Advocates of school choice are taking a new run at amending the Oregon Constitution to provide for open enrollment and school choice. Proposed for the November 2024 ballot are two initiatives.

Initiative petition #5 would allow any child to attend any public school in which space is available and is called the Open Enrollment Amendment. Should a school have more applicants than space, it would be required to conduct an “Equitable Lottery” which means a process that must give each participating child an equal chance of selection.

Initiative petition #6 is called the School Choice Amendment and allows parents to set up a School Choice Account which is funded by 80% of the state education dollars intended for the student, which would then be controlled by the parent for educational purposes.

According to Donna Kreitzberg of Education Freedom for Oregon, "We are bringing School Choice to Oregon to give parents a voice in the education of their children and so that parents have equal access to Oregon's education dollars. Oregon's education dollars are meant to educate ALL of Oregon's K-12 students, not just those in public school. By using our School Choice measures parents will have the constitutionally protected right to choose the schooling for their children, whether that is in traditional public school, public charter school, private school or homeschool. We would love the public's help to gather our needed 2000 sponsorship signatures for each measure so that these amendments will be on the Nov 2024 ballot. Together we can ensure that all Oregon's K-12 students have the opportunity for a great education."

Many Oregon residents have become disillusioned with the performance of public schools and school choice backers see the current climate as an opportunity to make changes in how education is funded and where a child can attend school.

An initiative proposal sponsored by Marc Thielman was rejected in January this year based on advice from Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. That initiative had a similar proposal requiring education dollars to be controlled by parents. It was rejected because it changed multiple parts of the Oregon Constitution, which is not allowed under the "single subject" rule.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-25 15:26:33

Last Update: 2022-05-25 20:33:50

As the United States Supreme Court moves closer to overturning legalized abortion in Roe v. Wade and states across the country may enact new restrictions on abortion, Oregon House Majority Leader Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) and Representative Andrea Valderrama (D-Portland) met with White House officials and state legislators from California, Washington, Illinois, Maryland, New York and Connecticut to discuss preparations and legislation to protect and expand abortion access.

“In Oregon, years of strong Democratic majorities in both chambers and Democratic governors have given us a head start on passing some of the strongest abortion access laws in the country–laws that have already served as a model for other states,” Majority Leader Fahey said. “As we prepare to be a bulwark for abortion access when Roe falls, communicating and coordinating with other states working to expand reproductive health care is critical.”

In 2017 Oregon Democrats passed HB 3391, increasing abortion access. The law, which was chief sponsored by Majority Leader Fahey, who at the time was a first-term legislator, codified the right to an abortion in state law, and required health insurance plans to cover a full range of services at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. It also prohibited discrimination in coverage or delivery of care based on gender, sexual orientation, race, disability or immigration status.

In preparation for an influx of people seeking abortion care, Oregon Democrats passed HB 5202 which established the Reproductive Health Equity Fund, a $15 million investment to expand provider network capacity and address urgent patient needs for abortion funds and practical support -- like travel and lodging.

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

“Despite the progress we’ve made, we know the impact of overturning Roe will be felt largely by Black, Latinx, Indigenous, people of color and LGBTQ+ communities, low-income individuals and families, people with disabilities, rural areas, among other communities who face structural racism and discrimination,” Rep. Valderrama said. “This $15 million is critical and will address longstanding health disparities and ensure resources are available to those who may be impacted by the loss of federal abortion protections.”

Oregon Democrats also recently announced the formation of the Reproductive Health and Access to Care Work Group of providers, clinics, community organizations, and legislators that will focus on making recommendations for the 2023 legislative session and beyond. Recommendations may include policy, administrative, and budget proposals to protect, strengthen, and expand equitable access to all forms of reproductive care, gender-affirming care, and quality of care.

Eastern Oregonians who rely on Boise and Meridian as the closest health centers could see an up to 35% decrease in access to care when Idaho bans abortion. According to the Guttmacher Institute, Oregon could experience a potential 234% increase in people traveling to the state, depending upon the bans that go into effect, creating added barriers for people seeking abortion care locally.

In addition to legislators across the country, several officials from the Biden-Harris administration were in attendance today, including Jennifer Klein, DAP and Director of the White House Gender Policy Council; Julie Rodriguez, DAP and Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs; and Morgan Mohr of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-25 09:52:14

Last Update: 2022-05-25 10:02:16

With now 100 judicial appointments, Oregon's controversial Governor Kate Brown has stated that she appoints judges who she believes represent the diversity of backgrounds and life experiences of Oregon’s people and communities. However, some critics are left wondering if her motives are political.

Oregon's Governor Kate Brown has now announced that she intends to appoint attorney Jacqueline L. Alarcón to a vacancy created by the planned retirement of Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Jerry Hodson.

This marks the 100th judicial appointment that Governor Brown has made to Oregon’s courts during her time in office. Judge Hodson will retire on June 30.

The Presiding Judge of Multnomah County previously informed Governor Brown that the judge appointed to this vacancy would be assigned to the Multnomah County Circuit Court’s Family Law Department. The Governor selected Alarcón from a list. Alarcón’s appointment is effective July 1, 2022.

“Jackie Alarcón’s professional and lived experiences, paired with her commitment to lifting up the underserved in our community, make her an ideal addition to the Multnomah County family law bench,” Governor Brown said.

Alarcón was born in Los Angeles and was raised in El Salvador until high school. She earned both her bachelor’s degree and her law degree from Willamette University.

She began her legal career practicing family law with the Hohbach Law Firm, and then joined the Yates Family Law Firm, where she is currently a partner.

Alarcón was also a pro tem judge in Washington and Multnomah County Circuit Courts. Alarcón is the president of the Multnomah Bar Association and president of Oregon Women Lawyers. She is a board member of Basic Rights Oregon and Familias en Acción, and is associated with Latino Network.

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

The appointment of Alarcón marks Governor Brown’s 100th judicial appointment during her time in office. Under current law, the Oregon Governor is charged with appointing judges to fill judicial vacancies when they occur.

Those judges then stand for election at the next regularly scheduled general election.

Governor Brown believes that these judges should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

Of the 100 judicial appointments Governor Brown has made to Oregon courts (judges on the state trial, appellate, and tax courts):

• 52 are women
• 25 are persons of color
• 10 judges are Black
• 7 judges are Asian/South Asian
• 7 judges are Latino/Latina/Latinx
• 1 judge is Native American
• Eight openly identify as LGBTQ

Kate Brown claims that this collectivist mentality somehow brings a "deep understanding of the needs of, and inequities that persist within, our criminal justice and legal systems."


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-05-24 20:08:31

Last Update: 2022-05-24 20:37:22

Clean Voter Rolls is a Political Action Committee that promotes accurate Oregon voter rolls, which are necessary for fair elections. Clean Voter Rolls PAC was formed after HB 2681 passed in 2021. According to Clean Voter Rolls, this law allows voters who do not vote to stay on the voter rolls indefinitely, making voter rolls inaccurate.

Through a public records request, Tim Sippel sought the ballot database for a public test of the Washington County election system. The County denied the request. The Washington County District Attorney then ordered the County to produce the database. In response, Washington County filed a lawsuit in the Washington County Circuit Court seeking a declaration that it does not have to produce the database. Oregon Secretary of State Shjemia Fagan has now intervened in her official capacity, joining the case against Mr. Sippel.

Through a separate public records request, Janice Dysinger of Clean Voter Rolls, sought among other things the ballot images from the November 2020 Election. Among the documents provided by the County was a backup of the database for the November 2020 Election, which the county contends it did not intend to produce.

When Washington County learned that Mr. Sippel had the copy of the 2020 Election Database produced by Washington County, they sought and were granted a temporary restraining order preventing Mr. Sippel from copying or disseminating the database. Washington County and Oregon claimed that it would be irreparably harmed if Mr. Sippel distributed the database because it would present some unspecified security risk to the election system in Washington County and 14 other Oregon counties.

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

The parties have proposed a trial date of June 21 and 23, 2022. In the meantime, the parties have agreed to extend the TRO for another 10 days and to negotiate a protective order so that experts for Mr. Sippel can have access to the database for the purpose of rebutting Washington County’s case.

Mr. Sippel contends the ballot database is a public record, he is entitled to possess it, and that the County has no grounds to contend that dissemination of the database to the public would be a security risk.

In a world where some allege that organized criminal activity occurred during the 2020 election to inject a vast number of counterfeit ballots to the election systems in multiple states, as demonstrated by the recent movie 2000 Mules, it is extremely important that Washington County make public the 2020 Election Database. The fact that Washington County is fighting as hard as it can to hide this information from the public raises the question: What are they hiding?

Supporting documents are located at www.joncus.net. Scroll down page to Election Integrity issues, then to Washington County v Tim Sippel


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-23 17:50:07

Oregon consumers can get a first look at requested rates for 2023 individual and small group health insurance plans, the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services has announced. The agency is directed by Andrew Stolfi.

In the individual market, six companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average 2.3 percent to 12.6 percent increase, for a weighted average increase of 6.7 percent. In the small group market, nine companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average 0 percent to 11.6 percent increase, for a weighted average increase of 6.9 percent. Our initial review has found that insurers have identified inflation, medical trend, and enrollment changes as factors in the proposed increases.

Oregonians will also see an uptick in premiums due to the expiration of temporary enhanced subsidies for on exchange individual market plans. The additional premium support has helped to lower monthly premiums by an average of 46 percent since enactment in 2021. Under the enhanced subsidy structure, people between 151 percent and 200 percent of the federal poverty level can get a bronze plan for as low as $1 per month, with other plans varying in costs. The loss of subsidies will equate to an approximate $11.9 million increase every month for Oregonians.

Health insurance companies submitted rate requests to the department’s Division of Financial Regulation on May 16. The requested rates are for plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act for small businesses and individuals who buy their own coverage rather than getting it through an employer. Every county has at least four companies available for people to buy insurance on the individual market.

Over the next two months, the division will analyze the requested rates to ensure they adequately cover Oregonians’ health care costs. The division must review and approve rates before they are charged to policyholders.

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

“Oregon continues to have a strong and competitive insurance marketplace, with four carriers offering plans statewide and Oregonians in most our counties having five or six companies to choose from, ” said Insurance Commissioner and DCBS Director Andrew Stolfi. “The Oregon Reinsurance Program continues to allow Oregonians to find reasonable rates.”

The Oregon Reinsurance Program continues to help stabilize the market and lower rates. Reinsurance lowered rates by 6 percent for the fifth straight year.

Virtual public hearings about the 2023 health insurance rates will be held July 27-28. A web address to watch the public hearings will be posted at oregonhealthrates.org At the hearings, each insurance company will provide a brief presentation about its rate requests, answer questions from the division, and hear public comment from Oregonians.

“We look forward to a thorough public review of these filings as we work to establish next year’s health insurance rates.” Stolfi said. “We encourage all Oregonians to join us for the virtual public hearings and provide feedback on their health insurance plans.”

Oregonians are encouraged to comment on rate change requests during the public comment period, which opens later this month and runs through July 7. The public can submit comments at oregonhealthrates.org and during the public rate hearings.

Preliminary decisions are expected to be announced in early July, and final decisions will be made in early August after public hearings and comment periods end.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-23 17:41:58

Last Update: 2022-05-23 20:24:43

Bend City Councilors declared two Council vacancies at their May 18 meeting, triggering a selection process that is open to community members interested in being appointed to the Bend City Council for the remainder of this year.

In separate announcements, Mayor Sally Russell and Councilor Rita Schenkelberg publicized that they both were resigning and that the May 18 Council meeting would be their final meeting.

During the May 18 meeting, Councilors appointed Mayor Pro-Tem Gena Goodman-Campbell as the new Mayor. Councilors then chose Anthony Broadman to serve as the new Mayor Pro-Tem. Goodman-Campbell will complete Russell’s Mayoral term (Council Position 7) which expires the end of 2022.

The move into the seat of Mayor created one vacancy for Goodman-Campbell’s seat, (Council Position 5), which also expires in 2022. The other vacancy is for Schenkelberg’s seat, (Council Position 4).

Both appointees will serve on the Council for the rest of 2022. Both Council positions will be on the ballot for the general election in November, at which time both seats need to be filled by election.

The appointees will serve on the Council until the newly elected Councilors take office on January 4, 2023.

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

The person elected by voters into Schenkelberg’s seat will serve out the remaining two years of Schenkelberg’s term instead of a typical four-year term.

Community members interested in being appointed can apply online between May 19 and June 1.

Appointees must be registered to vote in Oregon and must have resided in the city continuously during the twelve months immediately preceding the appointment.

If more than 10 people apply for the vacancies, a subcommittee of councilors (Anthony Broadman, Melanie Kebler and Megan Perkins) will convene to review the applications and suggest candidates for interviews. If fewer than 10 people apply, the whole Council will interview all applicants. Councilors will hold special public meetings in early June to conduct interviews.

The City’s Charter says a vacancy in the council shall be filled within 30 days by appointment by the council but if the council does not fill the vacancy by an appointment within 30 days, then the vacancy gets filled at the next election, which would be in November.

For more detail, section 21 of the Bend Charter and section 9 of the City Council Rules explain the requirements associated with the process to fill vacancies.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-05-23 09:03:33

Last Update: 2022-05-23 09:32:56

Clackamas County has given an update on the situation regarding the flawed ballots that were printed for the recent primary election.

Clackamas County says they are committed to ensuring every vote is counted and to build public trust through transparency.

At the direction of the Board of County Commissioners, the county says they are establishing systems to ensure the County Elections Office counts every vote by the state certification deadline of June 13 or earlier. This is in response to thousands of flawed barcodes on ballots that require duplication and a higher than expected voter turnout.

On May 20, 2022, Clackamas County Clerk Sherry Hall appointed Clackamas County Administrator Gary Schmidt as Deputy Elections Administrator.

The county says that this appointment will streamline deploying county resources to support the election and ensure transparent information is available to residents and candidates.

According to the county, here is how the county is taking charge to complete the May 2022 primary election:

Established Elections Support Center

• A team of county employees is dedicated to the logistics of completing this election and providing transparent, clear communication with the community.
• This work consist of scheduling ballot processors including county employees, representatives of the Oregon Secretary of State’s office and other counties and logistics such as security, supplies, facilities and finance.
• Providing transparency to community members and candidates about this unprecedented elections process is also a priority. Members of this team are working to ensure daily election result updates online and to provide answers to the community and media’s questions.
• Reassigning county employees and hiring ballot processors from partner agencies
• Administrator Schmidt’s first duty was to assemble a qualified staff of up to 200 county employees, so far, to help process flawed election ballots.
• This is an all hands on deck situation. Essential county services such as public safety, health and social services, emergency services, and other critical services will continue, however, other work is paused or slowed so we can have as many people focus on the election results.

Clackamas County says they are grateful for the assistance from the Secretary of State’s office to support ballot-processing efforts.

Additional counties are also offering support and Clackamas says they will accept that help. They will provide more details as they become available.

Currently, the county is processing ballots daily from 7 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. There is capacity for 80 people to work each shift.

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

The following is an update from Clackamas County of the ballot processing efforts as of May 21, 2022:

How many people are working today to process ballots?

May 21, we had about 50 people total.

How many ballots have been processed?

As of May 20, - 31,979 ballots have been processed. 4,637 ballots were processed on May 20 alone.

How many ballots have been received?

The most recent reported number is 113,448.

What work is happening in the ballot processing rooms today?

Today people continue to open ballots, separate them by ballot type and scan ballots and verification of any discrepancies such as write-ins. We are preparing to continue duplicating after we open more ballots. Duplicating work could begin Monday if not earlier.

When will the county have a timeline for when all votes are counted?

We expect to announce a timeline Monday.

When will results be updated?

Results are updated every day by 8 p.m. As part of the county’s new support of the election, we will strive to ensure clear and transparent totals of how many ballots have been processed and received each day.

Clackamas County is currently building a new website to provide this information. The County Clerk’s office will also post unofficial results nightly.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-05-22 08:51:00

Last Update: 2022-05-22 13:15:52

After last night's primary election, Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) is excited to move towards the general election with 15 Republican candidates that he hopes will help win a majority in the Oregon Senate.

“Oregonians are fed up with Democrats’ reckless tax and spend policies that driven up the cost of living and inflation,” Knopp said. “They are tired of out-of-control crime that is making their neighborhoods more dangerous. Oregonians deserve better than the last 10 years of far-left extreme policies that have put Oregon on the wrong track. They desperately want balance.”

Every major issue, from homelessness to the cost of living, should be laid at the feet of Democrats. They have controlled the Legislature, Governor’s office, and state agencies which collectively created havoc and heartache for Oregonians and small businesses across the state.

“Our Republican candidates will challenge the ideas and policies of Democrats in November by casting a new vision for Oregon. We plan on being competitive everywhere and winning a majority in the Senate,” Knopp continued.

With redistricting this past fall, there are 16 seats up for election in the Oregon Senate this year. Senate Republicans fielded 15 candidates in seats from Portland to Medford in 2022.

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

“We are looking forward to a vigorous debate over the summer and the fall on where the direction of Oregon is going. We believe the vast majority of Oregonians will see it is time for new leadership and balance in Salem,” Knopp concluded.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-21 06:04:38

Last Update: 2022-05-21 10:43:22

The Constitution Party of Oregon has announced that it is not too late to run for political office as a nominee of the Constitution Party. According to a release, if you hold constitutional values and would like to make a difference, you may still seek nomination with their party.

Recently, three new candidates have stepped forward with a desire to run for governor of Oregon. They will announce which of these three will be their nominee after their next regular meeting on May 21

The party's nominating committee will be active and can nominate candidates for the general election, for an office at any level, as late as August 30, 2022.

The deadline to register to vote in the general election is October 18.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-05-20 16:36:34

Last Update: 2022-05-20 16:50:41

The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis issued the June 2022 Economic and Revenue Forecast this week. Every party leader had something to say, good, bad or indifferent. Their words hold little value for an individual that has watched their taxes wildly spent.

The forecast is divided into three headings. The first is titled “Cyclical Economic Recovery Complete, Structural Labor Challenges Remain.”

What does that mean to the working class? There are plenty of jobs available, which means jobs is not a factor in the rise in homelessness.

It also covers agricultural workers and the counties that will be hit the hardest when HB 4002 limits work hours on farms.

The second forecast is the unprecedented revenue boom that has left us with unprecedented balances in the current biennium, followed by a record kicker in 2023-25. The 2021 tax year had a record 70% increase at $1.2 billion after the kicker returns.

But what isn’t being talked about is why the boom in tax revenue.

There was a difference of 8.6% higher taxable income than actual income. A high number of tax filers cashed in a wide range of assets in 2021 to get through the pandemic. This created taxable income that wasn’t related to a growth in the economy.

It is also an indicator of how desperate people became. It was 600% more than those cashing in during the housing boom or the tech boom with over $16 billion in realized capital gains. The forecast for next biennium won’t have those taxable assets and shows no growth, and may decline after the kicker.

Another false boom is the increase around $500 million in Corporate Excise Taxes (CAT). It pads the revenue but what is it doing to businesses and purchasers? The forecast also suggests the markets will slow down projecting about $25 billion less from CAT than the original estimate.

The forecast is already anticipating the 2023 legislature will skim off 2% from the kicker in a phony budget adjustment they have done the last two budget sessions. But they also project a 5% kicker above the adjustment amounting to $3.033 billion. The corporate kicker, which now goes to schools is projected at $931 million.

“Thanks to the Kicker, Oregonians will get some of their taxes back and with it, a much-needed break from the increasing burden of inflation,” Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) said. “The Kicker continues to act as a check against the Democrat’s continuous urge to blow out the spending. Now, more than ever, it's essential to protect the Kicker. Too much spending got us into this inflation mess, it’s not going to get us out. As of now, we have extra money, but our economists are predicting an economic downturn soon. We must budget wisely for the future.”

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

In summary, the forecast cautions that inflationary booms usually don’t end well if it is entrenched in the economy. Employment could loose 97,000 jobs and the general fund could have a $2.6 billion hit below the baseline.

Governor Brown mentioned sizable reserves. Perhaps she meant to say forecasted reserves. This biennium the reserves are at 10% of the general fund and projected to climb to 17.7% this year and 18.7% by close of the biennium. If unused, the forecast is for reserves to reach 25% in the 2029-31 biennium.

It seems the March 2022 forecast was too optimistic. The June forecast for the 2023-25 biennium shows a total decline of $1,991 million change from the March 2022 forecast. Personal income taxes declined $2,093 million but corporate taxes show a gain.

Senate President Peter Courtney issued this statement. “Oregon clearly has one tough economy. Our forecast is up for the eighth time in a row. We have to be careful. Experts are seeing storm clouds on the horizon. Oregon has done a good job saving. We’ll keep moving forward.”

What does “forward” look like? Many states are cutting taxes so all may benefit and reduce the inflation impact. What Oregon’s legislature does will depend on voters.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-05-20 08:05:53

Last Update: 2022-05-20 08:39:01

Across the state, parents, property owners and taxpayers delivered an important message to progressive school administrators and non-responsive school boards with the only voice they have left -- their pocketbook. Results are still preliminary but 9 of 12 school district tax-bonds are positioned to fail. That's a huge 75 percent fail rate.

Beyond school lockdowns, mask and vaccine mandates, discussions with parents and taxpayers revealed several reasons for the negative votes. Many parents of school children cited concerns about the relentless integration of progressive ideology and disregard for parental rights, inputs, consultation, notification or requests for any modulation or compromise. It remains to be seen if the state-level establishment under the leadership of Colt Gill will take notice.

Critical Race Theory was often cited, but Social Emotional Learning was mentioned as another progressive fad now being forced on children through public schools. In SEL ideology, the State, via government school systems, usurps parental and familial roles to teach children what “they” consider appropriate value systems, judgement, emotional skills, motivation and other subjective psychological factors determined to be needed. The state school system both defines the problem and delivers ongoing non-solutions -- with billions of taxpayer dollars and no end-point.

District	Amount	Pass?	County
North Bend 13	$22,695,000	No	Coos
Crook County	$66,000,000	No	Crook
South Umpqua 19	$20,900,000	No	Douglas
Roseburg Public Schools	$154,000,000	No	Douglas
Days Creek 15	$4,000,000	No	Douglas
Lebanon Community Schools	$20,000,000	No	Linn
Gervais 1	$31,000,000	No	Marion
Dallas 2	$28,000,000	Yes	Polk
Beaverton 48J	$723,000,000	Yes	Washington
Morrow 1	$138,000,000	No	Morrow
La Grande 1	$4,845,000	Yes	Union
Amity 4J	$29,400,000	No	Yamhill/Polk

Parents will soon begin to hear, “There is a mental health crisis in our children.” with a host of appropriate scary statistics. Of course, this will involve hiring lots of social workers, psychologists, councilors, invasive family, personal and sex questionnaires and lots more of your tax-payer dollars.

Parents also ask and wondered why public schools are so sex-obsessed and why they have become the self-appointed enablers for non-traditional sex preferences and lifestyles – to the point of coaching in some cases. They also do not see a need for Comprehensive Sex Education beginning in kindergarten with continued grooming yearly through high school. Florida just passed measures to prevent this but Oregon has been the national petri dish for progressive inculcation using public schools for years and installed this 13 years ago.

People showed up at school board meetings, town-halls and lit-up social media in rural Lebanon to express concern about placing a no-notice school-based health clinic in the high-school. A free county-run public-health clinic is less than 500 yards from the school. These parents and taxpayers do not want to indoctrinate children and fund a socialized medicine/birth control clinic in their school. The progressive superintendent suggested they were going to put it in anyway and the public could not stop it. This is the same superintendent who wanted $10 million to repair a $1 million pool as part of the $20 million bond proposal. The Lebanon school superintendent is retirement eligible but up for a contract renewal Thursday night. Many parents feel he is out-of-touch and are praying for a better fit for their traditional values community – the superintendent lives in Salem. They are hoping their school board will, maybe just once, stand-up for their traditional values.

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

The issue of superintendent hiring and firing is now critically important. In Newberg, Albany, and other school districts, school boards dismissed superintendents who did not comport with community values, undermined school board policies and continually placed progressive ideology above academic instruction. This was an essential last-ditch mechanism for school boards to dismiss non-responsive superintendents and preserve academic and community values.

Oregon’s progressive legislature immediately responded in the February special session driving through the progressive party-line SB 1521 -- the brain child of Senator Michael Dembrow (D-Portland), which was quickly signed into law by outgoing Governor Kate Brown. This bill made it impossible to fire a superintendent for cause – despite what the hiring contract may say. Technically, you can fire the superintendent but it will not take effect until 12 months after the termination date. Many suggest this is what tyranny looks like – thwart the voice of parents, the people and neuter school boards to keep progressive superintendents and the Department of Education ideological agendas moving forward using public schools as the vehicle. Citizens in districts voting down bond measures now have power to engage in their school district. Citizens committees can be developed to oversee and vet every requested or desired project. Demand full project planning documents to evaluate and protect taxpayers on tax bond financing and ensure project sensibilities.

School boards should band together and vote to sequester funds from the school budget to hire their own researchers, lawyers, communication experts and others to support their due diligence on critical matters and not be dependent on what they are provided by Superintendents and state agencies two days before they are supposed to vote on it. Put off any vote until the subject matter review is completed to their satisfaction.

Citizens are slowing having their rights eroded and finances drained by the ever-encroaching, authoritarian leviathan that is government. Whether it is public schools, city council or any of the other 15-20 local taxing agencies, enough will never be enough, and the only power individual citizens have to limit government and get it to respond is the power of NO. On Tuesday, voters for most school tax-bonds cut through the vague proposals, threats and disinformation and used their power of NO. Hopefully, schools will listen and respond – we’ll see.


--Clarke Vesper

Post Date: 2022-05-20 06:14:56

Last Update: 2022-05-19 20:00:02

When you hear the words “reproductive health”, you may quickly realize that it is just another attempt by leftist revisionists to redefine words, in the name of political correctness. Many Americans are not so easily blind-sided, however, and recognize "reproductive health for being mostly "abortion".

The proposed decision of the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade will take federal government out of state decisions on abortion.

Oregon legislative House Speaker Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) announced the formation of the Reproductive Health and Access to Care Work Group. It seems not to protect “reproductive health” but to make recommendations on abortion legislation for the 2023 session.

Recommendations may include policy, administrative, and budget proposals to protect, strengthen, and expand equitable access to all forms of reproductive care, gender-affirming care, and quality of care.

Rayfield commented, “It was truly inspiring this past weekend to see thousands of Oregonians take to the streets to protest ongoing attacks against reproductive freedom. Time and again, Oregonians have clearly affirmed their support for making abortion and other care safe and accessible to all. While other states roll back protections and attempt to criminalize health care access, this collaborative process with providers, clinics and elected leaders will make sure Oregon is prepared to support access to care in this changing landscape. We can’t be complacent.”

“This is an ‘all-hands on deck’ moment,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said. “Oregon can and must continue to be a leader for reproductive justice. I pledge to work alongside our elected champions and community partners to help keep Oregon a safe and welcoming place for anyone from anywhere who seeks access to abortion care.”

Many Americans would argue that abortion is not “reproductive” anything let alone justice. This play on words is a false narrative intended to distract those getting the abortions from thinking about how they are actually taking a human life.

Oregon’s abortion rate is around 12 per 1,000 women. Oregon has no major types of abortion restrictions, such as a waiting period, mandated parental involvement or limitations on publicly funded abortions often found in other states.

The opposite is true with 29 abortion facilities providing publicly funded abortions. The Clinic for Abortion & Reproductive Excellence specializes in late term, third trimester abortions offered to Oregonians.

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

When Oregon passed SB 193 in 1969, it was very limited to a physical or mental handicapped baby, conceived by rape, or if the life of the mother was at risk.

In 1983 the bill was repealed allowing unrestricted abortions, even if Roe v. Wade is overturned. In 2017, HB 3391, sponsored by Representative Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) passing on party lines, forced insurers to cover abortions and provided public funding making abortion free in Oregon.

To inquire about serving on the work group, you can contact them via email.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-05-19 17:32:37

Last Update: 2022-05-19 19:10:58