On this day, June 4, 1990, Janet Adkins, age 54, of Portland, became the first person to use a suicide machine developed by Dr. Kevorkian. This began a national debate over the right to die.
Also on this day, June 4, 1999 a federal judge in Portland ruled that AT&T must open its cable lines to competitors. Also on this day, June 4, 2017, a pro-Trump rally and counter-protest in Portland was marked by multiple arrests and clashes.
On Saturday, April 17th, at about 10:00p.m., a group of about 70 people formed in front of Portland Police East Precinct, 737 Southeast 106th Avenue. The group began moving into the street, blocking traffic. Many in the group wore helmets, body armor, and had heavy backpacks, which was consistent with the characteristics of those intent on criminal behavior.
Some individuals began to roll two large dumpsters from a nearby school into the street toward the precinct. Because dumpsters have been used many times as vessels to start fires, the Unified Command of Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue determined it was likely that this group's intent was the same.
East Precinct is part of the city's critical public safety infrastructure and a working precinct 24 hours a day.
The crowd was warned by loudspeaker not to restrict access to the precinct, not to start fires, or block traffic. Despite the warnings, one dumpster was pushed up close to the front door and the other near the garage door.
Due to the criminal activity and clear intent to block access to the precinct, the group was advised by loudspeaker that it had become an unlawful assembly and they were directed to leave to the north. They did not comply so officers moved in and the group moved away as instructed. The officers discovered that one of the dumpsters smelled of smoke but had not caught fire. A collapsible baton and some other gear was dropped when they ran away.
The City of Portland and downtown businesses are totaling up the most recent damage from rioting, arson, theft, and vandalism. Reports are being compiled and there is no cost estimate, but it appears to be significant damage.
The woman must be believed. Unless the man is a powerful Democrat
Incredible.
After applying the harshest of interim safety measures to then-Representative Diego Hernandez -- not punitive, because interim safety measures aren't meant to be punitive -- including removing him from committees, and then beating down Representative Mike Nearman (R-Independence) by taking his access to the building away, the House Committee on Conduct has finally found a limit to the extent of their punishments, er, uh, I mean safety measures. Both Hernandez and Nearman are no friends to House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland), so it's fun to dish out harsh measures. Additionally, Witt barely hung on to his seat in fairly conservative Columbia County.
Now, Representative Brad Witt (D-Clatskanie), who is not out of favor with the Speaker stands accused by some sort of misconduct and has to appear before the House Committee on Conduct to get his interim safety measures. His victim serves on a committee that he chairs. It's not certain that the victim is a Republican, but if you want the video, can you imagine if the victim was a Democrat that two women on the committee would choose to not implement a recommendation of the investigator, who recommended that Representative Witt step down as chair of the committee. This, even after Representative Witt offered to be removed as chair of the committee.
Maybe we're done with the #MeToo movement and "the woman must be believed" and when the committee convenes, the victim will have to attend with her accuser. According to Representative Julie Fahey (D-Eugene), Representative Witt need not step down as committee chair because that would be "punitive" as she hems and haws her way through a weak explanation. According to Representative Tawna Sanchez (D-Portland), Representative Witt need not step down as committee chair, because, after all, the committee meets virtually.
House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) had this to say. “Co-chair Fahey’s rejection of the independent investigator’s recommendation to temporarily remove Chair Witt from his committee shows a shameful disregard for the pressing need for interim safety measures to protect the victim. This is a sham process if the committee rejects the recommendations of the independent investigator with no basis for that rejection. This is not, in fact, a “tricky situation” as co-chair Fahey indicated. It is traumatizing a victim and protecting those in power—and it is completely unacceptable. The responsibility now falls to the Speaker to ensure that Chair Witt is removed, to ensure the safety of the victim.
"Allowing the accused to choose the actions they will voluntarily take to protect their victim is not how this process should work.”
Incredible.
The war is over, but the battles continue in Yamhill County
Friends of the Yamhelas-Westsider Trail in Yamhill County, a project that the courts have decided does not comply with various laws, are circulating a petition to support an illegal action. These are good citizens who are continually misled and not informed of relevant factors by selfish interests, elected idealists and senior County staff interested in their personal power. Sowing the seeds of resentment and evoking divisive emotions distracts from rational thought causing animosity among neighbors.
Petition statements are corrected below.
"Commissioners are doing a favor for a small, well-funded group."
Commissioners are recognizing the County has wasted huge dollars pursuing a project deemed illegal on four occasions by LUBA. They have stopped that continued law breaking and financial waste by officials.
"Stopping the Trail could cause the County to repay $3 million."
$3 million is a wild guess intended to stampede decision makers. Omitted is a discussion of who authorized the illegal expenditures. ODOT was compliant in facilitating the illegal expenditures. The amount to repay and terms of repayment are negotiable.
Not having a trail to maintain, police, need fire protection, emergency services and require legal costs from litigating liability claims conservatively saves the County $150k/year perpetually. The savings far exceed even the “wild guess” largest claimed financial liabilities.
"A sale would funnel money out of the County."
A lease or sale to adjacent land owners would keep everything in Yamhill County. It would allow more agriculture on acres now idled, enhancing Yamhill County’s economy and largest primary industry.
"The Trail is not illegal because on one occasion the Land Use Board of Appeals did not fully rebuke the County."
The Trail is illegal because it cannot pass an Agriculture Impact Study showing no harm to existing farm practices. Failure to pass the Study results in no Conditional Use Permit and makes a Trail operation impossible. The plaintiffs were awarded attorney’s fees in the case of a Stay on Construction. Fees are only awarded if the plaintiff is correct on all of several counts. The County was wrong on all counts.
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"The Masterplan will answer many LUBA questions."
The Masterplan cannot change the requirement for a Conditional Use Permit. It will not change LUBA’s ruling. You don’t build something and then draw up the plans afterward. The Masterplan was a ruse.
"This is not a property rights issue because the Right of Way was owned by the railroad for 150 years."
Land use laws have changed since 1872 when the farmers were forced to sell to the railroad. The transport of commerce has changed since 1872. Now farmers have property rights equal to those of the railroad. This issue is at the core of individual and private property rights.
Cyclists can access over 200 very safe and scenic public and private bike paths in Oregon. Those facilities are already built and maintained. They offer cycling opportunities for all ages and skill levels. Cyclists can discover a beautiful state for themselves and their families by taking some initiative, or not.
We’re past halfway. There’s still lots of ideologically charged bills to come
The Oregon House of Representatives is more than halfway through the 2021 session, held in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
This session Republicans have pushed bills that provide wildfire relief and mitigation, fund educational enrichment to address gaps from distanced learning, and investment for Navigation Centers to support unsheltered individuals.
Republicans from the start of session this year have held the majority party accountable for a misguided agenda that they say includes far reaching and unrelated bills that do not address immediate problems Oregonians are facing.
Meanwhile, Republican members voted to expedite the passage of essential budget bills, as well as policies related to wildfire recovery such as HB 2341.
“It’s important for Republicans to continue standing up for the Oregonians who can’t be here, pushing for real solutions and bipartisan consensus,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby.) “Unfortunately, the majority party is still pushing an aggressive agenda that threatens personal safety, freedoms, and the recovery of our communities across the state. We’re halfway through this session, with a long way to go.”
At the end of March, House Republican Leader Drazan issued a call for the Legislature to refocus on priority issues that continue to be an immediate need for Oregonians. The Legislature responded by moving up the 2019-2021 budget rebalance to expedite important funding for communities.
A group of an estimated several hundred people started marching from Director's Park in Portland, Oregon at about 9:30 p.m. on April 16th, 2021. Participants in this march started breaking windows of businesses, including the Nordstrom, Verizon, Nike, the Oregon Historical Society and more. In addition to burglary and vandalism, individuals engaged in the crime of criminal mischief by damaging planters and applying graffiti. Looting was reported as well.
Windows were also broken at the First Christian Church, a location known for their generosity in feeding over a thousand meals weekly to the homeless.
A riot was declared due to the widespread criminal activity. Warnings were provided via sound truck that a riot had been declared. The rioters were ordered to disperse and were warned they were subject to arrest and/or force.
Some of the individuals in the group were observed changing clothing in an attempt to disguise themselves and elude police actions.
At about 10:49 p.m., there were 79 holding police calls for service in the City of Portland, including priority welfare check calls, at least three calls of shots, a priority hit and run, and three burglaries. Two burglaries have been holding for over 13 hours. Police resources were stretched across the City to manage the calls for emergency calls for service and the riot.
Officers worked to encourage dispersal and make arrests when they could. In addition to the destruction to businesses and non-profits, multiple fires were set at various locations. Police Bureau Officers dispersed the crowds to allow Portland Fire & Rescue to gain access to the fire locations to safely extinguish them.
At about midnight a portable toilet fire near SW 4th Avenue and Yamhill Street presented a significant life safety threat. The fire was near an occupied building and a propane tank, which increased the danger. Portland Fire & Rescue personnel responded and doused the fire.
A community member's vehicle sustained a flattened tire when they struck a rebar spike device known as a "caltrop" while driving downtown. These devices have been used to target first responder vehicles during other events in the past.
During the dispersal, pepper spray was deployed. No CS was deployed.
"Damage to businesses hurts our City. Our community has made it clear that it will not tolerate wanton violence and destruction" said Acting Chief Chris Davis. "No one is entitled to break windows, set fires, or attack police officers. If you choose to participate in this kind of criminal activity, you can expect to be arrested and prosecuted. None of this destruction tonight has anything to do with the important work of racial justice and reconciliation our community and our nation need at this critical time in our history."
The following people were arrested, booked, and charged:
Cameron Millar-Griffin, 24 years-old, from Portland- Riot, Criminal Mischief I, Resist Arrest, Disorderly Conduct II
Theodore O'Brien, 22 years-old, from Portland-Criminal Mischief I
Skye Sodja, 43 years-old, from Portland-Assault a Public Safety Officer, Disorderly Conduct II
Many Oregonians are still dealing with wildfire and COVID fallout
House Democrats expedited the passage of a bill that reduces the anticipated ‘kicker’ that Oregonians are due when state revenues exceed projections by more than two percent.
In 2020, this threshold was triggered. As a result, the state’s budget was fully balanced with money left over, which under law is due to be returned to the people of Oregon. Instead, SB 846 retroactively readjusts budget actions taken in the second special session in order to pocket even more cash for the state, rather than put it in people’s wallets.
“This is the worst time to be padding the state’s coffers which are overflowing with federal support. Oregonians are still recovering from a really tough year,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby). “The pandemic, government-mandated business shutdowns, and natural disasters were especially challenging for people who could really use this extra financial support. We shouldn’t be taking this money that people are owed.”
SB 846 passed on the House floor on a straight party-line vote.
For almost two hours on the floor of the Oregon House, the House Democrats and Republicans debated changing a single number in a bill: 3-vs-4. No other changes to the bill were proposed, and in fact it was not a new conversation. It was a change that had been discussed in the House Education committee but voted down on a party line vote. The House Education Committee is chaired by Representative Teresa Alonso-Leon (D-Woodburn) who, according to the Secretary of State, has received over $78K towards her campaigns since 2016 from the Oregon Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers.
HB 2954 proposed to allow public charter schools to continue the non-discriminatory practice of admitting students, but added a weighted lottery system that would favor historically underserved students which would be based on race, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc. The House Education Committee agreed that this was a good change, but the Republicans on the committee felt that prioritizing admissions would also be improved if made available to more students. If the cap were raised from 3 to 4% more students could seek education opportunities outside of the traditional brick-and-mortar public school buildings.
The conversation about how many students should attend public virtual charter schools has been acerbated by COVID-19 and Governor Brown shutting down schools to in person learning last Spring. With her executive order, she instantly turned every brick-and-mortar school into a virtual school. As parents, teachers and students struggled with the unknown world of virtual learning, many of them made the choice to move to established virtual public schools. According to information provided by the Oregon Department of Education, as of October 1, 2020, brick-and-mortar school enrollment was down by 3%, and virtual charter school enrollment was up 54% from the same time the year prior.
However, the true debate in committee and on the floor was all about money, not about equity or access. Laurie Wimmer, with OEA submitted testimony to the committee that stated “This particular amendment would cost the school districts of Oregon $118 million. Representative Courtney Neron (D-Wilsonville), agreed saying “It is going to have a huge price tag. I want to caution everyone to not only think about the education impacts of this change, but that it would be nearly a $120M change”. However, Representative Mark Owens (R-Crane) reminded her that “it is not a loss in funding it is a shift in funding. It still goes to the educational opportunities for children”. Representative Janeen Sollman (D-Hillsboro) continued the money argument on the floor of the House yesterday saying “197 school boards and districts would agree, this is not the time to take money away from them. Small districts especially are impacted by these by large charters who increase their grasps on those smaller districts”. According to an ODE report, districts currently at their 3% cap range in total enrollments from 420 to 18,400 kids and represent a wide variety of district sizes and geographic locations.
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Representative Owens shared during debate that “As of October 1, 2020, there were 560,917 students enrolled in K-12 schools in Oregon with 21,705 of those students enrolled in virtual charter schools; right around 3.9%”. The amendment of 4% would preserve those students’ rights to continue learning where they area. Currently school districts may go over the 3% cap, but the decision is up to the individual district not the student’s family. Since last Spring, approximately 25% of the school districts in Oregon have reached or exceeded their 3% cap and are now denying student transfers. Denied students have an appeals process, but, according to ODE, Since June 2020, the Department had received 832 appeals, 388 were denied and 31 are pending. 46% of all appeals are denied giving parents little to no choice. They can return to the distance learning or limited in person learning now being offered by most school districts, homeschool their children themselves, or pay for private education.
As public school in Oregon are still not fully open for in person learning and the start of the 2021-22 school year is only 5 months away, many families are concerned that full-time in person learning may not return and they may also be shut out of the public virtual charter school option. In a recent survey conducted by the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center, it showed that 58% of Oregonians expect remote learning for K-12 students to continue for a few years.
Representative Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook), a retired public school teacher of 30 years, told the House members
“This body has rightly spent this session addressing equity; making sure that ALL Oregonians have equitable access to the services to which they have a right. That is exactly what the cap adjustment does. It insists that every child in Oregon has a right to a public education. Equity in education means that we meet our students where they are, not insist they fit into a model of public education that comes to us from a time when only white, wealthy men ran public institutions, and insisted that everyone conform to the way THEY think things should be. That’s not equity. Let’s not just pick and choose what we believe equity to be based on pressure from political special interests. Let’s do what’s best for students, especially those who have been marginalized for so long”.
House Democrats used their supermajority powers, ignored the request, and voted to protect the OEA and brick-and-mortar funding over doing what was best for Oregon families and Oregon students. The bill is headed to the Senate and will most likely be assigned to the Senate Education committee.
Representative Brad Witt (D-Clatskanie) is under investigation for a potential violation of Legislative Branch Personnel Rule 27, which provides for a harassment-free workplace. The complaint was received by the Legislative Equity Office.
House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) released the following statement regarding the action announced by the House Committee on Conduct:
“Co-chair Fahey’s rejection of the independent investigator’s recommendation to temporarily remove Chair Witt from his committee shows a shameful disregard for the pressing need for interim safety measures to protect the victim. This is a sham process if the committee rejects the recommendations of the independent investigator with no basis for that rejection. This is not, in fact, a “tricky situation” as co-chair Fahey indicated. It is traumatizing a victim and protecting those in power—and it is completely unacceptable. The responsibility now falls to the Speaker to ensure that Chair Witt is removed, to ensure the safety of the victim.
Allowing the accused to choose the actions they will voluntarily take to protect their victim is not how this process should work.”
“The best way to bring down the cost of housing is to increase the stock”
Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend) has carried SB 458 on the Senate floor. Co-sponsored with Sen. Lew Fredrick (D-Portland), the legislation would expand homeownership opportunities for Oregonians.
In 2019, to increase the stock of housing to make it more affordable, the legislature passed HB 2001 which expanded middle housing construction in single-family neighborhoods. HB 2001 did not address regulatory barriers to selling those new units. Local ordinances currently create a patchwork of regulations on the sale of middle housing. SB 458 will create a statewide standard for the sale of middle housing in the communities implementing HB 2001.
Senator Tim Knopp released the following statement:
“The best way to bring down the cost of housing is to increase the stock of housing built at affordable cost. This bill adds to the work we did in 2019. We know that one of the best ways to build intergenerational wealth is through homeownership. This legislation will ensure more people have access to buy homes, especially first-time homebuyers.”
The bill passed the Senate on a 25-4 vote and will now head to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
A Republican-sponsored bill that was approved by the House with unanimous support seeks to introduce a number of fixes to Oregon’s unemployment benefits system.
Chief among them is allowing businesses to reset their unemployment insurance taxes owed to pre-pandemic rates.
Throughout the past year, government-mandated closures forced businesses with significantly less revenue to lay off staff in unprecedented numbers. This had unforeseen ramifications for the assessment of unemployment insurance taxes owed, leading to a dramatic rise in tax obligations at a time when business revenue was lowest.
HB 3389, backed by Republican sponsors, would allow businesses that saw this tax increase to defer some payments and even forgive a percentage of the deferred taxes. This bill also ensures that tax rates don’t rise further because of impacts from the pandemic.
Representative Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) is a chief sponsor on the bill and was responsible for negotiating the measures outlined by the proposal.
“This pandemic-related relief is exactly why we’re here right now,” added Rep. Bonham. “85 percent of all Oregon businesses saw their unemployment tax rates increase in 2021. That could have a significant impact on the recovery of jobs in Oregon, and is why we needed this fix.”
“Oregon’s unemployment benefits system was put through tremendous strain during this past year, and that exposed serious flaws that needed to be addressed,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby,) one of the bill’s sponsors. “At the start of this session, we said that business relief would be a top priority so that we can recover lost jobs. Fixing the errors in our state’s unemployment benefits system is one way that we can provide relief to Oregonians.”
HB 3389 was passed with unanimous support on the House floor.
“Allowing politicians to draw their own maps is like putting a fox in charge of the hen house”
“The promise of fair representation should not be a political negotiating tactic between partisan legislators behind closed doors,” said Norman Turrill, Chair of People Not Politicians. “This maneuvering between House Leadership exactly underscores why we need reform and fair redistricting so Oregon voters choose politicians, instead of politicians choosing voters.”
Oregonians support creating an independent citizens redistricting commission. In late 2019, People Not Politicians enlisted Lake Research Partners to run a statewide poll. Results showed an average 76% of Democrats, 67% of Independents, and 60% of Republicans favor an independent citizens’ commission.
“Giving equal representation to Democrats and Republicans on the Redistricting Committee is a positive step forward. The real opportunity for reform will come when the legislature opens up HJR 7 to accept public comments on who draws lines going forward.”
---Dave Dillon, Oregon Farm Bureau Executive Vice President
“Allowing politicians to draw their own maps is like putting a fox in charge of the hen house—an inherent conflict of interest. The possibility for bipartisan gerrymandering is knocking at the door. Meanwhile, third parties and historically underrepresented communities are left out of the process.”
--Kate Titus, Executive Director, Common Cause Oregon
“The legislature should do what an overwhelming majority of Oregonians have asked for—create an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw these maps. It’s imperative to the health of our democracy that redistricting be done in the most fair and transparent manner possible. We need to take politics out of the equation.”
--Norman Turrill, Chair, People Not Politicians
Polls show that people want to send their kids back
Facing mounting pressure to re-open public schools, in the face of equally strong pressure from teachers' unions to keep them at least partly locked down, on March 12, Governor Brown issued an executive order requiring that schools "shall be in operation to deliver educational services through either a hybrid instructional model or an on-site instructional model." This mark was required to be achieved by March 29.
A recent poll asked, "Do you agree or disagree with Governor Brown’s order to require public elementary schools to offer hybrid or full-time in-person instruction by March 29?"
Strongly agree
26%
Somewhat agree
39%
Somewhat disagree
13%
Strongly disagree
13%
Don’t know
9%
That's a whopping 65% of respondents who agree, with some level of intensity, to open schools by March 29. Another question asked by the same poll was, "Who do think should have the final say about when and how public schools in your community return to in-person learning?
The locally elected school district board
67%
The governor of Oregon
16%
Don’t know
17%
So, how are schools doing? The Oregon Health Authority has a graphic scoreboard on school re-opening, which appears to show that schools are not hitting the mark.
Representative Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook), a retired public school teacher of 30 years, told the House members
