dropped -0.5% showing eighth grade with the biggest loss at -1.3. The overall achievement rate is 42.5 compared to the pre-pandemic rate of 62.6 leaving a 20.1 rate gap. In the last three school years, the level of achievement in ELA has steadily declined -1.1, clearly showing the current programs are not working. Then compare that to the national average of 65.1%.

Science also took a 0.1% loss which puts it back at 2021-22 levels at 29.3 achievement rates.

Along with the data release, ODE has identified key areas for targeted action to support improved student performance, including continued and increased investment in K-12 literacy, support for summer and afterschool learning, refining data and policy practices and developing an accountability framework. The key areas they want to target are:

• ODE was recently awarded $11.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to deepen and expand literacy efforts across the K-12 continuum. This grant is the initial installment of a potential total of $57 million, with funds flowing as soon as the 2025-26 school year to high need districts through competitive subgrants. This new grant builds on the momentum generated by the Early Literacy Success Initiative, the 2023 legislation (HB 3198) that invested more than $90 million in state funding to close opportunity gaps for historically underserved students, including multilingual learners and those experiencing disabilities from birth to 12th grade.
  
  
• The state legislature has tasked a workgroup to address critical areas such as equitable access to summer and afterschool programs, sustainable funding, streamlined grant administration, program quality and oversight, and incentivizing partnerships.
  
  
• Ongoing examination of achievement data to guide decision making in order to direct resources where they are most needed. ODE is elevating a system of assessments by combining the state summative test results with other data, such as the Student Educational Equity Development (SEED) Survey. The intent is to highlight those students who had more frequent opportunities to learn (e.g. write about what they read, use different ways to show math thinking, etc.) were also more likely to be proficient on the state summative tests.
  
  
• ODE is developing an accountability framework in partnership with education and community partners that represents the diversity of our state in terms of race/ethnicity, region, gender, and role. This workgroup is synthesizing the guiding principles and student success categories that will drive the identification of indicators that can be used to shine a light on Oregon’s K-12 education system in places that might need additional attention.

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ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams said, “Several targeted efforts are underway to support students including the statewide investment and commitment to early literacy best practices. As funding and supports from the Early Literacy Success Initiative become embedded in schools, we will begin to see a significant payoff for Oregon’s scholars.”

Governor Tina Kotek expressed her dissatisfaction, “We must double down on our commitment and collaboration to fix the gaps in our system that are failing students. I am focused on working with education partners across the whole system to identify evidence-based solutions, increase high-quality learning opportunities, and strengthen student wellbeing.”

Filling the gap to regain pre-pandemic levels that are below national levels, is to continue to be below achievement levels the state should be providing students. After three years of no viable gains, it’s a high indicator that the state’s answer to throw more money in the system is failing students. It has encouraged a growing movement towards school choice with funding that follows the student as an attractive education option.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-10-03 18:46:36

Last Update: 2024-10-03 19:47:46

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek issued Executive Order 24-28 directing state agencies to take all actions necessary and work cooperatively to fulfill the State of Oregon’s commitments to the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI).

Governor Kotek said, “The Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative is the result of a historic, unified partnership with sovereign Tribal nations and the states of Oregon and Washington – and I am committed to full implementation of our agreement over the next decade. My directives to state agencies will uphold our state’s commitment and complement other efforts by the state to build a resilient and adaptive future to climate change, while also positioning our communities for a prosperous economic future.”

The “Six Sovereigns,” made up of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the states of Oregon and Washington, joined together to develop the CBRI.

In December 2023, the United States government agreed to a suite of actions memorialized in the federal commitments made by the Biden-Harris Administration in response to the CBRI, in conjunction with a Presidential Memorandum, and the federal commitments together comprise the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA).

In collaboration with the Biden-Harris Administration, an agreement was developed to work in partnership with the Six Sovereigns to restore wild salmon populations, expand Tribally sponsored clean energy production, and provide stability for communities that depend on the Columbia River System for agriculture, energy, recreation, and transportation.

A key to the stability of the region is the development of clean, reliable, and affordable replacement power for the region prior to considering removal of existing dams on the Snake River as a priority in the agreement.

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To achieve these outcomes, Governor Kotek is directing relevant Oregon state agencies to:

• By February 2025, develop a report that outlines program commitments and existing statutory or administrative needs and capacity.
• Twice annually, meet with the Governor’s Office to review coordination among the State of Oregon, the federal government, and the other Six Sovereigns for the purpose of assessing their work to achieve and accelerate full implementation of the CBRI and RBCA.
• By June 2025, and annually thereafter, report to their respective boards or commissions on their implementation of the CBRI and RBCA, including identifying opportunities to enhance their agency’s role in CBRI and RBCA implementation.
• By November 2025, and annually thereafter, convene with the Governor’s Office a meeting with the Six Sovereigns to discuss ongoing implementation efforts and opportunities for collaboration to optimize implementation by Oregon.

The Governor’s Executive Order also directs the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) to identify opportunities for the NWPCC to advance the goals of the CBRI and RBCA and, by April 2025, deliver a report to the Governor of the opportunities that have been identified and the actions that are needed to implement those opportunities.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-10-01 20:14:35

Last Update: 2024-10-01 22:54:21

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is increasing its camping, parking and reservation fees to keep pace with the rising cost of utilities, operations and maintenance. Any changes in rate ranges would not be effective until the agency budget is approved by the Oregon legislature and signed by the Governor in 2025.

Most of the increases range from $2 to $5 depending on the fee.

The park system has experienced record visitation as well as the impacts of rising costs and inflation. Utility costs for example have increased by 28% over the last 4 years, but most fees have remained the same. Depending on the fee, the last increase was anywhere from seven to 15 years ago for base fees.

“We know that raising fees by any amount can be challenging for visitors, and we don’t make this decision lightly. We try to keep costs and fees as low as possible to minimize the impact while still fulfilling our commitment to stewardship and recreation,” said OPRD Director Lisa Sumption.

Oct. 15, 2024:

OPRD will increase its base camping fees for the first time since 2017. The increase applies to all camping reservations for 2025. Starting on October 15, 2024, all reservations made for 2025 stays will include the fee increase.

Increases in base rate by site type:

• $2 increase for misc. sites (includes teepees, meeting halls and other facilities)
• $3 increase for tent sites (includes horse tent sites, horse group sites, group tent) and primitive sites (includes overflow, fly-in and walk-to-sites)
• $4 increase for RV sites (includes full hookup, electrical, horse RV and group RV sites)
• $5 increase for cabins and yurts (includes rustic, mini, totem, and deluxe sites)
• (Seasonal rate increases were adopted in 2020. The seasonal adjustments will be added to the new base rates. As in previous years, summer rates are $2 more for tent sites, $3 more for RV sites and $5 more for cabins/yurts.)

Jan. 1, 2025:

OPRD will increase its reservation fee from $8 to $10 per site starting Jan. 1, 2025. This fee has not been increased since 2010. Daily parking permit fees will increase from $5 to $10 at the 25 parks that charge a fee for day-use parking. Parking permit fees were last increased in 2009. The annual parking permit and the two-year permit fees remain the same at $30 for the annual permit and $50 for the two-year permit.

July 1, 2025:

OPRD will expand the 25% out-of-state surcharge for RV campsites (required by state law) to all site types for out-of-state campers. New camping rate ranges replace the existing ones. These ranges set the lowest and highest fees that OPRD can charge over time. It gives OPRD’s director the ability to change fees in the future as needed. The last rate range update was adopted in 2018. OPRD has three main sources of funding: a little less than half comes from constitutionally dedicated lottery funds, about 15% comes from recreational vehicle license plate fees and roughly 35% comes from park fees from visitors. OPRD is not funded by taxes.

OPRD does offer a few resources and programs to help increase access to Oregon State Parks.

OPRD will continue to explore options in the future that reduce cost as a barrier while earning needed revenue to maintain our parks and manage congestion.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-30 10:56:52

The Oregon Department of Administrative Services published the annual maximum rent increase allowed by statute for calendar year 2025. The DAS Office of Economic Analysis has calculated the maximum percentage as 10.0%.

Passed in 2019 as SB 608, Oregon law requires DAS to calculate and post to its website by Sept. 30, the maximum allowable annual rent increase percentage for the following calendar year. Per statute, the Office of Economic Analysis calculates this amount as seven percent plus the annual 12-month average change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, West Region (All Items), as most recently published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Department of Labor, or 10%, whichever is lower. Only one rent increase may be issued in any 12-month period.

At the time, was introduced by Senators Ginny Burdick, Laurie Monnes Anderson, Peter Courtney and Shemia Fagan with then-House Speaker Tina Kotek.

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The allowable rent increase percentage for the 2025 calendar year is 10.0%. This applies to residential rental units 15 years and older. DAS will calculate and post the percentage for the 2026 calendar year by Sept. 30, 2025.

Since implementation in 2019, the rate has held around nine or 10%, with the exception of 2023 prior to July 6. The mid-year change was due to a change in the law that capped the rent increase at 10%.

Information about the maximum annual rent increase percentage, as well as the provisions of ORS 90.323 and 90.600 (statutes governing rent increases), can be found on the OEA website.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-29 10:43:03

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality recently asked for public comments on rules for the Climate Protection Program (CPP). In December 2023, the Oregon Court of Appeals invalidated CPP for not complying with notice requirements. The new rules will:

• Reestablish a program to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions from significant sources in Oregon including large stationary sources, transportation fuels, and other liquid and gaseous fuels.
• Set an enforceable and declining limit, or cap, on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels used in Oregon, including diesel, gasoline, natural gas, and propane beginning in 2025.
• Prioritize equity by promoting benefits and alleviating burdens for environmental justice communities.
• Reestablish a climate program with comparable scope and emissions reduction ambitions as the previously adopted Climate Protection Program.

Oregon’s intense policy mandates based on human caused climate change has caused energy bills to sky rocket, and the elimination of fossil fuels is impacting transportation and costs of produce. Now, an inconvenient truth, a new study vindicates the human desire to be effective, efficient and economically minimal that challenges the theory that human emissions are the primary driver of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration.

It turns out that fossil fuel emissions have a negligible impact on atmospheric CO2 levels, especially when compared to natural phenomenon like natural fluctuations in sea surface temperatures according to research, published in the Science of Climate Change. The research shows that sea surface temperatures (SST) dictate atmospheric CO2 levels. This research calls into question every climate change agenda proposed by global governments and institutions.

Dao Ato, an independent researcher, Osaka, Japan, released his study comparing the impacts of sea surface temperature and human emissions on atmospheric CO2 concentrations derived from NASA and the UK-HADLEY Centre datasets, which has the most accurate predictors of CO2. The analysis spanned from 1959 to 2022 and employed multiple linear regression techniques to evaluate the influence of sea surface temperature and human CO2 emissions on the annual increase in atmospheric CO2. He built his research upon three other studies that established fossil fuel emissions had no impact on CO2 levels so much so that a 2009 study produced such a negligible impact on atmospheric CO2 that it was excluded having no impact on the planet.

The study conclusion reads:

The global SST has been the main determinant of annual increases in atmospheric CO? concentrations since 1959. No human impact was observed. This result indicates that human efforts to curb CO? emissions have been, at least in the past, meaningless. Moreover, the theory that modern global warming and climate change are caused by human-emitted CO? is also wrong, irrelevantly to the credibility of the story that modern warming and climate change are occurring more dramatically than those in the past.

Ato’s study also found that human methane emissions, despite rising dramatically in recent decades, have not contributed to rising methane concentrations in the atmosphere through the 21st century.

The study’s findings suggest that natural variations in sea surface temperature, rather than human activities, are the dominant factor influencing fluctuations in atmospheric CO2. This study challenges the prevailing narrative that human emissions are the primary driver of climate change, and should call into question all global government narratives surrounding the climate change agenda.

Oregon has been on its own planet for more than a decade, not stopping to do due diligence or research best practices. As early as 2009 a whistleblower leaked thousands of emails between scientists in high-ranking positions in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These emails document their “unethical attempts to suppress contrary opinions and publications from climate skeptics.” He submits that climate change is a political hoax with no true basis in real science/data.

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There are many Al Gore types that are calling these studies a hoax, but cannot disprove them. They have gone to great effort to tie CO2 levels to temperature changes and human activity and those ties are becoming weak. Now that fossil fuels aren’t increasing in the atmosphere as predicted, government is doing other activities to keep the pretense going. Most notably is adding to wildfires by increasing prescribed burns, and building windmill farms at sea to disrupt surface temperatures to increase CO2 levels inland.

Historically, climate changes in cycles, always has and always will. When government lacks due diligence with an independent scientific study, how much suppression and tyrannical control can a democratic republic tolerate?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-29 02:51:39

Last Update: 2024-09-29 10:56:52

Oregon measure 118 is far from being transparent and simple as they claim. The eye catcher is the $1,600 yearly income, which would be $6,400 for a family of four. There are very few restrictions on who would receive this windfall and will go to prisoner, drug addicts, undocumented residents, cartel traffickers, and anyone else living in Oregon. Under Measure 118, the current minimum corporation tax is replaced with a 3 percent gross receipts tax. It is being sold as a classic tax on big business, but it functions like an aggressive sales tax on consumers.

So where does all this money come from? They say big corporations need to spread their wealth back to residents of Oregon. And where do big corporations get their profits – from us, you and me. That family of four will pay approximately 12 percent more for purchases like groceries, clothes, entertainment devices, utilities, and general goods. They will also pay income tax on the added funds if they make over $40,000. Redistribution of wealth is the backbone of a socialist government, which has a history of failing. Is that where Oregon is headed?

The Tax Foundation says this scheme is a hidden sales tax, which voters have rejected 10 times. They calculate that a modest corporation of $50 million in Oregon sales would generally owe taxes of $294,000 on average profit margins of 6.6 to 7.6 percent. Under measure 118, paying 3 percent on gross receipt, they would pay $1.5 million, which is 37.5 percent on profits. You might say they can afford it, but that isn’t the whole picture. Unfortunately, this sales tax isn’t just imposed at the retail level. It’s also imposed on the same product at the wholesale level, and at each stage of the manufacturing process. The tax is embedded at every level of production. That creates what is called tax pyramiding, where the final price to consumers has embedded added tax costs so that each level of production is taxed on the higher added taxed price, effectively the consumer is taxed multiple times on the same item amounting to an approximate 10.9 percent sales tax.

The proposed tax is also regressive, since the highest effective rates are on consumer goods (where profit margins are often slim) and the lowest effective rates are in areas like information services, where profit margins are often larger. Typically, there are far more stages of production for retail goods than for services. Groceries, which have notoriously low margins, would be hit particularly hard. The Tax Foundation charted effective rates at a single stage of production for several different industry sectors, not even taking into account how many times the tax would pyramid for the goods and services provided by these industries.

If Oregon were to see the same levels of pyramiding as Washington State has documented, consumers could expect to see about a 12 percent price increase. It may not show up on the receipt, but a 12 percent sales tax would impact Oregon’s livability negatively. According to “Rich States, Poor States” (2024 edition), Oregon is currently ranked 42nd out of 50 states in terms of its economic outlook. This forward-looking forecast is based on the state’s standing in 15 important policy variables. A WalletHub report (August 2024) ranked Oregon among the top 10 worst states to live in, citing factors such as high cost of living, housing affordability, restaurants per capita, and job opportunities, which would all be hit harder by measure 118.

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The pyramiding of taxes creates incentives for businesses to do as much of their production as possible outside Oregon borders, which is bad for Oregon’s economy. In 2023, Portland was fifth highest for large cities and Grants Pass was ranked 13th highest in the nation for unemployment. Increasing unemployment would put pressure on the legislature to increase the 3 percent tax, which could be done by a simple majority once the funding source (tax) is passed as law.

Will outside influencers be successful in deceiving Oregon voters that are so aversive to a sales tax?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-24 12:19:42

Last Update: 2024-09-23 23:40:31

Oregpn 4th District Republican candidate Monique DeSpain condemned Val Hoyle’s vote against H.R. 7909 Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, which would make non-U.S. nationals (alien under federal law) who admit to or are convicted of domestic violence crimes and sex offenses, including conspiracy to commit a sex offense, inadmissible for entry and deportable.

“This past Thursday, Val Hoyle voted against the bipartisan Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act H.R. 7909, which would make it easier for law enforcement to deport illegal aliens who assault or rape women,” stated DeSpain. “Hoyle pretends she stands up for women’s rights, but when it comes to deporting illegal aliens who assault women, she stands with the rapists and abusers. Hoyle is nothing but a thoughtless administration rubber stamp who won’t even stand with Democrats who want border security and a safe country for their constituents.”

Hoyle rejects all bipartisan attempts to achieve national security. In early 2023, Hoyle voted against H.R. 2 Secure The Border Act, which would have:

• Restarted building the border wall
• Ended Biden catch and release policy
• Reinstituted the Remain in Mexico policy
• Deployed technology to the southern and northern border
• Increased the number of Border Patrol agents
• Strengthened the asylum process
• Reimbursed states for costs incurred while securing the border.

Earlier this year, Val Hoyle went to El Paso, TX, and praised open borders while lecturing her constituents who asked her, “Why don’t you just shut down the border?” explaining that “We need to have movement through the border and how much we need the workforce.” Seven weeks later, Texas National Guard Troops at an El Paso, Texas checkpoint were overrun and assaulted by foreign military-aged males forcing their way into our country.

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As a result of the Biden Harris open border policies that Hoyle supports, lawmakers have fought to protect Americans by passing the following bills in Congress, all of which Hoyle voted against:

• H.R. 7511 Laken Riley Act requiring ICE to detain illegal migrants who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.
• H.R.7343 Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act requiring ICE to detain any illegal aliens who assault a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.
• HR 5283 Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act barring the housing of illegal immigrants in national parks, forests, and public lands
• H.R. 1371 Strongly condemning the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris’s, failure to secure the United States border
• H.Res. 957 Resolution Denouncing Biden Border Crisis
• H. Res. 863 Impeaching Biden Secretary of Open Borders Alejandro Mayorkas for his role in causing this crisis and providing false testimony to Congress about it.
• H.R. 8580 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act included a provision that would H.Amdt.958 that would prohibit the use of funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs to process medical claims for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, originally proposed under H.R.6744 - No VA Resources for Illegal Aliens Act.
• H.R. 8281 Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act requiring individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections.
• H. R. 7109 Equal Representation Act to count and exclude the massive influx of millions and millions of illegal migrants during the Biden Administration in the next U.S. Census from Congressional Reapportionment.

“Val’s appalling support for the current administration’s disastrous open border and the devastating ramifications we all feel has led directly to unlimited illegal immigration, human smuggling, fentanyl trafficking, overwhelmed communities and law enforcement, and terrorist infiltration,” said DeSpain. “Representative Hoyle supports the interests of criminal illegal immigrants over law-abiding immigrants and other people severely impacted by crime every chance she gets by casting votes no reasonable person in the 4th District would approve. Voters, especially female assault victims, deserve a representative in Washington, D.C., who puts them first. I will.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-23 16:43:03

Last Update: 2024-09-23 17:01:34

Governor Tina Kotek has directed Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services to take additional proactive steps to protect the integrity of Oregon’s Motor Voter program. Her new directive follows an already-resolved data processing error in a set of records transmitted to the Oregon Secretary of State.

“The integrity of election systems is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, and any error that can undermine our voting system must be taken seriously and addressed immediately,” Governor Kotek said. “Following round-the-clock corrective action on the part of Oregon DMV to address the known errors and ensure they will not impact the 2024 general election, I am now directing the agency to go above and beyond to ensure errors like this will not happen again.”

In a press release, Governor Kotek says that she has directed Oregon DMV to:

• Provide updated training immediately to all relevant staff on the full set of corrective actions in response to the errors.
• Undertake and complete a comprehensive After Action Report within 14 days to determine how the errors occurred, document the corrective actions taken, and provide an explanation of why the errors will not occur again.
• Initiate a full-scale data integrity review overseen by a panel of external data experts to produce preliminary recommendations for improved data management by the end of 2024. The recommendations must include staff training improvements to ensure staff have every available resource to succeed.
• Establish a data quality control calendar in coordination with the Oregon Secretary of State to ensure due diligence ahead of elections.

In response to Governor Kotek's press release regarding the Oregon DMV's automatic voter registration system errors which led to 1,259 non-citizens being wrongfully placed on voter rolls, Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) issued the following statement:

“While I appreciate Governor Kotek’s directive to the DMV to take proactive steps to avoid further errors with the state’s motor voter program, it’s not enough. The only reason we know about the DMV registering 1,259 non-citizens to vote is because a national think tank started asking questions. This tells me that there’s probably much larger, systematic issues at play. For Governor Kotek to suggest that this is the only necessary action to clean up our voter rolls suggests that she’s more focused on managing appearances than solving real problems.”

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Leader Bonham emphasized that Governor Kotek still needs to direct the Secretary of State to audit all voter registrations to ensure that Oregon's voter rolls are accurate.

House Republicans also reiterated their call today for a public briefing on non-citizen voter registrations as the number of reported non-citizen registrations increased by over 400% over what was initially reported. Despite requesting the briefing multiple times, as of this release, House Republicans have not received a formal update on steps being taken to address this issue.

“A press announcement is no substitute for an open and public hearing,” said House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River). “Oregonians deserve full transparency about how this happened. We must have a public hearing.”

“It is disappointing that we are all here in Salem this week to do our jobs, but we have no Legislative Rules Committee scheduled to hear from the Secretary of State’s office on this issue,” said Rep. Anna Scharf (R-Amity). “I have personally read in the papers conflicting reports of how this problem was even detected. We need clear answers from the Secretary of State on what the current plan of action is moving forward so that this never happens again.”

House Republicans will introduce legislation to safeguard our elections in the 2025 session.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-23 16:16:28

Last Update: 2024-09-23 16:43:03

Oregon Representative Court Boice (R-Curry) reports on his recent visit to the Arizona border and observed first-hand the ongoing chaos and sheer evil that continues to invade our country. “What I saw was shocking! Much of that destruction has brought havoc to Oregon as no state and no community is isolated from the last four-year consequences of horribly failed policies. American Citizens know and many are experiencing those negative and destructive impacts.”

The number of Illegal Immigrants in Oregon is growing. Of the estimated 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States, the estimated number living in Oregon in 2010 was 170,000 according to the 2017 Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) report. The FAIR report estimated that Oregon’s state and local governments spent $1.08 billion on services for individuals residing in the country illegally, and taxpayers funded $1 billion.

In 2018, the American Immigration Council indicated 239,261 were undocumented immigrants in Oregon. The top countries of origin were Mexico (36 percent of immigrants), Vietnam (6 percent), China (5 percent), India (5 percent), and the Philippines (4 percent). Approximately 186,460 people in Oregon, including 89,520 U.S. citizens, lived with at least one undocumented family member between 2010 and 2014.

Oregon has a sizeable community of immigrants, many coming from Mexico. One out of every ten Oregon residents is foreign-born, while one in nine residents is a native-born American who has at least one immigrant parent. More than two-fifths of Oregon’s farmers, fishers, and foresters are immigrants, as are over one-fifth of all production employees. Overall, Oregon’s immigrant population has become more diverse, with a growing Latino and Asian population. The population remains relatively young, with a high proportion of working-age individuals.

Because of the clandestine nature of the undocumented immigrant population, sources vary in their estimations based on how they draw their conclusions. Based on increasing naturalization rates, the increased presence of the undocumented is a given. According to the Census Bureau’s data, between 2010 and 2022, approximately 201,669 foreign-born individuals in Oregon became naturalized U.S. citizens with 28.4% naturalized since 2015.

Rep. Boice points out the obvious of mismanaging the increasing number of immigrants: “What we see today is a travesty in law breaking immigration. Perhaps as many as 16 million illegal aliens from all across the Third World have been enabled by the Biden-Harris administration to enter the United States of America. Tens of thousands find their way to our pristine regions with nothing in their pockets but problems that the American Taxpayers simply cannot afford to subsidize. The drain on our benevolence is profound.

“Most now come to America not to embrace opportunity but many come to commit horrific crimes; murder, rape, and human trafficking. All have been exploded as they push a bottomless surge of newcomers here, tragically with their hands out. Our environment, our economy, our law enforcement, our medical and educational systems are all under tremendous pressure as we witness this cruel enablement, even encouraged invasion. If we fail to correct, we can say goodbye to our special American memories of yesteryear. That's why we must unite, stand against and repel this onslaught.

“I and everyone I know supports legal immigration and always has. Legal entry is the lifeblood of our heritage. However, we must adhere to the rule of law and critical order! We need responsible, vibrant, and vetted immigration with those that want to respect and embrace our history and beliefs.”

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Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend) and Representative Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) wrote a memo to Republican colleagues that Oregon has been “significantly impacted” by a surge of illegal entries at the nation’s southern border, “particularly through the influx of fentanyl and other illicit drugs…”

They plan to introduce legislation in the 2025 session that will roll back the so-called Sanctuary Promise Act. The Act passed in 2021 by Democrats to make it easier for local law enforcement agencies and other Oregon public officials to collaborate with federal authorities to enforce immigration law. But, by strengthening Oregon’s decades-old sanctuary protections, it created explicit prohibitions on local officials prohibing them from aiding federal immigration authorities. It gave illegals a pass to commit crimes, and if caught, they were allowed to escape from federal enforcement.

The fentanyl crisis has exposed the Sanctuary Promise Act for harboring criminal activity. The new recriminalization law, HB 4002, gives Oregon some hope that law enforcement will again pursue justice and reduce the undesired criminals out of the undocumented illegals entering the state.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-21 12:23:15

Last Update: 2024-09-21 00:41:00

Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) has called on Governor Tina Kotek in a letter to address urgent problems with Oregon’s voter registration system. Reports have revealed that the Oregon DMV registered over 300 non-citizens to vote, raising serious concerns about the accuracy of the state's voter rolls.

“Two weeks ago, we learned that non-citizens were getting $30,000 taxpayer-funded down payments for houses. Now, we’re finding out they’re being registered to vote, too,” Leader Bonham said. “Governor Kotek needs to make sure Secretary LaVonne Griffin-Valade gets on top of this and cleans up the voter rolls fast. Oregonians need to be sure the system is fair and accurate, especially with such an important election coming up.”

Leader Bonham also pointed to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent Executive Order 35, which prioritizes accurate voter rolls and addresses potential errors. “We need to follow Youngkin’s lead and get serious about fixing our system.”

Additionally, Leader Bonham is demanding that Governor Kotek ensure the Oregon Department of Transportation fixes the DMV’s process problems that led to these registration errors. “It’s important that ODOT reviews and enhances their procedures to prevent these kinds of errors in the future. Our elections need to be secure, and we can’t afford any more mistakes.”

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House Republican Leader and Rules Committee Vice Chair Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) asked House Democrat Leader and Rules Committee Chair Ben Bowman (D-Tigard) to call a meeting of the House Rules Committee to receive a briefing from the Secretary of State and the director of the Oregon Department of Transportation on what is being done to catch and purge noncitizens from Oregon’s voter rolls.

“Only American citizens should vote in American elections, yet noncitizens have been discovered on Oregon’s voter rolls. Oregonians have a right to full transparency from the state as to the extent of the problem and what is being done to fix it before ballots go out next month. The legislature gathers next week; this provides an ideal opportunity for state officials to update the legislature on the steps being taken to ensure that Oregon’s elections are secure,” said Helfrich.

As of this time, the legislature has not received a formal update or notice of intent to provide an update from the secretary, nor has the House Republican Caucus received a response to its request for a hearing.

In response to a report that directly contradicted official statements about how Oregon detected non-citizens on their voter rolls, House Republicans also renewed their call for a public briefing on Oregon’s election integrity efforts.

“State election officials led us to believe they caught the problem through regular internal processes. That is not true,” said House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River). “Learning about this through the press is unacceptable. We need a public hearing as soon as possible so the Secretary of State and Department of Motor Vehicles can tell us directly what happened, why, and what is being done to fix it.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-20 13:23:36

Last Update: 2024-09-21 00:40:21

The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) awarded Portland, Oregon, the league’s 15th franchise, which will begin play in 2026. The Portland team will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. Portland is the third expansion franchise awarded by the WNBA during this round of expansion, following the Golden State Valkyries and a Toronto franchise, bringing the league from 12 to 15.

Oregon’s franchise will play at the Moda Center, where Oregon Senator Ron Wyden made the announcement. Wyden inspired fans saying he has been in contact with Sabrina Ionescu, who will be a free agent in 2026. She played college basketball at the University of Oregon and became a local icon earning multiple player of the year awards. Ionescu has pushed for an Oregon franchise where she continues to have a fan base.

Governor Tina Kotek hails women’s sports in Oregon. “The decision to choose Portland for the next WNBA team is just as much a recognition of our past as it is about faith in our future. Portland has an unequivocal love of women’s sports. The National Women’s Soccer League made a smart bet on Portland twelve years ago with the Portland Thorns, now an unmatched cultural hallmark. The Rose City Rollers are among the founding members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, and later this year their national championship will take place in Portland’s own Veterans Memorial Coliseum. And you can watch it all from The Sports Bra, the nation’s first-ever sports bar dedicated to supporting and showing women’s sports.

“You can tell a lot about a community by where people find joy, and Portland just can’t help but break the mold. The next WNBA team is a great fit. Portland is back on the rise, and Oregon is aiming high with Portland. I look forward to seeing you at the first tip off.”

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Signing Sabrina Ionescu to Portland would give the franchise a starting boost. While sports news has Ionescu going toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry at the NBA All-Star weekend, she wouldn’t just be bringing attention to the new Portland franchise, but her launch of Sabrina 2 Nikes could help with a much-needed boost to Oregon’s Nike business.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-20 12:19:48

Last Update: 2024-09-19 19:44:09

The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) followed Governor Tina Kotek’s lead by updating groundwater rules after Kotek declared a drought emergency. Kotek first declared a drought emergency in Jefferson County in June, her first use of her emergency authority for drought. She recently extended the emergency to Lake County.

The Basin Outlook Reports show these two counties to be on the low end with Lake County’s two reservoirs being at 41% capacity compared to 29% a year ago at this time. Jackson County Willow Creek reservoir was at 64% capacity when the emergency drought was declared in June, and is now at 37% capacity compared to last year it was at 27%. Overall, Oregon basin index is at 61% of capacity compared to a year ago it was at 53%, with a current median capacity of 97% compared to 91% a year ago. The underlying question is why did it take over a year to recognize this need.

After decades of groundwater declines, OWRD is responding to limit further depleting groundwater resources. OWRD has adopted what they consider science-based rules for issuing new water rights. They have used a forward-looking approach that considers the needs of future generations. OWRD is committed to safeguarding existing surface water and groundwater users and the livelihoods they support, while managing groundwater resources more sustainably.

The updated rules detail how OWRD determines if water is available to support new groundwater rights. The rule changes are not intended to impact groundwater applications in the agency queue at the time the new rules become effective. The new rules also do not affect exempt groundwater uses, existing water rights, or water rights transfers.

The updated rules clarify, and update key terminology used for decision-making when issuing new groundwater rights. Under the updated rules, water is considered available if the groundwater levels are reasonably stable, the proposed groundwater pumping does not further deplete an already over-appropriated surface water source, and the aquifer can produce the water at the full amount requested. If the Department is not able to make site-specific determinations based on existing data, a finding will be made that no water is available for the requested use and the application will be denied. In practice, this means overall fewer new water right applications will be granted. There are some underlying messages in how to accomplish using less water while growing Oregon’s population. Future water uses will likely require alternative pathways such as water sharing and designing for water reuse and reclamation that walkable communities offer. Recently, New Spirit Village opened in Medford modeling a walkable community.

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A D V E R T I S E M E N T

In 2015 a campaign was started to raise $30 billion to bring a proposed interstate undersea water pipeline from the mouth of the Columbia River on the Oregon–Washington border to California. Should Oregon support our neighbors when our water levels are depleting?

The 2022 Census of Agriculture shows Oregon has 35,000 farms and ranches with 15.2 million acres, mostly locally owned and operated, which the Oregon Farm Bureau estimates are directly and indirectly responsible for $50 billion in goods and services. Water is the lifeblood of these operations and demands eighty-five percent of our state’s supply. For comparison, municipal and industrial sectors (combined) consist of a mere fourteen percent of the water demand. Over the next thirty-four years, this ratio will remain essentially the same, according to OWRD.

OWRD has identified a complicating factor in Oregon’s trend is temperature. By 2050, the OWRD projects an average increase of eight degrees. However, this year’s weather pattern started out colder than normal, which seems to be reflected in the increased water levels.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-17 09:11:20

Last Update: 2024-09-17 00:55:56