In light of the Oregon Supreme Court's dismissal of Sheehan v. Oregon Legislative Assembly which questioned the legality of Oregon's legislative districts, Legislative leaders from both parties sounded off on the decision. The Court opinion said, in part,

With respect to the Sheehan petition, the Court explained that the facts alleged by petitioners -- particularly, that the SB 882 reapportionment plan used many of the same district boundaries as exist in current law, and that oral public testimony had been subject to certain limitations -- were insufficient to permit a conclusion that the Legislative Assembly had created the entire statewide reapportionment plan for a partisan or otherwise improper purpose.

Oregon House Republican Leader and rumored Gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan (R-Canby) claimed that the Congressional redistricting map upheld protects incumbents. She used the occasion to call for moving the redistricting process out of the legislature. “This gerrymandered congressional redistricting map is an incumbent protection plan that Democrats desperately fought to keep. Rather than serve the interests of Oregonians, they have served themselves. This is why we need an independent redistricting commission to take this job away from politicians.”

Oregon House Speaker and Gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek (D-Portland) and Oregon House Democratic Leader Barbara Smith Warner (D-Portland) praised the court's decisions calling the maps ‘fair, legal, and constitutional,’ as a special five-judge panel dismissed a petition against the legislatively adopted congressional maps enacted by SB 881 during a September special session. This follows a Monday decision by the Oregon Supreme Court to dismiss two petitions challenging the reapportionment of Oregon's legislative districts enacted by SB 882.

In response to these dismissals, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek and Oregon House Democratic Leader Barbara Smith Warner issued the following joint statement: “These decisions affirm that the Legislature passed maps that are fair, legal, and constitutional. It was a tremendous challenge to complete this Constitutional duty in a very condensed timeline, and we appreciate the legislators who worked to get the job done for the people of Oregon.”

Insiders note that Democrats may need some extra help this cycle, due to what many perceive is failure of Democratic policy on a national and state levels.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-11-24 17:01:01

Last Update: 2021-11-24 17:42:32