Last week Oregon Republicans attempted to withdraw sixteen pieces of legislation from committee for a vote on the Senate floor to make our communities safer. While the valley has experienced several shootings within a week, the Democrats voted in lock step to say ‘no’ to safer communities. This comes just after House Democrats largely rejected a ‘Safe Schools’ package following the Nashville school shooting. Instead they double down on restricting gun ownership by lawful citizens.

Senator Fred Girod (R-Lyons) said, “Sixteen. Today, we brought forward sixteen bills that deserved to be considered. Bills that would have cracked down on fentanyl dealing, increased the number of patrol troopers on our highways, and made necessary fixes to Ballot Measure 110, (which decriminalized the possession of small amounts of illicit drugs and diverted some marijuana tax dollars to a grant program). There’s no reason that can justify why they failed.”

“For years, Democrats have voted with criminals, not victims,” said Deputy Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles), who made a motion to withdraw SB 430, a measure that would enhance sentencing for criminals whose assault causes lifechanging injury. “Today, we had an opportunity to vote to strengthen our communities and provide justice for victims of crime. For reasons I can’t fathom, the majority party said no to even having a discussion.”

An article by The Oregonian Editorial Board over the weekend noted that roughly 16,000 more people left Oregon than moved in from 2021 to 2022. It cited housing unaffordability, homelessness, increasing taxation, drug addiction crisis, untreated mental illness, gun violence, traffic deaths, and educational mediocrity as reasons why. Furthermore, a recent DHM Research survey found that just 3 in 10 of Oregonians think the state is headed in the right direction.

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

“Process matters. We were promised a bipartisan session, yet what we’re seeing is an extreme, partisan agenda that fails to meet the needs of Oregonians we represent,” said Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend), who made a motion to withdraw SB 664, a measure that would criminalize threatening to commit a terroristic act. “Democrats showed their hand today by rejecting reasonable measures improving community safety.”

The complete ‘Safe Communities’ Package Republicans propose includes such things as creating crimes of patronizing a trafficked child, controlled substances homicide, and threatening to commit a terroristic act.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2023-04-11 12:14:23

Last Update: 2023-04-11 17:55:46