Eidtor's note: The following statement was delivered by Yamhill County Commissioner Lindsay Berschauer at the joint meeting of the HD 23 commissioners to appoint a replacement to fill the vacancy in the district

“[Polk County] Chair Pope and fellow Commissioners,

This is a very tough decision for us to make. I have supported Mike Nearman in the past and appreciate his dedication to conservative values. He thrives when he is able to empower Oregonians to be directly involved in their government whether it be ballot measures, analyzing campaign data, or training folks to be better candidates at all levels. He helped with my election for county commissioner. And I am thankful for his service to our state. I am committed to helping him get Referendum 301 on the ballot so voters can repeal Senate Bill 554 and stand up for the rights of lawfully abiding firearm owners and carriers. I believe Mike Nearman has a significant role to play in the future.

I do not agree with the decision he made on that fateful day. We have all been frustrated with the Capitol closure over the past year. Citizens were shut out of the process and even as Commissioners it was difficult to navigate tracking bills or providing testimony. On several occasions, my testimony was deleted from the online archive only days after providing it. I watched Democratic legislators prioritize the testimony of lobbyists and friendly groups over opposition and cut off access before testimony was complete. To be blunt, this last legislative session was a sham devoid of fair and direct public input and Oregonians should hold House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney responsible for rigging the process. Taxes on small businesses, ridiculous firearms restrictions and damaging natural resource policies all passed and Oregonians were kept in the dark. I hope I never see another legislative session like this again.

I made it a priority to attend the House District 23 PCP nominating meeting. I wanted to listen and feel the emotion and frustration of the PCPs in that room. I know that emotion well. Mike Nearman received the most votes that night and is number one on the list for appointment. The emails that have followed have been immense. Thousands of people have weighed in. And we’ve done our best to sort through the feedback and process what’s in front of us.

To answer the question: Should the voters in HD 23 have been in control of Rep. Nearman’s fate? The answer is yes. However, the political reality of that building has landed us here. I contacted some of Mike Nearman’s colleagues to make sure I understood the reasons behind their unanimous vote to expel him from the legislature. They were upset about the incident and felt that Mike was not forthcoming with information that affects them too. They felt they had no choice but to vote to expel since the trust relationship had been broken. I am not passing judgment on this either way, I just think the story of what happened from the caucus’ perspective is relevant in this decision.

Worth noting is that 6 of the 10 candidates for this position stated during the PCP meeting that they would have voted to expel Mike Nearman. While this question was a tough one, I appreciated seeing the honesty and empathy in the responses. Particularly, Anna Scharf impressed me when she was honest about her disagreement with Mike’s decisions and after the questioning was over she had a tearful exchange with Debby Nearman because she loves and cares about them. This is what I look for in a leader. Someone who sticks to their principles even when it puts them at odds with their friends, but maintains decency and respect. While I like Mike Nearman and his wife Debby immensely, I cannot vote to reappoint Mike.

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

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

On a basic level, the job of a State Representative is to work to further the goals of the district and help protect against harmful legislation. It means you are the conduit between the State and main street. I do not believe that Mike Nearman will be in a position to effectively do this job, should he be reappointed. He may not be allowed to caucus with his colleagues, Tina Kotek will not allow him to serve on committee assignments, or allow him to further his own bills. A vote to send Nearman back to Salem is effectively saying “we don’t care that HD 23 won’t have active representation”. It’s a vote that says “it’s okay for a legislator to not have a seat at the table and for Tina Kotek to punish this district over her disdain for Mike Nearman”. Colleagues, that rationale would never be acceptable for any of us in our positions.

At the end of the day, I do not believe that Mike Nearman has a mean bone in his body. I do not believe that he ever intended for people to be harmed. But we have to consider the political reality in front of us. Mike is still facing criminal proceedings and the consequence of sending him back to Salem means a diminished capacity to do his job. Tina Kotek will make this community suffer, and I’m not okay with that.

I have narrowed my focus to two candidates, Anna Scharf and John Swanson.

• Anna has the depth of private and governmental experience necessary to effectively represent the district. She has navigated the difficult reality in Salem with the off-balance of power. She has the support of large grassroots groups and I trust that she will campaign hard to keep the seat in conservative control. This is an agricultural district and many of the largest farming employers in my county as well as Polk County have weighed in that Anna would serve them well.
• John has been a behind-the-scenes workhorse for years, often never receiving credit for the work he does. He is the guy that will show up and help put up signs for an entire weekend to support his teammates. He is young, energetic and his family represents the future of the party. He has firsthand knowledge of the innerworkings of Salem and I believe he can effectively navigate the process.
• I place a lot of weight of consideration on how the Polk County commissioners are feeling. This district is predominantly Polk Cty and I am sensitive to how they are processing this decision.

Ultimately, Anna Scharf was the only candidate to mention Timber Unity in her speech. That tells me she understands grassroots frustration, their importance, the policies that intersect with working families and knows how to navigate the pressure points inside and outside the Capitol. I believe she will serve HD 23 very well.”


--Yamhill County Commissioner Lindsay Berschauer

Post Date: 2021-07-08 06:54:21

Last Update: 2021-07-06 22:41:59