Senate Republicans have attempted to force a vote on SB 659, a bill that would allow parents to enroll their children in any public school in the state—no matter where they live.

From 2011 to 2019, Oregon students were allowed to choose a school with programs and opportunities that best fit their needs and goals. The open enrollment program sunset in 2019 and along with it, educational opportunity for the next generation of young Oregonians. Only students who can prove “hardship” are eligible to transfer outside of their resident districts. The legal definition of “hardship” does not include consideration of students’ learning progress at their current school.

“The current system is inflexible and doesn’t serve our children’s needs,” said Senator Dennis Linthicum (R-Klamath Falls), who introduced the legislation. “Too many students are being denied educational opportunities because of this outdated way of educating our kids.”

SB 659 would essentially erase school district boundaries that keep students trapped in failing schools. In Salem, if a student lives on the east side of I-5, they are sent to McKay High School where only fifty-nine percent are proficient in reading and writing and twenty-eight percent in math. If that same student happened to live just a block to the west, they will attend South Salem High School. Seventy-five percent of South Salem High School students are proficient in reading and writing while forty percent are proficient in math.

In other words, if that student was allowed to transfer to South Salem, they would be twenty-seven percent more likely to be proficient in math and forty-two percent more likely to be proficient in reading.

“These kinds of bold changes for our students require a lot of political courage, especially when teachers' unions and bureaucrats don’t like them,” said Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod (R-Lyons). “Unfortunately, the majority party wasn’t able to muster that courage today. Republicans will continue to cast a positive vision for education in Oregon. Our kids are counting on us.”

The motion to consider SB 659 failed by an 11-18 vote, with all Democrats voting ‘no’. It will remain dead in the Senate Committee on Education.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-06-15 12:15:15

The Oregon Legislature has passed SJR 12, which refers Measure 401 to the voters. If approved by the voters, it would add to the Oregon Constitution, a right of every Oregonian to receive health care and require the State of Oregon to fund this right.

Though Oregon is very close to having nearly all Oregonians with some kind of health care, the passage of this measure could be very expensive for the state. One can easily imagine what happens when an industry whose costs are spiraling out of control secures a mandate that government pay the bill. If you think there's little incentive for the health care industry to control costs now, wait until they can send unlimited invoices to the government, which is required to pay them.

This isn't the first time Oregonians have been presented with a chance to get the government to fully fund an industry. At the turn of the century, education activists -- driven by teachers' unions and spearheaded by then Governor John Kitzhaber -- proposed a ballot measure to change the Oregon Constitution which would require the state to fully fund education at levels to achieve goals set by Oregon law. The voters overwhelmingly approved it by a vote of 66%. Article VIII, Section 8 of the Oregon Constitution now reads:

Adequate and Equitable Funding. (1) The Legislative Assembly shall appropriate in each biennium a sum of money sufficient to ensure that the state's system of public education meets quality goals established by law, and publish a report that either demonstrates the appropriation is sufficient, or identifies the reasons for the insufficiency, its extent, and its impact on the ability of the state's system of public education to meet those goals.

Soon after, a lawsuit was filed, Pendleton School District v. State of Oregon, by 18 school districts and seven students demanding more funding based on this provision. The case made it's way to the Oregon Supreme Court where the court decided that, though the state was not adequately funding education, the voters did not intend for the courts to enforce it.

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Might the same thing happen with health care funding? As with education funding, the voters are presented with an unarguable good -- then education, now health care -- that's hard to vote against. As with education, the state is merely required to fund it. No funding mechanism or revenue source is identified, making it easier for the voters to support. Like education funding, health care funding might find a similar fate, as idealists propose a utopian solution, and a sober state finds a way to not fund the dream.


--Mike Nearman

Post Date: 2021-06-14 15:33:11

Last Update: 2021-07-06 19:28:02

After voting to cut school funding by $300 million, today House Democrats voted in favor of SB 744 which lowers graduation standards in Oregon. “I worry that by adopting this bill we’re giving up on our kids,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby). “This proposal abandons students who fell behind last year because of government-mandated distanced learning and does nothing to give them an opportunity to recover.”

Section three of the bill describes the removal of a requirement of proficiency in Essential Learning Skills:

Notwithstanding any rules adopted by the State Board of Education, a student may not be required to show proficiency in Essential Learning Skills as a condition of receiving a high school diploma during the 2021-2022, 2022-2023 or 2023-2024 school year.

The bill has no sponsor, but it was introduced as a committee bill by the Senate Committee on Education, which is chaired by Senator Michael Dembrow (D-Portland). It passed the House mostly along party lines, with most Republicans voting no.

In March, President Biden’s Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, said that student data obtained from standardized tests was important to help education officials create policy and target resources where they are most needed. Lowering graduation standards now will make it even harder to improve the quality of Oregon’s education for the future.

The gap between public school students and private school students will be even wider, as most private schools operated uninterrupted during the COVID-19 epidemic.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-06-14 14:51:09

Oregon House Republicans have voted in favor of banning vaccine passports in Oregon. However, the motion to pull HB 3407, introduced by Mark Owens from the Speaker’s desk failed on party lines.

The requirement for businesses to check the vaccination status of customers before they can remove their mask has been the focus of criticism from Oregonians, labor groups and businesses.

This legislation would prevent any public body - state, local or special government body - from issuing a requirement for proof of vaccination through a vaccine passport from COVID-19 or variants of COVID-19.

“This bill protects Oregonians’ rights to privacy,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby). “We’ve already seen public opposition for the Governor’s vaccine verification executive order. We’re the only state in the country with this kind of mandate. People deserve the right to keep this confidential medical information private without a mask requirement.”

In order to prevent discriminatory actions and repercussions, the bill would prohibit a person or public body from being able to legally require an individual to state or document vaccine status against COVID-19 to access credit, insurance, education, facilities, medical services, housing or accommodations, travel, entry into this state, employment or purchase goods or services.

It would also prohibit these entities from being legally able to require an individual to wear a face covering if the individual does not wish to disclose vaccine status.

The bill applies only to the COVID-19 vaccinations.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-06-14 09:58:31

Last Update: 2021-06-14 14:39:54

Two federal cases are redefining diversity policies according to the constitution and these might have an impact on Oregon.

First, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor ruled to approve a temporary restraining order forbidding President Biden’s administration from giving out grants in a program aimed at prioritizing applicants due to their race and/or gender and told plaintiff, Philip Greer, he is likely to succeed. Greer prepared an application on behalf of his restaurant and is otherwise eligible to receive Restaurant Revitalization Fund grant, but for the allegedly unconstitutional prioritization scheme.

More recently federal Judge William Griesbach in Wisconsin sided with White farmers and ranchers, including Adam Faust, a double amputee and the owner of a dairy farm. The judge issued a temporary restraining order on the Department of Agriculture program that was to start paying out and forgive loans for Black and other minority farmers. The assistance program, which was passed by the Senate as part of the Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion stimulus relief package, was intended to correct long-standing disadvantages faced by Black, Latino, and other minority farmers in getting loans from banks and the government. The plaintiffs argue the program is unconstitutional because it discriminates against them.

White farmers in other regions of the country are also suing the debt relief program. Adding to the constitutional issue is the prohibition by the Civil Rights Act of 1864. Loans based on race and sex are not allowable under Title VI.

COVID-19 has been used as an excuse for disproportionately affecting communities of color making it more difficult to access relief programs due to systemic racism and other issues. But judges aren’t buying the argument. Representative Ken Helm (D-Portland) and Senator Lew Frederick (D-Portland) are tempting Oregon businesses to join suits by introducing HB 2518. This bill establishes and allocates funding to the Oregon Brownfield Properties Revitalization Fund to support a forgivable loan program for owners or operators of brownfield properties that incur eligible costs in the recovery of the brownfield property. A brownfield is a former industrial site that is environmentally contaminated

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HB 2518 runs into shady territory by requiring Business Oregon to develop the forgivable loan program for minority-owned and woman-owned businesses, and emerging small businesses controlled by socially disadvantaged individuals as defined in ORS 200.005. That definition identifies businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans, and people deemed “socially and economically disadvantaged.” A minority-owned business is at least 51 percent controlled by minority individuals, women or disabled veterans. Minority individuals are any race but White.

HB 2518 strays from its focus on restoring brownfields and obligates the state -- that is, the taxpayers -- to pay for the restoration so social disadvantaged can use it for businesses. It seems the legislators have been doing the two-step skirting around federal laws on a number of fronts.

• SB 79 authorizes Housing and Community Services Department to provide grants and technical assistance to organizations increasing homeownership program access to persons of color. (Governor Brown signed)
• HB 2086 appropriates moneys to Oregon Health Authority for programs that provide culturally specific services that are directly responsive to and driven by people of color and people of lived experience, and for medical assistance reimbursement of tribal communities. (Assigned to Ways & Means Subcommittee on Human Services)
• HB 3110 requires board of directors of publicly traded corporation to have specified proportion of female directors and directors who are members of underrepresented communities. (In Senate Rules Committee)

Governor Brown physically changed Oregon’s objective from equal to equity. Equity is the opposite of equal opportunity. Equity demands an equal outcome and that only happens when you gerrymander to favor one group over another.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-06-14 08:42:43

Last Update: 2021-06-14 09:58:31

As Oregon limps toward a 70% vaccination rate, we're sitting within sight of the target and the rate at which people are being vaccinated is dropping seriously.

It's not hard to speculate as to why the rate of vaccination is dropping. Those willing to be vaccinated -- some people would have crawled across broken glass to get the vaccine -- have all been done. Large, easy to herd groups that would be considered low-hanging fruit by the number-counters have probably been done. These would be large employers, large living situations, etc.

What's left on the last few uphill miles on the road to 70% are people with medical issues who are reluctant to get the vaccine, and rural, hard-to-reach people who, in addition to being hard to get to, might not be so warm to getting the vaccine. Part of getting some people to get the vaccine involves trust and it seems that trust has been trampled on at nearly every turn by the Governor and the Oregon Health Authority.

"Oregon is so close to more fully reopening our economy, and I am grateful to everyone who has stepped up to get vaccinated. We will soon need to reach fewer than 100,000 Oregonians to achieve our statewide vaccination goal of 70% and lift the county risk level framework," said Governor Kate Brown.

Democrat Counties are doing better than rural ones. Washington and Hood River Counties lead with 71%, followed by Multnomah and Benton Counties with 70%. Vaccines seem not to be a priority in Lake County where scant more than a third of the residents have been vaccinated. Are the low numbers in Eastern Oregon due to an inability to overcome the logistical challenges of administering vaccines to a sparse population, or to the population's resistance to getting vaccinated -- perhaps driven by the sparseness of the population. Someone who lives 30 miles from the nearest town and 10 miles from the nearest neighbor might not see the need.

Though there doesn't seem to be any basis in science for the threshold of 70%, it's an important number. We're getting to the point where the continued COVID-19 regulations will have more than just economic consequences. They will have political consequences.




--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-06-13 20:37:24

Last Update: 2021-06-14 08:42:43

If you are one of many that look at bill sponsors to give you an idea of which way the bill might be leaning, that all goes out the window when a bill is “gut-and-stuffed.” Take for example HB 2962. It was introduced with bi-partisan sponsors directing school districts to evaluate instructional needs of students as a result of school closures due to COVID-19 and to report summaries of evaluations to Department of Education. But, before the first hearing took place, one of the sponsors proposed a “gut-and-stuff” amendment changing the trajectory of the bill.

Representative Teresa Alonso León (D- Woodburn) cosponsored HB 2962, but turned on her cosponsors and submitted an amendment that now requires the Legislative Policy and Research Director to conduct a study based on disaggregated data of student groups, including students from racial or ethnic groups that have historically experienced academic disparities, students who have a disability, economically disadvantaged students, students from different geographic regions of this state, students who are parents and students who are English language learners -- now in the Ways & Means Committee.

Science News reports that education researchers have found major flaws in the education policy aiming to have ability groupings as the norm in key subjects. Two new separate studies show that sorting school children into sets is neither an accurate way of assessing ability, nor is it beneficial to their learning. The study, which analyzed the results of different methods of teaching math in three American high schools, found that an approach that involved students not being divided into ability groups, but being given a shared responsibility for each other's learning, led to a significant improvement in the achievements of high and low achieving students alike. The approach had further benefits in that it taught students to take responsibility for each other and to regard that responsibility as an important part of life.

Professor Jo Boaler, Stanford associate professor of education, states that her "recent study of a new system of grouping in the US showed that the system benefited students at high and low levels and the high attaining students were the most advantaged by the mixed ability grouping, because they had opportunities to learn work in greater depth."

Studies that segregate are demoralizing the groups they are intended to benefit by singling them out for specific help. The studies show that challenging students equally and together produces far higher results.

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There are other useful research requirements in HB 2962, but it is now looking for one solution to fit the entire state and removes flexibility from school boards to adapt to their district’s own needs.

Other bills that tout this disaggregation of students into groups are:

• SB 227 appropriates moneys from General Fund to provide professional learning opportunities related to ethnic studies standards. (In Ways & Means Committee)
• HB 3363 establishes Racial Equity and Justice Student Collaborative work group to develop a process for individuals to apply to become a member of the collaborative. (In Ways & Means Committee)
• SB 732 requires school districts to establish educational equity advisory committee regarding the educational equity impacts of policy decisions and to inform district leaders when situations arise that negatively impact underrepresented students. (House floor vote June 14)
• SB 683 requires school districts to provide instruction on racist history of this country and state. Implements a 1619 Project-type curriculum. (Dead in committee)
• HB 2056 allows non-English students to fulfill graduation requirements by taking language arts classes in their native languages to satisfy diploma requirements English. (Governor signed)
• SB 227 provides professional learning opportunities related to ethnic studies standards adopted by department. (In Ways & Means Committee)
• SB 52 directs Department of Education to develop and implement statewide education plan for early childhood through post-secondary students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirit, intersex, asexual, nonbinary or another minority gender identity or gender orientation (In Ways & Means Committee).

We all agree that student’s reaction to the lockdowns went unnoticed too long and now we need to open our schools and let them thrive.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-06-13 07:43:40

Last Update: 2021-06-12 17:55:24

Art Robinson is a biochemist and a longtime Southern Oregon resident and a Constitutional conservative. He has spent decades standing up to radical environmentalists who continue to threaten our most vital industries like logging, ranching, farming and mining. After repeated defeats for Peter DeFazio’s seat in Congress, he saw a win in replacing Senator Herman Baertschiger for State Senate District 2, which includes Josephine and Northern Jackson counties and the towns of Grants Pass, Central Point, Rogue River, Eagle Point, White City, Gold Hill and Cave Junction.

In 2020, after Robinson switched his race to the State Senate, Daily Kos labeled him as the Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day for the seventh year in a row. Besides his repeated losses challenging Rep. Peter DeFazio, they labeled him as “the weirdest opinions on science of any member of the GOP we’ve ever profiled.” They weren’t the only ones making fun of Robinson’s scientific theories. If you’re not a scientist, it might be a little difficult to track Robinson’s theories, but much of what he has been saying over the years is becoming reality. After all, he was a professor of chemistry at the University of California until 1972.

Robison isn’t very popular with the Oregon leadership on his support to remove all taxes on energy, but they love tax credits. So, when Robinson sponsored SB 825 to create an income tax credit for energy production and establish a task force on free-market energy production, it was given a courtesy hearing. But that’s all it was, the bill died in committee.

That hasn’t stopped Senator Robinson from getting his message out. At almost every Senate floor session you can hear him deliver a two-minute speech about science. He starts by discussing how much of climate change is related to human activity. “Your carbon footprint is not causing the oceans to rise,” he said in March. Lately he’s been talking about various scientists and building blocks of science, including molecules and amino acids.

In 1980, he established the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine. Of all the poking fun at his urine collection project, Robinson’s experiment is to catalogize patterns of health issues that could be used for diagnosing such things as early-stage breast cancer or an approaching heart attack. He aims for a cheap noninvasive test that will help a physician in the proper treatment. It is identified as quaky to some, but the potential could be lifesaving.

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So, it’s no surprise that he is one of the sponsors for HB 2648, which allows pharmacist or pharmacy technician to sell drugs containing pseudoephedrine without prescription to person who is at least 18 years of age and presents person's valid government-issued photo identification. The bill goes to the Senate floor for its final vote.

For all the criticism thrown at Senator Robinson, he continues to try and break through the walls of consensus science ingrained in society and distribute a few facts, if only for two-minutes on the Senate floor.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-06-12 16:30:38

Last Update: 2021-06-12 16:43:06

January 6 has been engraved in American history as a day of revolt with a mob storming the United States Capitol. When President Trump invited everyone to come to their State Capitols and Washington DC, a big U.S. flag became the center of attention. There were several people hunting down the 30ft by 60ft “Flag Called Freedom” that had been seen at multiple events up and down the west coast. Last year the flag was seen at "We the People of Lane County" events in Springfield and Salem, the Dunes and Deplorables event at the coast, and the star of the Creswell 4th of July Parade.

The flag belongs to a man named Paul who lives south of Eugene. Ultimately, Paul, his brother and nephew drove the flag on a 42-hour drive to DC for the January 6 celebration. There were at least 20 people that traveled to DC from Oregon.

Once there, the morning of the 6th, the flag was released into the crowd at the Washington Monument where it “Patriot Surfed” through hundreds of thousands during President Trump’s speech. Then parading to the capitol steps, it crowd-surfed with just hands of everyone keeping it up. It was going well like a great celebration should. When the flag made its way to the front of the Capitol, where some scaffolding was standing, it was swept up in the emotion and someone climbed the scaffolding and lifted the “Flag Called Freedom” vertical for all to see, and where it stayed well after sundown.

What happened next has been the topic of the news for the past six months and we still don’t know the truth on what transpired. But the fate of the “Flag Called Freedom” ended up in the Capitol Police hands, when the area was closed off. Since then it has been held in an evidence locker pending an FBI investigation.

None of the people from Lane County are known to have entered the Capitol, but that hasn’t stopped the FBI from interviewing at least seven people from Oregon. So, when Paul was notified, he could have his flag back, it seems people in DC are afraid to retrieve the flag for Paul and send it to him.

Paul purchased his “Flag Called Freedom” as a way to share his love of this country. He has made a legacy of special value for the flag. He plans to get his flag back even if he has to fly to DC and get it himself. In the meantime, he is working several angles including attempting to get staff from Representative Cliff Benz’s office to ship it, whom also seems to be afraid of getting into a political mouse trap.

Paul says his plan for the “Flag Called Freedom” is to auction it off and give the proceeds to a nonprofit veterans group. That isn’t the end. Paul plans to buy another “Flag Called Liberty.” In the meantime, the “Flag Called Freedom” will again be at the Creswell 4th of July Parade, and if you see it there or the next time you attend a rally, look for the enormous “Flag Called Freedom” and give Paul a thumbs up.




--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-06-12 15:04:55

Last Update: 2021-06-12 16:43:40

Oregon is out of step with an unprecedented wave of states passing pro-life laws preventing abortions after six or eight weeks. Nine states passed laws in 2019, and in 2021, 46 states introduced 536 pro-life bills with 61 new pro-life laws, many recognizing the civil rights of unborn children. In Oregon, six abortion bills were introduced, but none received a hearing.

Two bills in Oregon are aimed at live birth abortions that take place after a fetus is viable and would survive. HB 2699, and SB 586 requires health care practitioner to exercise proper degree of care to preserve health and life of child born alive after abortion or attempted abortion. It requires the health care practitioner to ensure a child born alive is transported to a hospital.

The bill defines “born alive” as the complete expulsion or extraction of a child from a person at any stage of the child’s development and after the expulsion or extraction, the child is breathing or has a beating heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether the umbilical cord has been severed or not. Expulsion or extraction may occur by natural or induced labor, cesarean section or induced abortion.

On June 10, Senator Kim Thatcher moved to withdraw SB 586 from the Committee on Health Care for discussion on the floor. The motion to withdraw failed with 11 Ayes, and 18 Nays. The vote was along party line with Democrats voting Nay.

Senator Thatcher’s explanation was to “close a gap in Oregon law providing protection for a child. The Federal Born Alive Infants Act defines the infants as persons but there are no guarantees they are entitled to the same level of medical care as a baby born of the same age. This bill would have made it clear that a baby surviving a failed abortion receive the same medical care as a baby born of the same gestation age without the attempted abortion.”

Senator Thatcher goes on to describe that a “January 2020 survey shows there is strong bi-partisan support for this concept in Oregon. Seventy-eight percent of Oregonians believe that a baby that survives a failed abortion should be given the same level of medical care that a baby otherwise born of the same age. We always try and protect the most vulnerable among us and who is more vulnerable that this tiny little human. These babies should be given the same level of care regardless of how they are brought into this world.”

Senator Linthicum also made a vote explanation saying, “the issue isn’t whether it’s a failed abortion or not, the issue is worthy of debate because it would simply allow a live human being to be treated with the same level of care as any other live new born human being. This is worthy of debate on the Senate floor as an important ideological discussion.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-06-12 12:00:34

Last Update: 2021-06-13 14:41:50

Jessica Gomez wears many hats, but will put that all aside for a 2022 run for Oregon Governor. As CEO of Medford’s Rogue Valley Microdevices, she earned recognition by the Portland Business Journal on the 2021 list of “Women of Influence.” She currently serves as Chair of the Oregon Tech Board of Trustees. She has also been honored as Jackson County/Medford Chamber Member of the Year, most recognized speaker at MEMS World Summit, and selected as the first executive in Spotlight on SEMI Women.

Jessica moved to Oregon at age twelve. Her dad started a cabinetry making business right as the timber industry started declining. Watching her dad struggle impacted her on the plight of rural Oregon and the reliance on timber. After moving to Long Island to live with her grandmother, then moving to Los Angeles in 2000 to begin a career as programmer/analyst, she meant her husband. In 2003, the dot.com bubble burst and being out of work, they moved back to Oregon. Not finding jobs, they borrowed funding to start Rogue Valley Microdevices. They now employ 20 employees.

Jessica is “passionate about transforming the community and driving the technology industry into a new phase of innovation. I believe technology has limitless potential and impacts everything from farming, to the Internet to medical device manufacturing and much more.”

In her announcement to run for Governor, Jessica states, “It is time for Oregonians to work together to build a future in which we can all be proud. I firmly believe the strength of our state lies in our differences.”

In an interview with kdrv.com, she said Oregon hasn’t had a business owner for Governor for a very long time that understands the challenges of business. Coming out of the pandemic we need to focus on our businesses. Her priority is to work on key differences. We are a diverse state, which is our strength. Finding ways to support growth through broadband and water structures so all of Oregon can grow.

Jessica Gomez isn’t new to politics. She ran for Oregon State Senate to represent District 3 in 2018 and only lost by ten percent to her Democrat opponent, Jeff Golden.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-06-11 17:31:50

Last Update: 2021-06-12 22:28:42

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is informing veterans, spouses, employees and others who received their COVID-19 vaccine through the Federal VA Health Care System, on Tribal lands or out of state, that they will need to take an additional steps to be entered in the state’s COVID-19 Lottery on June 28.

While most vaccinated Oregonians were entered in the state’s drawing automatically, those who received their shots at the VA or out of state were not, due to privacy laws that prevent federal agencies from sharing protected information with state partners. Therefore, the State of Oregon is offering the chance for those who were not entered automatically to voluntarily self-register at takeyourshot.oregon.gov.

The personal information submitted will supposedly be held securely by the Oregon Health Authority. It is only supposed to be used for this drawing. For those who wish to enter, please ensure that you submit your registration form by June 27.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-06-11 16:53:27

Last Update: 2021-06-11 17:03:40