Through the accelerated learning process in the last year-and-a-half by citizens and by businesses Kate Brown may soon learn that we the people approval is not only needed but required.

Through the on-going years the increasing word mash from government has smashed and bashed American citizens including Oregonians bringing on cognitive dissonance as elected and unelected government officials violated the Oregon Constitution including Section 21 that is a “shall” that “...acts are plainly worded...”.

On June 25, the Governor gave Oregonians her next Executive Order, nine more pages of her words. Nine pages and none are searchable using the control-F feature and there is no index. This is a longstanding pattern for state governments whether in Oregon or Washington State.

It brings such cognitive dissonance to Oregonians, such confusion that one business owner was asked how the state of Oregon, the governor and or administrative agencies contacted him, how did he know what the “rules” were for his restaurant? The owner said that he had no contact from any of them directly. And nothing in the mail. Their obedience to the governor came from watching the news. On page nine, her last page of her EO Kate Brown added:

Legal Effect. This Executive Order is issued under the authority conferred to the Governor by ORS 401.236, and, pursuant to ORS 401.192, has the full force and effect of law.

In all the governor’s executive orders she never copies into the body of the Executive Order the actual laws of Oregon including this most imperative, vital and is a “must” and “shall” section of the law, ORS 401.165:

Any proclamation of a state of emergency must specify the geographical area covered by the proclamation. Such area shall be no larger than necessary to effectively respond to the emergency.

A county is not a geographical area, counties are man-made political areas.

The governor never addresses ORS 401.165(5) subsection of the law. Governors whether in Oregon or Jay Inslee in Washington State hope citizens do not go look up the laws. Repeatedly thrown at the citizen are the words rules, guidance, suggestions, mandates, requirements, policies etc. But if any of those violate law, they are null and void.

Restore Washington took Governor Jay Inslee to court with the outcome being in July of 2020:

“The Governor finally admitted what we have always known: he doesn’t have the authority to enforce these so-called mandates. If businesses or individuals like his recommendations, they can comply, but as he told the United States District Court, he can’t make you follow his foolish edicts. After this ruling from the Court, Governor Inslee has to publicly admit what he has told the Courts over and over: his Proclamations are suggestions only.”

Why then did OSHA in Oregon and Labor and Industries in Washington State continue to contact businesses and issue them fines?


--Margo Logan

Post Date: 2021-07-07 15:42:41

Last Update: 2021-07-07 16:09:59

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Spokane District will increase fire restrictions on public lands administered by the BLM and the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) in eastern Washington. The fire restrictions order has been modified to prohibit the building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, including charcoal briquette fires, even when contained within provided metal rings.

The temporary ban will take effect July 8, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. in the following counties: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Chelan, Columbia, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman, and Yakima.

The new restrictions are expected to be in effect until fire conditions change. The agency is encouraging target shooters to visit local private and public target range facilities during this time.

In addition to prohibiting all campfires and target shooting, restrictions on the use of off-road vehicles, and smoking are also prohibited on public lands administered by the BLM and the BOR in eastern Washington. The complete modified fire restriction order can be found online here.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-07-07 14:28:10

Last Update: 2021-07-07 15:07:10

Polk County Farmer Anna Scharf has been appointed to fill the seat to replace expelled State Representative Mike Nearman in House District 23. She has worked in the past as a policy analyst for Nearman

Scharf was the overwhelming choice of the eleven County Commissioners from the counties that House District 23 spans. She garnered support from a wide range of ideological and regional diversity.

The vote by the commissioners was seen by some as a rejection of the will of the people who voted four times to put Nearman in office and supported his nomination by a large margin at the convention of precinct committee persons, who put his name at the top of a list of nominees from which the commissioners picked.

"While I know this is a blow to many who supported me, I'm happy with the choice made by the commissioners," said Nearman. "She knows this district well and above all, she's a principled person who will reflect the values of the West Willamette Valley." Mike Nearman and John Swanson each received the vote of one commissioner. Scharf received the rest of the votes from participating commissioners.

It is most likely that her first official duties as State Representative will come in an expected special session in late September to vote on redistricting.

Commissioner	Voted For
Benton County Commissioner Xan Augerot	John Swanson
Benton County Commissioner Pat Malone	Anna Scharf
Benton County Commissioner Nancy Wyse	Anna Scharf
Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethel	Anna Scharf
Marion County Commissioner Colm Willis	absent
Marion County Commissioner Kevin Cameron	Anna Scharf
Polk County Commissioner Mike Ainsworth	Anna Scharf
Polk County Commissioner Craig Pope	Anna Scharf
Polk County Commissioner Lyle Mordhorst	Anna Scharf
Yamhill County Commissioner Mary Starrett	Mike Nearman
Yamhill County Commissioner Lindsay Berschauer	Anna Scharf
Yamhill County Commissioner Casey Kulla	Anna Scharf

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-06 17:11:29

Last Update: 2021-07-07 20:20:07

The Oregon Health Authority’s Health Policy and Analytics Division has a new dental director who joined the agency on July 6.

Dr. Kaz Rafia has dental experience with Partnership for International Medical Access-Northwest, academics at OHSU, private practice, and leadership at Permanente Dental Associates.

“I am pleased to have Dr. Rafia join our team and know that he will serve an important role as we work towards eliminating health inequities in Oregon,” said Dana Hargunani, MD, MPH, OHA’s Chief Medical Officer. “Further integrating oral health into our health care system is a high priority, and we believe he will bring great knowledge and passion to that work.”

Dr. Rafia gave the following statement:

“I am honored to be joining the OHA policy team and very much look forward to applying all that I’ve learned over my career towards advancing oral health policy on behalf of all people in Oregon,” he said. “We know that good oral health care is largely synonymous with good overall health care, and the inequities that we see in this area must also be tackled with diligence and passion.”

As OHA Dental Director, Dr. Rafia will be responsible for:

• Leading the cross-agency OHA Oral Health Team and setting the strategic direction for the OHA Oral Health Roadmap with consideration of OHA’s 10-year goal to eliminate health inequities
• Providing oral health consultation and expertise to OHA, including programmatic oversight, administration, policy, planning and execution of oral and health prevention-based activities
• Serving as the OHA Medicaid oral health expert
• Facilitating coordination of oral health services with local and statewide oral health organizations
• Informing metrics to measure oral health care, ensuring they are focused on achieving health equity
• Planning and determining strategies for meeting current and projected statewide oral health service needs
• Acting as a liaison between OHA and Oregon’s dental community

Dr. Rafia is a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Dentistry, OHSU hospital dental residency, and the MBA program at University of Illinois. He claims he will earn his MPH from Johns Hopkins University in early 2022.

The OHA claims it's focus will be on the root causes of health inequities. Dr. Rafia will lead this effort and will also work with the Oregon Legislature to pass more laws.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-07-06 15:03:47

Last Update: 2021-07-06 18:36:42

Governor Kate Brown has announced that she will appoint Cody Weston to the Clackamas County Circuit Court to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Douglas Van Dyk.

“Cody Weston brings an incredible depth of experience in both public service and private practice, and I am pleased to appoint him to join the Clackamas County bench” said Governor Brown.

Weston grew up in Dallas, Oregon. After earning his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College in 1991, he joined the Marines as an infantry officer and served as a platoon commander. While in the Marines, Weston obtained his law degree from the University of Oregon. As a military lawyer, he first served as a JAG prosecutor handling criminal matters, and then as a staff judge advocate, advising deployed Marines on a wide variety of civil legal issues, including family law, consumer law, wills, and trusts. He authored and co-authored a number of publications about military justice and other military legal issues. After separating from the Marines in 2004 with an honorable discharge, Weston returned home to Oregon with his family, settling in Clackamas County. He joined the law firm of Perkins Coie in Portland, rising to lead the national firm’s business litigation group. Weston’s practice at Perkins Coie has focused primarily on commercial civil litigation, but he has also earned recognition for his work representing a Guantanamo detainee.

Weston’s appointment is effective immediately.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-07-06 13:39:40

Last Update: 2021-07-06 13:53:06

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration -- known as Oregon OSHA -- lists the top 25 standards violations for 2021 so far and -- surprise -- the top violation listed is OAR 437-001-0744(3), which are the COVID-19 Requirements for All Workplaces.

OSHA's top 25 lists a total of $469,765 for COVID-19 workplace violations for 2021 with $24,125 of those levied as serious fines, $1,240 as repeat fines and a whopping $444,400 as willful violations. No other violation listed in OSHA's top 25 has any fines levied for willful violations, including fall protection, ladder use, and minimum supplies for a first-aid kit, to name just a few.

For over a year, Oregon OSHA has been the Governor's enforcement team, and at times it seemed that as the science was weak and the arm of the government was strong, the punitive regime seemed to reflect more of a desire to consolidate power than to promote safety. If we were "all in this together" OSHA seemed to not be part of the "we."

SB 738 was introduced in the Senate by Senators Tim Knopp (R-Bend) and Bill Hansel (R-Athena) which would have prohibited the assessment of a civil penalty or fine for a violation of state occupational or health measure if no disease outbreak of COVID-19 occurred as result of the violation and rescinded such civil penalties and fines assessed against employers. It did not get a hearing.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-05 07:06:28

Last Update: 2021-07-03 21:52:33

Janice Dysinger, President of Oregonians for Fair Elections, is a member of the newly formed Clean Voter Rolls Petition Committee that has filed Referendum 302 which would veto HB 2681, introduced by Representative Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis). Their website, CleanVoterRolls.com, provides a printable petition and explains why a referendum is needed:

Oregon voter rolls will become dirty and bloated if we allow recently passed Legislative House Bill 2681 to go into effect. No one will be taken off the active voter rolls even if their address is wrong or they have not voted for any period of time, that is, 10, 20, 30 years or more. It will be easier to cheat with dirty voter rolls. Clean voter rolls are the hallmark of good elections.

The US Election Assistance Commission answers the question, “Why is voter registration list maintenance important?”

“Maintaining accurate voter registration lists is essential to protecting election integrity. Americans deserve an election system that produces an accurate result based on each eligible voter casting a single ballot in their proper jurisdiction. Maintaining an accurate voting roll enfranchises voters because it lowers the likelihood of lines at the polls, reduces voter confusion and decreases the number of provisional ballots. Updated records also allow election administrators to plan, to better manage their budget and poll workers, and to improve voter experience.”

Oregon has gone from a 5-year maintenance plan to 10 years allowing inactivity before removing an inactive voter. The NVRA suggests a 4-year cycle and then names should be removed. HB 2681 will remove the 10-year safeguard. Students that registered at local colleges and universities will never have their voter record updated from the dorms. Apartment dwellers and others will have numerous ballots delivered to them from the previous residents, and adult care centers will get flooded with ballots every election.

Dysinger has worked on election integrity issues since 2014, and notes that people often do not notify the Elections Division when they move out of state. New people at that address rarely notify the Elections Division that the person is no longer living there.

She sees HB 2681 as costing taxpayers a lot more to send out ballots to addresses that are no longer accurate for that voter. But mostly, she sees an increase in facilitating voter fraud opportunities. It compromises protected voter status by delivering mail to an address that is no longer, but once was a valid address.

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Voters have shown that they want clean voter rolls by supporting voter ID. A Rasmussen Poll from a national telephone and online survey finds that 75% of likely U.S. voters believe voters should be required to show photo identification such as a driver’s license before being allowed to vote. Only 21% are opposed to such a requirement. “It is seldom that we find this much agreement by so many American people,” Dysinger said.

Is our Secretary of State internet system technology producing fair and honest elections? Former Election Director, Steve Trout’s letter to both SOS candidates last election cycle brought Oregon’s election security system vulnerability into question. Then, the Elections Division Transition Document identified major technology challenges in elections from old and out of date systems that are no longer supported.

“Of the 56 known bugs or problems, eight have been completed, eight have failed leaving 40 not done. Many of these projects have been talked about and/or worked on for years but never finished. Most of the projects that have been completed in the past couple of years have had to be undone because there were changes made that resulted in breaking other things. Elections Division staff has a lack of confidence in IT services and is frustrated that whenever a project is undertaken it often makes things worse.”

What is the real reason for HB 2681? Whatever it is, political or technical, it won’t make voters feel more confident in election results.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-07-04 08:02:09

Last Update: 2021-07-03 21:15:59

During the 2020 session, the Oregon Legislature failed to pass HB 4068, a which would have required that the Department of Consumer and Business Services amend the state building code to require that new construction of certain buildings include electrical service capacity for a specified percentage of parking spaces. It passed the House, but never made it to the Senate floor for a vote as the short session ended. Though it failed, it reveals the appetite that state government has for manipulating our transportation choices.

A continent away, DiDi ride sharing of China was pleased with the successful IPO launch that brought in $70 billion this past week, mostly from U.S. investors seeking investments in green corporations.

This massive infusion of cash enables the company to realize many of its policies immediately. The Harmony Program presents users with a sliding scale of rates based on loyalty to party policies. The greater the loyalty to Party goals the lower the rate. When more than one person occupies the vehicle, the rate will reflect that assigned the least loyal of the passengers. Face recognition will register each passenger automatically eliminating time consuming paperwork and expedite billing. Tipping is forbidden. Onboard cameras and recording devices will assure passengers of harmonious relations with their driver.

As the fleet moves quickly to 100% Autonomous Vehicle, stress in relating to drivers will be eliminated. When most citizens are relieved of mastering driving skills, new efficiencies may be pursued in endeavors more critical than personal mobility. The 100% AV Didi fleet will then join the national fleet of all electric vehicles by 2030. Vehicles requiring human drivers will file simple trip plans using GPS coordinates that manage potential congestion. Assuring congestion free travel is easy as any vehicle straying from its trip plan route will be guided to a nearby quarantine site and then lose power. Vehicles with records of responsible use will recharge at official stations that read vehicle codes via satellite.

From weekly travel plans filed its easy to determine allowable travel distance remaining until recharging then calculate time to recharge and schedule a visit to the nearest available charging station.


--Tom Hammer

Post Date: 2021-07-04 06:53:29

Last Update: 2021-07-03 19:31:00

‘Woke’ R&B singer and Grammy winner, Macy Gray, is pitching a change in the color of Old Glory and adding two more stars to represent the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico and Washington DC. This isn’t an original thought. Michael Ingbar, Presidential candidate in 2020, has started several petitions to change the look of the flag. The latest yellow, black and white gives recognition to Black Lives Matter. Then there is the “rainbow flag” proposed by the gay pride group. But Gray’s proposal was designed by a nine-year-old for a class project with the idea of unity by changing the stars to colors reflecting every skin tone.

Gray claims the American flag’s reputation is beyond repair after being carried into the Capitol on January 6, and thinks the flag has been hijacked as a code for a specific belief. In her world, she thinks it should go the way of the Confederate battle flag that symbolizes the opposition to the abolishment of slavery. She proposes changing Old Glory into New Glory by making the white stripe off-white because America is not pure, and the stars colored to reflect every skin tone. The blue and red remain, standing for vigilance and valor. The flag was revealed in a Juneteenth day op-ed commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

The pop star is demanding a ‘woke’ makeover for what she calls a ‘divisive’ American flag. "’Woke’ is a slang term that is easing into the mainstream from some varieties of a dialect called African American Vernacular English (sometimes called AAVE)," according to Merriam-Webster. Originating from an Erykah Badu song in 2008, ‘Stay woke’ became a watch word in the Black community. After the death of Michael Brown, the term ‘woke’ became entwined with the Black Lives Matter movement, and became a word of action.

What Old Glory stands for goes beyond skin color, and whomever tries to make it a racial symbol just doesn’t understand what the flag represents. This nation was founded amidst a world of slavery. Old Glory is the standard the world looks to for this kind of freedom. It’s a symbol, not that slavery ended at that moment. It was raised and put in the hands of freedom fighters and set forth as a standard that from that day forward every battle and every decision made was a step towards that freedom. Every time the flag is unfurled and held high, it isn’t that slavery has ended, but it’s the standard for which we stand and fight that battle under the declaration made in 1776. It sends a message to tyranny that you’re going down. It’s called Old Glory as a symbol that God founded this nation to fight for freedom worldwide and when it’s carried into battles abroad, God shows His Glory.

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The ‘woke’ crowd is using a term that means actively attentive and advancing it in the opposite direction. They demand a social justice while carrying sticks that are meant to do harm. The origin of ‘woke’ actually goes back to the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:5 when the serpent told Eve if she eats of the tree of good and evil, it will make them ‘woke’. Believing the serpent, Adam and Eve’s world crumbled when they ate fruit of the tree and they were taken into slavery out of their freedom. Now, six thousand years later, the world is reaching into the tree of good and evil wanting to be ‘woke’. Eat this fruit, change the flag, collapse freedom, embrace bondage, and be ‘woke’.

Old Glory is a standard for freedom, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.” These stirring words were designed to convince Americans to put their lives on the line against the mother country. They are words against tyranny and slavery. It is the history of all men, “created equal” that all may pursue life, liberty and happiness.

In February 1945, American Marines plunged into the surf at Iwo Jima and into history. Clint Eastwood directed the movie, ‘Flags of Our Fathers’ based on the book by James Bradley about six men who survived a bitter battle to raise the flag over Iwo Jima. Johnny Cash sang about one of them, a Pima Indian boy who watched the government take their water rights and forced them out of their home plunging them into poverty. When old enough, the boy, Ira Hayes, enlists in the Marine Corps and risked his life to plant the battle flag on Iwo Jima. His story has a sad ending, but the flag is what motivated him his whole life.

A retired history teacher told Northwest Observer, “1619 is a fantasy. America was never meant to be a country dominated by slavery, although slavery was and had been practiced for centuries by natives before the Vikings, Portuguese and Columbus. CRT is just wrong. America has been continuing from 1865 to become the nation promised by our constitution. Somehow there's a movement to reverse all we gained in the turbulent 60's and 70's. It's like Martin Luther King never lived. I went to Cuba during the missile crisis. I love the flag and our country. We are going through a struggle right now but the strength represented by our flag will straighten our course.”

The ‘woke’ crowd wants you ashamed of who you are, ashamed of the flag, ashamed of this nation. Changing the flag will strip the hope of every young person, especially minorities. Change the flag and you have no standard for freedom.

This July 4th, wave Old Glory proudly as a standard for freedom for all.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-07-04 06:48:08

Some Oregon businesses remained open throughout 2020-2021 by taking their rights of due process without taking OSHA or Oregon governor Kate “The Wizard of Oz” Brown to court.

Throughout Brown’s many television appearance edicts that violated the Oregon emergency law, ORS 401.165(5), she acted as though Oregonians would obey her words. Some Oregon businesses kept it simple, business owners who knew their rights, and owners did so without going to court and it cost them no money. As the Good Witch said in the Wizard of Oz, “You always had the power my dear.”

Some businesses strategically learned; it is not required to immediately answer a state government employee’s email question about a complaint allegation. The OSHA complaint allegation put to one business was “Are you open?” The business owner’s response was to thank OSHA for their email then to request this information from OSHA:

“To respond comprehensively, cogently, and cooperatively I request documents to review, consider, evaluate, and analyze regarding Complaint #______.

Please send hard copies of the following & specifically highlight subsections of these laws you deem applicable to #________ and highlight them in yellow:

1. The United States Constitution
2. The Oregon Constitution
3. Federal Civil Rights laws
4. Oregon State Law

Hard copies are necessary if by chance the state of Oregon issues to me some other legal document then you and I both have hard copies of the same document where both documents, the original to me; and the copy that stays with you then we both have the same highlighted sections/subsections of law showing your decision as an Oregon government worker the legal decision you made that applied to this complaint allegation.

Please consult with your attorney before sending the materials. I could locate no information as to who the OSHA attorneys are that provided you legal advice prior to you as a government worker taking this action of contacting me about a complaint”.

That business owner never heard from OSHA again. Eight months now and OSHA has been quiet as a mouse. A template was created from that success and shared with other businesses and citizens to share far and wide in meetings and on social media that American citizens have foundational rights, that a “rule” shall not violate law and a business can take their God given rights without spending money or going to court.

State government agencies only have the trappings, the illusion of power and state government employees fervently hope businesses and citizens will go along with that illusion, and not pull back that Wizard of Oz curtain and know, “You had the power all along, my dear.”

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Given the accelerated learning of businesses in 2021 that their due process rights can be used without stepping into a courtroom and with zero cost to the business owner, some consider it unwise for the governor to get on television again to verbally order any more shutdowns of businesses, the masking of adults and particularly egregious the masking of children.

Kate Brown’s governing 2020 theme was “Revenge is a dish best served cold and slowly” as she violated ORS 401.165(5), the emergency law that was a shall that she could not shutdown every square inch of Oregon including the Pacific Ocean.

The curtain has been pulled back and Oregonians foundational rights via the Creator, the U.S. Constitution, the Oregon Constitution, Federal Civil Rights laws, and Oregon laws are in her face now per the many Oregonians who never gave up their rights, who knew they “…had the power all along…”.


--Margo Logan

Post Date: 2021-07-03 12:35:35

Last Update: 2021-07-03 12:56:19

Governor Kate Brown invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act yesterday in response to the Sunset Valley Fire that broke out in Wasco County Thursday evening. The fire temporarily closed Highway 197 on Thursday and there are level 1 and 2 evacuations in place. The Office of the State Fire Marshal assumed command at 7 a.m. today and will work to bring resources from counties around Oregon to assist in the response.

“This year’s fire season is already proving to be serious, as I have invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for the second time this week to make more state resources available to the fire crews on the front lines in Wasco County at the Wrentham Market Fire, and now, the Sunset Valley Fire,” Governor Brown said. "As we head into the 4th of July weekend, it is imperative that all Oregonians remain mindful of fire safety and prevention. Please remember to be prepared, responsible, and to honor all burn bans."

In accordance with ORS 476.510-476.610, Governor Brown determined that a threat to life, safety, and property exist due to the fire, and the threat exceeds the firefighting capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment. The Governor's declaration cleared the way for the State Fire Marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment to assist local resources battling the fire.

The Office of the State Marshal’s Red Incident Management Team has been mobilized. In addition, the responding agencies include Mid-Columbia Fire, Dallesport Fire, Dufur Fire, and Mosier Fire; taskforces from Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, and Hood River Counties; the Bureau of Land Management; and the U.S. Forest Service. OSFM personnel responded with a Communications Unit and a cache trailer loaded with incident support supplies, including COVID-19 PPE, tools to enhance defensible space around structures, and other provisions firefighters need to inhabit a fire camp.

According to the Oregon Fire Marshal the Sunset Valley Fire burned an estimated 987 acres on Thursday evening. The fire was first reported around 3:45 p.m. on the 3100 block of Valley View Drive near The Dalles. Strong winds pushed the fire, which was burning in mostly brush and wheat, in a southeast direction, forcing evacuations and road closures. The fire damaged one barn, several outtbuildings, multiple vehicles and a portion of a local cherry orchard. Firefighters were able to protect the homes in the area and no injuries have been reported.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal temporarily reassigned task forces from the Wrentham Market Fire while coordinating air attack from Oregon Department of Forestry resources. This decision, along with mutual aid from neighboring fire districts, was critical in stopping the rapidly advancing fire.

"Without the resources we had today, including the three additional task forces and air support from OSFM, we would not have stopped it as quickly and the fire would have grown much larger," said Chief Robert Palmer. "What the state is doing is working. We were able to better protect properties with their assistance and support."

Parts of Highway 197 were closed Thursday evening, but are now back open.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-07-03 08:56:25

Last Update: 2021-07-03 09:35:15

In a high-stakes electoral integrity case, the US Supreme Court has decided in favor of Arizona ballot-harvesting ban and that doesn’t violate the federal Voting Rights Act. Arizona has mail-in voting or in-person for nearly a month in advance of election day with two restrictions. The Supreme Court upheld the two restrictions requiring in-person ballots cast on election day be done in their precinct, and mail-in ballots cannot be collected by anyone other than an election official, a mail carrier or family member or caregiver.

Oregon Secretary of State, Shemia Fagan, said “The Supreme Court has kicked away the foundation of the Voting Rights Act, effectively allowing the disenfranchisement of American voters, especially those who’ve historically been prevented from exercising this sacred right.” She continues by saying, “Oregon continues to lead by breaking down barriers to voting, while many other states continue to make it harder to vote. Congress must pass the For the People Act (HR 1) to strengthen voting rights and access for all Americans.” Is the Secretary of State referring to this constitutional nation?

FreedomWorks Consultant, Mike Melillo, describes HR 1 as an attempt to federalize elections taking away voter ID state laws, requires states to have voter rolls ready six-months prior to election day, engages a three-judge panel in DC to review redistricting with overruling powers, no state control over eligibility to register to vote, and restricts states from making rules about mailing out ballots. It’s designed to censor speech requiring organizations to report donor names, and prohibits organizations from contacting their representatives by broadening the definition of lobbying. It also adds DC as a state in regards to representation in Congress. Melillo states, “It is unconstitutional for the federal government to mandate states on elections.”

Janice Dysinger, President of Oregonians for Fair Elections, sees them trying to break HR 1 into smaller bills since there is resistance in the Democrat Party in DC. She draws attention to the Oregon legislature, “Democrats put forward several bills in the 2021 Legislature each of which were components of HR-1. These included ballot harvesting, same day voter registration, allowing late voting, allowing inaccurate voter registrations to stay on the voter rolls, allowing our ballots to be opened as soon as they are returned back from the voter which is nearly 3 weeks ahead of the election day, allow Department of Revenue to submit taxpayers to register voters automatically, allow felons to register and vote from Prison, allow 16 and 17 year-olds to vote, and rank choice voting options (which is weighted ballot counting).”

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Dysinger is encouraged, “out of these terrible ideas, only two bills passed. HB2681, which will allow voters to stay on the active voter rolls even if their address is wrong and they haven't voted for any length of time. It used to be 5 years and then it was extended to 10 years, now it is forever. The other bill is HB3291 which allows ballots to come in by mail up to 7 days after the election. It says in the beginning of the bill that they need to have a postal indicator on them, but if you look further in the bill it says it will be assumed that they were mailed by election day if they come in by the 7th day after the election.”

Oregon also had a case of ballot-harvesting gone awry when Defend Oregon (connected to Our Oregon) collected ballots from voters on Election Day but didn’t turn in 97 ballots on time. They received a $94,750 penalty for mishandling ballots though they claimed they made an honest mistake. The group is required to submit their procedures for collecting ballots and track and store them, and how they train volunteers.

The Arizona case seems to put a wrinkle in HR 1 by supporting state laws on elections. But Oregon continues to make voter fraud a challenge that is hard to overcome.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-07-03 07:50:37

Last Update: 2021-07-03 09:35:35