TOP STORIES
‘Offensive’ video shocks both candidates
Mail Tribune
The video, which has simple illustrations of a forest, an ax and a chainsaw, states, “Just because someone’s name sounds Latino doesn’t mean they support programs that benefit our community. Don’t be an axe (sic). Vote for Jeff Golden for state Senate.” “I found it offensive, very offensive,” Gomez said of the video produced by the political action committee Mi Voz Cuenta. “This is just not healthy for our community in general.” Kathy Keesee, who is listed with the Oregon Secretary of State as affiliated with the Medford-based Mi Voz Cuenta (my voice counts) PAC, said, “It’s nothing against Jessica Gomez. It’s about the party she represents.”
Editorial endorsement: Knute Buehler for Oregon governor
Oregonian Editorial Board
Simply, the Oregon governor’s race is about who can best lead Oregon in tackling the human and economic crises unfolding on our home turf. From the state’s distressed K-12 education system to the critical need for pension reform to encouraging more affordable-housing construction, Oregon is running out of time to responsibly address these challenges. With little vision and no urgency by Brown in her nearly four years as governor, and insufficient experience from Independent Party nominee Patrick Starnes, voters fortunately have a strong alternative. Oregonians should vote for the candidate who is willing to take courageous action on these entrenched problems and mark their ballots for Knute Buehler.
Threats drive a black Vermont legislator to quit
The Associated Press
After she won the Democratic primary for re-election to the state legislature in 2016, someone tweeted a cartoon caricature of a black person at her, along with a vulgar phrase rendered in ebonics. The tweeter threatened to come to rallies and stalk her, Morris said. She won a protective order against him but once that expired, the harassment continued, she said. The harassment escalated into a break-in while the family was home, vandalism and death threats seen by her young son. Even after she announced she wouldn’t seek re-election, despite running unopposed, a group of youths pounded on her windows and doors at night, forcing her and her husband, convalescing after heart surgery, to leave town. Finally, in late September, she resigned.
CAMPAIGNS & INITIATIVES
Willamette Week
“I will follow the desires of the voters of Oregon,” he said. “And I will enforce the death penalty.”
There hasn’t been an execution in Oregon since 1997. Former Gov. John Kitzaber issued a moratorium on enforcing the death penalty in 2011, just before a man was scheduled to die by lethal injection. Gov. Kate Brown has maintained the policy and refused to execute any of the 33 inmates on death row. If re-elected, Brown says she would not allow any executions to move forward. The Washington Supreme Court struck down that state’s death penalty law, citing racial disparities among the men and women sentenced to die. Washington is the 20th state to bar capital punishment.
Buehlers invested $100,000 in energy credits before lambasting the program
The Daily Astorian
“The Buehlers purchased tax credits years before he was a lawmaker and before state mismanagement of the program forced the Legislature to repeal the program,” campaign spokeswoman Monica Wroblewski said.
Newcomer Hwang challenges third-term incumbent for House seat
Portland Tribune
“I think we’ve been missing leadership for the past six years, and if feels like nothing is getting better. It feels like we’re missing opportunities with all these bad burdensome regulation policies, and I think my opponent votes along party lines almost 95 percent plus. He’s an educator, and I was wondering where’s our representation. (Gorsek is) an educator at Mt. Hood Community College, and I don’t think our community college is equally treated. The community college is the backbone of this community, and I’d like to bring in more funds for our community college. Let’s say this: A good idea is a good idea, regardless of the party line, and we need someone who can work both sides of the aisle who is pushing those good ideas. So that’s why I’m running.”
Drazan aspires to advocate for constituents, support schools
Portland Tribune
“My number-one priority would be to serve and represent constituents. I’m not pushing this from the perspective of hammering on a table and saying, ‘I see something that’s broken and I’m going to single-handedly go in there and fix it.’ I’m a collaborator. I like to problem solve in a way that’s respectful, and I want to work with others. Immediately on the heels of that, we have got to do something about schools. Our graduation rates vary across this particular district, and statewide we continue to struggle. I don’t think that’s a Salem kind of top down mandate solution, but I do think that we need to get our hands around what some of the challenges are in our schools that are really struggling with graduation rates and being more responsive to our leaders and school boards to get a better sense of what they need.”
Candidates’ troubles cloud House race in Bend
The Bend Bulletin
The Bulletin asked Helt and Boddie their positions on key issues — La Bell suspended her campaign. The 54th House District candidates were asked about affordable housing and education, then given a chance to include one or two other issues that are important to them.
Senate District 6 candidates discuss statewide issues
The Register-Guard
The state Senate District 6 race appears to be a cordial contest between the incumbent and his challenger, both of whom live in Springfield. Sen. Lee Beyer, a Democrat, has represented the district — which includes Springfield, parts of southeast Eugene and more-rural areas of Lane and Linn counties — since being elected in 2010. Running against him in this year’s general election is local ballroom dance instructor Robert Schwartz. He calls himself a “progressive Republican” who agrees with most of Beyer’s positions on statewide issues.
Oregon Measure 103 Asks: Should Grocers Have Constitutional Protections?
Oregon Public Broadcasting
In what amounts to a pre-emptive strike at new taxes on grocery chains — and the farms and factories that supply them — large grocers are dumping millions of dollars into passing Measure 103. “Keep our groceries tax free!” say ads blanketing the airwaves, plastered to websites, waiting at your grocery store’s check stand. The messages are so pervasive, you might think there’s currently a statewide proposal to slap a tax on your supermarket. There isn’t.
PROTESTS
Bear spray, bloody brawls at Patriot Prayer ‘law and order’ march in Portland
Oregonian/OregonLive
A demonstration billed as a march for “law and order” in the streets of Portland descended into chaos as rival political factions broke into bloody brawls downtown Saturday night. Members of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer and their black-clad adversaries, known as antifa, used bear spray, bare fists and batons to thrash each other outside Kelly’s Olympian, a popular bar on Southwest Washington Street. The melee, which lasted more than a minute, ended when riot cops rushed in and fired pepper balls at the street fighters.
Political activists clash in Portland, New York
The Bend Bulletin
Gavin McInnes, who founded the Proud Boys in 2016 as a nationalist men’s club, was scheduled to speak at the Metropolitan Republican Club on Friday evening about “Deep State Socialists” and “Western Values” — common themes for his group. After the speech, about two dozen Proud Boys emerged from the club to find a similarly sized group of protesters waiting to confront them, including antifascists, as seen in cellphone videos. While antifascists, or “antifa” activists, are more loosely organized than the hierarchical, uniformed Proud Boys, both groups consider each other dangerous to U.S. society and condone violence to defend their notions of it. “I recognized one” of the antifascists, McInnes later told HuffPost, recalling the confrontation. He stole a Proud Boys MAGA hat and was immediately tuned up.” Cellphone videos show an unidentified victim writhing on the sidewalk while several men take turns kicking him, and at least a dozen Proud Boys in uniform polo shirts, scream various slurs. The video ends as police rush in to break up the confrontation.
UPDATE: No arrests made at Antifa, Patriot Prayer brawl
Portland Tribune
Portland Police said they observed “assaultive” behavior and began clearing streets, at times putting their hands on journalists and bystanders in order to encourage compliance. They also fired less-lethal ammunition. A spokesperson said they made no arrests and are not aware of anyone who was transported to the hospital. Officers witnessed people carrying “hard-knuckled gloves, firearms, batons and knives” but did not seize any weapons.
OPIOIDS
Oregon to receive $17 million in federal funds to fight opioid crisis
East Oregonian
Oregon Rep. Greg Walden’s bill to help fight the opioid crisis could become law as soon as next week. The Republican from Hood River swung through Eastern Oregon to talk up the bill and hear from folks on the front lines of the drug addiction crisis. Friday morning at the Umatilla County Courthouse, Pendleton, he said the bill would provide about $17 million split between the Oregon Health Plan and local clinics to help treatment, recovery and prevention efforts and fight fentanyl and other illegal drugs. The Columbia River Community Health Services in Boardman is one of the clinics and received $295,000. H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, passed out of the House in late September 393-8 and days later sailed through the Senate 98-1. Walden, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said the bill now awaits the president’s signature. He turned over most of the hour-and-15-minute session to hear from doctors, addiction specialists and county officials.
INCARCERATION RATES
Oregon’s incarceration rate to fall 15% in 10 years
Portland Tribune
The projection, done by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services and published Oct. 1, found that recent legislation lowering mandatory minimums for crimes like theft and identity theft is the driving force behind the reduction. The constitutionality of that reform is being reviewed by the Oregon Supreme Court. “That’s really the sea shift in the last 22 years,” Michael Kennedy, a state economist who authored the forecast, said of the reform. “There was a big move to be harder on crime, and then what we’ve seen in the last 10 years is sort of a moving away from that.”
LOCAL
Portland Public Schools floats ‘professional conduct’ policy in wake of controversies
Portland Tribune
The announcement of the new “professional conduct between staff and students” policy was Oct. 2 and the public has until at least next Tuesday, Oct. 23, to comment on it. The policy would need to be approved in a second reading at a future board meeting to be officially put into place. The new rules call for many common-sense boundaries, such as that teachers shouldn’t have sex with their students no matter their age. But some of the written limitations have given teachers pause, according to Portland Association of Teachers President Suzanne Cohen. “There is some stuff that is just written a little ambiguously,” Cohen said. Of particular concern are teachers who are also parents of students — would the same cold-shoulder rules apply to their own children or those they know personally?
OPINION
Support Gary Leif for state representative
The News-Review
Gary serves on the Interim Workforce Development and Higher Education Committee. At a recent hearing in Salem, he asked insightful and penetrating questions. He understands the challenges we face, and he’s working to improve our community. Gary will work to help us gain the skills and training we need for better jobs. We need people in decision making positions who look out for others and care about our future. Gary has my vote. Please join me and vote for Gary Leif for state representative.
Candidate Patterson wants to do more for ordinary Oregonians
Deb Patterson
As a candidate, I’m knocking on a lot of doors. Folks are still losing their homes due to medical debt. Family businesses are spending too much on health insurance rather than raises for their employees. I’ve seen healthcare around the world, and I know that we can do better. We can do better for our children, too. In Oregon, we are 48th in graduation rates, and doing poorly in academic achievement. We must invest in career technical education, not just talk about it, in every high school. Large corporations should pay their fair share in educating their workforce. College can be more affordable. We need more support for early childhood education, additional after-school programs, and more help for students with special needs. When students graduate, they need affordable housing, and a dependable income. Doesn’t everyone? Finally, we need to stand up at the state level to protect our environment and the human and civil rights of all who live in Oregon. We need Clean Energy jobs which will be a savvy investment for our future.
Guest column: Oregon needs a course correction
The Bend Bulletin
Democrat control in Salem has resulted in the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars on the failed rollout of Cover Oregon and subsequent efforts to remedy the failure; consistently poor graduation rates despite high per capita spending on education; and uncontrolled growth in the PERS deficit thanks to an incestuous relationship between state employee labor unions, Gov. Kate Brown and Democrats in the state Legislature.
Guest column: Reckless allegations made against Buehler
The Bend Bulletin
I firmly believe in the state’s responsibility to protect this right for a woman, but I also believe that the state should be responsible with the money it collects from hard-working Oregonians. Reps. Fahey and Williamson, along with Kate Brown, clearly disagree. Knute cares deeply about women’s health care, and was able to push a first-of-its-kind bill through the Legislature allowing over the counter contraception to be sold — a bill that was such a win for women that it was signed into law by Kate Brown herself. Knute’s record and rhetoric on these issues are clear — he’s a pro-choice, pro-woman candidate who will be a great leader as our next governor.
Editorial: Bentz for District 30
The Bulletin Editorial Board
Bentz approaches issues in the Legislature by studying first, then asking questions. It’s what he’s done on climate change. Now he hopes lawmakers will set measurable goals that focus on such things as water and mitigation that can make a difference inside Oregon. It’s a thoughtful, careful approach that serves his district well. Voters should elect him to a full term in the Senate this fall.