According to the Oregon Republican Party, independent gubernatorial candidate and former State Senator Betsy Johnson claims she wants to ‘hold government accountable,’ but Oregonians must hold her accountable for past actions during her term of public office, including ethics violations, an FBI criminal investigation, and the attempt to use “legislative immunity” to escape accountability for injuries caused by her actions in a car crash.

“In a time when the public’s trust in government officials is alarmingly low, Oregon citizens need to know that those in public office have integrity and an unwavering commitment to personal ethics and accountability. Oregonians are tired of ‘rules for thee, but not for me.’” Oregon Republican Party Chairman Justin Hwang responded to these revelations.

In 2007, Johnson admitted to ethics violations after she failed to report profits from a land sale. The Government Standards and Practices Commission investigated whether “Johnson failed to report her profits from a property sale that has been linked to legislation that she sponsored. The parcel next to the Scappoose airport was sold three months after purchase for a $119,000 increase in value. The legislation she sponsored gave special access to landowners with property next to airports. Johnson admitted to the ethics violations and was fined $600.

In 2008, Betsy was under criminal investigation by the FBI after admitting to violation of state ethics laws. "Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose, who admitted to violating state ethics laws earlier this year, is now under a criminal investigation by the local FBI office. Three sources who have been interviewed by investigators say the FBI since last summer has been looking into business dealings by the Democratic senator." No action was taken as a result of this investigation.

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Johnson used legislative immunity to fight a lawsuit for a traffic accident she was part of in 2013. "In 2013, according to court records, then-state Sen. Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) rear-ended a driver stopped at a red light in her hometown. But the crash was also significant for the way that Johnson attempted to fight off the lawsuit filed by the woman in the other car. Melissa Gallentine, 42, says Johnson tried to avoid taking any responsibility for her injuries—by claiming she was performing legislative duties driving to the Capitol." All parties were covered by insurance and compensated.

More than one insider found it interesting that the Oregon Republican Party has taken to attacking the independent candidate Betsy Johnson, while ignoring the Democratic Nominee, Tina Kotek, a move that some say shows that Johnson is finding support within the Republican Party.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-07-09 09:22:42

Last Update: 2022-07-09 10:11:49

Linn County District Attorney Douglas Marteeny, Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow, and Salem attorney Kevin Mannix, have joined in criticism of Governor Kate Brown’s July 1 action to create a Clemency Review Process of her own. The Governor’s new Clemency Review Process is designed to be an alternative to the statutory clemency review process, based on a letter from Governor Brown to the Oregon District Attorneys Association.

District Attorneys Marteeny and Perlow are represented by Kevin Mannix in a lawsuit challenging the process used by the Governor as to clemency cases. Their challenge is before the Oregon Court of Appeals and arguments in the case were presented to the Court on June 23, 2022.

Mannix describes the legal action taken against Governor Brown. “We are in Court challenging the assertion by the Governor that she is not obligated to follow the specific legal process for cases where an application for clemency has been presented to the Governor. The Governor, in this litigation, has asserted that she is free to create her own clemency process which is outside the process required by law. Her own clemency process, before July 1, was informal and failed to meet the legal requirements that the Governor notify each District Attorney of the case where the Governor is considering a clemency application, and then allows crime victims to present their perspective to the Governor.”

Mannix also pointed out that, “In a letter to Oregon's District Attorneys, the Governor has now fortified her position by appointing her own victim impact liaison and by asserting that she will be in a position to decide whether or not crime victims will have an opportunity to express their views to the Governor. This process is in direct violation of the process required by law. As I pointed out to the Court of Appeals in my argument on June 23, the Governor seems to believe that she is in an alternative universe where she can create her own clemency process outside of the law. Her July 1 announcement expands this bizarre proposition by creating this alternative process where the Governor and her representatives get to decide whether or not crime victims will be given an opportunity to be heard in regard to clemency applications by the criminals who harmed the victims.”

Linn County District Attorney Douglas Marteeny weighed in, saying, “The Governor’s recent statements emphasizing her concern for crime victims in the commutation process seem disingenuous at best. Just two weeks ago she advocated before the Appellate Court to interpret the law in a way that reduces a victim’s voice. The Governor fought to be able to sidestep victim protections found in ORS 144.650.

Marteeny continued, “If the Governor’s position and concern for victims have changed in the past two weeks, then I call upon her to revoke all her previous victim-silenced commutations where she didn’t follow ORS 144.650. I further ask the Governor to join me in working to mold the law, through legislation or legal interpretation, in a manner that will require herself and all future Governors to first hear from victims before commutation decisions are made.”

“It is disappointing, to say the least,” said Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow, “that as we await the Court of Appeals decision, Governor Brown continues to create chaos and instability in our criminal justice system. As district attorneys across the state struggle to apply limited resources intended to prosecute criminals and enforce the rule of law, this Governor, and her cohort Professor Aliza Kaplan, are creating the ‘crisis’ of unprecedented numbers of felons applying for early release consideration. I object to the creation of yet another ‘alternative’ process and the appointment of a Victim Impact Liaison on the Governor’s staff. This merely continues to distance the Governor from the victim and the cold hard facts that she wants to ignore.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-07-09 08:59:52

Last Update: 2022-07-09 10:10:33

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt's office was rocked when an attorney in the office, Amber Kinney a level 3 Child Abuse Prosecutor in the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, resigned and sent an open letter to the Oregonian blasting Schmidt's management of the office.

In the letter, Kinney cited increased workloads and how they disproportionately impact women as well as "the lack of leadership opportunities for women," saying this was the reason "we have lost so many experienced and talented female attorneys. Since you took office in August 2020, we have lost eight career prosecutors -- seven of the eight are women. I am the ninth. And I will not be the last."



Kinney continued:

"Our caseloads are unreasonably high due also (and in large part) to mismanagement within our office. And that is your fault. The cases I handle are almost entirely comprised of Ballot Measure 11 (mandatory minimum) felonies, many subject to laws requiring a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison (Ballot Measure 73 and Jessica’s Law). As you are keenly aware, you ran a campaign opposed to Ballot Measure 11 and mandatory minimum prison sentences. However, since taking office 18 months ago, you have not provided any new policies or direction to the DDAs about how we should handle mandatory minimum cases: whether we should resolve them differently, or whether we should issue them differently.

Kinney concluded, "There is no transparency. I don’t know whether the lack of transparency is due to your intentional desire to prevent scrutiny, or perhaps a genuine absence of structure and coherent decision making."


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-07-08 16:04:32

Last Update: 2022-07-08 16:45:12

Gubernatorial candidate Betsy Johnson's campaign has released a poll that shows her neck-and-neck with former Oregon House Speaker and Democrat nominee Tina Kotek. GS Strategy Group -- a national polling company -- was engaged by the Johnson campaign to conduct a poll on the Oregon Governor's race.

According to the polling company, "As the Oregon Gubernatorial election enters the summer, it’s clear that Betsy Johnson has gained the upper hand on the field. As voters increasingly tune in to their choices, she is personally viewed most positively, and the idea of an independent governor drives undecideds to her. The primary honeymoon is over for party nominees, the two major party candidates are narrowly confined to their ideological bases, and Betsy Johnson is well positioned to win remaining undecideds."

"Betsy Johnson has significant room to grow as voters learn about her independent candidacy, while Kotek and Drazan are limited by unfavorable images and narrow appeal to ideological extremes," concluded a poll memo that contained poll results.

GS Strategy Group conducted a poll on behalf of Run Betsy Run. The telephone survey was conducted June 23-29, 2022, among 600 likely November 2022 voters in Oregon. Respondents were randomly selected from the voter file and the survey has a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percent at the 95% confidence level. Surveys were conducted using live interviewers, with 70% conducted by cell phone and 30% by landline.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-07-08 06:08:24

Last Update: 2022-07-08 08:29:40

The Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, July 13, to receive testimony and consider whether to refer an ordinance to voters in November that would prohibit psilocybin product manufacturing and the establishment of psilocybin service centers in the unincorporated County.

The hearing will begin at 2 p.m. and will be reconvened at 5:30 p.m. at the Deschutes Services Building, located at 1300 NW Wall Street in Bend.

Virtual participation will also be available. Residents who wish to participate virtually can access log in information online.

Participants will have three minutes to provide testimony.

With the passage of Ballot Measure 109 in 2020, a statewide program exists to permit licensed manufacturers to cultivate and process psilocybin-producing mushrooms and fungi and for licensed service providers to administer psilocybin-producing mushroom and fungi products to adults 21 and older.

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Unless a jurisdiction opts out through a local ballot measure in the next general election, Oregon Health Authority (OHA), which administers the psilocybin program, will begin accepting applications for licenses on January 2, 2023.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2022-07-07 12:44:55

Last Update: 2022-07-07 18:08:24

Oregon House and Senate Republican caucus leaders are releasing statewide polling that shows that Oregonians desperately want change. The poll -- conducted by the national firm Cygnal -- of likely general election voters view elected Democrats in the legislature unfavorably by 13.6%.

57% think Oregon is headed in the wrong direction and likely voters say they prefer the generic Republican candidate by 4.6%. Christine Drazan leads the gubernatorial ballot by a point.

“Tina Kotek and House Democrats have been responsible for the last decade of Oregon decline,” House Republican Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson said. “Their status quo has led to Oregonians struggling under an extra layer of inflation, with higher gas prices and higher costs of living than other parts of the country. We have a chance to balance Oregon this year and Republican candidates are running on that message. Change will only happen in Oregon if Republicans are put in the Governor’s mansion and legislature.”

According to the pollster, Cygnal, Democrats from Salem to Washington, DC are drowning in the polls. Things have never looked worse for Democrats in Oregon. Even in the wake of Dobbs, Democrats at every level of government are taking the full brunt of voter’s frustrations. Joe Biden remains incredibly unpopular with a net favorability of -17%. Nearly every demographic has a net unfavorable view of the President with more than 2/3 of NAVs dissatisfied with Biden (53% very unfavorable).

They say that Tina Kotek is even more unpopular than Joe Biden with a net favorability of -18%. With confidence in the direction of the state dismal, voters are turning to the GOP. Among their findings:

• Nearly 60% of voters believe Oregon is on the wrong track, (45% definitely).
• Republicans can be more than optimistic sitting on an R+4.6 generic ballot.
• NAVs are overwhelmingly going for the Republican on the generic ballot (R+20).
• With 10% undecided, Republicans have room to increase their lead especially among seniors.

“It’s clear that Oregonians want change and balance,” said Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp. “They are fed up with higher prices, lower standards of living, and rampant homelessness and crime. Democrat leadership has made all these issues worse over the last decade of one-party rule. Our candidates are going to press these issues with common sense solutions.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-07-07 11:56:43

Last Update: 2022-07-07 16:35:44

McMinnville has an exciting opportunity to develop more than 200 acres of highly visible parcels near the existing hospital, airport and Air Museum. The Three Mile Area Plan, 3MLAP, is within the Urban Growth Boundary relieving the City of Department of Land Conservation and Development regulatory hurdles. Downtown McMinnville, centered on Third Street is one of Oregon’s most picturesque main streets. Growing interest in the state’s wine country is a major economic force changing the nature of downtown McMinnville. 3MLAP aspires to steer much of that growth in a positive direction.

One challenge involving the new area is connecting 3MLAP with existing McMinnville without impeding the flow of transit traffic on Highway 18 that separates portions of the two. The Highway 18 by-pass has successfully routed through traffic around and not through McMinnville for decades with minimal interruptions to highway speed expectations. 3MLAP will enjoy high visibility to this major arterial, stimulating demand for a variety of high end uses for the land.

Citizen input, led by Heather Richards, McMinnville City Planning Director, has evolved a plan recognizing the many needs likely to emerge in the next generation of community growth. Originally thought to be primarily for airport related industrial use, the parcels can exploit nearby transportation and relieve downtown growing pains by offering office, commercial, and residential opportunities in addition to industrial use.

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One of several keys to success is vehicular transportation improvements that utilize improved frontage roads and roundabouts to isolate through traffic on Highway 18 from a certain large increase in local traffic. Another key is creating an aesthetic that yields both an attractive place to live and work plus one that easily draws patrons. McMinnville, like most densely populated areas in Oregon, has a severe housing shortage with resulting home prices that threaten affordability for many. 3MLAP can offer some relief. Another key is numerous parcels of “fresh canvas” for planners to work with, allowing a genuine opportunity for meaningful impact, an incentive for developers. One measure of long term success will be whether or not 3MLAP helps the average income for local residents to rise faster than the cost of living.

The plan states, “The Area Plan envisions land uses that are different than what is currently planned for on the City’s Comprehensive Plan map. To allow for the area to develop consistent with the vision for the Three Mile Lane Area, the City will need to change the Comprehensive Plan Land Use Map. The predominant change is from an Industrial designation to a Commercial designation for 40 acres south of Highway 18. The other change south of the highway, west of Norton Lane, is from Industrial to Commercial and Residential. The needed amendment north of the highway and west of Norton Lane changes Industrial designated land to Commercial and Residential designations to enable the subject properties to develop as a mixed-use area”.


--Tom Hammer

Post Date: 2022-07-07 11:30:26

Last Update: 2022-07-07 11:56:43

The Oregon Republican Party has announced that Justin Hwang will step in to become the new Chairman to fill a vacancy after Herman Baertschiger stepped down. Hwang served as Vice-Chair before Herman Baertschiger submitted his letter of resignation. Chairman Hwang released the following statement on his new role leading the state party:

“I am humbled and honored to step in as Chairman of the Oregon Republican Party. I want to thank Herman Baertschiger for his service as our chair and years of public service. He is a friend and mentor and someone who I will always lean on for advice. I also want to thank the ORP delegates for previously electing me as Vice-Chair and trusting me to lead our party.

I’m excited to bring a fresh voice and years of experience as a small business owner. My colleagues and I are ready to get to work and we only have one vision in mind for 2022- elect more Republicans to office. We are facing record inflation, rampant homelessness, and serious lack of leadership from Kate Brown and Joe Biden. Oregonians are fed up and a red wave will happen in November. We will knock doors and fundraise for our candidates. There are strong Republicans running up and down the ballot this year and I’m excited to work with all of them!”

Hwang is a small business owner with more than 30 restaurants across the Portland-metro area and a former state legislative candidate.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-07-06 08:57:16

Last Update: 2022-07-06 09:30:26

In its recent decision, West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency the US Supreme Court sent a message to big-government regulators that it will not tolerate over-reach by government bureaucrats. At issue was the Clean Power Plan, passed during the Obama administration which called on the Federal Environmental Protection Agency to develop rules that would require the "best system of emissions reduction" for each energy sector. The problem arose when the EPA drew up rules that would effectively put the coal sector out of business -- which was not the intent of Congress.

Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the 6-3 majority said, "The only question before the Court is more narrow: whether the “best system of emission reduction” identified by EPA in the Clean Power Plan was within the authority granted to the Agency in Section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. For the reasons given, the answer is no.

State Representatives Khanh Pham (D-Portland), Pam Marsh (D-Ashland), Zach Hudson (D-Troutdale), Ken Helm (D-Washington County), Andrea Valderrama (D-Portland), and Jason Kropf (D-Bend) have issued a joint statement to denounce the decision, which they claim "strip[s] the Environmental Protection Agency of its power, granted by Congress, to tackle the most pressing environmental issue of our lifetime: the climate crisis."

"The decision makes sense in that the EPA has a myopic mandate, which is to protect the environment. They have no authority or mandate to provide safe, low-cost, reliable energy sources to consumers or businesses. The decision to weigh these factors against each other does and should lie with a democratically-elected, accountable body such as Congress," said one former Oregon State Representative. He noted that the high court had not ruled out the mandates -- just that the EPA did not have the authority to enact them.

The House Democrats countered,

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling will give corporations and special fossil fuel interests even more power to determine our future and survival as a planet, despite decades of precedent and the many climate scientists repeatedly sounding the alarm that we face even more catastrophic disasters as greenhouse gas emissions rise.

“This will be detrimental to our health, safety, and well-being, as communities across the planet face disasters like wildfires, ice storms, drought, flooding, and extreme temperatures.

“We know low-income, rural, BIPOC, youth, women, LGBTQIA+, immigrant and refugee communities are hit hardest by these climate disasters. In fact, studies show BIPOC communities experience disparate health outcomes from increasing environmental hazards that impact reproductive health. Years of redlining and racial discrimination have displaced communities of color into neighborhoods with low tree canopies and contaminated water and air. This means the need for environmental and reproductive justice is urgent in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling last week on Dobbs v. Jackson.

Expressing frustration with judicial dismantling of big-government, Oregon House Democrats said it is the "responsibility of the Biden administration and Congress to use the power voters have clearly given them to put a check on the judicial branch."

Not to be outdone, Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) “Today’s ruling...reflects a huge step backwards in our national fight for clean air and environmental sustainability. This is yet another extreme decision from a U.S. Supreme Court stacked with conservative judges handpicked by corporate special interests. Now more than ever before, Democratic leadership at the state level stands as a critical line of defense against our hijacked federal judicial branch.”

“The scientific community has been clear: we are running out of time to combat the climate crisis,” said Senator Kate Lieber (D-Beaverton), Chair of the Senate Interim Committee on Energy and Environment. “We have made meaningful progress here in Oregon, including passage of Oregon’s historic Coal to Clean Act. In the face of this decision, action from Oregon and other states will be even more important. We need to call on Congress to pass clean energy legislation and move the needle forward nationally.”

Oregon Democrats have a track record of symbolic hostility to fossil fuels, enacting a ban on "fracking" in 2019 with HB 2623. Oregon has few fossil fuel reserves and no hydraulic fracturing -- "fracking" -- has ever been used in Oregon.

Fundamentally, today’s decision demonstrates a shift towards broad deregulation. The dangerous consequences of deregulation could range from worsening air pollution to declining civil rights and housing protections. “Today’s decision creates immediate and devastating consequences in the EPA’s ability to effectively regulate polluters and fight climate change,” said Senator Kayse Jama (D-Portland). “Unfortunately, the Court’s shift towards deregulation has the potential to undermine the work of other federal agencies we count on to protect our civil rights and public health. In Oregon, we have a duty to protect those who are bound to feel these devastating consequences.”


--Donna Bleiler and Staff Reporters

Post Date: 2022-07-06 05:40:04

Last Update: 2022-07-05 19:57:16

Citing fundraising troubles, staff turnover and inability to finalize a contract with the labor union which represents their staff, the left-wing organization Causa which has focused on supporting illegal aliens and their causes, will dissolve as an organization effective July 31 after 27 years. According to a post on their website, their financial status was "not sustainable for the organization."

Adriana Miranda, former staffer for former State Representative Diego Hernandez, was recently the Executive Director of Causa

According to the group's website, "Causa’s board members are proud to support labor unions and to be a nonprofit with union staff members, and voluntarily recognized the union two years ago. But unfortunately, union leadership has been unwilling to enter mediation or put a fair contract offer to a vote, focusing instead on a damaging public pressure campaign. Our most recent attempt to finalize a contract has gone without a response from the union for nearly 8 weeks."

Though the website boasted that the group "won a long fought victory, the culmination of over 10 years of struggle to secure Driver’s Licenses for all undocumented communities in Oregon," they were unable to do that with popular support, losing the fight to issue drivers licenses to illegal aliens in 2014. They were later successful in a Democrat-dominated legislature.

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In 2017, Causa supported the work to pass 17 sanctuary city resolutions to restrict local police from collaborating with ICE, tying the hands of local police departments who are now unable to hand over criminal illegal aliens to federal authorities. During the pandemic, Causa co-led the effort to secure relief funds for illegal aliens in Oregon who were excluded from unemployment benefits.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-07-05 17:04:30

Last Update: 2022-07-05 17:38:56

For many residents in Yamhill County the tide has turned in the fight for the hearts and souls of Newberg’s school kids. The challenge to an education first majority on the school board, in the form of two recall efforts failed. The dismissal of a superintendent who would not remove politics from the classroom occurred. The hiring of a new superintendent to accomplish the task of returning academics to the classroom is underway. The resignation of one progressive school board member in March was followed by the recent resignations of two more like minded members who found their approach no longer in favor.

Progressive Yamhill is a group which describes itself as "made up of engaged residents and friends of Yamhill Valley who believe in developing a community that both respects and creates equity, inclusion, safety and freedom from fear and hate for all. Our purpose is to educate & inform, and to actively participate in the creation of a local climate in support of these beliefs." They are behind much of the left wing activity in Yamhill County and according to some, they are on their heels.

In March the Newberg City Council, with a progressive majority, was faced with a laundry list of generational projects with which to apply American Rescue Plan Act funds. Normally those would include projects that might justify 20-30 year bonds in conventional financing. The Council chose instead to spend the money to create a temporary camp site for homeless next to a school, ignoring other more suitable camp sites.

Parents have responded with a petition that bans public funding for homeless camps within 1500 feet of a school. Robyn Wheatley, Jenn Sahli and Bill Rosacker are chief petitioners and are actively collecting signatures. The petition is patterned after a similar petition crafted in Bend. Additionally, it would require any homeless camp, funded with tax dollars, to be approved only after a public vote. 2,500 signatures must be gathered in a little less than a month for this petition to be on the November ballot.

This is the latest in a series of contests pitting the anger of the entrenched left against the parents many of whom are fighting back. Progressives have not only quit the school board, progressive resignations from City Council bode well for community members who wish for what they regard as common sense, as the pendulum swings.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-07-05 09:17:20

Last Update: 2022-07-05 09:04:37

The Oregon Housing and Community Services has announced that Sharon Nickleberry Rogers, CPA, is newly appointed by Governor Kate Brown to serve on the Oregon Housing Stability Council. The council says that they work to establish OHCS’ strategic direction to meet the housing and services needs of low and moderate-income Oregonians, as well as reviews and sets policy for the development and financing of affordable housing in the state.

“Councilmember Nickleberry Rogers brings impressive professional experience and a passion for serving communities facing barriers to housing access,” said OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “We need voices like Sharon’s in our council to support our mission of building and preserving affordable housing in all forms, shapes and sizes for Oregon renters and homeowners.”

Sharon Nickleberry Rogers is a Portland resident.

“My compassion for housing stems from my childhood when my parents provided housing for family members relocating to Portland,” Nickleberry Rogers said. “I recognized early on the importance of housing and knew having a safe place to call home was special. My parents’ commitment to helping others ignited my interest in helping others.”

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Sharon Nickleberry Rogers is employed as a financial analyst with the City of Portland and she has also worked for the Internal Revenue Service.

Nickleberry Rogers received her undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon and two master’s degrees from Portland State University in business and taxation. She lives in northeast Portland with her husband and has a daughter attending college.

Nickleberry Rogers will serve a three-year term and will have the option to serve additional terms. Housing Stability Council meetings are held on the first Friday of the month with additional meetings as needed.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2022-07-05 09:13:07

Last Update: 2022-07-05 09:45:59