Governor Kate Brown has once again extended her declaration of a state of emergency for Coronavirus for an additional 60 days, until May 2nd.

The declaration is the legal underpinning for the Governor’s COVID-19 executive orders and the Oregon Health Authority’s actions.

Extending the state of emergency helps her to fully utilize available federal COVID-19 relief and assistance, including assistance with vaccine distribution, which may the reason behind Kate Brown's doing so.

“When I issued my first state of emergency declaration last March, there were 14 known cases of COVID-19 in Oregon,” said Governor Brown.

“Throughout the pandemic, Oregonians have made smart choices that have protected our families and loved ones. Our infection and mortality rates have consistently remained some of the lowest in the country. And, for the first time, COVID-19 critical care units are seeing fewer and fewer patients.

“As we vaccinate thousands of Oregonians each day and reopen more school buildings and businesses.”

The Governor reviews and reevaluates each of her emergency orders every 60 days, to determine whether those orders should be continued, modified, or rescinded. The findings of this review process are listed in her executive order.

The extension comes as many counties are finally seeing their "risk level" lowered. This system used by Oregon counties was initially announced by Brown's administration in late 2020 , alongside the implementation of a "two week freeze" of businesses not deemed "essential" by the government.

Observers in Oregon are noting the Governors unwillingness to let Oregon businesses reopen, following yet another actual emergency in the recent historic ice-storm and consistently low COVID case metrics. During the recent historic ice storm, it was illegal for Oregon patrons to eat inside a restaurant, and many Oregonians sat and ate cold meals at home in the dark.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-02-25 10:12:32

Last Update: 2021-02-25 10:43:21

Oregon's vote-by-mail system has been criticized for having the ballots out of the hands of the voter and the County elections officials -- therefore subject to manipulation or being discarded. Now, one Southern Oregon lawmaker wants to address at least part of the problem.

The National Conference of State Legislatures has identified at least three states in which legislation has passed in the last few years, tightening the laws on who is allowed to return a ballot -- some in the name of election integrity.

• In 2018, Montana voters approved a legislatively referred ballot measure to limit any person to collecting and conveying six voted ballots.
• In 2016, Arizona enacted HB 2023, which specified that no one other than a family member, household member or caregiver can return a voter’s ballot, and made it a felony for others to do so.
• Also in 2016, California enacted AB 1921, which says a “vote by mail voter who is unable to return the ballot may designate another person to return the ballot.” The new law goes on to say that compensation for the collection of ballots is prohibited. Some, such as Fox News, say the law allowed Democrats to win even bigger than expected in 2018 in California; others, including the bill’s sponsor, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, say the bill’s intention was to remove “yet another obstacle for individuals attempting to vote.”

Here in Oregon, State Representative E. Werner Reschke (R-Malin) is proposing to make ballot harvesting, or turning in anyone else's ballot, except for family, against the law. HB 3196, introduced by Reschke, would ban the practice and make almost everyone turn in their own ballot.

Representative Reschke said, "Oregonians deeply care about ensuring our elections are indeed the express will of the people by ending the shady practice of ballot harvesting."

In November 2018, a liberal political group called Defend Oregon, associated with Our Oregon, an political arm of the public employee unions was fined over $95,000 for harvesting ballots which they never turned in.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-02-25 07:16:46

Last Update: 2021-02-24 10:22:30

As the State of Oregon released the latest revenue forecast, Senator Wagner issued a press release displaying just how out of touch Oregon Democratic leaders are with Oregonians.

In his press release he stated “I am dismayed at the disproportionate ways Oregonians have experienced this crisis. More women experienced job loss than did men, and moms are disproportionately exiting the workforce. We cannot allow this pandemic to roll back long-fought-for gender equity”.

Has Senator Wagner examined how many of those mothers had no choice because someone had to stay home with school age children for the last 300+ days? With schools closed since last March, by order of the Governor, someone had to become the educational provider for the children. Even with distance learning children need on-site supervision. Also, in many cases these women were making good living wages, but their spouse, partner, etc. was making slightly more and/or was the one with healthcare benefits provided through their employer. The choice of who was going to quit their job and stay home was not their decision. The decision was made for them by the actions of the Governor. Oregon is among one of the last 11 states to re-open in person education and has been delayed arbitrarily by teachers union demands across many districts.

He continued in his press release to place blame on Oregonians if the financial recovery slows. “It remains abundantly clear that our economic recovery is tied to our ability to slow the spread of COVID-19. That means getting Oregonians vaccinated and renewing our commitment to follow public health guidelines. When individuals hold large gatherings, refuse to wear a mask or ignore distancing and hygiene recommendations they put lives at risk, as well as our economic recovery”.

According to an article published by the Oregonian, “Oregon ranks third to last for the percentage of seniors it has inoculated against COVID-19 among 31 states with comparable data, an analysis by The Oregonian/OregonLive has found.” These seniors are the very demographic that are at the greatest risk of contracting COVID and in turn increasing case numbers. However, they have been placed in line for the vaccine behind teachers and incarcerated individuals, again by the actions of the Governor.

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In addition, the same Oregonian article points out that as of the end of January, Oregon was among the last two states to have businesses closed. Has Senator Wagner considered that the economic recovery is just as at risk IF the state continues to keep businesses closed? Businesses that are not open do not generate revenue that are taxed. Businesses that are not open do not have employees and therefore are not paying payroll taxes. Both are economic recovery sources for state revenue.

Finally, Senator Wagner stated “I am hopeful the Biden Administration and Congress will pass legislation that provides additional funds to states, local governments, businesses and individuals. We need critical support from our partners in the federal government to deliver essential services and maintain our economy.”

Why does the state continue to insist that the Federal Government bail Oregon out? Why should the other 48 states that have opened their economy pay for the choices that the Governor made for Oregon businesses and citizens.

A press release from the Oregon Senate Republicans counter the Majority Party statement well, “The Governor is lucky to have gotten such a windfall from the federal government. Too many working people aren’t so lucky. They have been asked to sacrifice by tightening their budgets. It's time for their government to do the same for them.”


--Terese Humboldt

Post Date: 2021-02-25 00:04:19

Taking every opportunity to promote their agenda for the “disadvantages,” Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) seems to agree with House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner (D-Portland) on the March economic and revenue forecast. “We are living through the most imbalanced recession of our lifetimes, where the wealthy, the stock market and the housing market thrive while front-line, low-wage workers and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities suffer.

“The data shows that we have lost 150,000 jobs in Oregon. We know that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted low-wage workers and BIPOC communities across the state. Our recovery efforts must prioritize those who have been most directly impacted by this crisis. As we plan Oregon’s recovery, these communities must be kept top-of-mind.”

The disparaging fact is the Economic Policy Institute reports Oregon’s 2020 first quart unemployment overall was at 3.3%, White people experiencing 3.6%, and Hispanics were at 3.0%, which means the BIPOC unemployed percentage was somewhat less. The second quarter, at the peak of the pandemic unemployment raised to 13.5% overall with White people experiencing 13.3%. Hispanics were at 14.2% meaning the BIPOC group had a less percentage unemployed than Whites.

The Majority leadership’s agenda to cater to what they identify as the “underserved” has at every turn exaggerated the situation to make their point.

A small light for equality came with Senate President Peter Courtney statement of the March 2021 quarterly economic and revenue forecast. “I’m very surprised… The forecast is way up. This allows us to start really dealing with the pain and suffering of Oregonians.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-02-24 16:12:39

Last Update: 2021-02-24 18:20:24

When the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis issued its February Economic and Revenue Forecast, one needs to keep in mind that they are talking about the state's economy and the state's revenue. You and I are on our own. Especially if you own a small business. Nowhere does the document talk about the many bars, taverns, restaurants and other small businesses which were effectively shut down during the government sponsored recession.

For some, while you weren't going out to your favorite Mexican or Italian restaurant, and working from home and not buying gas to go to work, you were pocketing the money. The OEA announced that "Households have built up considerable savings in the past year." Not if you're a waitress. They note that "Lower income households continue to struggle," that "Job prospects remain dim," and that "Federal aid has lapsed at different points."

If you're a service industry worker or a small business just hanging on by your fingernails, the OEA points out that "Pent up demand will be unleashed as pandemic wanes and economy reopens" and that a "mix of consumer spending will shift back to labor intensive, in person services, driving strong employment gains."

the OEA is a part of the Department of Administrative Services, which reports to the Governor. Do you suppose they know anything about her plans to open the state?


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-02-24 15:34:04

Last Update: 2021-03-09 20:34:35

Because of never-before-seen bailouts from the federal government last year, Oregon is on pace to exceed revenue expectations, according to the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis.

Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod (Lyons) released the following statement:

“I prefer to focus on the revenue coming into Oregonians' bank accounts. The reality is that 150,000 Oregonians have been put out of work because of the pandemic and the economic lockdowns. Tens of thousands are struggling to make rent, afford child care, and put food on the table.”

The Revenue Forecast indicated that the state has taken in over $800 million in excess revenue.

“The state has been bailed out by the federal government. We are looking at billions more coming our way in the coming weeks from Congress and the Biden Administration.

“The Legislature should not be considering new taxes or rolling back COVID relief. That will simply hinder economic recovery and the chances of Oregonians getting back to work. If the Democrats aren’t careful, they might even trigger the kicker and give taxpayers their money back.

“The Governor is lucky to have gotten such a windfall from the federal government. Too many working people aren’t so lucky. They have been asked to sacrifice by tightening their budgets. It's time for their government to do the same for them.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-02-24 15:33:20

Last Update: 2021-02-24 15:34:04

Oregonians routinely carry firearms in the Capitol, sometimes openly, sometimes concealed, but a cursory search indicates that there has never been an incident involving the discharge of a firearm in the Oregon Capitol. Studies have shown that the known presence of armed people deters gun violence -- as is seen in tragic shootings too often, where so-called "gun free" zones are targeted.

Each year there seems to be at least one "open carry" event -- though it may be that this year it won't happen -- and the Legislative Administrative staff make sure that those who aren't comfortable with it, are prepared. In fact, on that day, many workers stay home.

Increasingly, as violence and rioting from the left -- Black Lives Matter and Antifa -- continues with little criticism from the party in power, criticism of right-leaning groups runs rampant. Government seems to be cheerleading groups who do the most damage and yet spending taxpayer money to defend against those who've done relatively little damage. It smacks of scapegoating.

Zach Hudson (D-Troutdale) is proposing to change a longstanding state law that allows guns in the Capitol via HB 3268, which would make it a felony for a civilian to have a loaded weapon in the Capitol.

The current law says that anyone who has a concealed handgun license is allowed to carry a loaded weapon in the Capitol. If this law passes, you'll be a felon.

Most people haven't had a reason to visit the Capitol this session, as it has been closed to the public, but until recently, the first floor windows were boarded up, much of it was surrounded by fences and large concrete block defenses were placed in front. As one former State Senator said, "It looks like Beirut."

Another legislator, who asked not to be named, said "What's to be feared is not guys with black, scary guns in the Capitol. What's to be feared is a Capitol that identifies lawfully gathered citizens as the enemy."


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-02-24 13:55:26

Last Update: 2021-02-24 14:33:32

Oregon OSHA has fined a Florence restaurant $18,150 for three violations of standards designed to protect employees from the coronavirus disease. In one of the infractions, The Firehouse Restaurant willfully continued to potentially expose workers to the virus, despite a public health order limiting the capacity of indoor dining to zero in an “extreme risk” county.

The citation resulted from an inspection initiated in response to multiple complaints about The Firehouse Restaurant. The division conducted the inspection by phone. That decision was made after an investigation of social media posts and websites discovered the potential for armed people to block access to the business.

Moreover, the investigation showed that some extremist groups were encouraging people to engage in violence against Oregon OSHA compliance officers if they visited the site.

Using his discretionary authority under state law, Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood imposed a $17,800 penalty for the willful violation. That is twice the minimum penalty for such a violation. The decision reflects the need to ensure a more appropriate deterrent effect where employers insist on disregarding public health measures.

“Throughout the pandemic, we have consistently helped employers understand and follow health and safety rules. Most employers are choosing to do the right thing in the face of immense challenges,” Wood said. “We thank them for their ongoing efforts as we work to defeat this disease. As for the vocal few that continue to defy standards and to put their workers at risk, we will continue to carry out our enforcement work.” Altogether, Oregon OSHA cited three violations of the division’s temporary rule:

• In allowing indoor dining, The Firehouse Restaurant purposely chose to disregard capacity limitations imposed by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) for such establishments in a county designated as Extreme Risk OSHA says it was a willful violation. Oregon OSHA proposed a discretionary penalty of $17,800.
• The restaurant failed to develop and implement an infection control plan. Such a plan could include redesigning the workspace to enable physical distancing and reducing the use of shared surfaces and tools. It was a serious violation, carrying a proposed penalty of $175.
• The restaurant did not conduct any COVID-19 risk assessment to identify potential employee exposure to the virus and to address how to reduce such exposure. It was a serious violation, carrying a penalty of $175.

The inspection of The Firehouse Restaurant found the business committing the violations on or about Dec. 26 and continuing to do so afterward. The inspection included an interview with Kylie McKenzie, manager of the restaurant.

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McKenzie said she originally closed the business to the public, but later decided to re-open it, even though she was aware the decision went against measures to prevent the spread of the disease in an extreme-risk county.

Ongoing refusals to correct violations and come into compliance with workplace health and safety standards can lead to additional higher penalties. Meanwhile, if an Oregon OSHA inspection documents violations while a county is at extreme risk, but the county’s risk level drops before the citation is issued, the citation will still be issued. The change in risk levels may affect how the violation needs to be corrected, but not whether it is cited.

Employers have 30 days to appeal citations.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-02-24 11:32:33

Last Update: 2021-02-24 11:40:53

After the Oregon Secretary of State and the Chief Clerk of the House were informed that Rep. Diego Hernandez intends to resign from the Oregon House of Representatives effective March 15th, the Democratic Party of Oregon started work to begin the process of nominating candidates to fill the legislative vacancy in Oregon House District 47.

The Precinct Committee Persons representing the precincts in House District 47 will conduct an election and nominate between three and five nominees to be his replacement.

The DPO is proposing a Vote-By-Mail Election to determine the candidates to send forward to the County Commissioners. This timeline would see ballots mailed out to voters on March 3rd, have ballots due to the DPO on March 14th, and have ballots tabulated on March 15th. The DPO would promptly submit the list of nominees to the Multnomah County Commissioners, who would then choose a person from the list to fill the legislative vacancy for the remainder of the current legislative term.

“The Oregon Legislature is just over one month into a critical five-month-long Legislative Session, and is working hard to respond to the many crises facing our state,” said Democratic Party of Oregon Chair Carla “K.C.” Hanson. “It is important that we are ready to promptly fill a legislative vacancy, so that the people of House District 47 are represented in the Oregon House throughout this Session.”

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This is the same process that the DPO has used to fill previous legislative vacancies that arose during the COVID-19 outbreak, including for House District 33 and for Senate District 24.

People who wish to be considered for State Representative must file form SEL 145 with the Democratic Party of Oregon. Prospective candidates must meet the minimum requirements to hold the office. Those include being a registered Democrat for at least 180 days before the effective date of the officeholder’s resignation, living in the House District for at least one year, and not being under the control of the Oregon Department of Corrections.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-02-24 11:02:33

Last Update: 2021-02-24 11:02:29

HB 2388 is a bill proposing to increase equitable access to birth in community-based settings by requiring that insurers negotiate fairly for reimbursement for midwife-attended births in all birth settings, because community birth honors consumer autonomy and choice, according to Nicole Bendotoff, a midwife in a small home birth practice in Portland and a supporter of the bill.

According to Bendotoff,

• Currently, Birth Center facility fees are rarely and inadequately covered by insurance, leaving fewer birth options for families.
• A 2020 consensus report of the National Academies of Sciences, Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice, determined that “Women have the right to informed choice of the birth setting they desire, but to exercise that choice, they must have access to options for birth settings.” Community Birth is safe.
• The WHO Statement on Caesarean Section Rates (2015) reports that cesarean section rates over 10% are not associated with lower maternal and newborn mortality rates. Cesarean sections can cause permanent complications, disability, and death. In 2019, Oregon’s cesarean birth rate for planned hospital births was 29%, and for planned community births it was 5%.
• The Strong Start for Mothers and Newborns Initiative, by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), demonstrated that birth centers have lower cesarean rates, fewer preterm births, and fewer low birth weight babies.
• In a pandemic such as COVID-19, access to midwifery care in the community setting conserves hospital resources for those who are sick and reduces infection exposure risk for healthy pregnant people and newborns. Community Birth is cost-effective.
• Birth center fees in Oregon range from $6,000-$12,000, while uncomplicated hospital births are at least $18,000.
• CMS has shown that community birth offers better outcomes at lower cost to the health care system. Community Birth reduces racial disparities in outcomes.
• Black, Indigenous, and People of Color are two to five times more likely to die around the time of childbirth than white people.
• Community birth can reduce this disparity by providing personalized care and reducing unnecessary cesarean deliveries.
• The Black Mamas Matter: Advancing the Human Right to Safe and Respectful Maternal Health Care toolkit (2018) calls for policymakers to “ensure access to doula support and midwifery care”.

Since midwife births tend to be less costly than hospital births, women without insurance were incentivized to to choose a midwife birth. Midwife births were on the rise until the national Affordable Care Act expanded insurance coverage and more women giving birth had insurance and opted to have the more expensive hospital births. This led to a decline in midwife births.

Bendotoff says, "My clients always appreciate the high quality and attentive care we provide. And, during COVID this has been even more apparent. With the isolation that is happening, pregnant people and new parents are needing even more support."

Photo by Anastasiia Chepinska on Unsplash


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-02-24 07:54:12

Last Update: 2021-02-23 20:53:36

Every ten years the US Constitution requires that a census be taken, and based on the data produced by that effort, the Oregon Constitution requires that all US Congressional districts, State Senate Districts and State Representative Districts be redrawn to reflect changes in population and ensure that each district represent roughly the same amount of people.

The district lines are drawn by the legislature, unless they can't agree by July 1 and then it goes to the Secretary of State, which it has often done in the past few decades, due to partisan disagreements within the legislature. The problem this year is that the federal census was delayed due to COVID-19 and the work might not get done by July 1, but since this is not the fault of the Legislature, lawsuits are teeing up to argue this.

Early signs are that Oregon will gain a sixth Congressional district, which will require some rethinking of all the districts. Will the coast get it's own unified Congressional district? It currently is split among three. Will Central Oregon and the growing Bend region get its own district? It's currently a part of the sprawling 2nd Congressional District that covers sparsely populated Eastern Oregon.

The Senate Committee on Redistricting, chaired by Senator Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland) and the House Committee on Redistricting, chaired by Representative Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego) will each have public hearings in which the public is invited to testify.



These are the various virtual public hearings for different districts in the state. You can use the buttons to sign up to testify during these hearings. The map above shows the current Congressional Districts.

Some people are concerned that despite the fact that 35.5% of registered voters on Oregon are registered to vote Democrat -- about one-third of registered voters -- the decisions about what the districts will look like will be made exclusively by a Democrat-led House, a Democrat-led Senate, a Democrat Governor and a Democrat Secretary of State.

There's also concern that since the Tri-County metropolitan area is dominated by Democrats, that lines will be drawn in rural communities by politicians who have no connection to those areas.

According to some, part of the problem in Oregon is that you have politicians eating their own dog food -- i.e. they are drawing the very districts in which they will run and which they hope to continue to represent. Many other states have a redistricting process that involves decision makers who don't have a direct stake in the outcome. They've pointed out that in a democratic republic, voters should pick their politicians -- politicians shouldn't pick their voters.

Virtual Hearings for Individuals Residing in:	Hearing Dates:	Hearing Times (click on the time to sign up to testify)
District 1 (Clatsop, Columbia, part of Multnomah, Washington and Yamhill counties)	Tuesday, March 9	5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
	Saturday, March 20	9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
District 2 (Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, part of Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler counties)	Wednesday, March 10	5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
	Saturday, March 20	1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
District 3 (Part of Clackamas and part of Multnomah counties)	Thursday, March 11	5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
	Saturday, April 10	9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
District 4 (Part of Benton, Coos, Curry, Douglas, part of Josephine, Lane and Linn counties)	Tuesday, March 16	5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
	Saturday, April 10	12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
District 5 (Part of Benton, part of Clackamas, Lincoln, Marion, part of Multnomah, Polk and Tillamook counties)	Thursday, March 18	5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
	Saturday, April 10	3:00 PM – 5:00 PM

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-02-23 19:27:35

Last Update: 2021-02-24 08:13:44

The cost of riding the Wheatland and Buena Vista ferries is scheduled to change on March 15, 2021.

At Wheatland Ferry, which crosses the Willamette River north of Keizer, the toll for vehicles less than 22 feet in length, which includes motorcycles, passenger cars and pickups, will increase $1.

The new Wheatland Ferry rate will match the rate already in effect at the Buena Vista Ferry, which crosses the Willamette River at the town of Buena Vista.

The toll for motorcycles, cars and pickups will remain unchanged at the Buena Vista Ferry. Bicycle tolls will remain unchanged and pedestrians will continue to be allowed to ride both ferries for free.

The new rate structure includes toll changes for trucks and tractor-trailers greater than 22 feet in length, too. Once these rates go into effect, the toll schedule for the Wheatland and Buena Vista Ferries will be the same. Upcoming toll changes have been posted at both ferries to inform people that ride the ferries on a regular basis. You can view all Marion County ferry toll rates on the county's website.

The two ferries operated by Marion County provide an important transportation resource for various segments of the county. The upcoming toll increases will not make the ferry program profitable, but are designed to keep operating losses to a manageable level. This will be the first rate increase for the Wheatland ferry in 12 years.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-02-23 13:10:05

Last Update: 2021-02-23 13:17:32