Editor's note: Oregon Abigail Adams Voter Education Project equips voters with information on how candidates stand on issues through a questionnaire process featured in comparison guides.

Candidate for House District 47 Ryan Gardner is challenging incumbent Diego Hernandez, his 3rd run to represent a portion of Multnomah County.

Three major issues to Oregon voters are the economy, safety and education. Hernandez voted to increase taxes and fees including cap and trade, corporate gross receipts tax (CAT), and reduce the kicker. He also voted to prohibit hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas exploration, and voted against an agriculture necessities exemption from the CAT tax. Hernandez sponsored a bill to eliminate the mortgage interest deduction from taxable income. In the 2020 Special Session he voted to impose a 6% tax on cell phones. Gardner, on the other hand, indicates he would vote no on these issues and says, “there are better more effective methods to reduce greenhouse gasses.”

Hernandez’s safety stance is to signed a letter to US Attorney General William Barr demanding “immediate withdrawal of federal operatives from the City of Portland.” He helped sponsor the bill that nullified Measure 88 passed by voters allowing undocumented driver’s license and he helped sponsor a bill that allows not requiring proof of citizenship to obtain a driver’s license and voted to require employers to notify employees of ICE investigations as well as a bill to prevent courts from asking immigration status and notifying ICE. Gardner would vote no protecting the voters will, and would not vote to reduce the effectiveness of ICE for protection. He supports government’s ability to uphold the constitution, and believes “in upholding federal immigration law.”

In the area of education, Hernandez voted to require mandated vaccination with no exceptions and ban those from schools that don’t comply. Gardner does not agree with mandated vaccinations. He supports an Education Savings Account and says, “school choice would force some much-needed improvement in our current education system.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2020-09-10 13:19:46

Last Update: 2020-09-30 10:52:06