--Isaac Helland

Post Date: 2020-05-30 20:27:02

It appears that a recall effort directed at Oregon State Senator Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River) will not gather the required 9,025 signatures to put a recall of the Senator on the ballot. The required signatures are due June 2 and the Chief Petitioner, Lara Dunn is saying that she will be unable to gather that many signatures by the deadline, despite having raised more that $130,000.

A vast majority of the cash and in-kind contributions to the campaign -- over $110,000 -- came from Our Oregon, the political arm of Oregon's public employee unions, with the American Federation of Teachers contributing a large, but smaller amount.

This recall campaign highlights what many believe is a great deal of fiscal irresponsibility within left-leaning campaign circles, especially Our Oregon. Public employee unions are feeling the sting from the June 2018 US Supreme Court decision Janus v. AFSCME which recognized government employee union members’ right to leave their union and not pay dues.

There are slightly fewer than 120,000 registered voters in Senate District 26. Having raised more than $130,000, it seems that at a dollar a piece, a mail piece containing a signature sheet could have been sent to each registered voter in the district, making the recall a success. Given that they needed only 9,025 signatures, they could have spent more than $14 per signature to get the recall to the ballot.

The spending includes over $98,000 for petition circulators, who certainly were affected by Governor Kate Brown’s shutdown order – which is somewhat ironic, considering that this recall was in the interest of the Governor and her party.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-05-29 21:49:26

Last Update: 2020-05-30 14:49:03

The House Business and Labor Committee met this week to hear testimony from Leadership at the beleaguered Employment Agency. The agency is still badly behind in processing unemployment claims caused by Governor Kate Brown's response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The committee took more than an hour of testimony from Employment Department Leadership but Committee Chair, Paul Holvey refused to allow lawmakers to ask any live questions of the agency’s leaders.

Committee Member, Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany), said, after the committee hearing, “I’ve heard from countless Oregonians over the last few months regarding their frustration accessing the unemployment benefits they are rightfully due. Many of them are rightfully furious over spending hours upon hours trying to get through to someone in the department who could assist them. The horror stories are endless and have been well documented by the press. I am incredibly frustrated that lawmakers were not given an opportunity to ask questions of the Department’s leadership, including how we ended up in this mess, when the agency realized they had a problem, were they given notification of the Governor's Executive Orders which essentially put tens of thousands of Oregonians out of work overnight, what took them so long to respond and when, exactly, can unemployed Oregonians expect to receive the benefits they have earned."

Some observers are puzzled by the heavy-handed tactics wielded by a Democrat party that has Legislative super-majorities and controls the governorship, yet refuses to let the opposing party have even a symbolic chance to participate. Certainly, the seriousness of the troubles at the Employment Agency call for a bi-partisan conversation.

Boshart-Davis concluded, "This is just the latest glaring example of lack of accountability under our state’s leadership. This is a deeply human crisis and the state has failed miserably. Oregonians deserve answers.”

The House Committee on Business and Labor is expected to meet again on Saturday.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-05-28 19:33:11

Last Update: 2020-05-28 19:33:39

Today, the National Hockey League announced that it is returning to play with the Stanley Cup Playoffs that will include 24 teams.

The NHL paused the regular season March 12 due to concerns surrounding COVID-19 and its remaining 189 games will not be completed. The 12 qualifying teams from the Eastern and Western conferences were determined by points percentage as of that date. Seven teams did not qualify.

League Commissioner Gary Bettman said in announcing the Return to Play Plan, "While nothing is without risk, ensuring health and safety has been central to all of our planning so far and will remain so.

"Let me assure you that the reason we are doing this is because our fans have told us in overwhelming numbers that they want to complete the season if at all possible. And our players and our teams are clear that they want to play and bring the season to its rightful conclusion."

The Qualifying Round and Seeding Round Robin will be held at two hub cities to be identified -- one for the 12 participating Eastern Conference teams and one for the 12 Western Conference teams - and begin at a date to be determined. Candidates for the hub cities include Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Vancouver.

The Commissioner said the decision on the hub cities and when the Stanley Cup Playoffs will begin will depend on COVID-19 conditions, testing ability and government regulations. A comprehensive system for testing will be in place in each hub city. Each team will be permitted to travel a maximum of 50 personnel, including players, coaches and staff, to its hub city.

"Obviously, we anticipate playing over the summer and into the early fall," Commissioner Bettman said. "At this time, we are not fixing dates because the schedule of our return to play will be determined both by developing circumstances and the needs of the players."

This action marks a great moment in creativity and courage and stands in stark contrast to the actions of many state and local governments and their failure to be responsive to the people and to properly assess the facts.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-05-26 17:14:20

Last Update: 2020-05-26 17:14:28

--Isaac Helland

Post Date: 2020-05-22 17:22:13

Last Update: 2020-05-22 17:22:26

--Team Meme at Northwest Observer

Post Date: 2020-05-20 21:03:30

Last Update: 2020-05-20 21:03:52

The Independent Party of Oregon (IPO) released the preliminary results of it’s online primary today. Joe Biden beat Donald Trump in a runoff and though Kim Thatcher (R-Keizer) appeared to get more votes for Secretary of State than Ken Smith, the IPO website listed the race as “too close to call.” Thatcher and Smith emerged from a crowded field that included the top three Democrats from the Democratic primary and former State Representative Rich Vial.

The Independent Party of Oregon is not an a party of independents, as most people consider the term. Those who are truly independent register instead as non-affiliated voters or NAVs. Recently, the IPO had reached a threshold of a percentage of the electorate to be considered a major party, but lately -- insiders claim it was due to Oregon's Motor Voter law registering people as NAVs -- is has dropped back down to minor party status. They held their primary this year as an online vote.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-05-20 20:34:51

Last Update: 2020-05-20 20:34:58

It appears that Republican State Senator Kim Thatcher will be the Republican nominee against an unknown challenger in a race that's too close to call on the Democrat side. The race looks to be an interesting and possibly expensive one for Oregon Secretary of State.

State Senator Mark Hass (D-Beaverton) showed an early, uncommanding lead. Hass has been in the legislature since 2007

State Senator Shemia Fagan (D-Portland) was trailing. She was elected to the Oregon House in 2012 and served two terms as a left-leaning progressive legislator. In 2018 she launched a primary fight against incumbent State Senator Rod Monroe (D-Portland) with housing issues as a backdrop. As an advocate for tenants’ rights, she defeated Monroe, who is also a landlord.

Fagan has drawn criticism from colleagues -- including those in her own party -- for her use and over-dependence on government employee union money. Representative Alyssa Keny-Guyer (D-Portland) remarked to her in a letter, "I have agonized about where to take my profound disappointment in your campaign."

Thatcher (R-Keizer), who has a strong track record during her time in the Legislature as an advocate for accountable government, says, “I believe every Oregonian deserves a state government that is a good steward of YOUR tax dollars….and that every elected official in Oregon must be accountable, transparent, and honest with taxpayers.”

Thatcher’s website boasts a pledge “not use the Secretary of State office to advance a partisan agenda,” which could perhaps be interpreted as a dig at previous Democrat Secretaries of State who have been accused of using the office to advance an agenda.

The Secretary of State race this year has drawn extra focus, because according to Oregon’s Constitution, if the Legislature fails to draw a map for redistricting the congressional and legislative districts, the job falls to the Secretary of State. This work will be done during the 2021 Legislative Session, and voters will vote for the first time as constituents of these districts in 2022.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-05-20 19:32:46

Last Update: 2020-05-28 19:33:03

Former State Representative Cliff Bentz of Ontario has won the 2nd Congressional district Republican nomination. The Northwest Observer is calling the race for Bentz. The Republican nominee is widely regarded to be the odds-on favorite in the general election in November.

He defeated former State Representative Knute Buehler of Bend, Central Oregon Businessman Jimmy Crumpacker and former State Senator Jason Atkinson of Central Point.

Buehler, a Bend physician, failed to persuade voters of his more moderate brand. For example, Buehler received an F rating from Oregon Firearms Federation while Crumpacker, as a newcomer with no legislative track record received a B+.

The seat has been reliably Republican for decades. The last year the seat was held by a Democrat was 1981, by Al Ullman.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-05-19 21:51:32

Last Update: 2020-05-20 07:53:09

--Northwest Observer Comedy Staff

Post Date: 2020-05-19 04:57:13

Last Update: 2020-08-08 13:23:36

In a hasty action, the Oregon Supreme Court has granted an order placing a preliminary injunction on the decision by Baker County Circuit Court Judge Matt Shirtcliff which swept away all of Governor Brown's executive orders on the COVID-19 outbreak. What this means is that economic activity will remain shuttered until the High Court decides the issue. The stay was granted by Oregon Supreme Court Presiding Justice, Thomas A. Balmer at 7:45 pm this evening. The motion was granted without comment and little explanation. "This court has considered defendants' emergency motion and plaintiffs' and inervenors' objections, including factors each identified as relevant to whether this court should issue a stay. The emergency motion is granted."

Justice Balmer, a Democrat, was first appointed to the High Court in 2001 by then Governor John Kitzhaber. He is currently running for re-election to another six-year term.

Expect a fairly quick decision. Legal responses are due Friday, May 22. Legal experts regard this as a signal that the court is leaning toward deciding in favor of the Governor.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-05-18 18:16:11

Last Update: 2020-05-19 18:17:24

Attorney General for the State of Oregon, Ellen Rosenblum filed a motion in the Oregon Supreme Court to stay today's decision by Circuit Court Judge Matt Shirtcliff, which had the effect of cancelling all of the Governor's executive orders having to do with COVID-19, including those restricting economic activity.

The request for the stay insists that "the preliminary injunction threatens irreparable harm to the public health by undoing the state's extensive effors to slow the spread of COVID-19."

It goes on to say that "The situation in Wisconsin highlights what could happen without an immediate stay. Last week the Wisconsin Supreme Court invalidated that state's stay at home order. News reports indicate that just hours after the ruling, bars in the state were 'packed wall to wall, standing room only,' while local heath authorities 'scrambled' in the 'chaos' to institute new measures to prevent[] more death."

Since the State of Wisconsin invalidated it's closure order on May 14, it has not increased the rate of the number of deaths due to COVID-19, according the the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-05-18 17:51:46

Last Update: 2020-05-18 20:56:59