In the shadow of seemingly interminable riots and lawlessness in Portland, the House District 37 race in the suburban cities of Tualatin and West Linn is highlighting the contrasting the views of West Linn Pharmacist Kelly Sloop and first-term incumbent Rachel Prusak (D-West Linn) on the role of police in public safety.

Prusak voted for all of the "police reform" legislation, largely seen as unsupportive of police. Nearly all of the bills contained a tribute to Black Lives Matter in the "whereas" section of the bill, a move that some lawmakers found offensive and unnecessary.

She has also taken $5,000 in donations from the American Federation of Teachers-Oregon, a group that has supported the effort to -- in their words -- "...disarm, defund and ultimately abolish police forces." Sloop describes Prusak as "out of touch with the fabric of our district."

The Democratic incumbent Prusak's website doesn't mention public safety or the issues with violence in Portland. She does have a section on Racial Justice where she says, "Black lives matter. The dehumanization of Black, Indigenous, and people of color in this country has caused more pain, violence, and death than we can ever fully quantify. I see it clearly from a public health perspective: it is slow motion violence." In contrast, on her website, the Republican challenger Sloop says "My opponent is supported by extreme groups that want to defund and even abolish local police."

Voters in West Linn and Tualatin have a clear choice on the issue of public safety this year.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2020-09-22 21:00:30

Last Update: 2020-09-22 21:30:03