Author: admin

GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

 

Birth control exemption could affect nearly 1 million in Oregon

Bend Bulletin

Despite a new Oregon law championed as preserving birth control coverage in the state even if Republicans succeed in dismantling a federal mandate to cover it, nearly 1 million Oregonians are covered under policies that now qualify for exemptions.

 

Oregon’s state schools chief steps down

The Oregonian

Oregon’s chief state schools officer Salam Noor resigned Wednesday effective immediately, the governor’s office announced. Less than 2 1/2 years after Gov. Kate Brown handpicked Noor to oversee K-12 schools, she accepted his resignation and installed Colt Gill, her education innovation officer, as the interim head of the Oregon Department of Education.

 

Oregon schools chief Salam Noor resigns

KOIN

Oregon schools chief Salam Noor has resigned after less than 2 ½ years on the job. Gov. Kate Brown made the announcement Wednesday. She said Colt Gill will serve as acting chief during the search for a permanent replacement.

 

Oregon GOP Candidate Doesn’t Want Gun Bills At February Session

Oregon Public Broadcasting

Rebecca Tweed, Buehler’s campaign manager, said in an email Tuesday that Buehler will oppose taking up the gun measures. Tweed said the gun measures fall into that category of bills that should be held for discussion during the longer, six-month legislative sessions that are held in non-election years.  “(It) is irresponsible for Governor Brown to suggest such important issues can be handled in 35 days,” she said.

 

Erious Johnson, Jr. and Nkenge Harmon Johnson Agree to Settle Lawsuits Against State of Oregon

Willamette Week

State’s civil rights chief will get $205,000; his wife, ex-spokesperson for former Gov. John Kitzhaber, gets $70,000.

 

Oregon Prison Population Forecast Trends Downward

Oregon Public Broadcasting

The projected incarceration rate of Oregonians is expected to fall by 11 percent over the next decade. That’s according to the semi-annual prison population forecast issued by the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Analysts said a measure signed into law in August by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is largely responsible for the downward trend. The bill was primarily aimed at reducing the incarceration rate of women by reducing sentences for some property crimes and improving post-prison support.

 

Poll reveals voters’ views on health tax, other state policies

Portland Tribune

Most Oregonians oppose a proposed a $600 million tax on health insurance policy premiums to fund the state’s Medicaid program, according to a survey by Icitizen, a nonpartisan online polling tool. Those results don’t surprise Rep. Julie Parrish (R-West Linn), who spearheaded a petition to put the tax, passed by lawmakers earlier this year, up to a public vote.

 

State Land Board to give update on Elliott State Forest

Roseburg News-Review

The State Land Board plans to provide informational updates regarding the Common School Fund real property and the Elliott State Forest, a 82,500-acre forest in Douglas and Coos Counties, from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 17 at the Department of State Lands, 775 Summer St., Salem.

 

Schools receive dollars for CTE

Wallowa County Chieftain

Wallowa County schools will receive $324,179 in Measure 98 (dropout prevention) money for the 2017-19 biennium. That breaks down to $85,458 for Joseph, $149, 853 for Enterprise and $88,868 for Wallowa. The money will be used to support career tech (CTE) and college readiness programs as part of dropout prevention measures.

 

Oregon’s public university leaders: DeVos Title IX guidelines will have ‘very little’ effect here

The Oregonian

“We remain as committed as ever to the goal of minimizing sexual violence and harassment,” the presidents of the seven four-year universities and Oregon Health & Science University said in a letter dated Tuesday to Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum. “We will continue to investigate complaints of sexual violence in a fair, equitable and neutral manner, which includes respecting the rights of and providing support to all parties involved.”

 

Murmurs: Big Tobacco money blows around Salem

Willamette Week

One of the most contentious bills of 2017 was Senate Bill 235, which proposed statewide tobacco licensing in Oregon, one of just nine states that doesn’t license sellers. But the tobacco lobby sideswiped the bill, which was repurposed into a law defining where it is legal to smoke in enclosed areas. Now the world’s largest tobacco company, Altria, is opening its checkbook to make sure its friends stay in line. The tobacco giant gave $33,500 to the House Republican caucus, $30,500 to the Senate Republican caucus, and—its largest contribution to any individual lawmaker—$5,000 to Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem), without whose approval nothing happens in Salem. Courtney’s spokesman didn’t respond to a request for comment.

 

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

 

Oregon and Kentucky face off over adoption of 4-year-old girl in foster care

The Oregonian

Oregon and Kentucky are locked in a dispute over which state will decide the fate of a 4-year-old girl from Klamath Falls, Laila Sloan. Two years ago, Oregon child welfare officials placed the girl temporarily with her uncle and aunt in Kentucky. But last year, they decided an Oregon couple was best suited to adopt her.

 

ENVIRONMENT

State claims feds are backtracking on Portland Harbor cleanup

Daily Astorian

But the EPA, under President Donald Trump, has been negotiating part of the plan with some of the companies responsible for cleanup, Richard Whitman, the director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, complained in a letter to a regional EPA boss on Thursday. Gov. Kate Brown made the letter public on Monday. She urged the EPA “to honor its commitment to work collaboratively and transparently with the state, city, and all responsible parties.”

 

ELECTIONS

 

Governor candidates close in the money race

Bend Bulletin

“This is the battle for the future of our state,” Buehler wrote in a recent campaign email, adding that he was the underdog in financing. “Kate Brown has been raising money for her campaign for over a year and I’m working to catch up, but I need your help — today.”

 

KNUTE BUEHLER LOOKS TO BREAK GOP LOSING STREAK

Bend Magazine

It’s been a quarter-century since Oregon voters leaned to the GOP, but if they do so this year it’s likely that Bend’s Knute Buehler would be the next governor, at least that’s the early consensus among politicos after Buehler announced in August that he was throwing his proverbial hat in the race to challenge Democrat Kate Brown, who is expected to seek election in 2018. (Brown won a special election in 2016 after serving as interim when former Governor John Kitzhaber resigned amid an ethics scandal.)

 

Happy Valley Mayor Decides Not To Run For Governor After All

Oregon Public Broadcasting

A potential Republican candidate for governor said Tuesday she won’t seek the state’s top office after all. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, the mayor of Happy Valley, had been actively exploring a run for governor. But in a video announcement posted on social media, she said she’s decided against it.

 

Buehler visits TD to ‘listen and learn’

The Dalles Chronicle

“Everywhere I go, people are telling me they feel left behind, that their problems have not been solved, or have been ignored, and they are frustrated,” he said. “I am running for people who feel left out, left behind. I am running to bring leadership for a change – to bring more jobs to Wasco County and other areas where families are struggling.”

 

Trump skews political scene, OPB analyst says

Corvallis Gazette-Times

Handicapping next year’s governor’s race, Lunch said state Rep. Knute Buehler of Bend, the most prominent Republican to throw his hat in the ring so far, could face stiff opposition in the primary from the party’s conservative wing. Lunch also noted that current polls, at least, give Democratic incumbent Kate Brown a solid edge over whoever the Republicans might put up against her. “At the moment — these things can certainly change, but at the moment — it looks like she will probably get re-elected whether her opponent is Buehler or somebody else.”

 

JOBS & ECONOMY

 

The Amazon Effect: Oregon hands Amazon.com more tax breaks than any other state, but is it worth it?

Portland Business Journal

But along with Amazon’s rising number of workers and facilities throughout the Beaver State comes another numerical set: the millions in tax breaks that the company is enjoying as a result of its investment here. In fact, at $213.1 million, Oregon has given or promised more in tax breaks to Amazon than any other state in the country.

 

Warnings of retail apocalypse ‘overblown,’ Oregon economist says

The Oregonian

Retail jobs aren’t disappearing; they’re just changing. This was the conclusion drawn by Josh Lehner, an Oregon state economist, in a recent report for the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Oregon retail jobs have grown overall in recent years, and are expected to continue to grow at a modest rate, Lehner wrote.

 

CONSTITUENT OUTREACH

 

Rep. Sprenger to speak at meeting of Linn Republican Women

Albany Democrat-Herald

Rep. Sherrie Sprenger will be the featured speaker Oct. 18 at a meeting of the Linn County Republican Women. The meeting and no-host meal will be held 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cascade Grill, 110 Opal St. NE. President Carolyn Oakley will also share some insight on the Oregon Legislature special session that took place in February.

 

LOCAL NEWS

 

City pursues housing program to create growth

Blue Mountain Eagle

Nine months into the city of John Day’s strategy for growth, only one key piece has not been addressed: housing. To combat population decline — and the resulting negative impacts on schools, businesses and taxing districts — City Manager Nick Green proposed a new approach in January to make strategic investments to spur growth.

 

OPINION

 

Editorial: House races should be battles of ideas

Bend Bulletin

Oregonians need good, thoughtful lawmakers these days. Elections also work best with a vigorous debate of policy matters — not an unimpeded waltz to victory. With the problems facing the state, including a growing unfunded liability in the state Public Employees Retirement System and housing shortages, intelligent men and women willing to work together are critical.

 

Portland’s shot-in-the-dark approach to the housing crisis: Editorial Agenda 2017

The Oregonian Editorial Board

Look at the whole picture, evaluate the data and create sound policies that are tightly tailored to address the problem. Making permanent a policy without even considering the negative consequences will only turn this housing emergency into our new normal.

 

Editorial: Wyden, Merkley could help, instead of resist, on DeVos initiative

Bend Bulletin

Instead of joining the outraged chorus, Merkley and Wyden could do their constituents a favor by being the grown-ups in the room. They could acknowledge the problems in the current process and help find the right balance, one that would protect accuser and accused in this sensitive and critical conflict.

We are excited to introduce you to our Saturday luncheon  guest speaker, Tim Daughtry!

 

Dr. Daughtry is a former clinical psychologist turned conservative writer and speaker. He is co-author of Waking the Sleeping Giant: How Mainstream Americans Can Beat Liberals at Their Own Game.

Follow him on Twitter: @TCDwriter.    Tim and will bring his wife who will join us for our Convention and will be selling and signing books during our event.

“Mainstream America has for too long been the sleeping giant of American politics. As mainstream Americans, we mind our own business, take care of our own responsibilities, and play by the rules. We know that there is no quick path to personal success or to national prosperity. But the ruling class has come to see the mainstream as largely irrelevant as a political force, when we are the backbone that supports the body politic. We work, pay our taxes, and vote. Then we go back to work and hope that those in power will do the right thing. We have trusted the dogs of the political class to guard our lunch, and they have eaten it. Something needs to change. Before we can equip the sleeping giant for the struggle ahead of us, however, we need to wake that sleeping giant. Waking the Sleeping Giant exposes liberal techniques and teaches mainstream Americans how to counter them to take back the country that our forebears made great, and to make it great again.”

 

Tim is very inspirational and will show us great tools to use to win back Oregon and our country.   For more information on Tim:  https://townhall.com/columnists/timothydaughtry/

 

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A quick reminder that tomorrow is the last day for early discounted registration to the Platform Convention. The early registration discount ends on 10/10 at 5:00pm.

 

Secondly, here is an updated link to the registration for the upcoming convention. and a reminder that.  Register early to save some money!

https://oregon.gop/state-platform-convention-oct-27-28-2017

 

 

Winning  Oregon  together,

 

Chris Barreto

Vice Chair of the Oregon Republican Party

541 910-5247

Vice.chair@oregon.gop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lukens column: Is religious intolerance the Oregon Democratic Party brand?

Party chair all but calls official’s support for ‘traditional marriage’ hate speech

Erik Lukens

The Bulletin

 

Like plenty of people, I don’t share Secretary of State Dennis Richardson’s views on the morality of gays and lesbians. On that, in fact, I couldn’t disagree with him more. But I do appreciate his honesty, which says something about his courage even, unfortunately, as it underscores how difficult it can be to have an adult discussion about faith and politics, even in a supposedly tolerant state like Oregon.

In case you haven’t heard, state Democratic Party Chair Jeanne Atkins castigated Richardson late last month for making a “hateful assertion” about gays. Ostensibly worried about “the relentless march of the Republican party toward imposing so-called ‘personal beliefs’ through their policy actions,” she even demanded that Rep. Knute Buehler, R-Bend, and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, “speak out in protest.”

Not to be outdone, advocacy group Basic Rights Oregon tweeted, “Secretary Richardson once again demonstrated he is unqualified to serve our state.”

What did Richardson do to earn such vilification? He agreed to be interviewed for an Oregon Public Broadcasting radio series called “Backstory,” which examines pivotal moments in the lives of people in the public eye. Previous interviewees include state Rep. Diego Hernandez, D-Portland, Portland City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly and Oregon Democratic U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden.

Richardson discussed his discovery of the Mormon faith following military service in Vietnam. This piece of Richardson’s biography is not a surprise. It was well known long before Oregonians elected him to the state’s second highest office last year, as was the fact that his views on social issues tend to fall well to the right of center.

Nonetheless, Atkins was hyperbolically horrified by his response to the following question, posed by interviewer Kate Davidson: “Do you feel in your heart that it is not moral to be gay?”

Here’s Richardson’s full response:

“People have different definitions of morality. And mine, by the understanding that I have from my religious belief, is that it is not moral to have sexual relations with anyone outside of the bonds of marriage. And I know most people do.

“But you asked me a very personal question. And so if I believe that marriage is a sacrament, is a spiritual connection between three individuals — a man, a woman and God, which is traditional marriage — then the mere choice of government or voters to change a definition does not necessarily change the definition with God. And so, so based on my definition, the answer is yes.

“But it doesn’t change the humanity or the acceptance I have for people to make their own choices about such important (matters) and so personal of a nature.”

Richardson does three things here: He explains his faith-based views, distinguishes them from policies adopted by “government or voters” and emphasizes that people get to make their own choices. Yet Atkins, speaking for Oregon’s Democratic Party, all but calls his stated belief in “traditional marriage” an act of hate speech while implying absurdly that the silence of Buehler and Walden on the matter amounts to agreement.

Is this the message that the Democratic Party wants to send? Does it really want to tell thousands of Oregonians that their deeply held religious beliefs render them irremediably offensive to the party notwithstanding other areas in which they might agree — environmental, housing and labor policy, for instance? Does it really want to tell thousands of Oregonians that simply by discussing their beliefs they risk being condemned as hate-mongers? If not, party leaders ought have a talk with Atkins and do what she demanded of Walden and Buehler: Condemn the intolerance she apparently espouses on the party’s behalf.

I asked Atkins on Tuesday whether she believes that Richardson’s religious beliefs render him unqualified to serve as secretary of state.

“It is not his faith-based beliefs that disqualify him,” she responded, backtracking furiously. “It’s the fact that he was willing to express them publicly without at the same time reassuring Oregonians that his views don’t determine” how he’ll conduct his official duties. “People need to know proactively that these beliefs will not govern what he does in office.”

In fact, Richardson has said just this in the past, and a fair reading of his response above leaves no doubt that he sees his faith and his public role as entirely separate.

But Atkins, who preceded Richardson as secretary of state, does raise a good point. Perhaps she should have reassured religious Oregonians that her antipathy would not govern what she did in office.

— Erik Lukens is editor of The Bulletin.

http://www.bendbulletin.com/exports/newsletters/main/5647663-151/lukens-column-is-religious-intolerance-the-oregon-democratic?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=BendBulletin%20MRSS%20-%20Main-17-10-08

18385246 – on

 

“Public Safety and Border Security First, DACA Later”

 

 

 

Wilsonville, OR – In a statement, Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bill Currier reacted today to the DACA publicity stunt held today by Oregon Democrat Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley in Portland:

 

 

“President Trump has clearly conveyed his understanding and sympathy for the circumstances of illegal aliens who were brought to the US as minors, but now it is up to Congress to do the job that President Obama and Congress should have done years ago.  Instead of rolling up their sleeves in Washington D.C., Senators Wyden and Merkley seem more interested in a pointless publicity stunt than finding common ground in the Senate to pass legislation addressing the issue,” stated Oregon GOP Chairman Bill Currier.

 

 

“By the way, what good is a law on DACA if the practice of illegal entry by minors isn’t ended so this isn’t a never-ending problem?  To do this, real border security, including an effective border wall and an end to criminal illegal alien sanctuaries, is a prerequisite,” asked Currier.  “After all, why make a new law when immigration laws need not be followed anyway?”

 

 

At the DACA Advocacy event, Senator Merkley was quoted as saying that “It’s completely unacceptable that we have placed them (those covered under DACA) in this limbo.”  Senator Wyden added, “The bottom line for me, I see these youngsters as part of Oregon’s dream team.”

 

 

“Senators Wyden and Merkley seem to lack the same sympathy for Oregon’s victims of illegal alien crime.  They’ve done much worse than leave Oregon’s U.S. Citizen victims of illegal alien crime in limbo, they’ve forgotten them altogether on the altar identity politics,” added Currier.  “Where is their meeting with the victims of Sergio Jose Martinez?  Why won’t either Senator support HR 3004, Kate’s Law, to clamp down on repeat criminal illegal alien re-entries?”

 

 

“Senator Wyden, when are Oregon’s citizens going to make it on your ‘dream team’?  It’s time for Public Safety and Border Security First – DACA Later.”

 

 

The Oregon Republican Party is the state’s arm of the Republican National Committee. Its Chairman and officers are dedicated to promoting Republican principles within the state of Oregon and to improving the lives and livelihoods of Oregon’s working families through economic freedom and equal protection under the law.

 

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Trump Scores Greatest Stock Market Rally Ever:  http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2017/10/president-trump-enjoying-greatest-stock-market-rally-ever-dow-up-4300-since-election-nearly-24/

 

S&P 500 posts first 8-day winning streak since 2013: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/05/us-stocks-sp-record-high.html

 

Trump ahead of Reagan’s record in cutting regulations: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-ahead-of-reagans-record-in-cutting-regulations/article/2636355

 

Stocks close at record highs to begin the fourth quarter: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/02/us-stocks-fourth-quarter-trump.html

 

Trump Unveils ‘Middle Class Miracle’ Tax Plan for America: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/09/27/donald-trump-unveils-middle-class-miracle-tax-plan-for-america/

 

U.S. manufacturing activity surged to a 13-year high in September: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-economy-construction/hurricanes-harvey-irma-lift-u-s-factory-activity-index-to-13-year-high-idUSKCN1C71RJ

 

Trump Keeps Racking Up Outstanding Judicial Nominees: https://townhall.com/tipsheet/guybenson/2017/10/03/meanwhile-trump-keeps-racking-up-outstanding-judicial-nominees-n2389593

 

Nearly 500 Criminal Illegal Aliens Arrested in National ‘Sanctuary City’ Sting: http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/09/28/nearly-500-criminal-illegal-aliens-arrested-national-sanctuary-city-sting/

 

Trump DOJ: Judge Surge Leads to 2700 Additional Immigration Cases Resolved: http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/10/04/doj-judge-surge-leads-to-2700-additional-immigration-cases-resolved/

 

House Committee Approves $10B for Border Wall: http://www.breitbart.com/texas/2017/10/04/house-committee-approves-10b-border-wall/

 

CARTOONS

Stand for the National Anthem: http://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2017/09/29

Obamacare: http://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2017/10/01

Imagine Hillary as POTUS: http://www.gocomics.com/michaelramirez/2017/10/04

 

 

After repeatedly pushing tax hikes during her time in office, embattled Oregon Democrat Governor Kate Brown is at it again. This time, she’s trying to do it before the public has a chance to notice. Oregon voters in 2010 passed a ballot initiative creating a 35 day session for lawmakers to work on technical fixes to legislation. Now, the Oregonian is reporting that Kate Brown wants to ignore that intention and use the rush session to pass a $700 million carbon tax. The Albany-Democrat Herald explains, “It’s alarming to learn that another big-deal bill may be getting the short-session treatment in 2018. The Oregonian reported over the weekend that many Democrats, including Gov. Kate Brown, will be pushing for a bill to cap greenhouse gases and charge some of the state’s largest companies for their carbon output.” “But here’s one of the reasons why Brown and other Democrats might want to be pushing the carbon-tax proposal: It could raise big money — $700 million a year — for the state.” Even Democrats are speaking out against reports that Brown will push through the tax hike without “ample opportunity” for a full hearing and public input. “…so many details remain to be worked out that even some Democrats, such as Sen. Mark Hass of Beaverton, are questioning the wisdom of trying to push it through in a short session. ‘I’m not sure we have all the answers on a giant policy like that to act in 30 days,’ Hass told The Oregonian.” Kate Brown doesn’t want to give the public time to debate her $700 million tax hike, because to Brown, raising taxes is more important than giving the public its say. https://www.rga.org/oregon-dem-gov-kate-brown-preps-ram-700-million-tax-hike-little-debate/ Paid for and authorized by the Republican Governors Association CONTACT:  Steven Yaffe Oregon Republican Party Kevin Hoar Email: Kevin.Hoar@orgop.org Website: Oregon.GOP Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/oregonrepublicanparty/ Twitter: @Oregon_GOP XML Feed: https://oregon.gop/rss.xml Main: (503) 595-8881 Direct: (503) 974-4627 Fax: (503) 697-5555 Headquarters: 25375 SW Parkway Ave, Suite 200, Wilsonville, OR 97070

 

 

HOUSE REPUBLICAN OFFICE

OCTOBER 5, 2017 

 

STATE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

 

Secretary Of State Audit Calls For Better Safety In Disabilities Program

Oregon Public Broadcasting

The audit by Oregon’s Secretary of State Office found that some patients can’t properly manage their home care workers, especially when a patient has Alzheimer’s or a similar disease affecting mental capacity.  The audit also found the Aging and People with Disabilities program doesn’t make sure workers are trained to meet a patient’s specific needs. Ashley Carson Cottingham with the Department of Human Services generally agrees with the findings of the audit, but said problems are overstated. “The tone of the audit makes it sound like this program is not going well, and I would argue that it’s going very well,” Carson Cottingham said. “We are meeting the majority of consumers’ needs.”

 

Audit: DHS should improve oversight of in-home care

Portland Tribune

Lack of oversight, data gaps, and overworked case managers could continue to put low-income Oregonians receiving in-home care at risk, state auditors said in a Wednesday report. Auditors from the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office said the Oregon Department of Human Services should take “immediate action” to improve in-home care for seniors and people with disabilities in a program serving about 13,000 people.

 

Energy Department will look for new leadership – again

The Oregonian

In a news release, Read described Kaplan as “a proven leader” who had pushed for a full accounting and investigation of the Energy Department’s business energy tax credit program, trimmed the agency’s budget, and advocated for killing underperforming tax credit programs. At the very least, after four years at the helm, Kaplan will be escaping one of the most thankless assignments in state government, trying to rehabilitate and reenergize what had become one of Oregon’s most dysfunctional agencies.

 

Oregon hires $200-an-hour PR firm for childcare regulator

The Oregonian

Oregon education officials hired a $200-an-hour public relations firm in Washington, D.C., to craft “persuasive messages” for the state’s childcare regulator in response to reporting by The Oregonian/OregonLive on how the agency handles problem facilities. Springboard Partners will be paid up to $9,900 to develop a communications plan, edit state documents and write talking points for employees through the end of December.

 

Governor promises recovery aid for Hood River County

Hood River News

At Friday’s session, Brown announced the creation of a “recovery council” that will tie together Gorge elected leaders and the governor’s staff. Rep. Mark Johnson (R-Hood River) will chair the panel. “The mandate of the council will be twofold,” Brown said. “Number one: assess the economic damage that’s been done and prioritize the needs. And number two: identify and deploy state support in a timely, coordinated manner.” The group will keep her informed of what’s happening on the ground, Brown explained. As for state employees, their job is to “cut red tape.”

 

Campaign Seeking to Repeal Oregon Gun Control Measure Fails to Gather Sufficient Signatures

Willamette Week

The group seeking to repeal a gun control measure passed by the 2017 Legislature said this morning it failed to gather the nearly 59,000 valid signatures required to place the measure on the January 2018 special election ballot. “It wasn’t for lack of support. We just simply did not have enough time. I blame Governor Kate Brown for that,” said Chief Petitioner Mike Nearman (R-Independence) said in a statement.

 

REDISTRICTING

 

Oregon Redistricting Task Force Wants To Strip Power From Lawmakers

Oregon Public Broadcasting

A task force created by Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson is recommending that future redistricting be done by an independent commission. That would be a significant change from the current model, which tasks Oregon lawmakers with drawing up a plan. The current method of allowing lawmakers to draw the maps is “susceptible to political manipulation,” Richardson wrote in a newsletter announcing the task force report. “There is an inherent conflict of interest in allowing legislators to draw their own districts and pick their own voters.”

 

Oregon Redistricting Task Force Recommends Independent Commission

NW News Network

It’s recommending that an 11-member independent commission draw the maps of legislative and congressional districts. California and Washington use similar methods. 
 But Democratic Party of Oregon Chair Jeanne Atkins said Richardson is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist. “I don’t think the Secretary’s made the case for it,” she said. A spokesperson for Richardson said the Secretary of State is talking to Republican lawmakers in an attempt to get the plan introduced during the next legislative session.

 

HEALTH CARE

 

Poll: Majority oppose state tax on health care

East Oregonian

About 58 percent of 645 respondents surveyed online by the Nashville pollster said they oppose the tax, while 35 percent support it. Icitizen did not verify whether respondents were registered voters, only that they were Oregon resident. “We have not done any polling so I have nothing to compare it to, but I would say it is consistent with feedback we have received from folks who signed the petition,” said state Rep. Julie Parrish, R-West Linn, who spearheaded a petition for the referral.

 

Pat Allen on his ‘wild ride’ and goals for the troubled Oregon Health Authority

Portland Business Journal

Allen is now heading up the largest enterprise of his career, one with 4,000 employees and myriad responsibilities — overseeing the state’s Medicaid program, 16 coordinated care organizations, the Oregon State Hospital, the medical marijuana program and the public health infrastructure, from foodborne illness prevention to immunizations.

 

No easy cure likely in fight over control of Zoom+Care clinics

Portland Tribune

Competing depictions of the firm’s situation offered by two groups of shareholders give a rare peek inside the local health care company, shedding light on how twin goals of profitability and growth may be affecting staffing and care.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

ODOT: Tear Down $12 Million Highway 97 Bridge Near La Pine

The Associated Press

Engineers with the Oregon Department of Transportation plan to recommend tearing down a nearly completed $12 million overpass on Highway 97 in La Pine after a geotechnical investigation found the underlying soil is unstable. The Oregon Transportation Commission is scheduled to hear and decide on the engineers’ recommendation at a meeting in Silverton in late October.

 

JOBS & THE ECONOMY

 

Oregon Income Inequality Has Reached Record Levels

Willamette Week

A new report from the Oregon Center for Public Policy finds the gap between rich and poor in this state is at its widest level ever. “Income inequality is one of Oregon’s greatest challenges,” said OCPP policy analyst Daniel Hauser. “Such extreme income inequality not only limits the ability of working families to get ahead, it also impairs economic growth.”

 

COURTS & PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Three Portland Men Sue Boy Scouts of America for $21 Million for Knowingly Hiring a Sexual Predator

Willamette Week

“The Boy Scouts of America is outraged there have been times when Scouts were abused and we sincerely apologize to victims and their families,” Matthew Devore, Scout Executive and CEO of the Cascade Pacific Council said in a statement. “The behavior included in these allegations is abhorrent and runs counter to everything for which the BSA stands. Nothing is more important than the safety of our youth members. In the many years since these alleged actions occurred, we have continued to strengthen our efforts to protect youth.”

 

Three Portland men file $21 million suit against Boy Scouts of America

The Oregonian

The lawsuit is the latest alleging negligence by the Boy Scouts regarding convicted pedophile Calvin Malone. “The tragedy is that most of this abuse happened after the Boy Scouts of America learned that Malone was abusing boys and decided to let him back in as a Scout leader,” said Peter Janci, the Portland attorney representing the men. “These young lives were shattered – and it was completely avoidable.”

 

OPINION

 

Editorial: Focus gun control debate on what would make a difference

Bend Bulletin

Sadly, Gov. Kate Brown has been unable to rise above the gun control script. In responding to Bulletin reporter Gary Warner’s inquiry this week about possible gun laws, she blamed failure on politicians who “try to appease the mourners but then side with the NRA.”  There’s no room in Brown’s universe for principled opposition based on what might actually work without violating citizens’ rights. And we’re not just talking about their 2nd Amendment rights. In pushing Senate Bill 719 in the most recent legislative session, Brown and the Democratic majority decided to ignore questions about due process and danger for law enforcement, among other issues.

 

Editorial: Politicize Las Vegas tragedy? Yes, please

The Oregonian

It was exactly the right call to make. And it’s what Oregonians, who on Sunday marked the two-year-anniversary of the mass shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, should all be doing. The senseless killings of concertgoers, apparently by a lone gunman spraying bullets from his hotel window, exposes once again the impotence of the nation’s gun-violence laws and the weak will of Congress to strengthen them. So yes: This latest tragedy should immediately spark calls to Congress to work on a political solution that helps protect the public from this relentless onslaught of violence. If that is considered “politicizing,” then so be it.

 

Editorial: Updated distracted driving law goes into effect

Lebanon Express

So, stay away from texting while driving and if taking a call is necessary and you don’t have a hands-free device, just pull over in a safe spot.  Well, slow down your world a little when you’re driving. It can be a challenge for many people to step away from electronics for a while, especially those with intense jobs or others who are simply addicted. You might think you’re the best driver in the world and can handle it or perhaps you believe you just won’t get caught. That could be true, until it’s not. And then it’s too late.

 

Editorial: Re-examine split juries

Register-Guard

Requiring unanimous verdicts would not have reversed all those convictions. In many cases, the holdout jurors would have been persuaded to adopt the majority’s view, or a compromise would have been reached. That’s how it’s done in 48 states and in the federal courts, where nothing less than a unanimous verdict will satisfy the principle that guilt must be established beyond a reasonable doubt. In Oregon, that principle has an asterisk that may need to be removed.

 

Guest: Different wage studies get different results

Mary C. King is professor of economics, emerita at Portland State University

Seattle’s success at pushing fast food restaurants to pay better wages without cutting jobs, is most likely due to higher sales, lower turnover and better employee productivity.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

 

Some in GOP open to banning gun accessory used in Vegas mass shooting

The Associated Press

Senior congressional Republicans say they are open to considering legislation banning “bump stocks” like the shooter in Las Vegas apparently used to make semi-automatic rifles perform more like fully automatic weapons.

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE REPUBLICAN OFFICE

OCTOBER 4, 2017 DAILY CLIPS

 

STATE GOVERNMENT & POLITICS

 

Murmurs: Business Lobby Taps Mark Johnson, Creating a Job Opportunity for House Democrats

Willamette Week

Oregon’s newly formed and largest business lobbying group, Oregon Business Industry, will name its first executive director Oct. 6 Sources tell WW the pick is state Rep. Mark Johnson (R-Hood River). Johnson now has the task of knitting together the remnants of the two groups that merged this year to form OBI: the moderate Oregon Business Association and the more conservative Associated Oregon Industries. A moderate who has often worked with Democrats on education, Johnson is well-placed to do that. But Johnson’s departure from the House would also be a gift to Democrats, who outnumber Republicans by 2,200 voters in the four-term incumbent’s district. Coupled with the departure of another moderate Republican who holds a seat in a blue district, state Rep. Knute Buehler (R-Bend), who’s running for governor, Johnson’s new job could help give Democrats the super-majority they need to pass new taxes on a party-line vote. Johnson declined to comment. OBI board chairman Sam Tannahill says nobody’s been offered the job yet.

 

Capitol roundup: Time’s up for tax vote

Bend Bulletin

October is usually the quietest month of the year in the Capitol — but not this year. Thursday is the make-or-break deadline for backers of Referendum 301 to turn in signatures to qualify the initiative for the Jan. 23 special election ballot. The referendum would overturn a $530 million health provider tax that is earmarked for funding health care for low-income residents.

Other news around Oregon and beyond:

 

Brown, Buehler disagree on impact of laws on mass shootings

Bend Bulletin

Both Brown and Buehler called the Las Vegas shootings a “tragedy” and thanked first responders for saving as many lives as they could. But on the ability of legislation to stem future gun violence, their views diverged.

 

War of Words (and Signatures) Heats Up as Republicans Near Deadline to Repeal a Health Care Provider Tax

Willamette Week

Temperatures are running hot over Referendum 301, a GOP attempt to repeal part of a health care provider tax passed by the Legislature in July. Voter signatures for the referral are due Oct. 5—and could trigger a statewide special election. Proponents of the repeal, led by Reps. Julie Parrish (R-West Linn) and Cedric Hayden (R-Roseburg), complain their opponents, led by Our Oregon, are spying on their signature-gathering efforts and calling their supporters “bigots and extremists.”

 

Oregon DHS, child welfare leaders optimistic after shake-ups

Statesman Journal

In their first meeting since a series of leadership shake-ups, Oregon Department of Human Services directors expressed optimistic goals in the face of some budget cuts and looming challenges for the agency. “Our interest is to have safe, healthy, independent Oregonians,” DHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht said Tuesday. “I think we all share that.”

 

PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Multnomah County Is Pressing for Big Changes in Portland’s Response to 911 Medical Calls. That Doesn’t Sit Well with Powerful Unions.

Willamette Week

Sometimes it’s necessary: Car crashes, heart attacks and other life-threatening incidents require an emergency response. But nearly a third of the 90,000 annual calls for medical service, according to Multnomah County, are not emergencies and do not require a response by firefighters. Doctors in the county health department want to address this puzzling and expensive anomaly. To do so, they are picking a fight with one of the city’s most unassailable powers—Portland Fire & Rescue—and one of the city’s most embattled agencies: the Bureau of Emergency Communications.

 

EDUCATION & HIGHER EDUCATION

 

Portland Public Schools won’t displace KairosPDX

Portland Tribune

The next version of Portland Public Schools’ boundary proposal for Northeast Portland will keep KairosPDX charter school, a program that caters to African-American students, in the historic heart of Portland’s black community.

 

Bend-La Pine enrollment grows in fall 2017

Bend Bulletin

Bend-La Pine Schools has grown again this school year, gaining 341 new students in fall 2017. The increase brings the district’s total enrollment to 18,375 students and returns the school district to its trend of growing about 2 percent each year. Last year, Bend-La Pine officials were surprised when the district grew closer to 3 percent from 2015-16 to 2016-17. Continued growth of the school district brings both “opportunities and some logistical challenges,” Mikalson said in the district’s release.

 

District sues middle schooler who trashed classroom — and his parents — for up to $19k

The Oregonian

The district accuses the mother and stepfather of failing to “exercise reasonable control” over their son. The suit claims the boy had accumulated a dozen disciplinary marks at Crossler Middle School in the eight months leading up to the damage and at least two behavioral episodes prompted calls home.

 

Oregon State considers renaming some buildings over possible racist views

The Associated Press

“This isn’t about revising history or hiding history or taking something away,” said Scott Vignos, director of strategic initiatives in the Office of Institutional Diversity. “It’s about revealing history. It’s about learning about our past and drawing lessons from that past.”

 

JOBS & THE ECONOMY

 

Recreational fishing closures devastate Oregon businesses

The Oregonian

There was no warning, we weren’t able to plan for it,” Blanchard said. Notice of the closure did come abruptly. The press release from ODFW about the closure came out Tuesday, Sept. 12, and the fishery was closed by Sept. 18. “This has been an absolutely devastating hit to us. We went from the busiest time of year, where we make money that pays our bills and keeps our employees paid, to losing 90 percent of our overall income within about 36 hours,” Rob Gensorek owner of Basin Tackle said.

 

HOUSING

 

A Developer Dangles the Possibility of 500 Affordable Apartments—in Exchange for the Right to Build Downtown Skyscrapers

Willamette Week

Now a Portland-based real estate investment and development company has arrived at City Hall with a proposal to crowd the skyline with skyscrapers as tall as 40 stories on the downtown waterfront. In exchange, it’s offering to build up to 500 affordable apartments with no public cash. All it wants is the rights to the sky.

 

Portland housing emergency and renter protections up for extension at Portland City Council

The Oregonian

“A declared housing emergency certainly has a focusing impact on government and stakeholders,” Cox said. “It’s an important organizing tool and motivational tool.” Setting a clear priority for city and county leaders has encouraged increased funding for housing and homeless issues, Portland Housing Bureau Director Kurt Creager said.

 

HEALTH CARE

 

Dentists take bite out of opioid epidemic

Portland Tribune

Regarding the opioid-abuse epidemic, the news these days often seems all bad. But quietly, and without spending a dime, Multnomah County has slashed in half the number of pain pills prescribed at dental health clinics serving 25,000 low-income patients a year.. The change — largely unheralded outside government board rooms — will undoubtedly help protect community members from an addictive epidemic that kills 142 Americans every day.

 

LOCAL NEWS

 

Clark County Removes Confederate Monument From Historic Registry

Oregon Public Broadcasting

After nearly two hours of public testimony Tuesday night, all six commissioners voted to remove a Confederate monument from the Clark County Heritage Register. The commissioners ultimately decided that the monument — which sits on private property near Ridgefield, Washington, off Interstate 5 — failed to meet the criteria for consideration as a local heritage site. “I just don’t see where the historical tie is,” said Clark County Historic Preservation Commission member Alex Gall. “This plaque does not really fit or speak to Clark County.”

 

OREGONIANS IN CONGRESS

 

Oregon Rep. Greg Walden Questions Former Equifax CEO

Oregon Public Broadcasting

“It’s like the guards at Fort Knox forgot to lock the doors and failed to notice the thieves were emptying the vaults,” Walden said. “The American people deserve to know what went wrong. We want a clear timeline of events, and what to expect moving forward.” Walden and other members of the committee pressed Smith on how Equifax checked its security measures between when the hack happened in May and when the public became aware in August.

 

Wyden seeks voting machine info

The Associated Press

In a letter Tuesday to the CEOs of top election technology firms, Sen. Ron Wyden writes that public faith in American election infrastructure is “more important than ever before.” “Ensuring that Americans can trust that election systems and infrastructure are secure is necessary to protecting confidence in our electoral process and democratic government,” writes Wyden, an Oregon Democrat.

 

OPINION

 

Guest: Secretary Richardson should keep his personal beliefs personal

Jeanne Atkins is chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon

Here is where The Oregonian is right: I speak as chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon, which opposed Mr. Richardson’s election and will hope to unseat him in the future. They are also correct that additional reasons, such as his questionable mission to lead a trade delegation to China, are worthy of criticism. Those, too, will be campaign issues. But we will also oppose him precisely because of his insensitivity to the effect that this expression of “personal beliefs” has on those who he supervises and those who he serves. In a state that values tolerance and diversity, it is shocking that a statewide official would publicly call an entire segment of the population “not moral.” The Democratic Party will stand up for those affected by such statements each and every time.

 

Editorial: Popular vote group’s attack on Courtney undercuts its own argument

Bend Bulletin

The Bulletin editorial board has repeatedly opposed the National Popular Vote because it’s a dangerous, over-simplified response to the notion that the Electoral College is in conflict with the bedrock “one man, one vote” premise of voting. In fact, the Electoral College is a critical tool to balance the influence of high-population states, preventing rural areas from being ignored. The same principle operates in U.S. Senate elections, where each state has two, despite significant differences in population.Such a momentous change in the way we elect the nation’s presidents deserves to be considered by Oregon’s voters rather than decided by its lawmakers.

 

Editorial: Central Oregon does not need another historic canal

Bend Bulletin

Two important stretches of COID canals have already been declared historic. How many more historic stretches does Central Oregon need? One is a short stretch in Redmond. It will be primarily just a water feature. The main flow of the canal will actually be piped nearby. The second is at Brasada Ranch. Old wood structures still exist. The plan is to make both sites easily accessible to the public and set up kiosks or signs to explain the historic significance.

That’s surely enough to mark the historic significance of canals in Central Oregon. The goal should be to ensure more water is used efficiently, not to declare more old ditches as historic ditches.