Democrat for Governor
	David Beem
	Julian Bell
	Wilson R Bright
	George L Carrillo
	Michael Cross
	Ifeanyichukwu C Diru
	Peter W Hall
	Tina Kotek
	Keisha Lanell Merchant
	Tobias Read
	Patrick E Starnes
	Dave W Stauffer
	John Sweeney
	Michael Trimble
	Genevieve Wilson H
Republican for Governor
	Raymond Baldwin
	Bridget Barton
	Court Boice
	David A Burch
	Reed Christensen
	Christine Drazan
	Jessica Gomez
	Nick Hess
	Tim McCloud
	Kerry McQuisten
	Brandon C Merritt
	Bud Pierce
	John G Presco
	Stan Pulliam
	Amber R Richardson
	Bill Sizemore
	Stefan G Strek (Stregoi)
	Marc Thielman
	Bob Tiernan
Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries
	Aaron R Baca
	Brent T Barker
	Cheri Helt
	Chris Henry
	Casey M Kulla
	Robert Neuman
	Christina E Stephenson
Judge of the Court of Appeals, Position 3
	Vance Day
	Darleen Ortega
Democrat for US Senator
	William E Barlow III
	Brent Thompson
	Ron Wyden
Republican for US Senator
	Jason Beebe
	Christopher C Christensen
	Robert M Fleming
	Darin Harbick
	Sam Palmer
	Jo Rae Perkins
	Ibra A Taher
Democrat for Congress, 1st District
	Suzanne Bonamici
	Scott Phillips
	Christian Robertson
Republican for Congress, 1st District
	Christopher A Mann
	Armidia (Army) Murray
Democrat for Congress, 2nd District
	Adam Prine
	Joe Yetter
Republican for Congress, 2nd District
	Cliff S Bentz
	Mark Cavener
	Katherine M Gallant
Democrat for Congress, 3rd District
	Earl Blumenauer
	Jonathan E Polhemus
Republican for Congress, 3rd District
	Joanna Harbour
Democrat for Congress, 4th District
	Sami Al-Abdrabbuh
	Doyle E Canning
	Val Hoyle
	Andrew Kalloch
	Steve William Laible
	Jake Matthews
	John S Selker
	G Tommy Smith
Republican for Congress, 4th District
	Alek Skarlatos
Democrat for Congress, 5th District
	Jamie McLeod-Skinner
	Kurt Schrader
Republican for Congress, 5th District
	Lori Chavez-DeRemer
	Jimmy Crumpacker
	John Di Paola
	Madison Oatman
	Laurel L Roses
Democrat for Congress, 6th District
	Teresa Alonso Leon
	Ricky Barajas
	Carrick Flynn
	Greg Goodwin
	Kathleen Harder
	Cody Reynolds
	Andrea Salinas
	Loretta Smith
	Matt West
Republican for Congress, 6th District
	Jim Bunn
	Mike Erickson
	Ron Noble
	Angela Plowhead
	David Russ
	Amy L Ryan Courser
	Nathan A Sandvig

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-17 20:01:43

Last Update: 2022-05-20 08:45:47

The Northwest Human Service's Homeless Outreach and Advocacy Project (HOAP) team members are in dire need of hygiene products to support the unsheltered people who were lost everything after a recent flood at Wallace Marine Park. Community members are invited to give “HOAP” to those who have little by donating hygiene products at East Salem Rotary’s club meeting this Friday, May 20, or bringing them to the HOAP Day Center Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Strategic Partnerships Manager and East Salem Rotary member, Kristin Kuenz-Barber said, "Our outreach team and our HOAP team are incredibly short-staffed right now and they are just focused on keeping people clean, clothed, and de-escalated so they often don't even think to ask me or share with me what their needs are."

The HOAP program provides a hand up by giving homeless individuals the resources, support, and skills they need to transition to stable and healthier lifestyles. Examples of hygiene supplies they supply for unsheltered neighbors include travel-sized:

• Shampoo
• Toothbrushes & toothpaste
• Bars of soap
• Feminine hygiene products
• Packs of tissues
• Bandages
• Lip balm
• Hand sanitizer
• Shaving cream
• Razors
• Wet wipes
• Hairbrush or comb

“Please know that I recognize this is a long shot -- but we don't plan for these things to happen and there is so much need right now. In addition to the environmental issues, the camp in that area has experienced several deaths in the last few months; so, on top of the trauma people already have - now they have grief and a sense of hopelessness to add to their list of challenges,” added Kristin.

Rotarians are problem-solvers. Together, we apply our professional experience and personal commitment to tackling our communities’ most persistent problems, finding new, effective ways to enhance health, stability, and prosperity across the globe. The East Salem Rotary Foundation has already contributed $500 to kick-start the Fast and Furious Hygiene Supply Drive, and HOAPs you can help too by donating.

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The East Salem Rotary meeting is held at 12:00 p.m. at the Seymour Family Resource Center located 3745 Portland Rd NE, Salem. The HOAP Day Center is located at 694 Church St NE, Salem and the Drop-In Center Hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

For more information or questions regarding hygiene needs: Email Kristin Kuenz-Barber at kkuenz-barber@nwhumanservices.org

For more information or questions regarding the East Salem Rotary: Email Maureen Casey at Maureen Casey MCasey@ccswv.org


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-17 19:07:30

Last Update: 2022-05-17 19:24:49

Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan said that she expects a smooth process at elections offices around the state. In Clackamas County, where a printing error could complicate reporting, Secretary Fagan along with senior staff visited the County's election office to observe the ballot correction process.

"Oregon is the gold standard for secure, modern and transparent elections," Secretary Fagan said. "I hope every Oregonian has the opportunity to turn in their ballot today. We expect a smooth process at elections offices around the state."

The Oregon Elections Division has been in contact with county elections divisions across the state during the voting period, providing support as needed.

Secretary Fagan, along with Deputy Elections Director Luke Belant and Chief Legal and Risk Counsel P.K. Runkles-Pearson, visited Clackamas County Elections today to observe the ballot correction process. A printing error by the vendor Clackamas County used to print ballots resulted in a large number of ballots with unreadable barcodes, and county elections officials are consulting with the Oregon Elections Division to correct those ballots in a fair and transparent process.

"After consulting with Clackamas County to help them set up their process, it was reassuring to watch it in action," Secretary Fagan said. "We are confident they will report accurate results."

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Clackamas County may be slower to report results on Election Day as a result of the printing error. However, the county has indicated it will certify the results within the statutory deadline.

The Secretary of State expects Oregon to once again have high voter turnout. If past trends hold, turnout will likely be in the low 30 percent range. Out of all the states that have already held primaries in 2022, Oregon will likely end up with the second highest voter turnout. Those states are Texas (17.7%), Indiana (14%), Ohio (20.64%), Nebraska (33.29%) and W. Virginia (22.84%).

Election results will begin reporting after 8 PM tonight on the Secretary of State's Website


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-17 12:59:20

Last Update: 2022-05-17 13:19:39

The United States Postal Service (USPS) recently informed the Multnomah County Elections Division that a USPS blue mail collection box was stolen on Wednesday, May 4, 2022. The USPS box was located at S.E. Reed College Place and S.E. Woodstock Boulevard in Southeast Portland’s Eastmoreland neighborhood.

The Postal Service confirmed all mail was removed from the box on May 4, 2022 at 11:35 AM. Any voter who used this USPS mail collection box to mail their ballot on May 4, after that time, should immediately contact Multnomah County Elections at 503-988-VOTE (8683) to check the status of their ballot.

Any Multnomah County voter whose ballot was not received at the Elections office may still request a replacement ballot.

You can also contact Multnomah County Elections at 503-988-VOTE (8683) to request a replacement ballot. Multnomah County Elections has offered extended hours leading up to the election.

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Multnomah County voters can also sign up to track their ballot online. The Track Your Ballot service lets voters know when their ballot has been sent, received and accepted by the Elections Division.

At least one voter, who used the Eastmoreland mailbox that was reported stolen, alerted the County after they didn’t hear from Track Your Ballot one week after they dropped the ballot there. Elections staff confirmed the ballot had not reached the Elections Division and issued a replacement ballot.

The Elections Division has alerted the Secretary of State’s Office. This is a developing story.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-05-17 09:59:54

Last Update: 2022-05-17 10:27:05

While the last several Oregon legislative sessions have seen an avalanche of agenda-driven bills, not many have gotten the attention of HB 3294. This bill, passed in 2021, required free tampons and sanitary pads in every student bathroom in every school. Including the bathrooms of kindergarten boys.

The products would be available, with no limit, to anyone using any student bathroom. Every single Republican House Rep voted in favor of this bill. Even Representative Greg Smith (R-Heppner) who was not present for the vote on the floor, approved the bill in committee.

When gubernatorial candidate Bridget Barton produced a campaign ad criticizing then House Rep (and candidate for Governor) Christine Drazan, for voting in favor of the bill, Drazan responded with an email blast on May 13th 2022 saying;

“Let me give you the facts, because there’s no confusion there. I voted alongside every other Republican in the State House to provide underprivileged girls with feminine products. A warped and radical progressive agenda–spearheaded by Kate Brown and Tina Kotek–then turned around and put feminine products into boys’ bathrooms.”

And, in an email to a constituent who complained to House Rep David Brock Smith about his vote supporting this bill, Smith responded:

"The bill requires feminine hygiene products in two restrooms in public schools. It passed the House unanimously and for good reason. One, it does not mandate them to boys restrooms, that would be silly. (Don’t believe everything you read on the internet). School districts (local control) decide which bathrooms they are placed, to which I could imagine would be the girls locker room bathroom and another girls bathroom within the school. If there is only one bathroom in the school, then they are there but I don’t know of any schools with one bathroom."

Two, there are a number of families that struggle to provide meals for their children, let alone feminine hygiene products. As a grandfather I would hope you would understand (even if you don’t have granddaughters) that a child’s lack of access to feminine hygiene products for whatever reason, should not be a barrier to education, sports or just a basic quality of life in our public school system.

Both statements have factual issues.

The fact is, the original version of the bill only made these products available in girl’s bath rooms. “Each public education provider shall ensure that both tampons and sanitary pads are available at no cost to students through dispensers located in at least two female student bathrooms of every public school building.”

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However, the bill was amended to include all bathrooms and David Brock Smith voted to approve those amendments. In fact, during the hearing on the bill, in the House Education Committee on which Brock Smith was a member, the very first person to testify was House Rep Ricki Ruiz, a Democrat sponsor of the bill who called for the removal of gender language and stated that “not all people who menstruate are women.” Brock Smith was sitting in the committee at the time.

Subsequent testimony constantly referred not to “women” or “girls” or “females” but to “people who menstrurate.” One of the few references to “women” was from a representative of the National Organization of Women who stated in her testimony, “Menstrual inequity is simply another means to control women and limit their access to all possibilities and opportunities”

After being confronted with the language of the amended bill that Brock Smith twice voted for, Brock Smith responded:

It turns out I was mistaken. For that matter, my entire caucus was mistaken. The language was amended to require all restrooms and not two. This was not caught by the house republican members or our Republican staff. My apologies to you and others. There will be a bill from our caucus to fix this in the ‘23 session. I and others would not have voted for the legislation if we would have known, even though it would have passed anyway because the democrats don’t need our votes to pass legislation. Hopefully we will be changing that this November. Again, my apologies.

Brock Smith and other Republicans sat in the committee where the bill was heard. Every single Republican member of that committee then voted to amend the bill to put tampons in the bathrooms of little boys. No one asked a question or voiced an objection. Then every single Republican, except the “excused” Greg Smith, voted for it again on the House floor. But not before it made another stop in the Joint Ways and Means Committee.

In that committee, the bill, now containing the language Smith and Christine Drazan claim to object to, was heard again. And then passed to the full House for a vote. Christine Drazan sat on that committee and approved the bill with the mandates for free tampons in kindergarten boy’s bathrooms.

The bill then went to the Senate where even Democrat Betsy Johnson voted no. To the surprise of very few, Republican Senator Tim Knopp, who is now the Senate Republican Leader, voted yes.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-16 08:22:18

Last Update: 2022-12-28 13:10:44

Oregon's Governor Kate Brown has declared a drought in Baker, Douglas, Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties through Executive Order 22-08, and directed state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region.

"Baker, Douglas, Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties are facing historic challenges from drought conditions that are creating hardships for the people, farms, ranches, communities, and ecosystems of the region. I am committed to doing everything possible to make state resources available to provide immediate relief and assistance to water users throughout Baker, Douglas, Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties," said Governor Brown.

She went on, calling for big government solutions, "Moving forward, we must look for long-term solutions to the underlying issue causing drought in Oregon counties: there is too little water to go around, and as the climate changes we are experiencing hotter, drier summers. As we brace for another record-breaking drought year, collaborating with our federal partners will also be critical as we work towards locally supported, long-term solutions."

As of May 9, the snow-water equivalent in Baker, Douglas, Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties was significantly lower than during a normal water year, and forecasted water conditions are not expected to improve.

Drought, severe weather conditions, and the upcoming fire season pose significant threats to the local economy, agriculture and livestock, natural resources, and recreation in Baker, Douglas, Wallowa, and Wheeler Counties.

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The Governor's drought declaration unlocks a number of drought-related emergency tools for water users, including assistance to local water users. Drought declarations also allow the Water Resources Department to expedite review processes and reduce fee schedules. Declarations are intended to be short-term emergency authorizations to address water supply challenges. More information is available on the Oregon Drought Watch website.

As state and local officials coordinate with federal partners, conditions will be closely monitored by the state’s natural resource and public safety agencies, including the Oregon Water Resources Department and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.

Drought declarations typically go through a three-part process before securing a state drought declaration from the Governor.

The Baker, Douglas, Wallowa, and Wheeler County Commissions first declared a drought emergency due to low snowpack, low precipitation, low streamflows and warmer than normal temperature, and a state drought declaration was requested.

State officials subsequently met, and the Oregon Drought Readiness Council ultimately recommended that the Governor issue a drought declaration to provide critical resources to confront current water conditions and future climatic forecasts.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-05-15 09:03:32

Last Update: 2022-05-15 14:51:51

In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries created the term shinrin-yoku, which translates to “forest bathing” or “absorbing the forest atmosphere.” The practice encourages people to simply spend time in nature — no actual bathing required.

It’s a low impact immersing your senses in the sights and sounds of nature without the physical impact of running. A remake of stop and smell the roses.

To accommodate your nature experience, on May 6, US Representative Earl Blumenauer-introduced H.R. 7665, Mt. Hood and Columbia River Gorge Recreation Enhancement and Conservation Act. The bill will protect 350,000 acres of new National Recreation Area increasing protected lands tenfold from the 2009 bill, significantly expanding the area for your pleasure of “forest bathing.”

The new recreational area butts up to the Warm Springs reservation east of Mount Hood.

It forms a tribal co-management system, first in the nation, and the incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge in land management decisions through Indian Treaty Resources Emphasis Zones. Treaty rights for the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation include rights—particularly around food gathering—that have been harmed by past actions on the Forest, including Wilderness designations.

Additionally, 7,500 acres are added of Wilderness working around Hood River County five irrigation districts that have water rights on Mount Hood. Oregon Wild was hoping for 30,000 acres and to express their dissatisfaction they rallied a phone campaign to Blumenauer’s office.

Steve Pedery, conservation director of Oregon Wild, believes the additional national recreation area puts the Pacific Crest Trail at risk, and does not prioritize recreation over timber sales by expanding cutting in watersheds and scenic areas.

The expansion of 7,500 acres of new wilderness should be the bigger concern. This designation requires the land remain unspoiled, roadless, and limited to non-motorized non-invasive recreation. The 92 miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers added to the bill basically follows the same rules.

Nearly two percent of Oregon’s 110,994 miles of river are designated as wild & scenic – adding to 1,916.7 miles.

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Road closures in these areas have made it more difficult to fight fires will increase risks, and we are now headed into wildfire season.

The bill requires a wildfire risk assessment for the Mount Hood National Forest, the Columbia River Gorge, and any private, state, or tribal land adjacent to those areas. It creates a comprehensive, coordinated, multi-jurisdictional plan to improve safe, equitable, and ecologically sustainable access to Mt. Hood and the Gorge.

Blumenauer suggests that these plans will prioritize reliable and user-friendly transportation and transit options including recreational access and emergency personnel access.

The devastating fire in the Gorge in 2017 made it clear that this region is at high risk for wildfires. The bill attempts to protect this area from wildfires by proposing a modern approach to mitigate fire risk through prescribed burns and other ecologically sound treatment practices.

Anti-forestry groups have pressured the Biden Administration to ban logging on National Forest System lands under the guise of protecting “old and mature forests” even though there are no universally or scientifically-accepted definitions of what “old” or “mature” trees are.

This policy along with Blumenauer’s bill, and the drought is a prescription for less “forest bathing” and more wildfires that no one is taking seriously.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-05-14 11:03:31

Last Update: 2022-05-14 11:19:45

With the May 17 primary deadline fast approaching, the insurgent candidacy of Vance Day, candidate for Oregon Court of Appeals Position 3, is on the march, gathering both votes and momentum.

Weeks ago, Day announced his campaign on the Lars Larson Show, saying:

“Our Constitution made a promise to us as Oregonians that we would do justice, that we would respect others, that we would live in a diverse community and not have a government that bullied us. As a former circuit court judge, I know how to work within the judiciary to bring about change. I’m asking for your vote, and I want to say thank you for getting involved in making Oregon a great state again.”

Day, a sixth-generation Oregonian and descendent of Oregon Trail pioneers, is well-known to Oregonians, having served as the head of the Oregon Republican party and as a Circuit Court Judge in Marion County. Day is also well-known to Oregon’s Christian community, having been recruited by the board of the Christian men’s mega-ministry Promise Keepers to help rebuild the organization. Day started as Chief Operating Officer and was eventually elevated to serve as President.

Day began his campaign with a pledge to visit each of Oregon’s 36 counties. When asked why it was so important to him to visit all of Oregon’s 36 counties, Day said, “It allows me to listen. The position I’m running for, Oregon Court of Appeals Position 3, is a statewide position, and I care about the opinions of every Oregonian in every county.”

According to Day's supporters, there are legs to his platform:

• Equality, which Day understands to be very different from “equity.” As Day notes, “The justice system should not promote privileged categories in the name of redressing past injustices —both real and imagined — and thus pits Americans against one another. By contrast, equality strives for fairness, an equal playing field where a person is only limited by their own industry and ingenuity. Equality is the bedrock of the American Dream.”

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  By contrast, Day’s opponent, Darleen Ortega, scoffs at the idea “that anyone from even the most humble beginnings can make it here if they just ‘decide to go for it.’” Ortega attacked the idea of the American Dream in The Portland Observer and went so far as to assert that “The American dream is regularly a nightmare, even for its most successful dreamers—and for every person who decides to go for it and “succeeds,” how many talented dreamers don’t manage to survive such obstacles?” This is an approach to the law that Ortega actively promotes as an instructor at the University of Oregon Law School, in addition to actively writing and speaking on the subject. There is a clear difference between the candidates regarding the importance they attach to equality under the law.
  
  
• Freedom, which Day believes is a God-given right possessed by humans—not a perk granted by government. Day explains, “The judiciary has a constitutional role in providing a check against the excesses of the other two branches of government: the Executive and the Legislative. History reveals that some in our government misuse their power to tell the average citizen how to live, work, and even think. I know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of governmental group-think weaponized to punish dissenting voices. I know how precious—and fragile—freedom is.”
  
  
• The Rule of Law, which Day believes must be equally applied to all people, in all places, at all times, in the same manner. Day believes judges “are duty-bound to act as a check and balance against any effort to diminish, distort, or discard our Constitutions, along with the rights and freedoms of the People.”

All three of these stem from Day’s “strict constructionist” views, which Day describes this way: “Like the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Strict constructionists like me believe that judges should be faithful to the Constitution and laws as written and apply them. If elected, I will be the only strict constructionist on the Court of Appeals — and that the Court of Appeals desperately needs a diversity of opinion.”

Although the race for Position 3 is nonpartisan, Day was offered the endorsement of the Oregon Republican Party, though he had to decline this offer to comply with Oregon Code of Judicial Conduct.

Not everyone is happy about Day’s candidacy, however. Sarah Iannarone, the 2020 Antifa candidate for Mayor of Portland, took to Twitter to urge people, “do NOT vote Vance Day – he is openly neo-Nazi, affiliated with the Promise Keepers, Proud Boys, etc. Tell your friends to vote Darleen Ortega.” Iannarone doesn’t seem to care that Promise Keepers and Proud Boys are as different as cheese and chalk or that her other allegations against Day, which stemmed from partisan outrage over his views about same-sex marriage, were discredited long ago.

As former Governor of Virginia Bob McDonnell noted at the time, “Vance Day [was] targeted for prosecution, and I think persecution, for his Christian faith—simply because he chose not to perform a same-sex marriage. In Oregon, it’s permissible for judges to do it [perform marriages], but not required. He quietly declined to do one. And I think that series of criminal charges, of bar complaints, and persecution by the Oregon Attorney General’s office and others have all stemmed from that.”

Former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee asked the obvious question: “Is There a Vendetta Against Judge Vance Day’s Religious Beliefs?” Huckabee then invited Vance Day on his television program to discuss what Huckabee termed Day’s “Political Persecution.”

Day’s opponent in the nonpartisan race is Darleen Ortega, who has already served on the Court of Appeals for 19 years, 10 years longer than any other judge on this Court. Ortega ascended to the bench in what’s become an Oregon tradition. Court of Appeals judges step down before the end of their terms to bypass the electorate and allow the governor to appoint their successor. This is intended to give the Governor’s hand-picked appointees a considerable electoral advantage since they are now listed as the “incumbent” even though they never stood for election. Vance Day has already committed not to play this game, pledging to serve his full term as judge.

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In her time on the bench, Ortega “has focused on issues of juvenile dependency and on efforts to address the structural inequities that affect operation of the legal system.” Ortega is “a frequent speaker on topics related to equity, privilege, combatting structural and internalized racism and oppression, and learning to recognize and value the perspectives of people at the margins.” She is a co-founder of OneGeorgeFox, an alumni organization of George Fox University supporting LGBTQ+ students.

During the past week, Vance Day has condemned the potentially illegal targeting of Supreme Court Justices and their familyies by mobs of protesters at the private homes as they deliberate a verdict in a case that may lead to the overturning of the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision on Abortion, according to a leaked opinion draft from last week. Day has challenged his opponent Ortega to do the same, however no such condemnation appears forthcoming as of the publishing of this story.

So this rare competitive race for Appeals Court Judge offers Oregonian voters a clear set of contrasting choices: Vance Day, the candidate who sees equality under the law as critical to the American Dream, or Darleen Ortega, who rejects the very idea of the American Dream.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-14 08:41:10

Last Update: 2022-05-14 16:22:18

The Washington County Oregon Board of Commissioners issued a statement on the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion. The statement reads as follows:

"We are deeply troubled and concerned by a recently released draft opinion of the Supreme Court proposing to overturn Roe v. Wade. No matter where you stand in your beliefs on the subject, the right at an abortion in most circumstances has been consistently upheld by the United States Supreme Court for almost 50 years."

"Since the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973, those opposed to abortion, have sought ways to diminish the power of the law. The Hyde Amendment in 1980 restricted the use of federal funds for abortion, unless to save a woman’s life, and later actions have opened the door for more state control in regulating and restricting access."

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"These actions have been to the detriment of people who cannot afford the luxury of travel to more receptive states. The proposed rollback to Roe v. Wade will have unequal impact to Americans based on their income and based on their race. The safety and livelihoods of many will be at risk, and our underserved populations will feel the impact most acutely."

"If the Supreme Court moves forward with this draft opinion, it behooves us to be concerned about encroachment of our individual rights to govern our bodies and destinies. As the public health agency for the County, we encourage the U.S. Congress to take appropriate legislative action to uphold our constitutional right and not overturn a law that has been upheld in our country for close to 50 years."

Signed,

• Chair Kathryn Harrington
• Commissioner Pam Treece
• Commissioner Jerry Willey
• Commissioner Nafisa Fai

Commissioner Roy Rogers' name and signature does not appear on the statement, indicating that he seems to have not participated in the virtue signalling along with the other 4 commissioners, perhaps wisely so. Rogers is know to be the more conservative commissioner of the county.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-05-13 18:54:17

Last Update: 2022-05-13 19:15:05

If you live in northwest Oregon, you’re probably thinking the state is surely water-logged. While Portland is having the wettest spring on record, portions of northwest and northeast Oregon are near or above average, but central, southeast, and southwest Oregon are below average.

Seasonal snowpack was below normal for all but the far-northern Cascades in the vicinity of Mt. Hood. As of early April, several snow monitoring stations in south-central and southeast Oregon had recorded complete melt-out for the season.

Oregon’s Governor Brown has already declared a drought in Crook, Gilliam, Harney, Jackson, Jefferson, Klamath, and Morrow counties.

Additional counties are likely to request drought declarations.

Oregon’s forecast is getting hotter and drier, leading to more wildfires, which can happen suddenly and grow quickly.

Portland General Electric (PGE) sent out notices for consumers to prepare their households for outages for “wildfire season.” PGE says, “If extreme weather hits, we may turn off the power as a last-resort safety measure, which could last several hours or multiple days.”

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports a steady 163 percent increase every year in wildfire activity.

NFPA launched Outthink Wildfire to solve the wildfire problem with five tenets for all levels of government to follow.

They suggest the public understand its role and take action in reducing wildfire risk making homes more resistant to ignition from wildfire embers and flames, fire departments must be prepared to respond safely and effectively to wildfires, and government must increase resources for vegetative fuel management on public lands.

Even if there were no wildfires, there is still a chance for blackouts.

The passage of SB 1044 didn’t help. It encoding into law the requirement that nine out of 10 new car sales be electric by 2035. Will utilities be able to increase the grid to keep up with the demand?

When Representative Pam Marsh (D-Ashland) sponsored HB 2021 in 2021, there were numerous experts that warned of the likelihood of rolling blackouts related to supply and stability.

It passed with the presumption that it allows for use of other sources in unstable periods. As other sources are forced out of business via the standards, what backup will be available to stabilize electric power?

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The City of Forest Grove is using state funding to pay residents $500 to install a charging station if they own an electric vehicle. The rebate will be available to all prior and future purchases for residential and commercial chargers.

Currently there are 269 electric vehicles registered within its coverage area using 12 public charging stations operated by Forest Grove Light & Power.

Quarterly usage has increase from 484 kilowatts to 4,665 kilowatts in one year.

PGE’s notice to be prepared in case an outage occurs includes staying updated online or on email lists with utilities for alerts.

Make an outage kit and gather what is needed to keep your family and pets fed and hydrated.

Have a plan for household needs and how you’ll care for a family member with a medical condition or your animals, especially if you rely on an electric pump for your water well. And we should now add if you have an electric car. Plan ahead to where you can relocate -- friend, family member or to a shelter.

If in the path of a wildfire, know the evacuation route if needed (see your county's evacuation guide). Create a line of defense around your home.

Whether it is the weather, wildfire complications or overuse, the main responsibility of government is the safety of Oregonians.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-05-12 13:27:23

Last Update: 2022-05-12 13:52:06

Are you interested in helping the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission to draft rules and policies? The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) is looking to broaden and diversify it's pool of prospective Advisory Committee participants.

They are collecting information from interested individuals and industry representatives to lend their expertise to OLCC Advisory Committees.

Throughout the course of the year, the Commission will being holding multiple Advisory Committees to implement legislative policies and update rules. Committee members aid in rule and policy making, help set programmatic direction, and serve as subject matter experts.

The Commission will use the collected information to construct committees based on qualifications and interests.

The agency’s goal is to identify stakeholders with varied perspectives, backgrounds, and expertise to participate in agency Advisory Committees. Applicants should recognize that this is a professional commitment when considering to apply. This is an open and rolling application process.

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Prospective participants will be notified by the OLCC if they have been selected to take part in an Advisory Committee.

They need participants for the Alcohol Advisory Committee and the Cannabis Advisory Committee.

This is an open and rolling application process, although applications received by May 31, 2022 will receive priority consideration.

For more information, please contact the OLCC.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-12 09:10:26

Last Update: 2022-05-12 17:44:49

At the May 10, 2022 meeting, the Newberg School District Board of Directors announced their selection of Stephen Phillips to be the next Superintendent of Newberg Public Schools. Dr. Phillips will start in the role as soon as possible after working out contract details.

The Board selected Dr. Phillips after three rounds of interviews with candidates, a day of meeting with staff, students, and community here in Newberg, a site visit, and reference checks.

Dr. Phillips served most recently as Superintendent of Jewell School District in Seaside, Oregon. An educator for 24 years, many of those as an administrator, Dr. Phillips previously served as the Deputy Superintendent for Teaching and Learning, Human Resources, and Technology for the Beaverton School District and the Superintendent of Malheur Education Service District in Vale, Oregon.

The Newberg/Dundee Strong newsletter summed up citizen questioning of Mr. Phillips. “Steve fielded the questions with solid, straightforward, clear answers. He also handled himself very well ‘under fire’ when some hardball questions were thrown his way. Steve demonstrated wisdom, an ability to communicate effectively, and his previous experience -- both his acknowledged successes and mistakes -- would serve him well to bring the Newberg schools back to a focus on the students' academic preparedness. He said more than once that his philosophy of asking "what is best for the students?" guides his decisions. He was also clear that he has high expectations for all students as well as for the faculty and staff’s performance”.

The last two years have been difficult for many public schools. In 2021-22 over 10 million students left for private schools or home schooling nationally. Parents concerns have been both with curriculum and classroom environment. In the Newberg Dundee District citizen concerns produced a majority of school board members in the 2020 election who decided that the classrooms and curriculums should be free of politics. When they met opposition from then Superintendent Joe Morelock in implementing the decision he was dismissed. Some councilors who further resisted school board policies are on leave.

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Advocates for politicized classroom environments and similarly politicized content in the curriculum sought to recall two of the School Board members. The Recall Election failed, retaining the Board members but only by a 4% margin. Shortly after the Recall election failed school board member Inez Perez resigned. That left a void filled by new board member Raquel Peregrino de Brito, a Brazilian immigrant now U.S. citizen.

The struggle is typical of the divide across America. At its heart are parents’ rights. Perhaps the most visible of the political fallout from this sharp divide was the Virginia Governor and Lt. Governor races. There, the outcome produced come from behind wins for candidates supporting parents rights over opponents that advocate for the states first claim on the child’s upbringing.

While Newberg/Dundee Strong has navigated this phase of the struggle it is clear that the matter is far from settled. It is doubtful there are few if any colleges graduating future educators that aren’t taught the state has first claim on a child’s development per socialist John Dewey. Competition to public schools grows with higher enrollment in private schools and more home schooling each year. Parents strong preference for choice cuts across all demographic barriers. Teacher unions, the state’s most powerful, are surveying the battlefield for fall back positions. Parents’ calls for vouchers has resulted in committee work at the Oregon legislature. That work may continue the trend toward healthy competition in providing K-12 education.


--Tom Hammer

Post Date: 2022-05-11 20:33:17

Last Update: 2022-05-11 21:18:03