Governor Tina Kotek has directed Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services to take additional proactive steps to protect the integrity of Oregon’s Motor Voter program. Her new directive follows an already-resolved data processing error in a set of records transmitted to the Oregon Secretary of State.
“The integrity of election systems is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy, and any error that can undermine our voting system must be taken seriously and addressed immediately,” Governor Kotek said. “Following round-the-clock corrective action on the part of Oregon DMV to address the known errors and ensure they will not impact the 2024 general election, I am now directing the agency to go above and beyond to ensure errors like this will not happen again.”
In a press release, Governor Kotek says that she has directed Oregon DMV to:
Provide updated training immediately to all relevant staff on the full set of corrective actions in response to the errors.
Undertake and complete a comprehensive After Action Report within 14 days to determine how the errors occurred, document the corrective actions taken, and provide an explanation of why the errors will not occur again.
Initiate a full-scale data integrity review overseen by a panel of external data experts to produce preliminary recommendations for improved data management by the end of 2024. The recommendations must include staff training improvements to ensure staff have every available resource to succeed.
Establish a data quality control calendar in coordination with the Oregon Secretary of State to ensure due diligence ahead of elections.
In response to Governor Kotek's press release regarding the Oregon DMV's automatic voter registration system errors which led to 1,259 non-citizens being wrongfully placed on voter rolls, Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) issued the following statement:
“While I appreciate Governor Kotek’s directive to the DMV to take proactive steps to avoid further errors with the state’s motor voter program, it’s not enough. The only reason we know about the DMV registering 1,259 non-citizens to vote is because a national think tank started asking questions. This tells me that there’s probably much larger, systematic issues at play. For Governor Kotek to suggest that this is the only necessary action to clean up our voter rolls suggests that she’s more focused on managing appearances than solving real problems.”
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Leader Bonham emphasized that Governor Kotek still needs to direct the Secretary of State to audit all voter registrations to ensure that Oregon's voter rolls are accurate.
House Republicans also reiterated their call today for a public briefing on non-citizen voter registrations as the number of reported non-citizen registrations increased by over 400% over what was initially reported. Despite requesting the briefing multiple times, as of this release, House Republicans have not received a formal update on steps being taken to address this issue.
“A press announcement is no substitute for an open and public hearing,” said House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River). “Oregonians deserve full transparency about how this happened. We must have a public hearing.”
“It is disappointing that we are all here in Salem this week to do our jobs, but we have no Legislative Rules Committee scheduled to hear from the Secretary of State’s office on this issue,” said Rep. Anna Scharf (R-Amity). “I have personally read in the papers conflicting reports of how this problem was even detected. We need clear answers from the Secretary of State on what the current plan of action is moving forward so that this never happens again.”
They bring problems that the American Taxpayers simply cannot afford to subsidize
Oregon Representative Court Boice (R-Curry) reports on his recent visit to the Arizona border and observed first-hand the ongoing chaos and sheer evil that continues to invade our country. “What I saw was shocking! Much of that destruction has brought havoc to Oregon as no state and no community is isolated from the last four-year consequences of horribly failed policies. American Citizens know and many are experiencing those negative and destructive impacts.”
The number of Illegal Immigrants in Oregon is growing. Of the estimated 11.4 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States, the estimated number living in Oregon in 2010 was 170,000 according to the 2017 Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) report. The FAIR report estimated that Oregon’s state and local governments spent $1.08 billion on services for individuals residing in the country illegally, and taxpayers funded $1 billion.
In 2018, the American Immigration Council indicated 239,261 were undocumented immigrants in Oregon. The top countries of origin were Mexico (36 percent of immigrants), Vietnam (6 percent), China (5 percent), India (5 percent), and the Philippines (4 percent). Approximately 186,460 people in Oregon, including 89,520 U.S. citizens, lived with at least one undocumented family member between 2010 and 2014.
Oregon has a sizeable community of immigrants, many coming from Mexico. One out of every ten Oregon residents is foreign-born, while one in nine residents is a native-born American who has at least one immigrant parent. More than two-fifths of Oregon’s farmers, fishers, and foresters are immigrants, as are over one-fifth of all production employees. Overall, Oregon’s immigrant population has become more diverse, with a growing Latino and Asian population. The population remains relatively young, with a high proportion of working-age individuals.
Because of the clandestine nature of the undocumented immigrant population, sources vary in their estimations based on how they draw their conclusions. Based on increasing naturalization rates, the increased presence of the undocumented is a given. According to the Census Bureau’s data, between 2010 and 2022, approximately 201,669 foreign-born individuals in Oregon became naturalized U.S. citizens with 28.4% naturalized since 2015.
Rep. Boice points out the obvious of mismanaging the increasing number of immigrants: “What we see today is a travesty in law breaking immigration. Perhaps as many as 16 million illegal aliens from all across the Third World have been enabled by the Biden-Harris administration to enter the United States of America. Tens of thousands find their way to our pristine regions with nothing in their pockets but problems that the American Taxpayers simply cannot afford to subsidize. The drain on our benevolence is profound.
“Most now come to America not to embrace opportunity but many come to commit horrific crimes; murder, rape, and human trafficking. All have been exploded as they push a bottomless surge of newcomers here, tragically with their hands out. Our environment, our economy, our law enforcement, our medical and educational systems are all under tremendous pressure as we witness this cruel enablement, even encouraged invasion. If we fail to correct, we can say goodbye to our special American memories of yesteryear. That's why we must unite, stand against and repel this onslaught.
“I and everyone I know supports legal immigration and always has. Legal entry is the lifeblood of our heritage. However, we must adhere to the rule of law and critical order! We need responsible, vibrant, and vetted immigration with those that want to respect and embrace our history and beliefs.”
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Senator Tim Knopp (R-Bend) and Representative Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) wrote a memo to Republican colleagues that Oregon has been “significantly impacted” by a surge of illegal entries at the nation’s southern border, “particularly through the influx of fentanyl and other illicit drugs…”
They plan to introduce legislation in the 2025 session that will roll back the so-called Sanctuary Promise Act. The Act passed in 2021 by Democrats to make it easier for local law enforcement agencies and other Oregon public officials to collaborate with federal authorities to enforce immigration law. But, by strengthening Oregon’s decades-old sanctuary protections, it created explicit prohibitions on local officials prohibing them from aiding federal immigration authorities. It gave illegals a pass to commit crimes, and if caught, they were allowed to escape from federal enforcement.
The fentanyl crisis has exposed the Sanctuary Promise Act for harboring criminal activity. The new recriminalization law, HB 4002, gives Oregon some hope that law enforcement will again pursue justice and reduce the undesired criminals out of the undocumented illegals entering the state.
Demand Action on Voter Roll Accuracy Following Discovery of DMV Registration Errors
Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) has called on Governor Tina Kotek in a letter to address urgent problems with Oregon’s voter registration system. Reports have revealed that the Oregon DMV registered over 300 non-citizens to vote, raising serious concerns about the accuracy of the state's voter rolls.
“Two weeks ago, we learned that non-citizens were getting $30,000 taxpayer-funded down payments for houses. Now, we’re finding out they’re being registered to vote, too,” Leader Bonham said. “Governor Kotek needs to make sure Secretary LaVonne Griffin-Valade gets on top of this and cleans up the voter rolls fast. Oregonians need to be sure the system is fair and accurate, especially with such an important election coming up.”
Leader Bonham also pointed to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recent Executive Order 35, which prioritizes accurate voter rolls and addresses potential errors. “We need to follow Youngkin’s lead and get serious about fixing our system.”
Additionally, Leader Bonham is demanding that Governor Kotek ensure the Oregon Department of Transportation fixes the DMV’s process problems that led to these registration errors. “It’s important that ODOT reviews and enhances their procedures to prevent these kinds of errors in the future. Our elections need to be secure, and we can’t afford any more mistakes.”
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House Republican Leader and Rules Committee Vice Chair Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) asked House Democrat Leader and Rules Committee Chair Ben Bowman (D-Tigard) to call a meeting of the House Rules Committee to receive a briefing from the Secretary of State and the director of the Oregon Department of Transportation on what is being done to catch and purge noncitizens from Oregon’s voter rolls.
“Only American citizens should vote in American elections, yet noncitizens have been discovered on Oregon’s voter rolls. Oregonians have a right to full transparency from the state as to the extent of the problem and what is being done to fix it before ballots go out next month. The legislature gathers next week; this provides an ideal opportunity for state officials to update the legislature on the steps being taken to ensure that Oregon’s elections are secure,” said Helfrich.
As of this time, the legislature has not received a formal update or notice of intent to provide an update from the secretary, nor has the House Republican Caucus received a response to its request for a hearing.
In response to a report that directly contradicted official statements about how Oregon detected non-citizens on their voter rolls, House Republicans also renewed their call for a public briefing on Oregon’s election integrity efforts.
“State election officials led us to believe they caught the problem through regular internal processes. That is not true,” said House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River). “Learning about this through the press is unacceptable. We need a public hearing as soon as possible so the Secretary of State and Department of Motor Vehicles can tell us directly what happened, why, and what is being done to fix it.”
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) awarded Portland, Oregon, the league’s 15th franchise, which will begin play in 2026. The Portland team will be owned and operated by RAJ Sports, led by Lisa Bhathal Merage and Alex Bhathal. Portland is the third expansion franchise awarded by the WNBA during this round of expansion, following the Golden State Valkyries and a Toronto franchise, bringing the league from 12 to 15.
Oregon’s franchise will play at the Moda Center, where Oregon Senator Ron Wyden made the announcement. Wyden inspired fans saying he has been in contact with Sabrina Ionescu, who will be a free agent in 2026. She played college basketball at the University of Oregon and became a local icon earning multiple player of the year awards. Ionescu has pushed for an Oregon franchise where she continues to have a fan base.
Governor Tina Kotek hails women’s sports in Oregon. “The decision to choose Portland for the next WNBA team is just as much a recognition of our past as it is about faith in our future. Portland has an unequivocal love of women’s sports. The National Women’s Soccer League made a smart bet on Portland twelve years ago with the Portland Thorns, now an unmatched cultural hallmark. The Rose City Rollers are among the founding members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, and later this year their national championship will take place in Portland’s own Veterans Memorial Coliseum. And you can watch it all from The Sports Bra, the nation’s first-ever sports bar dedicated to supporting and showing women’s sports.
“You can tell a lot about a community by where people find joy, and Portland just can’t help but break the mold. The next WNBA team is a great fit. Portland is back on the rise, and Oregon is aiming high with Portland. I look forward to seeing you at the first tip off.”
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Signing Sabrina Ionescu to Portland would give the franchise a starting boost. While sports news has Ionescu going toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry at the NBA All-Star weekend, she wouldn’t just be bringing attention to the new Portland franchise, but her launch of Sabrina 2 Nikes could help with a much-needed boost to Oregon’s Nike business.
The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) followed Governor Tina Kotek’s lead by updating groundwater rules after Kotek declared a drought emergency. Kotek first declared a drought emergency in Jefferson County in June, her first use of her emergency authority for drought. She recently extended the emergency to Lake County.
The Basin Outlook Reports show these two counties to be on the low end with Lake County’s two reservoirs being at 41% capacity compared to 29% a year ago at this time. Jackson County Willow Creek reservoir was at 64% capacity when the emergency drought was declared in June, and is now at 37% capacity compared to last year it was at 27%. Overall, Oregon basin index is at 61% of capacity compared to a year ago it was at 53%, with a current median capacity of 97% compared to 91% a year ago. The underlying question is why did it take over a year to recognize this need.
After decades of groundwater declines, OWRD is responding to limit further depleting groundwater resources. OWRD has adopted what they consider science-based rules for issuing new water rights. They have used a forward-looking approach that considers the needs of future generations. OWRD is committed to safeguarding existing surface water and groundwater users and the livelihoods they support, while managing groundwater resources more sustainably.
The updated rules detail how OWRD determines if water is available to support new groundwater rights. The rule changes are not intended to impact groundwater applications in the agency queue at the time the new rules become effective. The new rules also do not affect exempt groundwater uses, existing water rights, or water rights transfers.
The updated rules clarify, and update key terminology used for decision-making when issuing new groundwater rights. Under the updated rules, water is considered available if the groundwater levels are reasonably stable, the proposed groundwater pumping does not further deplete an already over-appropriated surface water source, and the aquifer can produce the water at the full amount requested. If the Department is not able to make site-specific determinations based on existing data, a finding will be made that no water is available for the requested use and the application will be denied. In practice, this means overall fewer new water right applications will be granted.
There are some underlying messages in how to accomplish using less water while growing Oregon’s population. Future water uses will likely require alternative pathways such as water sharing and designing for water reuse and reclamation that walkable communities offer. Recently, New Spirit Village opened in Medford modeling a walkable community.
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In 2015 a campaign was started to raise $30 billion to bring a proposed interstate undersea water pipeline from the mouth of the Columbia River on the Oregon–Washington border to California. Should Oregon support our neighbors when our water levels are depleting?
The 2022 Census of Agriculture shows Oregon has 35,000 farms and ranches with 15.2 million acres, mostly locally owned and operated, which the Oregon Farm Bureau estimates are directly and indirectly responsible for $50 billion in goods and services. Water is the lifeblood of these operations and demands eighty-five percent of our state’s supply. For comparison, municipal and industrial sectors (combined) consist of a mere fourteen percent of the water demand. Over the next thirty-four years, this ratio will remain essentially the same, according to OWRD.
OWRD has identified a complicating factor in Oregon’s trend is temperature. By 2050, the OWRD projects an average increase of eight degrees. However, this year’s weather pattern started out colder than normal, which seems to be reflected in the increased water levels.
Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade has ordered updates to 0.01% of voter registrations today after the DMV determined in an internal audit that they sent a small number of inaccurate customer records to the Elections Division.
The Secretary of State’s Office was made aware of the issue late on September 12 and acted within 24 hours. Residents impacted by this issue were noncitizens at the time they were erroneously registered. They will be notified by mail that they will not receive a ballot unless they demonstrate that they are eligible to vote.
Only 2 individuals in this universe have a voting history. Their citizenship status at the time they voted is unknown, according to the Secretary of State's office. The Secretary of State will do additional due diligence in these cases.
The error occurred at the DMV when staff entered information into their system. DMV customers are required to present an identity document when they request a new driver’s license or ID. The error occurred when DMV staff entered information about the type of identity document provided. One example is entering “U.S. Passport” when the document was actually a foreign passport. The other example would be entering “U.S. Birth Certificate” when the document was actually a foreign birth certificate. When such an error occurred, the customer’s information was then transmitted to the state’s voter registration system. No individual took action to register inappropriately.
The DMV’s initial review of the error shows that it impacted 0.01% of voter registrations in the state of Oregon. The DMV is working around the clock to ensure that any additional records with the error are identified and corrected. According to the Secretary of State's data, there are 3,025,132 registered voters in Oregon. 0.01% of that is about 303 persons
The Secretary of State's office issued a statement saying, "While this error is regrettable, the Secretary and the Elections Division stand by automatic voter registration and its many benefits. For the vast majority of eligible Oregonians who were registered through Oregon Motor Voter, this has increased access to our democracy. Oregon elections officials are firmly committed to ensuring eligible voters have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote."
“Safeguarding the integrity of our elections is my top priority,” said Secretary Griffin-Valade. “When my office was made aware of this error, we moved quickly to update the voter rolls. I am also personally calling on the DMV to take immediate action to improve its processes to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
“Automatic voter registration has been hugely beneficial for thousands of eligible Oregon voters to ensure access to our democracy,” said Secretary Griffin-Valade. “I’m confident the DMV is rectifying this error and improving their process, so it doesn’t happen again.”
Oregon House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) responded.
“Republicans warned over and over that Oregon’s election laws were too relaxed, and Democrats dismissed our concerns. Now, hundreds of noncitizens were found on Oregon’s voter rolls, and the state can’t say how many there are. This threat to election integrity is unacceptable. The Secretary of State must immediately inform the legislature as to the full extent of this problem and what is being done to fix it before ballots go out next month,” Helfrich said.
“Parents deserve clear, honest information about how schools are performing”
Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) is calling for urgent reform in how Oregon’s school performance report cards are presented. A recent report highlighted a significant lack of transparency in these report cards, making it difficult for parents to understand the true educational performance of their children.
The Oregon Department of Education is Directed by Charlene Williams, but Oregon's governor, Tina Kotek is the Superintendent of Public Instruction, according to the Oregon Constitution.
“Parents deserve clear, honest information about how schools are performing,” said Leader Bonham. “The current lack of transparency in our school performance report cards undermines their ability to make informed decisions about their children’s education. We need to ensure that these report cards provide a true and accurate picture of school performance so that all families can be empowered to support their children’s educational journey.”
Senator Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City), member of the Senate Education Committee, also weighed in on the issue. “Transparency in school performance reporting is crucial for accountability and improvement. Our goal should be to make sure that parents and communities have the information they need to advocate for better educational outcomes. It’s time for parents and local school boards to demand better reporting standards that truly reflect the quality of education our children are receiving.”
According to a recent release, Senate Republicans are committed to advocating for reforms that will enhance the transparency and reliability of school performance report cards, ensuring that every student in Oregon has access to a quality education.
The private sector is not fairing as rosy as the forecast indicates
How long will it take for Oregon voters to see that leadership has propped up the economy to save their jobs. The Revenue Forecast for September shows inflation is still above target levels but the insufficient growth indicates private industries continue to struggle to keep doors open, according to Josh Lehner, Economist.
Every employment increase was government or government related. The highest increase was in Health Services followed by State Government. Only Transportation Equipment in the private sector reported a 0.7 employment gain.
In Lehner's final report he attempts to be encouraging, “The labor market is expected to improve as well following the past year where slower hiring has led to a rising unemployment rate, despite layoffs remaining low. While imminent recession fears appear misplaced, the longer high interest rates remain, the probability of recession rises as economic growth slows… For now, the economic forecast remains essentially unchanged compared to recent outlooks.”
The forecast report is mostly laced with “potential” platitudes to cover the leadership’s agenda. The “data could be the first indication that Oregon’s patterns of growth have shifted out of the pandemic era lull, and back toward something more like the typical expansion. However, they could also be more noise than signal. Only time will tell.”
“Looking ahead to the 2025-27 biennium, available resources are revised lower by $66 million compared to the previous forecast. Increases in corporate, estate, and interest earnings are not enough to fully offset the larger personal kicker being paid out. That said, when looking at the state budget and the combined resources of 2023-25 and 2025-27 the General Fund forecast is raised $610 million.
Another indication that the private sector is not fairing as rosy as the forecast is that “consumption-based tax collections for the corporate activity tax, the lottery, and recreational marijuana in the current 2023-25 biennium are lowered at a combined $27 million (-0.5%) compared to the prior forecast, and lowered a similar $34 million (-0.6%) in the upcoming 2025-27 biennium.”
The forecast can be viewed as a “state of the government” address. It doesn’t speak for three-fourths of the state where wheat is being piled on the ground as there is no overseas market, stores are closing, shelves are thinning, and people moving. Since 2010, the population under age 19 dropped 22.882. Even though the ages for bearing children increased, Oregon’s policies on abortion and push towards transgender is impacting Oregon’s future prosperity.
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Senator Brian Boquist (R-Independence, candidate for State Treasurer) stated that at the State Economist revenue forecast meeting, it was said that “20-25% was closer to the real inflation needed to balance state budgets. Oregon's budget is well over $100 billion. I see nobody who works for a living that can afford 25% more in taxes for state government to get another $25 billion. None. What about you?”
Boquist continues, “It is election season. Are you better off today than two or four years ago? Is your grocery bill lower? Is your power bill lower? Do you even have insurance anymore? Is your rent or mortgage lower today? Do you want to pay unrealized capital gains tax on your house? Can you afford to pay extra to the US Government for say corporate profits or Ukraine pensions or Israeli weapons? If you don’t want the status quo of five decades of decline in Oregon, then speak with your vote and encourage others to vote as well. It is a citizen’s duty if you want a free country.”
Lehner indicates a lot of what happens in Oregon is resting on what the federal government does. If that is true, Oregon is in for a shock if Donald Trump wins and Oregon is unprepared to brake ties to the federal IRS, which he has slated for elimination.
Offshore wind farms could lead to significant disruptions in coastal communities
Members of the “Oregonians Against Wind Turbines” PAC have successfully convinced the commissioners of Coos and Curry County to put an advisory vote on the ballot for the upcoming November General Election. This marks the first time in the nation that a county has decided to seek voter opinion on a wind energy project in their area.
On August 06, 2024, the Coos County Board of Commissioners passed a measure to place an advisory question on the ballot, asking voters if they wanted the board to oppose the offshore wind energy project. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has established two call areas off the coast of southern Oregon available for lease.
The wind turbine advisory question on the November General Election ballot reads:
“Should County Commissioners work to oppose the installation of a 95 square mile, deep floating wind farm off our coast?”
A ‘YES’ vote means voters want Coos County Commissioners to work in opposition to the Offshore Wind Energy Project, while a ‘NO’ vote means voters do not want the Commissioners to oppose it.
In a significant turn of events, Coos County Commissioner John Sweet, who initially stated he would vote against placing an advisory question on the ballot, changed his mind after listening to passionate public comments. This decision was seen as a testament to the power of civic engagement.
The following day, on August 07, 2024, the Curry County Board of Commissioners passed a similar measure to put an advisory question on the November ballot.
The Curry County ballot question reads:
“Should offshore floating wind turbine development along the Curry County, Oregon coast be stopped?”
A ‘YES’ vote means voters want the wind turbine development to be stopped, while a ‘NO’ vote indicates support for the offshore wind turbine development.
Despite unanimous support from the Curry County Commissioners, the Chair of the Board highlighted concerns raised by Ryan Nelson, a political and legislative representative with Labors International Union of North America Local 737. According to Nelson, the county has no legal authority to ban an offshore wind project, as the areas under consideration are entirely within federal waters. This could lead to costly legal challenges should the measure be referred and passed by voters.
Economic Impact
The development and operation of offshore wind farms present significant challenges. The turbines, costing billions of dollars, will be constructed by foreign workers outside the USA. This could replace local permanent jobs with temporary construction jobs filled by workers from outside the area. U.S. taxpayers will bear the financial burden, with locals unable to use the energy generated by the turbines. Additionally, the higher costs associated with offshore floating turbines could result in increased energy prices, affecting low-income households and small businesses.
OAWT describes the impacts of offshore turbines.
Environmental Impacts
There are several environmental concerns associated with offshore floating wind turbines:
Destruction of marine ecosystems
Decline in populations of whales, porpoises, dolphins, and crabs
Reduction in coastal biodiversity
Negative changes in wind, wave, and atmospheric patterns
Habitat destruction and disruption of the food chain
Electromagnetic field effects from power cables
Pollution of seawater, beaches, and the food chain from toxic materials
Noise pollution
Increased navigation risks
Social & Cultural Impacts
Offshore wind farms could lead to significant disruptions in coastal communities:
The fishing industry may suffer due to restricted access to fishing grounds and habitat disruption.
The visual impact of turbines could harm tourism.
Eminent domain could threaten public and private land, affecting social and cultural heritage.
The towering structures will mar the natural beauty of coastal areas.
“We cannot keep doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results”
House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) and state Representatives Ed Diehl (R-Stayton) and E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls) are calling for legislative action to improve wildfire prevention and suppression efforts next session. Oregon has recently experienced severe wildfires, covering over 1.5 million acres - the largest area in the United States.
“Lives, property, and livestock are lost when fires ravage our state. This is the direct consequence of bad policy. The legislature should make a good-faith, bipartisan effort to reform its forestry management approach to better balance safety and concern for the environment. Doing so will benefit all those who live under the risk of wildfires,” said Leader Helfrich.
The representatives identified four core policies that need to change to make Oregon a safer state:
The Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) has prevented responsible logging in much of the state. Managing Oregon’s forests does not mean ignoring them until they are on fire. The legislature should reform the HCP to allow responsible economic use and undo its overly aggressive expansion.
Oregon's war on the timber industry must end. The logging industry plays a vital role in clearing out deadwood and decreasing the severity of fires. Seven sawmills have closed this year due to anti-business policies. Republicans support reforming burdensome regulations while treating the lumber industry as partners in conservation.
Oregon must invest in more early warning and prevention resources and increase our support to firefighters. Oregon Republicans previously introduced bills to promote and protect firefighting efforts. These bills included HB 2491 (2023) which would prohibit volunteer firefighters from being held civilly liable for good faith firefighting efforts and HB 2953 (2023) which would allow the state forester to fight fires on federal lands within Oregon. Neither bill received a public hearing during the 2023 session, and Republicans plan to re-introduce the legislation in 2025.
Some of the wildfires in this state have started because of homeless encampments that do not engage in safe practices in vulnerable areas. Now that the Supreme Court has allowed states to ban camping on public grounds, the legislature must reverse 2021's HB 3115 and strictly prohibit these encampments. The state should also take common-sense safety steps like those described in 2023’s HB 2940, which requires state agencies to comply with regulations we already require private entities to follow for fire safety.
Reschke and Diehl added the following statements:
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"We all support responsible environmental practices that protect our forests for future generations," said Rep. Reschke. "But these fires are the result of 40 years of bad policy choices that have gone past conservation and put the lives of Oregonians at risk, not modern living improvements. It's simply not true that we have to allow deadwood to pile up, constantly increase land use restrictions to protect our environment, or allow dangerous homeless encampments in vulnerable areas."
"The fires that have ravaged our state were the largest in the country, and put Oregonians and regional firefighters needlessly at risk," said Rep. Diehl. "We cannot keep doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results. My district is still recovering from the effects of the 2020 wildfire season, and bad policy is compounding our problems instead of solving them."
DeSpain urges DOJ to look into federally-funded BOLI grants
Oregon Fourth Congressional District Candidate Monique DeSpain sent a letter to the US Attorney for Oregon to urge the US Department of Justice to review a recent TV interview with Congresswoman Val Hoyle for other possible pay-to-play schemes and illegal grant activity with employers in Oregon.
Hoyle described her relationship with Oregon employers as similar to that which she had with La Mota’s executives, despite La Mota having eleven employee complaints before BOLI at the time while owing hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, facing dozens of lawsuits for debts owed to creditors, and still making sizable donations to elected officials, including
Hoyle.
“Val Hoyle explained in her recent TV interview that the way she communicated with and assisted La Mota was the same as how she dealt with all other employers in Oregon. I am urging the US DOJ to review Hoyle’s statements and the BOLI communications they’ve subpoenaed for evidence of illicit pay-to-play activity with other employers, similar to Hoyle's activity currently being investigated,” said DeSpain. “Congresswoman Hoyle was clear that she believes that receiving donations and strong-arming illegal grants for employers is just fine, even when employees of those businesses have active complaints against them with Hoyle’s agency.”
On January 29th, the US Department of Justice issued a subpoena to BOLI for “all records” related to the illegal grant ENDVR received, a grant for which email records show Hoyle was the “key organizer” ensuring it was awarded. The subpoena was issued just five days after DeSpain’s January 24th press conference launching WhatsValHiding.com and DeSpain’s letter to the US Attorney for the District of Oregon Natalie K. Wight, calling on Ms. Wight to expand her investigation to include Hoyle and her activities.
For eleven months after leaving BOLI in 2023, Congresswoman Hoyle denied BOLI access to key public records on her personal cell phone, which media outlets have referenced in bringing Hoyle’s illicit activities to public attention - activities that are now the subject of the federal investigation.
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“As a retired Air Force Colonel who conducted investigations in the JAG Corps for 20 years, I will continue to speak up and call out corrupt, bad actors like Val Hoyle who are standing in the way of addressing voters' top priorities. After voters deploy me to Congress this November, I will use my independent voice to deliver bold, commonsense solutions for the struggling, hard-working people of the Fourth District.”
Sixth event of Stand Your Ground to be held September 14
The popular Oregon event, Gathering of the Eagles, is making it’s fifteenth production after Ames Curtright first sponsored it at his airfield. After a brief break, his wife, Dama Curtright carried on his legacy at the airfield hanger. It’s the sixth year the Oregon Liberty Coalition has sponsored Gathering of the Eagles combining it with their event. In 2018 Gathering of the Eagles partnered with Oregon Liberty Coalition’s Rally Around the Flag to bring about the "Stand Your Ground" rallies in memory of Ames Curtright. Stand Your Ground was what Ames Curtright stood for based on one of his favorite Bible verses: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13 NIV.
This year’s Gathering of the Eagles will be held September 14, 2024, with the theme of Regaining Election Integrity. Morning training is designed to increase effectiveness on becoming a powerful social media influencer and how to do a personal get out the vote campaign.
The afternoon will address Measure 117 by Ranked Choice Voting expert Phil Izon, Alaska Ranked-Choice Education Association, will discuss the drawbacks to ranked-choice voting and how it does away with the constitutional option for in-person voting.
Jeff O’Donnell, “The Lone Raccoon” on Telegram, is on Mike Lindell’s team and will show how Oregon elections were stolen in vote by mail data, and how it is being manipulated.
Joe Hoft, Gateway Pundit, will expose the Secretary of State’s witch hunt on censorship. Hoft has a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court against government censoring speech that is similar to an Oregon case.
Ames Curtright liked to quote as a standard for freedom of speech, Fisher Ames, author of the First Amendment. “Should not the Bible regain the place it once held as a schoolbook? Its morals are pure, its examples are captivating and noble….In no Book is there so good English, so pure and so elegant, and by teaching all the same they will speak alike, and the Bible will justly remain the standard of language as well as of faith.”
Corral Creek Band is scheduled to play throughout the day. They perform Bluegrass style music around the Northwest with homespun humor that draws the audience in.
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
SkyMed will hold a reception at the conclusion of the event with music by Nashville singer Brandon Hartt, a up and coming Nashville County Music artist.
As a private event, registration is required. The event will also be available with the purchase of livestream.
In response to Governor Kotek's press release regarding the Oregon DMV's automatic voter registration system errors which led to 1,259 non-citizens being wrongfully placed on voter rolls, Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) issued the following statement:
“A press announcement is no substitute for an open and public hearing,” said House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River). “Oregonians deserve full transparency about how this happened. We must have a public hearing.”
In response to a report that directly contradicted official statements about how Oregon detected non-citizens on their voter rolls, House Republicans also renewed their call for a public briefing on Oregon’s election integrity efforts.
Senator Dick Anderson (R-Lincoln City), member of the Senate Education Committee, also weighed in on the issue. “Transparency in school performance reporting is crucial for accountability and improvement. Our goal should be to make sure that parents and communities have the information they need to advocate for better educational outcomes. It’s time for parents and local school boards to demand better reporting standards that truly reflect the quality of education our children are receiving.”
In Lehner's final report he attempts to be encouraging, “The labor market is expected to improve as well following the past year where slower hiring has led to a rising unemployment rate, despite layoffs remaining low. While imminent recession fears appear misplaced, the longer high interest rates remain, the probability of recession rises as economic growth slows… For now, the economic forecast remains essentially unchanged compared to recent outlooks.”
“Looking ahead to the 2025-27 biennium, available resources are revised lower by $66 million compared to the previous forecast. Increases in corporate, estate, and interest earnings are not enough to fully offset the larger personal kicker being paid out. That said, when looking at the state budget and the combined resources of 2023-25 and 2025-27 the General Fund forecast is raised $610 million.
There are several environmental concerns associated with offshore floating wind turbines:
Corral Creek Band is scheduled to play throughout the day. They perform Bluegrass style music around the Northwest with homespun humor that draws the audience in.
SkyMed will hold a reception at the conclusion of the event with music by Nashville singer Brandon Hartt, a up and coming Nashville County Music artist.
