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On this day, March 28, 1942, Japanese-American lawyer Minoru Yasui (1916-1986) violated a military curfew in Portland, Oregon, and demanded to be arrested after he was refused enlistment to fight for the US. He was one of the few Japanese Americans who fought laws that directly targeted Japanese Americans or Japanese immigrants following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 2015 he was among 17 people awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom.

Also on this day March 28, 1939, the front page of the Eugene Register-Guard blared the headline: "Mighty Oregon Scramble Ohio State to Take Hoop Title of All America," right under a declaration that the Spanish War had ended, of course.




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Paul Moore for Clackamas Co. Sheriff Fund Raiser
Friday, April 5, 2024 at 6:10 pm
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Hood River County GOP's Second Annual Lincoln Dinner
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Friday, April 26, 2024 at 5:00 pm
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Monday, May 27, 2024 at 11:00 am
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A federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving.



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Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 12:00 am
Juneteenth
Celebrated on the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when in the wake of the American Civil War, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas.



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OHA Data Collection Called into Question
Case counts are the standard. Are they valid?

A video was released Monday December 21, 2020 by Dr. Henry Ealy of the group All Concerned Citizens which shows how "Anybody can enter a record" to the Oregon Health Authority reporting portal. The system does not require a password, authentication, or any type of verification in order to submit a new case of COVID-19 to the State's case counts.

The total case counts for Oregon are nearing one hundred and twenty thousand, with sporadic cases almost double compared to traceable cases. A proverbial red flag, for many following the pandemic closely.

According to OHA Director Pat Allen "Large outbreaks account for a smaller proportion of recent cases,” Allen said. “These outbreaks are diminishing in proportion to other types of cases, particularly, sporadic cases.” “Sporadic spread” is a term used to explain cases that do not have a known exposure to any other COVID-19 case or outbreak. "The increase in sporadic cases means the virus is spreading more widely throughout communities", Allen told MSM in an article that ran nationwide over the summer.

Case counts are being used as the sole justification for Oregon Governor Kate Brown's lockdown orders. Discriminate guidance has been issued for businesses able to operate vs businesses unable to operate, with corporations and multinational conglomerates on the winning end. Brown and the Oregon Health Authority have yet to provide evidence backing the decision process, despite pressure from elected leaders and the public.

One metric continues to be pinned as the main justification for keeping small businesses boarded up, and Counties on the Governor's "watch list". A county is placed on this watch list based on the rate of infections without a link to a known source i.e. the "sporadic" case rate. The threshold is currently set at fewer than 5 per 1,000 people, if higher than 5, the County is placed on the list and forced to cease operations.

Oregon Health Authority's December 30 weekly report has confirmed the suspicions of many, questioning metrics and methods of data collection. Sporadic cases far outpace epidemic cases, a case with a known link.

The chart shows the counts for several epidemiologic link designations: Dr. Henry Ealy has publicly challenged data collection methods, presenting evidence during the Yamhill County Resolution Board Meeting, Curry County Resolution Meeting, and currently has peer reviewed works in multiple court cases across the country.

In review of this week's report Dr. Ealy states "We know the most likely place of transmission is within households with more than one person as confirmed by the Journal of the American Medical Association. Knowing this, it challenges credibility to assert that sporadic transmission is more than doubling household transmission over the past 6 weeks. The dramatic increase in sporadic transmission does coincide with the same timeframe for increases in PCR cycle thresholds. So, we either have a completely untraceable viral spread and should eliminate contact tracing or we have significant problems with PCR testing and data collection. Either way it's difficult to objectively trust the data being published at this time and it's important that we fix these problems immediately."

Dr Ealy has offered support to OHA since early July, and is hopeful for the possibility of future collaborative efforts, focused on patient care and appropriate safety guidance. With a mere 2.2% of all cases having an abnormal x-ray image, and 61.3% of 117,000 cases noted as exhibiting "any symptoms", it's clear there is much more to the story.

As the video has made its rounds through social media, an outraged public has started asking questions about data breaches, and errors in collection methods, especially where sporadic case rates are concerned. Fed up business owners have furiously e-mailed lawmakers, and the health authority demanding answers. Sometime between January 1, 2021 and January 2, 2021, as the video went viral, the Oregon Health Authority hastily added a disclaimer to the top of the reporting portal. The disclaimer reads "Intentionally reporting false or misleading information to OHA, may result in civil penalties".

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So far, the Oregon Health Authority has dodged being anywhere near a camera, a microphone and Dr. Ealy. Pat Allen and Dr. Dean Sidelinger have flat out declined to comment on any challenge to data presented thus far. Public records requests have been filed and confirmed via the online submission process, but have yet to be followed up on.

Many are left to wonder how information this important, with such significant outcomes to power and policy have been left open to vulnerability and corruption throughout the entire year. Public faith has hit a new low, as scandal has hit an all time high within the state of Oregon.


--Breeauna Sagdal

Post Date: 2021-01-05 07:28:46Last Update: 2021-01-06 13:57:54



Remains of Child Found
State Police are investigating

The Oregon State Police is releasing this sketch of a child found in Lincoln County on December 10, 2020, asking for assistance in identifying the remains.

On December 10, 2020, Investigators were summoned to the H.B. Van Duzer Forest State Scenic Corridor for a death investigation. The area is a heavily wooded state park in Lincoln County, Oregon, and due to the terrain OSP Detectives were assisted by Lincoln County SAR members after finding the remains of a female child.

The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office estimates the decease’s age to be 6-and-a-half to 10 years old. She is approximately 3’10” to 4’6” tall, and had long hair that is dark brown or black. Her race or ethnic origin has yet to be determined, but DNA analysis is not complete.

Due to the condition of the remains she had likely been deceased at least 30 days before she was discovered. No information regarding the cause or manner of death is available for release at this time.

If you have any information that might help investigators in identifying this child, please call 800-442-0776 or *OSP (*677).


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-01-04 19:04:31Last Update: 2021-01-04 21:42:41



Rep. Brock Smith Calls Out Governor on Vaccine Distribution
Oregon is in the bottom ten amongst states

Lack of Action on Covid-19 Vaccine Roll Out Continues to Fail Oregon’s Most Vulnerable Families; Governor & Democrat Supermajority Must Prioritize its Distribution to Save the Lives of Oregonians in Every Corner of Our State State Representative David Brock Smith (R-Port Orford) called on the Governor and Democrat Supermajority to prioritize COVID-19 vaccination distribution and provide the needed structure and funding for an efficient vaccine rollout.

“It is unfathomable that Oregon is in the bottom ten amongst states across the nation in COVID-19 vaccination distribution,” said Rep. Brock Smith. “Similarly, our state’s been ranked near the bottom of high school graduation rate and now the Governor and Democrat Supermajority’s continued failures is highlighted with their inability to govern and oversee an effective distribution system of COVID-19 Pfizer-BioNtech & Moderna vaccines to the public.”

The state of Oregon has received over 190,000 vaccine doses since receiving approval on December 11th, yet as of yesterday the state has provided less than 50,000 immunizations. There have been three Legislative Special Sessions and over $2 Billion dollars in state and federal funding that have been distributed to various state agencies, projects, and issues.

“We have comprehensive economical proposals of receipt, storage and disbursement of COVID-19 vaccines to all areas of the state, although lack of resources and funding are some excuses being used for not moving these proposals for services forward,” said Rep. Brock Smith. “Lives are being lost, many hang in the balance and Oregonians deserve a state government that has a clear and reliable plan for a systematic vaccine rollout. These plans exist and I urge Governor Brown and House Majority Leader Smith-Warner to immediately prioritize the lives of our fellow Oregonians.”

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--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-01-04 16:06:47Last Update: 2021-01-04 17:26:53



Internal Democrat Feud Ends
Want racial division? Check out the House Democratic caucus.

In a move that is sure to have ripple effects throughout the 2021 Legislative session, Oregon House Democrats, in the persons of Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner (D-Portland) and Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland), have put out a press release that they've entitled Confronting Oregon’s Racist Past and Committing to a Truly Equitable Future. This release effectively signals an end to State Representative Janelle Bynum's (D-Happy Valley) bid to unseat Kotek as Speaker. Bynum was named chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee.

Smith Warner and Kotek, both of whom are white, began, "As elected lawmakers dedicated to building a future where all Oregonians can live the fullness of their lives, we must never forget that racism is threaded through the state’s history and continues to undermine our present.

They continued, recounting some of Oregon's less-than-noble history, "From its very start, Oregon was founded as an anti-Black “white utopia.” Black people were banned from the state in the Oregon Constitution, and the Oregon Territory itself is land stolen from the Native tribes who had made this region home for centuries. Through deliberate policies -- from red-lining to forced displacement for “economic development” -- Black families were literally robbed of wealth and kept from living in many parts of the state for decades. Today, gentrification, discrimination, and racially biased policing practices continue to deny Black families economic and physical freedom.

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"Our colleague, Rep. Janelle Bynum, has been a leading voice in the Legislature for confronting and dismantling the structural legacies that have kept BIPOC Oregonians out of positions of power and influence." BIPOC stands for "Black, Indigenous and People of Color," and is a racial designation specifically created to exclude Asians and South Asians -- groups which most see as not disadvantaged, despite historic racism against them.

"We are committed to confronting the past while taking steps to build a future that is more truly equitable—one that centers the needs of people who have been oppressed, discriminated against, and kept out of the halls of influence for too long. In the near term, the Leadership of the Oregon House Democrats is embarking on these steps: The irony of creating dedicated carve-outs based on race in order to combat historic racism is not lost on some observers, and prioritizing funding based on race has been regarded as questionably legal by some.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-01-04 11:40:20Last Update: 2021-01-04 17:21:22



More Businesses Profiles During Lockdowns
How the government response to COVID-19 impacts people

At a recent press conference, Governor Kate Brown featured a victim of COVID-19, the disease. She has been less-than-supportive of those victims of COVID-19, the economic lockdown.

Walnut City Lanes, bowling and entertainment center in McMinnville, has been owned and operated by Jerry and Sharri Rettke for 43 years. During that time they have seen multiple economic cycles but with hard work and a faithful customer base they have survived and thrived as a business member of the community.

The COVID-19 shutdown first ordered in March of 2020 hit the heart of their strong bowling league season which is typically from November to May. Their business was deemed non-essential just as the planned spring break league play and corporate events were to have happened. Their 13 employees had to be let go. The Rettkes paid 4 weeks severance to the full-time staff, many of which had become like family.

Throughout the summer, with local restaurants open and adverse health statistics controlled their business, was forced limit activity before being shut down totally just as league season began. The hope for a return to opening in the fall coincided with the hope for a return to classrooms for school children. Neither happened, even though only one in ten thousand county residents had been listed as a COVID-19 death at that time. As the Rettkes face ongoing fixed expenses such as $38,000 in property taxes plus insurance and utilities -- all of which are at a higher rate than the previous year -- they must hang on by spending their retirement savings.

Their attractive location on Highway 99W would go quickly at auction if it comes to that, but at what discount? And what of their employees need for income? And what of their faithful customers need for a respite from social isolation?


--Tom Hammer

Post Date: 2021-01-04 09:51:06Last Update: 2021-01-04 11:10:26



The Evolution of Transit Fare Evasion
Riders pay less than half the cost of the ride. Some pay none.

As part of the growing trend of law enforcement reform, manifesting itself in -- let's be frank -- reductions in penalties for crimes and illegal actions, in 2017 TriMet asked the Oregon Legislature for a bill so that they could do their own enforcement on fare evasion. HB 2777 was passed authorizing mass transit districts to establish an administrative process to adjudicate ordinance violations. Oregon’s ACLU supported passage to increase access to TriMet passes for low-income individuals, seniors and people with disabilities, which they believed would reduce fare evasion.

In May of 2017, TriMet added 20 security personnel to respond to a knife attack that left two men dead and another injured. Drivers were told to let fare evaders on and push the “fare evasion” button. Drivers still feel they lack support and policies put them in danger by requiring them to tell confrontational fare evaders they didn’t pay enough.

On October 22, 2019 TriMet announced there were increasing fare inspectors to reduce the 14.5% found by a PSU study that ride without paying. The first month a homeless man was charged $175 fare violation even though he had a transit pass. TriMet discontinued an ad campaign in November that framed fare enforcement as a service to riders, after it generated substantial backlash.

Under Oregon law, a rider who fails to pay the transit fare or commits another transit-related violation can be cited in court and fined. HB 2777 gives mass transit districts the ability to create an alternative administrative process for resolving violations including reducing fines through an in-house hearing or order community service before taking the case to court.

When Governor Brown announced the stay-at-home order in March of 2020, people began working from home and ridership dropped 60%. Ridership has continued to stay at the 60% below 2019 levels. TriMet suspended cash fares for Hop Fastpass on March 26, 2020. This was done in response to COVID-19 to limit contact with boarders. Now that TriMet has a number of safety measures in place, and faces a lawsuit for violating state law by not involving the public in that decision, they are again accepting cash as of October 1.

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During the pandemic TriMet fare enforcers issued fewer citations for fare evasion. It follows that reduced ridership would reduce fare evasion. However, TriMet board changed the approach of the fare enforcers to “fare informing, not fare enforcing.” Enforcement practices are still in place, but they offer more leeway to some riders using more of an education process. Part of that education process is making riders aware of the Transit Fare Programs that offers reduced fares for low-income riders, fare assistance, fare relief and a high school pass program.

TriMet received life support from a $185 million federal COVID-19 relief package, but are restricted on how it is used. The 2021 budget includes funds for hiring eight new security workers to perform fare checks. Until the pandemic lockdown is terminated, the determination of whether HB 2777 is beneficial remains in suspense.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-01-04 01:48:59Last Update: 2021-01-04 09:51:06



New York as Role Model
Their track record doesn’t justify the title

How closely Governor Brown follows New York will play out in our legislative session. Governor Cuomo leads the way for Democrat governors. It doesn’t seem to matter that it is unconstitutional.

The New York State Senate just dropped the next bombshell by introducing Assembly Bill A416, relating to the removal of cases, contacts and carriers of communicable diseases who are potentially dangerous to the public health. The bill reads,

“the commissioner or the heads of local health departments, may order the removal and/or detention of such a person or of a group of such persons by issuing a single order, identifying such persons either by name or by a reasonably specific description of the individuals or group being detain. Such person or group of persons shall be detained in a medical facility or other appropriate facility or premises designated by the governor of his or her delegee and complying with subdivision five of this section.”

The bill isn’t limited to COVID-19. Any disease carrier the Governor considers dangerous to public health will instantly subject a person to total submission to the state. They take complete control of your body and can vaccinate and experiment on you all they want without your permission. You will be a prisoner of the state.

They can’t let the coronavirus pass without another plan to keep control of people. The Oregon Health Authority just released and error notification saying:

If you are one of the Oregonians who received a notification on your cell phone about COVID exposure tracking, please know that the Oregon Exposure Notification Application, also known as OR Notify, was released earlier than anticipated. Apple inadvertently turned the application on and has since turned it off.

The project is still under development. Oregon Health Authority partnered with Oregon State University, which led a pilot of the application that ended Thursday. OHA will assess the results to determine when to launch the application.

People are rarely without their cell phones, so hopefully, installation of the software will be voluntary.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-01-03 20:45:00Last Update: 2021-01-04 01:48:59



Governor Brown Exhibits Fines
Trophy list shows exercise of her will

In a move that can only be interpreted as a strong-arm warning to other businesses, the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration has released a list of COVID-19 related penalties issued to businesses. Though Oregon OSHA is tasked by the Legislature with ensuring employee safety in the workplace -- their mission statement on their website describes it as "To advance and improve workplace safety and health for all workers in Oregon" -- under the direction of Oregon Governor Kate Brown, OSHA has been tasked with enforcing her questionably legal COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

According to the
summary of citations, "Since March, Oregon OSHA has received about 18,400 complaints related to COVID-19. Since then, we have also received about 3,600 non-Covid complaints. For perspective, in a typical year we receive just over 2,000 complaints." They also claim that "Since March, Oregon OSHA has issued at least 70 citations to employers for violating requirements to protect workers from COVID-19. Penalties for non-willful violations ranged from $100 to $2,000, while penalties for willful violations ranged from $8,900 to $17,500."

As some cities and counties pledge support to businesses that try to open, and many local police and sheriffs are lukewarm or outright refusing to enforce the Governor's edicts, Brown has turned to the bureaucracy, namely Oregon OSHA and to a lesser degree the Oregon Liquor Control Commission to step outside their lane and enforce COVID-19 mandates. Some of the citations are explicitly directed toward customer behavior.

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In the opinion of State Representative Mike Nearman (R-Independence), this represents a crisis in separation of powers. "With few exceptions, all of the Executive branch, which includes OSHA, gets their direction from the legislature. They have no such mandate."

Some activists will see the publication of this list as an opportunity to locate businesses to patronize, to support them as they stand against the Governor. In stark contrast to the March lockdowns, people and businesses are beginning to fight these mandates, oblivious to the penalties. Below are the penalized businesses, arranged by county:

Coos County Deschutes County Douglas County Klamath County Lake County Marion County Polk County Clackamas County Clatsop County Deschutes County Douglas County Grant County Jackson County Josephine County Lake County Lane County Lincoln County Linn County Malheur County Marion County Multnomah County Tillamook County Washington County Yamhill County
--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-01-03 14:21:53Last Update: 2021-01-04 17:22:15



Hey, What Happened to the Flu?
Asking for a friend. A very sick friend.

As the lockdowns and hand-wringing over COVID-19 continue, data from the 2020-21 flu season is starting to emerge as an "emperor has no clothes" moment, reminding us that data and science should still inform decision making.

This chart from the CDC website which shows weekly percentage of hospital visits for influenza like illnesses from September to August, so as to capture a single flu season. As you can see, during most years, flu hospitalizations start to increase at about week 48, which is around the end of November, peaking somewhere about the end of January or early February.

There a few possible explanations: I could be any one of these, or a combination of these. The CDC offers a possible explanation on its website:

"The U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network monitors outpatient visits for influenza-like illness, not laboratory-confirmed influenza, and as such, will capture visits due to other respiratory pathogens, such as SARS-CoV-2, that present with similar symptoms. In addition, healthcare-seeking behaviors have changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are accessing the healthcare system in alternative settings which may or may not be captured as a part of ILINet. Therefore, ILI data, including ILI activity levels, should be interpreted with extreme caution. It is particularly important at this time to evaluate syndromic surveillance data, including that from ILINet, in the context of other sources of surveillance data to obtain a complete and accurate picture of both influenza and COVID-19 activity."

In other words, if you think you're seeing something here, you might not really be seeing it, so move on. It's true that more people are using other ways to access the medical system, like tele-health, but there aren't many alternatives to hospitalization for extreme symptoms. In any case, if trends continue, this will have to be explained.

Government -- at least state government in Oregon -- keeps telling us what danger we are in. It's nice to see that at least one problem has apparently fixed itself.

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--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-01-03 13:36:54Last Update: 2021-01-04 17:23:02



Attempted Murder Suspect Apprehended
U.S. Marshals arrest escapee in Portland, Oregon

David Dahlen had recently escaped custody from the Portland Police Bureau on Saturday, January 2, 2021, partially due to mandated coronavirus holding cell cleaning procedures.

In the morning hours of Friday, January 8, 2021, the United States Marshal's Fugitive Task Force located attempted murder suspect and escapee David Dahlen, 24, inside a vehicle at Lents Park, 4808 Southeast 92nd Avenue. They notified the Portland Police Bureau and members of the Homicide Unit, Tactical Operations Division, K9 Unit, and East Precinct patrol responded to assist.

At about 8:50a.m., the U.S. Marshals attempted to block the vehicle Dahlen was in, however, the driver of the vehicle was able to escape the Marshals' efforts. The vehicle fled from the area, heading eastbound on Southeast Holgate Boulevard. Officers assigned to East Precinct set up spike strips near the 11000 block of Southeast Holgate Boulevard, which the vehicle occupied by Dahlen ran over. The vehicle's tires deflated, the driver attempted to swerve around another vehicle, lost control, and crashed into a retaining wall and a power pole near the 11400 block of Southeast Holgate Street. The impact damaged the pole and knocked wires onto the street. Dahlen fled from the crashed vehicle and an East Precinct officer took him into custody a short distance away. Another person in the car was also detained.

Dahlen was transported to an area hospital where he will be checked for injuries due to the crash. The other occupant of the vehicle will also be seen at an area hospital for injuries. His identity will be released if he is charged with a crime.

"It's clear that this individual has no regard for the safety of the public and will put others in danger in an effort to escape," said Chief Chuck Lovell. "I'm grateful to the United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force, the PPB Homicide Unit, the Tactical Operations Division, East Precinct patrol officers, and all who worked together to capture this dangerous fugitive. "


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2021-01-03 11:00:56Last Update: 2021-01-08 19:10:46



Transit Takes a COVID Hit
The ridership crunch is softened by your tax dollars

Everyone knows that businesses have been taking a big hit from COVID-19. What is not so apparent is that transit is also taking a hit and this might cause long-lasting impacts for these districts.

Boardings -- defined as getting on a transit vehicle, even if this is part of a longer ride -- are down. Way down. What is not shown in this chart is the WES boardings, which had a similar fall from a high of 7,500 in October 2019 to a low in April 2020 of 1,250.

Tri-Met is the largest transit district, serving the greater Portland area. It's heavily subsidized -- over 75% of its revenue comes from taxes, not from fares -- so, the loss in ridership won't have as big an impact on its ability to stay afloat, but its revenue source is payroll taxes, and as unemployment is high, these taxes take a hit. As paid boardings decline and fewer fare dollars are collected per transit mile, the operating cost per boarding goes up. In other words, it costs a certain amount to get a bus or MAX train to go a mile and if you get more people on, the cost per person per mile goes down. In April, 2020 the operating cost per boarding shot up to over $15.00.

The future of transit may be waning, at least in the Portland area. Voters rejected a transit tax in the 2020 election, signaling that after several months of COVID-19, they were not in the mood for more taxes and more transit. One would think that the part of loss of ridership that is due to people being unemployed would easily come back once the jobs come back. The part of ridership loss due to fear of COVID-19 might be harder to recover.

Tri-Met's website says that they are working hard to keep transit areas clean and free of COVID-19, but it may not be enough to raise the confidence level of many people.

And let's not forget that crime is a big factor in deterring ridership, and Portland had a long, hard summer of crime. It seems like de-criminalizing everything is the rage these days. HB 4907 prohibiting police officer from conducting or participating in activities intended to determine whether person has paid certain user charges, fees or tolls imposed by mass transit district passed the House but never made it to the Senate in the walkout-shortened 2020 session.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-01-03 09:43:40Last Update: 2021-01-03 11:11:04



Redistricting Will Bring Change to Oregon
Democrats will have to do a balancing act

According to the US Constitution, a census shall be taken every ten years. This is described in Article I, Section 2.

The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative.

Once this is done -- and it should be done in the spring of this year -- the Oregon Legislature is set with the task of redrawing all the State House, State Senate and US Representative Congressional districts. What makes the process more fun this year is that Oregon is all but certain to get a 6th Congressional District. We currently have five. Article IV, Section 6 of the Oregon Constitution contains more specific instructions on redistricting, or as it's called, apportionment.

Apportionment of Senators and Representatives; operative date. (1) At the odd-numbered year regular session of the Legislative Assembly next following an enumeration of the inhabitants by the United States Government, the number of Senators and Representatives shall be fixed by law and apportioned among legislative districts according to population. A senatorial district shall consist of two representative districts. Any Senator whose term continues through the next odd-numbered year regular legislative session after the operative date of the reapportionment shall be specifically assigned to a senatorial district. The ratio of Senators and Representatives, respectively, to population shall be determined by dividing the total population of the state by the number of Senators and by the number of Representatives. A reapportionment by the Legislative Assembly becomes operative as described in subsection (6) of this section.

Democrats are in charge of the Legislature and barring some kind of internal division, they will draw a map that favors their fortunes. Elections have consequences. That's how it's done. The Legislature just draws a map and passes it as a bill. If they fail to do so, the job goes to the Secretary of State, and inevitably, there will be some lawsuits that get heard in the Oregon Supreme Court, but when the dust settles, we'll have new districts that reflect changes in population.

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Speculation runs wild about what the Congressional map of Oregon will look like. To many, it seems like Central Oregon should get a district. Bend is the fastest growing city in the state, with no end in sight. Some think that the coast, long divided as appendages into three different Congressional Districts should be one district. After all, people in Astoria tend to be like those in Newport as well as Coos Bay.

Democrats will have to decide if they are willing to weaken the 4th and 5th Congressional Districts, currently held by Peter DeFazio and Kurt Schrader, respectively. The voter registration is close in both districts. No matter how you slice it, the result of redistricting will create as much opportunity as it creates controversy.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-01-02 20:53:06Last Update: 2021-01-02 21:22:03



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