The introduction of HB 3363 is one in a string of so called “equity” bills intended to bring justice to an unfair republic system.

Introduced by Representatives Courtney Neron (D-Wilsonville), Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham), and Senator Lew Frederick (D-Portland), HB 3363 establishes a Racial Equity and Justice Student Council of 15 students, two administrators and two cultural representatives appointed by the Governor. The council essentially becomes an agency that is compensated. The Governor appoints members as a way to promote her agenda in schools, indoctrinating the next generation in socialism through equity justice. The purposes of the council are to advise the Governor’s office, the Legislative Assembly, the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, the Early Learning Division and the Youth Development Division on education police, consideration of racial equity and justice at local levels, reimagining student leadership programs, providing support for underserved students, and establish a hotline as a resource.

The Senate Committee on Education, chaired by Senator Michael Dembrow (D-Portland), is sponsoring SB 732 requiring school districts to establish an educational equity advisory committee. SB 732 is no ordinary handout to the underserved. This committee would act as an unelected board member with veto power.

The Governor is also using “equity” against schools. She requested HB 2166 for the Superintendent of Public Instruction to convene an advisory group to review equity in the education system for all grades from prekindergarten through post-secondary education. Wait a minute, isn’t the Governor the Superintendent? What is equity except an excuse to micromanage school districts?

So what is “equity” that it has become the current political platform for leadership? SB 582, Senator Michael Dembrow’s bill, the -1 Amendment Section 2 (8) defines ‘Equity’ as meaning

“the effort to provide different levels of support based on an individual’s or group’s needs in order to achieve fairness in outcomes and the acknowledgment that not all people and communities are starting from the same place due to historic and current systems of oppression. Equity requires the redistribution of resources, power and opportunity to communities most impacted by systemic oppression.”

You read that correctly, “redistribution” of wealth, right out of the socialist play book. SB 582 includes an equity study on the availability of opportunities and barriers in the recycling system for women and minority ‘underprivileged’ individuals. The ‘underpriveleged’ also shows up in HB 3112, which establishes the Cannabis Equity Board within the Governor’s office to provide equity oversight of cannabis industry in this state.

Governor Kate Brown has put forth a number of “equity” seeking bills. HB 2161 directs office of Governor in consultation with the Racial Justice Council’s Economic Opportunity Committee, to study laws related to economic opportunity, with a focus on policy changes that address racial equity in economic opportunity of those who experience systemic economic disadvantages in business creation, as well as access to traditional capital and wealth creation redistributing wealth to small businesses owned by members of minorities. She also requested SB 289, which directs the office of Governor, in consultation with Racial Justice Council’s Environmental Equity Committee, to study laws related to the environment with a focus on potential policy changes that address environmental equity. Of course, these studies are to give their reports by September 15, 2022, before she leaves office.

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

Representative Diego Hernandez, who will be leaving the legislature soon, also jumped on the equity band wagon introducing HB 2566 and HB 2567, which directs the Secretary of State to establish a task force on Audit Equity Analysis, and to study and make recommendations regarding best practices for conducting audits related to equity issues, and to conduct a performance audit that includes objectives related to equity issues by December 31 this year.

Not to be left out Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego) introduced HB 2353 that requires agencies to include in rulemaking notice a statement identifying how adoption of the rule will affect racial equity.

Let’s not leave energy out. SB 247 directs the Department of Energy to study opportunities and challenges in Oregon for renewable energy, energy equity and development of clean energy workforce. If energy doesn’t hit home, then perhaps SB 167 will. Senator Lee Beyer’s bill provides that assessed value of property that is not be greater than a formula is also not to be greater than a value determined to be necessary to effect fairness and equity in assessed values of property and property in same area in same property class.

Health wasn’t left out of this equity game. HB 2505 directs Governor's Child Foster Care Advisory Commission to establish Child Welfare Equity Advisory Committee to advise the commission and Department of Human Services regarding equitable provision of child welfare services. HB 2760 and SB 70 defines "Regional Health Equity Coalition" and "Regional Health Equity Coalition model," and requires Oregon Health Authority to work with the Regional Health Equity Coalitions and groups utilizing the Regional Health Equity Coalition model, which is to recognizes the impact of structural, institutional and interpersonal racism on the health and well-being of communities of color and other priority populations. And Medicaid gets an overhaul in HB 3353 seeking federal approval to permit coordinated care organizations to use a portion of global budgets to improve health equity, improve overall health of community or enhance payments to providers who advance health equity.

At what point does it become "reverse discrimination?" The majority of bills introduced have some overriding benefit or handout to the 'underprivileged' ‘underserved’ to such an extent that socialism has taken over. Oregon's population is 85.06% white. So, these bills represent 15% of the total population. How much does the 85% have to give through taxes, jobs, opportunities, businesses before it violates the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. which says: “No State make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privilege or immunities of citizens of the United States;… nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Governor Brown continues to separate and divide society by racial application of laws in lieu of "equal treatment" for everyone. Top down mandates under the disguise of equity is dividing the state through unnatural, guarded relations. The more equity measures, the less equitable everyone feels.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-03-10 06:31:12

Last Update: 2021-03-10 08:11:15