According to the Oregon Employment Department, Oregon's unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% in July from 5.6% in June. July was the 15th consecutive monthly decline in Oregon's unemployment rate. The reduction in the unemployment rate accelerated over the past two months with a 0.2 percentage point drop in June followed by a 0.4 point drop in July. These improvements followed slow declines of 0.1 point per month in each of the first five months of 2021.

Oregon's July unemployment rate declined dramatically from its high of 13.2% in April 2020, at the peak of the last recession, to 5.2% in July. However, the state's unemployment rate is still moderately above the period of record low rates in the years prior to the pandemic. During January 2017 through March 2020, Oregon's unemployment rate was fairly steady, averaging 3.9%.

For the past several years, Oregon's unemployment rate generally has closely tracked the U.S. unemployment rate. The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 5.4% in July from 5.9% in June.

Government job gains in July were concentrated in local government — in contrast with federal government and state government which both experienced their normal seasonal pattern in July. Throughout the economic recovery of the past year, local government averaged more than 20,000 jobs below its pre-recession level of about 230,000. But in July, seasonally adjusted employment shot upward by 12,800 jobs. Likely factors in the stronger July pattern this year include schools not laying off the typical numbers of employees for the summer and cities and counties ramping up employment closer to pre-pandemic levels.

Leisure and hospitality expanded rapidly in July, adding 7,100 jobs. Despite this gain, it still accounts for the bulk of Oregon's jobs not recovered since early 2020, with 44,500 jobs left to recover to reach the prior peak month of February 2020. The industry has regained 60% of jobs lost early in the pandemic.

Transportation, warehousing, and utilities declined by 2,500 jobs in July. This loss may reflect a change in the seasonal pattern of the industry over the past two years. With online shopping and delivery rapidly growing, the industry has exploded over the last few years. It ramped up by 12,500 jobs between April and December of last year, which was about double the industry's seasonal hiring a few years prior. Despite the recent hiccup in July, the industry is still 5,100 jobs above its July 2019 total of 70,400 jobs.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-08-24 15:52:25

In a news release, the Oregon Department of Human Services announced that most Oregonians who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits -- previously known as "food stamps" -- will receive emergency allotments in September.

The federal government has approved emergency allotments every month since March 2020. This gives SNAP recipients additional support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In September, approximately 402,000 SNAP households will receive approximately $65 million in extra food benefits in addition to their regular SNAP benefits.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to provide emergency benefits to most SNAP households in Oregon,” said Dan Haun, director of the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Self-Sufficiency Program. “We also know that many Oregonians are still struggling to meet their basic needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we encourage them to contact our partners at 211 and the Oregon Food Bank for support during this difficult time.”

Emergency allotments will be available on Sept. 11 for current SNAP households. New SNAP households will receive the emergency allotments Sept. 30 or Oct. 2.

SNAP recipients do not have to take any action to receive these supplemental benefits as they will be issued directly on their EBT cards.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-08-24 14:59:09

Last Update: 2021-08-24 15:52:25

Governor Kate Brown has announced new statewide outdoor mask requirements to help stop the spread of the Delta variant.

Effective Friday, August 27, masks will be required in most public outdoor settings, including large outdoor events, where physical distancing is not possible, and regardless of vaccination status.

The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) also strongly recommends masking for outdoor gatherings at private residences when individuals from different households do not consistently maintain physical distance.

“The Delta variant is spreading fast and wide, throwing our state into a level of crisis we have not yet seen in the pandemic. Cases and hospitalizations are at a record high,” said Governor Brown. “Masks are a quick and simple tool we can immediately deploy to protect ourselves and our families, and quickly help stop further spread of COVID-19.

“The Delta variant is much more contagious than previous variants we’ve seen, and it has dramatically increased the amount of virus in our communities. Masks have proven to be effective at bringing case counts down, and are a necessary measure right now, even in some outdoor settings, to help fight COVID and protect one another.”

Under the Governor’s direction, the OHA rule will require masks for all individuals — regardless of vaccination status — in outdoor settings in which individuals from different households are unable to consistently maintain physical distance.

The rule does apply to fleeting encounters, such as two individuals walking by one another on a trail or in a park. While the rule does not apply to outdoor gatherings at private residences, masks are strongly recommended in those settings when individuals from different households do not consistently maintain physical distance.

“It is much easier for people with the Delta variant, compared to people who were sick last year, to infect others around them,” said State Health Officer Dr. Dean Sidelinger. “This is because they have one thousand times more virus in their nose – which means that those around them are much more likely to get sick because this variant behaves so differently. We are starting to see instances where cases are clustering around events, like outdoor music festivals, that happen outdoors. Wearing masks in crowded settings – even outdoors – will help slow the spread of COVID-19.”

The rule aligns with the exceptions outlined in the recent statewide indoor mask requirements, and does not apply to:

• Children under 5 years old
• Individuals who are actively eating, drinking, or sleeping — as well as individuals living outdoors, such as persons experiencing houselessness
• Persons playing or practicing competitive sports, or engaged in an activity in which it is not feasible to wear a mask — such as swimming
• Individuals delivering a speech or performing — such as with outdoor music or theater
• Mask requirements for day-to-day operations at K-12 schools are not governed by this rule, and will instead continue to fall under the school mask rule. Outside public events, spectator events, and gatherings of the general public on K-12 school grounds will be subject to the rule. Child care and youth programs will continue to follow existing OHA mask guidance
• In addition, entities subject to the ADA must continue to comply with that law.

The OHA rule will go into effect this Friday, August 27, however Oregonians are strongly encouraged to immediately start wearing masks outdoors, as outlined above.

Governor Brown continued, “The combination of vaccines and masks is the most powerful way we can fight this latest surge of COVID-19 and save lives. Vaccination continues to be the best way you can protect yourself and your family from the Delta variant, and the most effective way we can help our exhausted nurses and doctors, who are working around the clock to treat Oregonians sick with COVID in our ICUs — the majority of which are unvaccinated individuals. With the full FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine this week, we have additional reassurance that the vaccines are safe and effective.”


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-08-24 13:43:43

Last Update: 2021-08-24 16:59:49

Every 10 years, the Oregon Legislature redraws the legislative and Congressional districts. Based on -- in their words -- growing hospitalization rates across the state due to the Delta variant of COVID-19, Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) and House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) today announced that the upcoming public hearings of the House and Senate Redistricting Committees will be moved to a virtual format.

“While the committees had hoped to visit communities across Oregon in person, the recent surge in COVID-19 cases has made this increasingly risky to public health. More Oregonians are now in our hospitals, intensive care units, or on ventilators than ever before in this pandemic. Our hospitals, healthcare workers, and frontline staff are overwhelmed. The Delta variant has changed everything.

“After consulting with infectious disease doctors, public health experts, and the bipartisan chairs and vice-chair of the House and Senate Redistricting committees, we have decided to move September’s redistricting public hearings to a virtual format. This will ensure a safe, transparent process where Oregonians from every community can make their voice heard and provide input on Oregon’s next set of legislative and congressional maps.”

House Redistricting Committee Co-Chair Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) responded to the announcement with the following statement and what it means for the process moving forward. “It’s unfortunate that we can no longer meet with Oregonians in-person to hear their ideas and concerns regarding redistricting. Losing the opportunity for face-to-face interactions certainly has downsides.

"However," continued Boshart Davis, "I encourage everyone who was planning to attend to sign up for these virtual hearings and to share with your friends and neighbors. Your comments made on the record will have the same weight and importance for legislators as we continue this process. I look forward to working with my fellow co-chair and committee members to maximize the opportunities for individuals to testify so that we don’t lose any voices by switching to an online platform.”

The new schedule for the September Redistricting Public Hearings can be found below. Meetings will be held virtually and organized to hear from residents of each current congressional district. Oregonians can participate by signing up for video or phone testimony, uploading written testimony, or by submitting a map for consideration by September 7.

Wednesday, September 8
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Residents of Congressional District 1
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Residents of Congressional District 2
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.	Residents of Congressional District 3
Thursday, September 9
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Residents of Congressional District 4
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Residents of Congressional District 5
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.	Residents of Congressional District 1
Friday, September 10
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Residents of Congressional District 2
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Residents of Congressional District 3
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.	Residents of Congressional District 4
Monday, September 13
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.	Residents of Congressional District 5
1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.	Statewide: open to residents of any district
5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.	Statewide: open to residents of any district

You can find your congressional district on the Legislative website, by entering your address in the top-right corner and clicking the “Congress” tab.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-08-23 13:25:56

Last Update: 2021-08-23 14:46:51

From the wine-tasting town of Dundee, just down highway 99-W from Newberg, comes Tim Harrold, a candidate for Governor who underscores and celebrates the fact that he is not affiliated with any political party and has no political experience. He's not shy about policy though, and he's not afraid to get specific.

He's open about how big-dollar transportation policy intersects with housing policy. "I really need help understanding this one. They want to spend $1.3 billion on a cap over I-5 in Portland [near the Rose Quarter] to, well, let Governor Brown explain it..."I began those conversations because I wanted to ensure that this project is part of addressing and not repeating the historic wrongs caused by the displacement of countless Black families, and the resulting generational damage that occurred. And I also did it because I truly believe that there was a win-win opportunity"

"So we're going to build an expensive cap on an over-crowded freeway, which will bring in new and expensive housing units to the neighborhood, which will cause upgraded development of the surrounding neighborhood, driving up the prices and more than likely gentrify the area."

Harrold is unhappy with Portland's response to crime, specifically the riots. "District Attorney Mike Schmidt has not been prosecuting extremist rioters because of political pressure. That is prohibited by the Oregon Constitution and he needs to be held accountable for not doing his job. He has violated his oath of office as set by the Oregon Constitution and he needs to be replaced. Law Enforcement needs to be empowered to do their job. I support Law Enforcement and understand the complexities of the social issues. But what happened this weekend is not what we are talking about when it comes to social issues."

For a non-politician, he's got a good grasp of the deeper nuances of how policy and legislation works. "In January of 2019 Governor Brown ordered a study of wildfire management after a bad 2018 fire season that burned 897,000 acres. In November of 2019, the study was released to the Governor. It was a 110-page document that outlined how Oregon could better mitigate wildfires and be better prepared. But instead of prioritizing any work around wildfire management state government did nothing with the study. As a result, in 2020 and 2021 combined to date we have 1,750,000+ acres burned, 6490+ structures burned, 342+ vehicles burned, 82+ people injured and 11 deaths. Not to mention the pets, livestock and treasured belongings you can't replace that were destroyed.

I have read SB 762 and believe it's a step in the right direction to address wildfires in Oregon. What troubles me is it has taken a very long time for our state government to step up and do something.

Harrold will have an uphill battle in a system built by the parties for the parties.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-08-23 11:25:34

About a year ago a group of citizens formed Newberg Dundee Strong and with it a political action committee, COPS (Community Oriented Public Servants). The group recruited and supported three candidates for Newberg School Board.

The campaign leading up to the May 2021 election produced two winners: Trevor Dehart and Renee Powell. Their election changed the complexion of the board. Parents of children in the school district began complaining that political signs were appearing in classrooms and were offended. Their complaints fell on deaf ears to leftist principals.

After hearing this news the school board was motivated to bring a vote to ban political signs -- notably pride flags and BLM flags -- and apparel worn by staff in the district. Word of this incoming vote caused over 500 citizens to write letters to the board and over 90 people signed up to speak at the online board meeting. The ban passed 4-3 during the August 10th school board meeting.

A firestorm in Oregon and even on a national level has erupted. Some supporters of the board's action say that if you don't agree with the left they will stop at nothing to destroy you and that the same radical left that trashed political signs during the election and claimed racism are trying to get board members fired from their jobs and removed from their positions.

The sole purpose of banning political signs was to remove politics from school, elevate education, and make it a place that is inclusive to everyone. BLM and pride flags represent a segment of the population and are offensive to many people, thus making schools non-inclusive. The left's outrage at this ban proves these signs are politically motivated. They promote inclusivity to all, so why would making school safe for everyone be bad? Students' first amendment rights to express themselves via the clothing they wear still stands and is encouraged.

There was a large BLM and Pride rally in Newberg last Friday where supporters held and waved their signs to support this movement. The public square is the appropriate place for this and should stay out of our schools.


--Robyn Wheatley

Post Date: 2021-08-22 12:39:16

Last Update: 2021-08-22 15:03:25

Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR), along with eight other Democrat Congressional Representatives, has released the following statement to reiterate his position and call for an immediate vote on the Senate-passed Bipartisan Infrastructure bill:

“The Senate overwhelmingly voted to invest $1 trillion to modernize our nation’s aging infrastructure for the 21st century and the House must also deliver for the American people,” Rep. Schrader said. “The ambiguity of the reconciliation process would leave the bipartisan infrastructure package in limbo and lead to possible failure. Families in Oregon and throughout the country simply cannot afford to miss out on the largest effort in a century to rebuild our crumbling transportation and water systems and make transformative investments, like ensuring universal access to affordable high-speed broadband and strengthening energy resiliency.

“The House must pass the bipartisan infrastructure package without delay. Waiting any longer risks losing the creation of good-paying union jobs, growing and supporting businesses and keeping our country competitive in the world market.”

A white paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research points out that -- at least with actual infrastructure projects -- any short-term stimulus effect is offset by the short-term impact of re-allocation of construction resources, as well as negative impacts on traffic flow caused by construction. The report also emphasizes that the economy is generally trending favorably, as government policies on COVID-19 caused pent-up demand and government-induced stimulus may be inflationary.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-08-22 11:44:15

Last Update: 2021-08-22 11:59:59

Comments made during public testimony given at an August 10th Salem-Keizer School Board meeting have sparked controversy in Oregon, and have now led to the school board's August 24th work session meeting to be cancelled. Some observers are noting that this type of division and racism witnessed at the August 10th meeting seems to run rampant in the public school system, supported by the spread of policies such as Critical Race Theory in the class room.

"It’s disgusting how you let these white people in without masks", was heard by one student giving public testimony, and she did not shy away from or try to apologize for the racist statement. Students who seem to be supportive of her statement even gave applause at the end of her short speech, which is seen at the beginning of this video.





The full video of the August 10th, 2021 Salem-Keizer School Board meeting can be seen here.

The Salem-Keizer School Board is chaired by Osvaldo Avila and Ashley Carson Cottingham is the vice chair.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2021-08-21 13:36:12

Last Update: 2021-08-22 12:39:16

Oregonians have watched from afar as the Senate and House Redistricting Committees, chaired by Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) and Andrea Salinas (D-Lake Oswego) held meetings. Next step is public hearing around the state to begin September 8 in Bend. But, before those meeting start, Oregonians have an opportunity to show their creativity and submit their redistricting maps for consideration.

Redistricting is the once-a-decade process of redrawing United State House of Representatives (Congressional) and Oregon State Senate and State House of Representatives (Legislative) district boundaries to account for changes in population.

On April 26, 2021 the U.S. Census Bureau announced the apportionment results for the 2020 Census. More information related to apportionment can be found on the Census Bureau's website.

• Oregon Resident Population: 4,237,256
• Average Population per Congressional District: 706,209
• Average Population per Oregon Senate District: 141,242
• Average Population per Oregon House District: 70,621

The U.S. Census Bureau released the 2020 data on August 12th with the Bureau's press release as well as links to the data. These statistics, which come from the 2020 Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171) Summary File, provide the first look at populations for small areas and include information on Hispanic origin, race, age 18 and over, housing occupancy and group quarters. They represent where people were living as of April 1, 2020, and are available for the nation, states and communities down to the block level.

This information has been formatted and loaded into a redistricting application. This application may be used by the public to draw and submit maps for consideration by the Committees. The deadline to submit maps is September 7th at 5:00 PM. Before you dig into your project, a review of the "Redistricting Software Information" manual will get you started on the right path. It includes detailed instructions with illustrations, and offers guidance in building your plan, map selection tools, and understanding the data.

When you are ready to submit your plan, review the "Map Submission Checklist" document. The program will run integrity tests automatically. All this help makes it possible for anyone to submit a plan for consideration by the redistricting committees.

Questions, comments, or suggestions can be e-mail to:
Oregon.Redistricting@oregonlegislature.gov.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-08-21 11:52:47

Governor Kate Brown recently announced she will be deploying up to 1,500 Oregon National Guard members to support frontline health care workers as Oregon hospitals face a surge of hospitalizations due to the rapid spread of the Delta variant. Today she added nurse strike teams, establishing temporary decompression units to free up bed space, and removing barriers to discharging patients who no longer require hospital-level care. Oregon has also made requests to FEMA and the Biden-Harris administration for additional federal resources and support. The Governor announced she has formed a Hospital Crisis Prevention and Response group consisting of health care stakeholders to problem solve in real time and suggest new measures to aid health care workers and hospitals during the ongoing hospital crisis.

Governor Brown wrenched up her mandates by announcing two new vaccination measures to address Oregon’s hospital crisis, caused by the Delta variant surge, and to help keep Oregon students safe in the upcoming school year and minimize disruptions to in-person instruction:

• Oregon’s vaccination requirement for health care workers will no longer have a testing alternative. Health care workers will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, whichever is later.
• All teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers in K-12 schools will be required to be fully vaccinated by October 18 or six weeks after full FDA approval, whichever is later.

"The Delta variant has put enormous pressure on our health systems, and health care workers are being stretched to their absolute limits providing life-saving treatment for the patients in their care," said Governor Brown. "I am devoting all available resources to help, and we must proactively implement solutions right now. We need every single frontline health care worker healthy and available to treat patients."

Hospitals are well stocked with equipment, so will Governor Brown’s announcement of vaccine mandates cause mass resignations?

Nurses and locals protested on August 10 and again today against mandating staff be vaccinated. Breanna Jarmar, Executive Director for Oregonians for Medical Freedom, was interviewed by Rick Dancer, reporting that nursing homes that care for COVID patients receive less financial assistance if their staff is not fully vaccinated, so Peace Health will lose money without full compliance. She says, “It’s more about money than caring for people.” Rick Dancer reported that Bob Sneed, a constitutional lawyer is preparing to represent the nurses. Your rights belong to you, not the government.

The Governor said, “In both cases, health care workers and educators who are not yet vaccinated are urged to speak with their doctor or primary care provider to get their remaining questions about vaccination answered immediately, so they can begin the vaccination process in time to meet the new requirements. In the case of educators, the Governor outlined the importance of masks and staff vaccinations to protect students: because children under 12 are still not yet eligible for vaccination, masks are a critical mitigation measure to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Ensuring all the adults around students are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 adds another layer of protection for students as well.”

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Update Governor Brown ignores: as of July 16, 2021. 11,000 Americans have died from the vaccines, and 48,000 seriously Injured as of July 9. The death toll averaged nearly 100 persons per day for the period from April 23 until July 9, 2021. In total, 118,902 adverse event reports had been filed, that’s about 30 people per day are dying from the shots, and these numbers have grown. CDC is trying to use the decrease in cases to justify the vaccine deaths, but the survival rate for both vaccinated and unvaccinated is 99%. When you add the chance of being disabled and unemployable, it goes way up for the vaccinated.

When Rick Dancer interviewed nurse Magen, she said medical freedom is a dangerous slippery slope. We are shutting down the science, FDA has not completed the challenge trial so they have not approved the vaccines. Vaccines do not stop a person from getting or spreading COVID. When asked what the answer is, she said we need to talk about health, diets, and exercise - 96% of all COVID-19 patients that die are overweight.” Vaccinated deaths don't discriminate.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-08-20 09:29:25

Last Update: 2021-08-19 20:53:29

Changes in criminal law will go into effect September 25 (90 days after the session closed) that will increase healthcare costs while making lawyers more lucrative. SB 193 requires a unanimous jury for a guilty verdict, and removes the cap on non-economic damages to an injured party based on two court cases.

In 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States in Ramos v Louisiana, 140 S. Ct. 1390 found that guilty verdicts in criminal cases must be a unanimous jury verdict. The same year, the Oregon Supreme Court found that the cap on the amount of noneconomic damages that could be awarded to an injured party in a bodily injury case deprived the party of their right to a remedy under Article 1, Section 10 of the Oregon Constitution.

Administration of justice. No court shall be secret, but justice shall be administered, openly and without purchase, completely and without delay, and every man shall have remedy by due course of law for injury done him in his person, property, or reputation.

SB 193, based on the two court decisions, updates ORS 136.450 to require unanimous agreement of jurors for a verdict of guilty and concurrence of at least 10 of 12 jurors for a verdict of not guilty. The measure also removes the statutory cap on noneconomic damages for claims for bodily injury, but retains the $500,000 cap on noneconomic damages for wrongful death claims.

Representatives Janelle Bynum (D-Clackamas) and Maxine Dexter (D-Portland) both expressed that jury verdicts less than unanimous is a significant element of racism and disproportionate impact on Black and brown defendants. Rep. Dexter goes further to say it suggests “efforts to dilute the influence of racial, ethnic, and religious minorities on Oregon juries” traced back to the 1930s. But, is that correct?

ORS 136.450 was originally passed as ORS 136.610 as a “verdict of a trial jury in a criminal action shall be unanimous” until 1973 when it was amended and renumbered to ORS 136.450 to read: “Except as otherwise provided, the verdict of a trial jury in a criminal action shall be by concurrence of at least 10 of 12 jurors except in a verdict for murder which shall be unanimous.” In 1997, the exception was reworded to: “Except when the state requests a unanimous verdict, a verdict of guilty for murder or aggravated murder shall be by concurrence of at least 11 of 12 jurors.” So, it was only in 1997 and not the 1930s that ORS 136.450 was revised in its entirety to: “The verdict of a trial jury in a criminal action shall be by concurrence of at least 10 of 12 jurors.” As of September 25, ORS 136.450 will read: “(1) A jury in a criminal action may render a verdict of guilty only by unanimous agreement. (2) A jury in a criminal action may render a verdict of not guilty only by a concurrence of at least 10 of 12 jurors.”

Rep. Bynum understood that “an interim workgroup would be the place where we would take up case review…” She was not satisfied that the bill didn’t go further. “This bill and its language regarding non-unanimous juries is rather empty to me. I believe it used the racial equity lens to garner support for the other parts of the bill rather than actually doing anything to help people of color on this issue. Using us as a sweetener to deliver on policy goals that should stand on their own merit is morally wrong. I hope our bodies are not ever used in this way again.”

The removal of the compensation cap in injury cases was an issue from prior sessions. The addition was based on an Oregon Supreme Court ruling in Busch v. McInnis Waste Systems, Inc. in July 2020. The ruling did away with a cap on non-economic damages in one case. However, the ruling, like other rulings of this type, should not deem all non-economic damage caps unconstitutional. Representative Lisa Reynolds (D-Portland) as a physician expressed concern that, “non-economic damages are quite variable as they are unquantifiable. Half of the states in the US have placed limits on non-economic damages for medical malpractice. These limits, or caps, are one type of tort reform, and reign in the risks of doing business and the cost of insurance. In the realm of healthcare, these caps lower the overall cost of healthcare and increase physician supply. This then improves access to healthcare.”

It seems she is voicing the consensus of the opposition that “the legislative mechanism to remove this cap, coupling it with the important work to clean up the statute on non-unanimous juries, is a shortcut around a more comprehensive process to address reform on non-economic caps.”

When you match lawyers against healthcare providers in a single bill, there are no winners for Oregonians. Is Rep. Reynolds trying to protect her practice? Might she be protecting her practice against law suits after she responded in a tweet, “We will force vaccines. We will make it a prerequisite, though, for indoor dining, working in your office and furthering your education.” Do lawyers really care that a victim gets a higher award or is it their percentage they want to increase? And, if Rep. Bynum has her way, lawyers will see a lot more cases retrying criminals that didn’t receive a unanimous jury verdict that will come with a high price tag for the state.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-08-20 09:11:35

Former Oregon National Guard Soldier Alek Skarlatos, who served in Afghanistan has released the following statement:

"As a former infantryman who served in Afghanistan, we were taught to never leave a man behind.

"As a result, it’s time for President Joe Biden, our commander and chief, to authorize the Pentagon to take back Bagram Air Field.

"This will give our military additional power and another route for Americans and our allies to evacuate the country.

"Then, President Biden needs to expand the security perimeter around the Kabul Airport, and allow our military to go out and rescue every American and as many Afghan allies as possible so they do not need to go through these Taliban checkpoints, where they are being beaten, whipped, and denied access.

"Once we complete that mission, which should not have any self-imposed artificial deadlines, then we can work to draw down our presence in Afghanistan."

Skarlatos is a former Oregon National Guardsman, who served in Afghanistan. In 2015, while traveling on a train bound for Paris, he, along with four others, jumped into action to stop an Islamic Terrorist who tried to open fire on a passenger train. His heroism earned him several awards and medals around the world including, the United States' Soldier’s Medal.

After serving as a National Guardsman for 5 years, Skarlatos left military service in November 2017. Upon completing his service, Skarlatos voiced his inspiring experience by authoring 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of A Terrorist, A Train, and Three American Heroes describing the events that led up to the attack on the train ride to Paris from Amsterdam. He worked with legendary director Clint Eastwood on the film 15:17 to Paris that portrayed the harrowing attack in which Skarlatos starred as himself.

Skarlatos ran for US Congress in Oregon's 4th Congressional District against Peter DeFazio and is expected to run for Congress in 2022.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2021-08-20 09:02:00

Last Update: 2021-08-20 13:54:03