Oregon Democrat legislators are asking voters to transfer their responsibility to make environmental laws to the courts. SJR 28 proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution to establish a fundamental right to a clean, safe and healthy environment.

This bill allows lawsuits against the state's action or inaction, and the prevailing parties securing protection for public safety or health interests in a self-identified right is entitled to costs for litigation, including attorney and expert witness fees, which pollutes the healthy environment of taxpayers having to pay for their own added control.

Twenty-two Democrat legislators want to control your living habits and needs for the greater good allowing the courts to make laws without representation. The US Supreme Court has already decided against legislators advocating their responsibility in the Chevron case.

SJR 28 reads, "This right is enforceable upon enactment, without implementing legislation or exhaustion of other remedies. This right is remedial in purpose, adding to and strengthening existing rights and remedies to achieve a healthy environment for all."

The courts are seen as interpreters of laws, and perceived as undemocratic in making laws, as the judiciary is not elected and therefore not directly accountable to the people. The traditional view that they should interpret laws rather than make them remains an important principle. It helps to maintain the balance of power between the branches of government and ensures that the democratic process is respected.

Democrats released their priorities, which very few of their filed bills follow. Perhaps this is what House Majority Leader Ben Bowman (D-Tigard, Metzger, & S. Beaverton) met when he said their road forward is to “progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring our state is resilient in the face of climate change.”

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What does that mean for Oregonians? The Oregon Lawyers Association has sponsored HB 2640 to reduce criminal court cases, perhaps to take on these more subjective cases that will blow with the wind of political power. Oregonians should take stock of how much they value liberties. Even if legislators pass bills to spur economy growth, a hand full of out-of-state environmentalist can challenge it. That's what happened to our forests using the spotted owl. It destroyed the Elliott Forest and impacted the school fund. Now the federal government wants to destroy hundreds of owls, where are the environmentalist? Giving environmentalists free reign and a hammer over our environmental policies will be a backwards move for Oregon.

Follow Oregon Citizens Lobby Alert page and make your voice count.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-01-28 17:35:35

Last Update: 2025-01-28 18:38:39

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek lists five priorities for the 2025 legislative session focusing on staying the course on addressing homelessness and housing supply, mental health and addiction care, and improving outcomes for Oregon K-12 students.

Governor Kotek supports investments aligned with her recommended budget and will work with legislators on additional topics such as a comprehensive transportation package, stable funding for the Oregon Health Plan, child welfare outcomes, addressing the public defense crisis, and wildfire suppression and community resilience funding.

Governor Kotek said. “This legislative session carries a clear charge for all of us: to tackle problems with purpose and embrace opportunities for change together. We can’t forget why we are here: Oregonians who don’t know where they’ll sleep tonight. The person in our lives who wants mental health care and can’t get it. Children who are brimming with promise and who rely on us to get their education right. Hard working Oregonians who are wondering how they’re going to make ends meet. We’re here because we have the opportunity to make their lives better, now and in the future.”

1. Building on Progress to Address Homelessness and Housing Supply

Governor Kotek’s housing and homelessness agenda this session will build on her priority to getting people off the streets and increasing housing production. Her priorities include legislation that supports increased production of “middle housing” housing options, stronger pathways to home ownership, and the establishment of a Tribal housing grant program. She will also support setting up statewide shelter program standards and establishing a program that funds water, wastewater, stormwater, and transportation infrastructure needed for new housing production. The Democrat leaders are more interested in finding root causes that are driving the cost-of-living than the Governor seems to be. They want constraints to reduce the cost of childcare, utilities, broadband, and health care/prescription drugs. They will focus on expenditures and preventions that may lower costs in the long run including a pathway out of homelessness by providing a place to live.

2. Strengthening Mental Health and Addiction Care

Governor Kotek’s vision is to make mental health and addiction care accessible no matter where you live and what you can afford. Her behavioral health agenda will close gaps in the current system and expand access to the types of care and workforce needed. Organizations lost their workforce during COVID through Executive Order mandating the vaccine. That poor decision now puts Oregon at insufficient levels to meet current demands, particularly when serving individuals with the highest level of acuity.

The Governor is prioritizing investments in Oregon's workforce and increasing capacity by developing a new model of permanent supportive housing that can more effectively serve people with serious mental health needs who can live independently with enhanced on-site services.

3. Improving Outcomes for Oregon Students

The Governor's education agenda will better resource our schools and hold them accountable for the outcomes by creating as much fiscal certainty for school districts as possible. The current service level for the State School Fund increased last year by $600 million, leading to a historic total investment of $11.36 billion. She proposes to codify an updated process for calculating the State School Fund to provide more accurate and predictable funding for K-12 public education.

Increased investment must come with better outcomes for Oregon students. The Governor's 2025 education agenda is for more accountability for districts, schools, and the state. When a district’s numbers show failure for their students, she says direct assistance should be deployed toward better student outcomes, but she ignore the need and solutions that school choice would bring. Instead, the Governor will introduce a plan to create a continuum of support for districts and schools. The legislation will run in tandem with a set of administrative actions to better support schools and districts.

4. Staying the Course

The Governor has been accused that her recommended budget is nothing more than status quo. She is sticking with her policies and wants to build on what she sees as progress from her first two years in office.

5. Additional Priorities

Other legislative priorities include stable funding for wildfire mitigation and suppression, but as chair of the state land board, she needs to be accountable to counties loosing over 50% of their timber income.

The Governor supports a transportation package that fully funds the operations and maintenance of Oregon’s transportation system ignoring the majority of citizens against tolling.

Governor Kotek will also support legislation that advances Oregon’s climate resilience, improves state government operations, and reduces consumer costs. Oregonians are watching how she plans to accomplish such big goals without raising costs to consumers while raising taxes and fees.

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The Governor’s leaders in the legislature filled in where the Governor has fallen short in keeping Oregonians safe by keeping streets and sidewalks clean, and protect Oregonians from the threat of gun violence by imposing more gun restrictions on law abiding citizens.

Leadership says they want to protect basic rights and freedoms by safeguarding access to unions, healthcare, abortion, clean water and lands. They add to being a sanctuary state, a place of diversity, equality and inclusivity (DEI) as a fundamental freedom, they will fall on their sword for. That battle seems to destroy all their priorities – it’s so easy to spend billions of taxpayer dollars when it isn’t their money.

“The legislature’s job is to improve Oregonians’ lives. Solving Oregon’s most important problems means our government has to work effectively,” said House Majority Leader Ben Bowman (D-Tigard, Metzger, & S. Beaverton). “We believe that every Oregonian should feel safe and at home in our state, and the values-driven leaders in our caucus will work hard to deliver results for working people.”

Their road forward is to “progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring our state is resilient in the face of climate change.” Perhaps to cover the Governor’s mismanagement of land use and wildfires. Let’s not forget how much CO2 from California fires is drifting up to Oregon. It seems an unattainable goal with their priorities to think they can “provide the legislative oversight needed to ensure public funds are improving the lives of Oregonians and delivering results.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-01-28 11:36:36

Last Update: 2025-01-28 18:38:08

While Oregon Republican legislators are calling for a slow down and draw back on raising utility rates and other conservative efforts, Democrats steam ahead with glee having a supermajority.

Outgoing Senator Brian Boquist writes his “Last Observations for Thought” as he explains, it is to stimulate the thought process, encourage research, then make your own decisions.

Boquist’s final thoughts are a wakeup call to Oregonians on why Democrats want to pass tax increases, keep the failing homeless project funded, protect the sanctuary state status, control healthcare, take guns from lawful citizens, legalize pornography in schools, designate a toll zone blocking traffic in and out and through Oregon, and pass tax increases to make up for timber sales, and fund projects causing a deficit in a good number of agency budgets.

Boquist writes, “The plea for kindness across the divide in the Oregon Legislature it far to late for this State Senator to believe will happen. Why? Because it defies human nature? Or because it simply does not matter? The printed version of the Oregon Revised Statutes is three foot high. One third of these laws are never used, one third is ignored, and one third is used to justify every emergency. Oregon, and DC, operate in a constant state of emergency. Governors can do anything in an emergency including move money and make laws. The Governor can simply direct with no real checks and balances at all. The Oregon Supreme Court says anything the Governor says is an emergency unless reversed by the legislature. The Attorney General defends the Governor using unlimited funds in any challenge. Likewise, the Attorney General illegally, unconstitutionally, defends the majority Democrats, and Democrat presiding officers in the Legislature at the request of the same two Democrat presiding officers. The real lawyer for the Senate President and House Speaker is the Attorney General. The presiding officers have 100% control over the passage of all bills: either can kill any bill and block any budget. However, even Legislative Counsel agrees the Governor can spend, spend, spend on whatever after the budget is passed or even in an emergency. Just like they can raid PERS funds for an emergency. Then the Executive Branch only has to enforce the laws it wants to use itself while ignoring the others. In short, there is no democracy or republican government at all. In reality the Oregon Legislature is a feckless fraud on the People. It will fall when millennials decide enough is enough … ‘from the ashes will rise a new order’ as the saying goes!”

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Previewing the list of bills being posted on OLIS, a significant number are studies or task forces to report on the issues leadership wants to further their agenda. Traditionally, these are “placeholder” bills to use as “gut-and-stuff” waiting to drop the real content at an appropriate time for speedy passage with full intent to blindside Oregonians. But with a supermajority, as long as all Democrats show up for a vote, they don’t need studies or task forces to conjure up support from the public. Voters already gave them the supermajority to amend legislation behind closed doors and finalized on the House and Senate floor.

November 2024 election results should give Democrats pause after voters turned down a corporate tax by 77.5% and refusing to outsource legislators’ salary increases to a committee. This session will be a wake-up call to Oregon voters, exposing how much elections matter.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-01-13 10:03:25

Last Update: 2025-01-13 23:27:35

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s first Executive Order in 2025 is to extend Emergency Order 24-02 in order to continue to address the crisis of unsheltered homelessness in Oregon. EO 25-01 directs state agencies to continue reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness in Oregon. In tandem with other executive actions, this executive order establishes and maintains a homeless response infrastructure to address the homelessness crisis, even after the state of emergency has ended.

How well is EO 24-02 working? Homelessness has continued to increase in Oregon since January 2023 when EO 24-02 was implemented. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual Homelessness Assessment Report, Oregon and Portland led the nation in homelessness among families in 2023, with a 13.6% increase in the number of families experiencing homelessness in one year. More recent data from the Community Services Consortium that serves Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties shows that the counted homeless population more than doubled since 2023, with at least 1,437 people homeless in that tri-county region and 2,875 for the state.

Governor Kotek insists, “We must stay the course on what we see working. If we keep at this pace, 1 in every 3 people who were experiencing homelessness in 2023 will be rehoused. Since declaring the homelessness emergency response two years ago, we exceeded the targets we set through a statewide homelessness infrastructure we never had before. But the urgency remains as homelessness continues to increase and we need to see this strategy through.”

The Governor admits to seeing no results, but extended the emergency response to have the flexibility to sustain the system needed to reduce homelessness and determine the outcomes of the work that will continue through the end of the current biennium, which ends June 29, 2025.

“Governor Kotek came in with clear eyed recognition that the state needed to act quickly and boldly,” OHCS Executive Director Andrea Bell said. “This work is and has always been about people and making their life better. This starts with supporting and empowering local leaders to do what they do best—deliver for community. So much depends on what we, the generations now in positions of responsibility, choose to do in this moment. Building a future that includes and works for everyone is possible when we recognize the scale of our challenges and bring an even greater scale of ambition in confronting them.”

Since taking office, the Governor has taken consistent action in a socialist direction that lowers the standard of living to address homelessness in Oregon. The legislature provided her with a $155 million Homelessness Emergency Response Package of taxpayer money. Contracts were executed less than two weeks later, and dollars were disseminated shortly thereafter. That summer, the Governor signed SB 5511 into law, which included resources to continue operations established under the homelessness state of emergency and expand statewide efforts to reduce and prevent homelessness for the 2023-2025 biennium.

In spring of 2024, Governor Kotek Signed SB 1530 into law, which included additional resources to stabilize and expand existing shelters statewide and eviction and homelessness prevention services for the 2023-2025 biennium. That summer, Governor Kotek partnered with Representative Pam Marsh to convene a Sustainable Shelter Work Group with the objective of developing recommendations to establish an ongoing shelter program for the State of Oregon.

Last December, Governor Kotek released her Governor’s Recommended Budget for the 2025-2027 biennium which included the resources needed to maintain current service levels for statewide homelessness response efforts, including those established through the emergency response. Later that month, Governor Kotek received the recommendations report from the Sustainable Shelter Work Group and stated her intent to introduce an ongoing shelter program in the 2025 Legislative Session for the 2025-2027 biennium.

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As a result of funding and actions taken since the initial emergency declaration in Executive Order 23-02, as of January 9, 2025, the emergency response outcomes have established 600 new low barrier shelter beds, rehoused 1,200 households experiencing unsheltered homelessness, and prevented 8,750 households from experiencing homelessness. Still homelessness continues to increase.

In addition, as of January 9, 2025, preliminary estimates indicated that the Balance of State outcomes of establishing 100 new low barrier shelter beds and rehousing 450 households experiencing unsheltered homelessness will be exceeded by the outcome deadline of June 30, 2025.

Moreover, with the broader actions taken as a part of the Governor’s statewide homelessness response effort, including the emergency response, preliminary projections indicate that by the end of the 2023-2025 biennium 5,500 shelter beds will be funded by the State of Oregon, 3,300 households will be rehoused, and 24,000 households will have been prevented from experiencing homelessness.

Taken in combination with the Governor Kotek’s Recommended Budget for the 2025-2027 biennium, if funded, the statewide homelessness response infrastructure will be established. This infrastructure will provide nearly 1 bed for every 3 people that were experiencing unsheltered homelessness when the emergency was declared in Executive Order 23-02. It is also projected that with this infrastructure, by the end of the 2025-2027 biennium over 1 in 3 people that were experiencing homelessness when the emergency was declared in Executive Order 23-02 will be rehoused – equivalent to the 16% increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness from 2017 to 2023.

However, a 16% increase over six years has accelerate to 13.6% in 2023 and continues at that pace. That is adding approximately 2,875 more homeless each year. The solutions needs more than providing shelter and homes. Oregon lacks a correction in policies to stop the increase.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-01-10 10:17:25

Last Update: 2025-01-10 18:40:31

Oregon Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) pushes back on recent comments from Democrat Representative Rob Nosse (D-Portland) celebrating the party’s supermajority as a way to raise taxes without any input from Republicans.

Portland Democrat Nosse previously wrote, “…Democrats will not be held hostage by Republicans to pass needed tax increases. We can go it alone if we need to, provided we can muster all of us to vote the same way.”

After cutting off Republicans from having any say, he wants them to lay down and play dead: “In addition, the Republicans no longer can just walk off the job either. In 2022 the voters passed BM 113 which put it in our state constitution a provision that says lawmakers who walk out for more than 10 days are barred from running for reelection. Our State Supreme Court unanimously upheld the measure after a legal challenge to it in February of this year. All of this combined will make Republican obstruction tactics harder to pull off.” What Nosse fails to say is the lawsuit was on the wording of when the Senators would not be allowed to run for office. The decision was not on the constitutionality or that it was obstructive or forbidden. Nor did it address the discrimination employed by Speaker Rayfield disapproving leave for religious duties while approving similar requests for Democrats.

Nosse recently doubled down on this idea, writing in his newsletter, “This [supermajority] will give Democrats the ability to pass revenue-raising bills without Republican votes.”

Leader Bonham said: “These comments expose the majority party’s intent to force through tax hikes despite record-high revenue in the latest forecast, even as everyday Oregonians struggle with rising costs and making ends meet. Democrats seem to believe their supermajority entitles them to raise taxes on Oregon families, regardless of what voters want.”

Leader Bonham pointed to the overwhelming defeat of Ballot Measure 118—a major tax proposal that voters rejected by a 4:1 margin—as proof that Oregonians don’t want higher taxes.

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Oregon is less than two weeks from the 2025 session, the public has no idea what tax increases the Democrat majority are proposing. Bill concepts are first submitted to the Legislative Counsel to draft as LC bills under a attorney/client privilege blanket. That keeps the public in the dark until they are introduced in committee, unless the bill sponsor choses to leak information.

“The message from Oregonians couldn’t be clearer: no more tax increases,” Bonham continued. “But instead of listening, Democrats are using their supermajority to make life even more expensive in Oregon. If they’re going to ignore the will of the people, they’ll have to do it on their own.”

If Democrats in their supermajority believe they will unilaterally raise taxes without any input or feedback or support from Republicans, then they will need to bring all of their members for such a vote. They need 60% to pass a tax increase and that is what they have at 36-24 in the House of Representative, and 18-12 in the Senate - the exact numbers they need to pass a tax. Bonham says, “They absolutely have the opportunity and power to conduct themselves this way, but I don’t believe anyone thinks this is a good way to govern.”

Republicans are challenged to engage in this session in an impactful way having so many limitations to their ability to affect bipartisanship and influence outcomes. Democrats with the mindset of Nosse destroy their own message of equality.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-01-10 10:03:24

Last Update: 2025-01-15 22:02:42

On January 1, 2025, new laws went into effect that the 2024 Oregon legislature passed with the presumption they will make Oregon safer, cleaner, and more affordable. These changes will directly impact the day-to-day lives of Oregonians, covering everything from stopping drug use on public transportation and lowering the cost of prescription drugs to making it cheaper to repair electronic devices and increasing transparency in public education.

Senate Majority Leader Kayse Jama (D - E Portland & N Clackamas County) said: “Oregonians aren’t satisfied with the status quo, and neither are we. These changes in the new year mark just one phase in our mission to improve quality of life in Oregon. In 2025, we will continue to fight for affordability, safety, and freedom in our state.” Oregonians aren’t satisfied with the status quo, but there is a split whether the way forward should be more taxation or tax relief.

House Majority Leader Ben Bowman (D-Tigard, Metzger, & S. Beaverton) chimed in saying: "Oregon House Democrats are laser-focused on keeping Oregonians safe, making Oregon more affordable, and protecting our rights and freedoms. In the 2024 session, we made progress toward these goals, and many of these new laws will be in effect by January 1. In 2025, we will build on this work and deliver results for Oregonians.” The leaders answer to their agenda is more taxation.

Their 2024 agenda has left Oregon in a mess with the largest employers in the state laying off thousands. Oregon hasn’t yet felt a down-turn in the economy because government and taxes have held it up. The 2024 hiring was primarily in health care and government jobs. Governor Kotek anticipates more propping up will be needed and proposed 1200 new government employee jobs in her budget, and economists think the state’s workforce will grow by around 8% in the next decade.

Oregon’s aging populations, the oldest in the nation, will have an impact on health care, which will eat up the majority of the Governor’s proposed new hires for administration, but will not help providers meet patients needs. Oregonians passed Measure 111 in 2022, establishing the right to “cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care” for every Oregon resident. The amendment requires the state to balance the obligation of ensuring a right to healthcare against funding public schools and other essential public services. This balance requirement keeps free health care in check, but it isn’t stopping the administration from pushing forward with dozens of new tax proposals.

According to Oregon Business Industries release of Oregon Competitiveness Book in 2024, Oregon ranks 4th for sales taxes, even without a sales tax, 20th for property taxes, 41st for individual income taxes, between June 2023 and June 2024 Oregon ranked 45th in manufacturing growth, and 49th for corporate taxes. This poor ranking is due to Oregon’s combination of corporate income tax and gross receipts tax.

These rankings do not make Oregon a business friendly state, and Oregonians are forced to pick up the lack of productivity in higher and more taxes. Oregonians need to start by demanding accountability from the 2025 session. Government needs to answer what happened to $1.8 billion of treasury funds under Tobias Read’s watch? Having one of the highest education budgets in the nation, why are Oregon students still performing far below average? If the economy is growing, why is there an increase in unemployment?

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January 1 was the implementation date for dozens of bills intended to help curtail medicine costs, reduce drug use on transit: Also on the list are protections for consumers, schoolchildren and warehouse workers. Most of these new laws will do little if anything to help the average Oregonian. Information about the key laws going into effect on January 1, 2025 is available on Your Oregon.

Democrat leadership compiled a full list of 2024 Session passed bills here.

As the state moves forward, will leadership give equal consideration to moving Oregonians forward?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-01-06 21:06:03

Last Update: 2025-01-06 22:00:51

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek declares war against the incoming administration of President Trump. She meets with her new Democrat cabinet, including Secretary of State-elect Tobias Read, Attorney General-elect Dan Rayfield, Treasurer-elect Elizabeth Steiner, Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson, House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-Eugene), and Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego), behind closed doors to discuss battle strategies.

Kotek’s office responded to OPB that the meetings are “focused on getting Oregon officials on the same page. They discussed the distinct role of each of their respective offices in affirming Oregon values, ensuring a functioning democracy, and delivering results for Oregonians,” Kotek spokesperson Elisabeth Shepard told OPB in an email. “In addition, they identified points of contact within each office for ongoing, deliberate coordination and information sharing as the incoming federal administration takes shape in the new year.”

There is no hidden agenda that Democrat leadership isn’t just proclaiming war against the Trump administration. The 2025 legislative session is shaping up to exercising their control and power over Oregon citizens. How far can they go legally?

In Section 13 of the Oregon Constitution, it is stated that the Governor shall transact all necessary business with the officers of government, which implies a responsibility to work for the benefit of all Oregonians and not just the Democrat agenda.

It is also worth noting that the Oregon Constitution’s Bill of Rights, as outlined in Article 1, emphasizes the importance of protecting the rights and freedoms of all individuals in the state, which could be seen as related to the Governor’s duty to represent all Oregonians.

While the Oregon Constitution does not directly address the Governor’s duty to represent all Oregonians, it is implicit in the Governor’s role as the chief executive of the state that they should work to serve the interests of all citizens. The constitution’s emphasis on the Governor’s responsibility to transact business with government officers and make informed decisions suggests a commitment to representing the state and its people.

The Oregon Secretary of State is a constitutional officer who plays a crucial role in the state’s government, with duties that include representing all Oregonians. According to the Oregon Constitution, the Secretary of State’s responsibilities include tasks that benefit the entire state. The Secretary of State is also first in line to succeed the Governor and may be called upon to represent the state.

Likewise, the Attorney General’s primary responsibility in Oregon Statutes Chapter 180 is to uphold the law and protect the rights of Oregon citizens, which inherently involves serving the interests of all Oregonians.

In Oregon, there have been proposals to amend the state’s Constitution to include protections for abortion, same-sex marriage, and gender-affirming care that have not materialized. It was proposed to repeal language defining marriage as being between one man and one woman, which has been in Oregon’s Constitution since 2004 but has not been in effect since a federal judge ruled it unconstitutional in 2014. While Oregon polls strongly supported same-sex marriage initially, in more recent polls, some have shifted to nearly 50-50.

OPB predicts the meeting to include “The possibilities for a shakeup to Oregon policies under a second Trump administration are hard to overstate. While officials say it’s tough to predict what he will actually pursue, Trump has talked about kickstarting mass deportations and enacting tariffs that could pose challenges to the state’s economy; pulling back federal payments to help states transition to clean energy; ending vote by mail; and withholding money from cities and states that, like Oregon, have sanctuary laws preventing local officials from working with immigration enforcement agents.”

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Top officials say they are in a wait-and-see mode, and pretend it’s for how to work with the Trump administration. Consider their fear of mass deportations. President Trump has made it clear that criminal elements will be deported, and others will be given a path for citizenship. Protecting criminals with a sanctuary state law has put Oregonians at risk. The Governor’s budget proposal reveals her intent to challenge the Trump administration by proposing a $1 million a year boost in the AG’s budget. It seems like a useless expenditure that holds no accountability. Ending clean energy policies and voting by mail can only benefit Oregonians and make Oregon more business friendly.

It is essential to note that the relationship between the federal government and states is shaped by the US Constitution, and the Oregon Constitution needs to be considered in the context of this broader framework. Spreading fear using democracy is mal-information since the US is a Constitution Republic. What that means is we are not mob ruled by the Democrat’s majority, and constitutionally, leaders must rule for the good of all under a representative government.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2025-01-04 15:11:24

Last Update: 2025-01-05 00:37:04

On December 19, 2024, Attorney General-elect Dan Rayfield announced the establishment of the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet. He says it is designed to support the Attorney General-elect and his team’s work to defend and advance Oregon’s values and the rule of law. What he is really saying is he intends to continue Ellen Rosenbaum’s anti-Trump policies on steroids, and work in conjunction with the Secretary of State in pursuing censorship on local media.

Rayfield states, “The Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet will bring together legal, policy and community leaders to establish an innovative partnership between the Oregon Department of Justice and key communities in Oregon’s work to defend against potential federal impacts on the state and its people.”

A few of the "key communities" he wants to protect against President Trump's policies are sanctuary state defunding, the deportations of criminal illegals and drug cartels, homeless destructive activities, free abortions, DEI child abuse and CRT in a failing school system.

"In an era of uncertainty, we must be proactive in our outreach efforts and work to protect the interests and values of Oregonians," said Attorney General-elect Rayfield. "The leaders serving on the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet create a critical nexus between what is happening on the ground in communities throughout our state and the work we are able to do at the Oregon Department of Justice to defend all Oregonians."

Attorney General-elect Rayfield will chair the cabinet and has appointed Dustin Buehler to direct the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet and co-lead with Fay Stetz-Waters. Rayfield has appointed the following members:

• Joe Baessler, Executive Director, Oregon AFSCME
• Sandy Chung, Executive Director, ACLU of Oregon
• Prof. Greg Dotson, University of Oregon School of Law
• Julie Hanna, Associate Vice President of Government Affairs, OHSU
• Dr. Sara Kennedy, CEO, Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette
• Kyndall Mason, Executive Director, Basic Rights Oregon
• Isa Peña, Director of Strategy, Innovation Law Lab
• Jeremiah Rigsby, Chief of Staff, CareOregon
• Lindsey Scholten, Executive Director, Oregon League of Conservation Voters
• Graham Trainor, President, Oregon AFL-CIO
• Melissa Unger, Executive Director, SEIU 503
• Prof. Norman Williams, Willamette University College of Law

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“We stand ready to defend the rights and values of the people of Oregon,” said Sandy Chung, executive director of ACLU of Oregon. “We appreciate Attorney General-elect Rayfield’s partnership in these efforts, as well as his recognition that we are stronger together.”

“The who’s who of unions and donors sounds like January 6th except it is Democrats,” says Senator Brian Boquist. “Apparently, they do not want federal funding … so are they proposing secession? The U.S. Supreme Court is clear, the USG can block funding to states when they violate federal laws. In fact, Oregon is arguing over hundreds of millions right now … hence the special session a week ago.”

The special session passed funds to pay the feds portion of the wildfire expenses. It’s intended to be a loan waiting for federal funding, but will we ever see those funds, particularly after Rayfield has waged war against the Federal Government. Did Oregonians really vote for an Attorney General to go rogue committing violations of federal and state constitutions? Oregon’s AG filed opposition briefs in Chevron then lost. The AG’s understand the supremacy clause and therefore has no legal argument so why are they jeopardizing the receipt of billions in federal funds? This issue goes well beyond immigration.

The US Supreme Court decision affirms the federal government's right to deport undocumented immigrants regardless of local opposition. In addition, the Supreme Court decided earlier in favor of three cases of federal deportation policies reinforcing a strong approach to immigration enforcement. The question for Oregon citizens is Rayfield's justice following federal and state constitutional law?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-12-28 17:26:14

Last Update: 2024-12-30 13:16:01

House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) released the following statement following the announcement that Governor Kotek and her team failed to secure essential federal investment in Oregon’s semiconductor industry prior to year-end, under the Biden administration:

“The criteria for CHIPS Act R&D site selection was not simply, ‘do you have dirt to build on?’ The fact that Oregon is likely to have missed out on nearly a billion dollars’ worth of investments and good-paying jobs means that competing states not only had available land, but they also had the ecosystem to support the investment long term. We did not.

“Oregon has earned a reputation as one of the most anti-business states in the nation. We have thrown more money at bike lanes than we have invested in tax credits for research and development. We have focused more on enabling drug use than investments in higher education. Our leaders continue to pursue fiscal policies that make Oregon unserious as a competitive economic powerhouse. This was made abundantly clear when we attempted to compete head to head with states who are serious about investment and growth. Our beautiful state is squandering its potential as business leaders and everyday Oregonians alike tell politicians that our state has become unaffordable and over-regulated – yet their concerns fall on deaf ears.

Drazan exposed the expected tension between the Kotek administration in Oregon and the incoming Trump administration,

“Governor Kotek’s oppositional approach to the incoming Trump administration makes it even more unlikely she will work with them in pursuit of a much-needed transformational investment in Oregon’s economy. This will hamstring Oregon for a generation as Kotek and her colleagues look for opportunities to spit and claw at the incoming administration rather than work with whoever is in the White House to serve the needs of all Oregonians.

“To take the first step in turning our state around, I am calling on Governor Kotek to issue a moratorium on new regulations and roll back existing regulations that are uniquely impacting affordability and investment in Oregon’s economy.”

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-12-27 23:53:56

Last Update: 2024-12-28 00:30:19

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed Senate Bill 5801 passed in Special Session to allocate $218 million to the Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) for costs associated with the 2024 wildfire season. ODF will receive $191.5 million and OSFM will receive $26.6 million. But not without opposition.

Jennifer Hamaker, President of Oregon Natural Resources Industries, grew up in the family business of logging. She informed legislators on how ODF went broke, what it is that broke ODF, and the mismanagement and disinformation plaguing ODF:

"From the outside looking in it's hard to tell whether something is incompetence or fraud. Incompetence is accidental fraud. Fraud is intentional incompetence.

Regardless, the effects are often the same: a waste of resources and of taxpayer dollars. And, likewise the outcomes should also be the same: be it incompetence or fraudulent the people doing it should be removed from office.

The Oregon Department of Forestry was established in 1911 and, until now, to operate they generated their own revenue through timber harvest revenue. They have now literally defunded themselves.

Which is why they are here today asking for $218 million when net fire costs are $122 million.

Before I get to the mismanagement and incompetence that has led to the ODF begging for the money that it should be generating on its own, let's look at what has led to this disaster.

ODF recently adopted a Habitat Conservation Plan (or HCP) that closes down 57% of our state forests to timber harvest, for 70 years. You don't have to be a math wizard to know that if you owned a farm, shutting down 57% of your land for 70 years is more likely to result in bankruptcy rather than profitability. Your mortgage hasn't decreased. The payments on your tractors and other equipment and cars and trucks haven't decreased. Those are all the same. but taking 57% of your land offline means that you will very quickly need the government to come in and bail you out after you made the reckless decision to shut down the majority of your land where your revenue comes from.

ODF is operating as a rogue entity, no longer following our constitution or the laws of our state.

By implementing the Habitat Conservation Plan over a year before it was approved by the Board of Forestry, ODF staff bypassed their governing body’s authority and obligated future legislatures. Now we have staff writing state policy and for seven decades of legislatures will have to deal with this reckless and irresponsible decision that stripped the state, counties and ODF of future revenue long after all of us are gone. ODF staff wrote and implemented state policy with no vote from the people, no authority from the legislature, and against the Forest Trust Land County’s opposition. It's one thing to encumber the next generation with piles of debt, this strips them of the means to pay for the forest they are obligated to protect.

What is the message we are sending by giving ODF, this rogue bureaucracy, $100 million more than the fire costs?

I should also point out that ODF’s failure to include Greatest Permanent Value in their HCP, ODF’s failure to include the Forest Trust Land Advisory Council in their planning, scoping, and steering committees, ODF’s failure by side stepping Board approval, and ODF’s failure by obligating future legislatures all goes against Oregon statutes and Oregon law.

As a governing body, entrusted by the people of Oregon, do we support lawlessness and incompetence and hand them $100 million to continue doing whatever they want?

ODF is now insolvent, in large part because of the HCP that shuts down 57% of our state forests for 70 years and drastically reduces timber harvest volumes by at least 34%. Which is why they are here today asking for more money. They will be here again in future bienniums or special sessions asking for more when if they had just followed the law, included Forest Trust Land Counties and set their bias aside to economic impacts when creating the HCP, they would be bringing us money rather than demanding it from us.

Coming here today is an admission of complete failure. I sincerely hope it’s only incompetence.

And despite those failures, ODF is here asking for $218 million when what they ought to be asking for is forgiveness.

We know forests under ODF's watch have gone up in smoke. It turns out so does the money under their watch. According to submitted documents, net emergency fire costs are $122 million but ODF wants $218 million, and they’ve already received $47.5 million from the E-Board. The combined total is $265.5 million. When ODF receives reimbursement from the federal government, they will have received well over half a billion dollars. ($265.5M+47.5M+$152M+$186M=$651M)

To put this into perspective, according to an E-Board analysis, the 10-year annual average for gross fire cost is $69 million – meaning that the 2024 fire season cost almost 5 times more than the 10 year average.

That seems a tad excessive don't you think? As I say I hope it's only incompetence.

At the very least, a complaint should be filed with the Inspector General (IG) immediately against ODF’s leadership, State Forester Cal Mukumoto, Board of Forestry Chair Jim Kelly, and State Forest Division Chief Mike Wilson for all of the above. And do so before any additional money is given to them.

If you do not think there is already plenty to investigate before handing them more money, brace yourself. There’s more. Because before we even think about handing them any money let's look at the record.

Unmanaged forests allow fuels to accumulate, adding fire risk which is a lot of what we experienced during the Labor Day fires. Unmanaged forests have unintended consequences and indirect costs.

Since the Labor Day Fires are still fresh for most of us, let’s look at the impacts.

• Labor Day fires killed 9 Oregonians while burning through our rural communities of Gates, Detroit, Phoenix, Talent, Blue River, Vida, Mckenzie, and others.
• 1 million acres burned destroying 5,000+ homes and businesses.
• The Labor Day fires burned over 15 billionboard feet of lumber worth more than $30 billion of end-product value that could have built 1 million family homes.
• That staggering loss of timber will be felt for decades. The loss of timber will reduce future harvests by 115 to 265 million board feet per year over the next 40 years, and economic impact of $5.9 billion.
• The estimated $5.9 billion total net economic impact of the Labor Day fires is even more significant when compared to the $12.7 billion annual output of the Oregon forest sector – meaning the total negative impact is equal to 46% of the forest sector’s annual output.
• And that's just the cost of the timber. It will also cost Oregon’s forest industry sector 1,200 to 3,000 jobs over the next 40 years. Not including wage growth or inflation and assuming an average forest-sector wage of $68,200 for each one of those jobs, that is a net economic loss of $82million to $204.6 million per year. For a grand total loss between $3.3 billion to $68.2 billion over 40 years.
• And those are just some of the timber and economic impacts.. The governor and the ODF claim they are concerned about carbon emissions. The carbon released in just the first few weeks from the 1 million acres of burned timber was more than Oregon’s entire annual transportation and energy sectors combined, normally, Oregon’s largest sources of carbon emissions. Given that, Oregon doesn't need to drive fewer cars, we need to burn fewer trees.
• A single large-fire year can emit up to 15 million metric tons of carbon, which is equivalent to a quarter of Oregon’s annual human-caused emissions and twice as much carbon as all the vehicles in Portland emit each year.
• Out of the 1 million acres burned, only about half will be replanted. We need salvage harvesting to clean up our forests and trigger the law for reforestation. Salvage harvest can help offset firefighting costs.

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ODF should do the work it was created to do not write state policy with bias and blinders toward economic impacts. ODF should not be here asking for money to operate when its statute gives it the means to create their own revenue.

Under ODF's management the forests are costing us money rather than generating money. Through well-known forest-management practices, developed right here in Oregon and practiced for generations, Oregon experienced only 1 forest fire in excess of 10,000 acres between 1952-1987. Even as recently as 2011, we had only 11,000 acres burned instead of what has become the new norm of an average of 650,000 burned acres annually, lost to incompetence.

Heat, fuel and oxygen are the elements needed to make fire. We cannot control the oxygen or the heat, but we can absolutely control the fuel. And we should absolutely control ODF and deny any additional funding for operations until they are investigated. Otherwise it won't just be the forest going up in flames it will be the money we hand them.

ODF, the Board of Forestry and our State Forester has turned a $6 billion asset into a liability that is bankrupting ODF until the Legislature becomes their accomplice."


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-12-18 15:08:17

Last Update: 2024-12-19 18:09:43

In 2023, Jeff Myers, Save Oregon Schools, teamed up with Dr. Bruce Gilley, Professor of Political Science at Portland State University, to do a comprehensive review and fact-checking of the Oregon Department of Education’s (ODE) research report on high-school graduation requirements, publishing two articles covering fraudulent research in ODE’s 2016 Chronic Absenteeism Statewide Plan and the 2021 Ethnic Studies Advisory Group Report.

They found a surprising disinterest among elected officials in harm to students. Meeting with Representative Courtney Neron, Chair of the House Education Committee, resulted in no action, which troubled Myers considering her background as an Oregon teacher for many years.

Myers said, “It shouldn’t take new legislation to ensure our state agencies produce and share factual research, but this glaring 'loophole' demands a solution. We also need to establish clear jurisdiction and a reliable process for reporting cases of fraud. Over the past 12 to 15 months, I’ve been repeatedly redirected, with every agency and office claiming it’s someone else’s responsibility to address these issues. This broken system needs repair, and it’s become evident that new legislation is the way forward.”

This week legislators held Legislative Days in preparation for the 2025 session. Meyers was focused on one critical issue: tackling the root cause of our struggling public education system—research fraud. What we’re being told the problems are is a conflict between the narrative versus reality.

The current narrative from school district leaders, teachers’ unions, and our elected officials is that we’re dealing with a funding problem. They regularly use phrases like “fully funding education”, yet we’ve been steadily and significantly throwing more money into our school system for years.

Adjusted for inflation, Oregon has increased the spending per student by over 46% from 1999 to 2021. Education-funding

Source: U.S. Public Education Dashboard, by Save Oregon Schools

After fluctuating in the first 14 years, you see a sharp, steady rise since 2013. Given the influx of money from the pandemic and Oregon’s Corporate Activity Tax, we likely will see the trend continue when the figures for 2022 and beyond are released. If you’re wondering how Oregon funding compares to other states, you can see for yourself in my U.S. Public Education Dashboard. For reference, Oregon per student spending is above California and the U.S. Average, but is below Washington.

So what are the results of this rising funding? Declining achievement for our students. Below is a snapshot from my Oregon Student Assessment Results dashboard, which uses data from the Oregon Department of Education on annual assessments.

Source: Oregon Student Assessment Results dashboard, by Save Oregon Schools

As you can plainly see in the dashboard, student achievement was on a slight downward trend until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which resulted in a significant drop across the board. As the Oregonian reported earlier this year, Oregon was the only state that hadn’t shown any improvement in reading or math skills since the pandemic.

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Ensuring our public agencies produce factual research is not a partisan issue—it’s something everyone should agree that integrity in public research is essential. This is about holding our institutions accountable and restoring trust.

Myers puts forth a legislative concept and draft of his proposed “Public Research Integrity Act.”

Problem Statement

This proposed legislation addresses the growing concern over fraudulent research produced or disseminated by public officials in Oregon. Such research, which includes falsified data, manipulated conclusions, and omitted facts, undermines public trust, misguides policymaking, and diverts resources from critical state priorities.

By creating strict penalties and incentives for whistleblowers to report fraudulent practices, the law seeks to uphold the integrity of research used to inform public policy and governance. The legislation ensures accountability, transparency, and adherence to evidence-based standards, safeguarding the public from the harmful consequences of deceptive practices in government research and communications.

Proposed Solution

The proposed legislation, the "Public Research Integrity Act," establishes a comprehensive framework to combat fraudulent research by public officials in Oregon.

• Criminalizes the creation, dissemination, and approval of deceptive research or documentation, imposing penalties for violations, including classification as a Class A felony and permanent disqualification from public office.
• Introduces mechanisms for whistleblower protections and incentives, offering compensation to eligible individuals or organizations who report fraudulent activities.
• Ensures robust investigation processes led by the Oregon Department of Justice, with transparency in findings.
• Mandates the use of standardized definitions for research-related terms across agencies to enhance consistency and accountability.

This multi-faceted approach promotes transparency, deters misconduct, and reinforces public trust in government practices and policies.

Cost / Benefits

The proposed "Public Research Integrity Act" is expected to have minimal implementation costs, primarily associated with establishing a mechanism within the Oregon Department of Justice to receive and investigate complaints. These costs can be offset by fines collected from individuals or agencies found guilty of violating the Act, with a portion allocated to compensating whistleblowers to offset their costs for identifying the fraud and to reward them for providing a valuable service to all Oregonians.

The benefits, while challenging to quantify in monetary terms, are significant. By deterring fraudulent research, this legislation aims to reduce wasteful spending, prevent misguided policies, and ensure public funds are allocated based on accurate and reliable information. This will lead to more effective governance and better outcomes for Oregon’s citizens, particularly in areas like education, where fraudulent research has resulted in many harms against students and staff alike. The Act ultimately fosters public trust in government processes and reinforces the accountability of public officials to the people they serve.

Meyers’ draft legislation for “Public Research Integrity Act” can be viewed here. He says: “What is at the root of our unique struggles in Oregon? Research fraud of course!”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-12-14 14:01:30

Last Update: 2024-12-14 23:42:35

“Public Research Integrity Act”

An Act Relating to Fraudulent Research by Public Officials; Creating a New Crime; and Prescribing Penalties

SECTION 1. Short Title

This Act shall be known and cited as the "Public Research Integrity Act."

SECTION 2. Findings and Purpose

The Legislative Assembly finds that:

1. The integrity of research, reports, and guidance issued by public agencies and officials is essential to maintaining public trust and ensuring effective governance.
2. Fraudulent research undermines legislative priorities, deceives stakeholders, and erodes public confidence.
3. To protect the public and uphold transparent government, it is necessary to establish strict penalties for public officials who knowingly engage in fraudulent research practices.

The purpose of this Act is to create criminal penalties for any Oregon public official who knowingly creates, participates in the creation of, or disseminates fraudulent research in official reports, guidance, or documents intended to inform public policy, agency action, or legislative mandates.

SECTION 3. Definitions

As used in this Act:

1. "Public official" means any person elected or appointed to any office, position, or employment within the state government, including but not limited to state agencies, departments, commissions, boards, and authorities, as well as employees of local government entities.
2. "Fraudulent research" means any research report, analysis, study, guidance document, agency plan, or other official documentation or communication that:

a. Is intended to mislead or deceive others by containing material misrepresentations, falsified data, or intentionally manipulated conclusions.

b. Omits relevant facts or data with the intent to mislead.

c. Is created or disseminated with the knowledge that it does not accurately represent the evidence or information required to address legislative priorities or agency responsibilities.

SECTION 4. Prohibited Conduct

1. It shall be unlawful for any public official to:

a. Knowingly create, authorize, or contribute to the creation of fraudulent research as defined in Section 3(2) in response to:

i. Reports or analyses requested by legislation or by a legislative committee.

ii. Agency plans or documents aimed at addressing priorities or requirements set by the legislature.

iii. Guidance documents intended for agency staff, local agencies, or the public.

b. Participate in, or knowingly approve, the dissemination of such fraudulent research or documentation.

SECTION 5. Criminal Penalties

1. Any public official who violates Section 4 of this Act shall be guilty of a Class A felony.
2. Upon conviction, the official shall be subject to penalties provided for a Class A felony under Oregon law, including but not limited to imprisonment, fines, and a permanent ban from holding any public office within the State of Oregon.

SECTION 6. Additional Remedies and Enforcement

1. Any agency or individual directly affected by fraudulent research may seek an injunction or other equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent the dissemination or reliance on such research.
2. Nothing in this Act shall preclude additional administrative penalties or civil remedies as permitted under Oregon law.

SECTION 7. Severability

If any section, subsection, sentence, or clause of this Act is held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the remaining portions of this Act, which shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 8. Effective Date

This Act takes effect on [date], and applies to all actions of public officials occurring on or after that date.

SECTION 9. Reporting and Investigation

1. Reporting Allegations:

   Complaints or tips regarding violations of this Act shall be submitted directly to the Oregon Department of Justice.

2. Investigation Authority:

   The Department of Justice shall conduct preliminary assessments of complaints to determine if a violation may have occurred.

   If the complaint is substantiated, the Department of Justice shall initiate a formal investigation and may involve other relevant agencies as needed.

3. Confidentiality and Whistleblower Protection:

   The identity of individuals reporting suspected violations shall be kept confidential, and any person providing information or testimony shall be protected from retaliation.

4. Public Disclosure of Findings:

   Upon completion of an investigation, findings shall be reported to the public unless confidentiality is required by law.

   SECTION 10. Standard Definitions for Consistent Use by State Agencies
   
   To ensure clarity and consistency in government research practices, the following terms are defined and shall be applied uniformly across all public records, research reports, agency plans, guidance documents, and official communications by state agencies and public officials:
   
   
   1. Research-Based:
      
      

      Definition: Refers to practices, programs, interventions, or educational strategies that are directly founded on or derived from scientific research or evidence, establishing a direct link between research findings and the approach.

      Example: A "research-based" teaching method is developed based on educational psychology studies, demonstrating its effectiveness in improving student learning outcomes.

      Order of Process: Conduct research ? Develop lessons ? Implement in classrooms.

   2. Research-Supported:
      
      

      Definition: Indicates that there is empirical evidence or scientific studies supporting the effectiveness of a particular approach, practice, or intervention. This does not imply direct development from research but that existing research validates the approach's use.

      
      
      

      Example: A "research-supported" program is created independently but validated by studies showing its effectiveness in meeting educational goals.

      Order of Process: Create lessons ? Validate through research ? Implement in classrooms.

   3. Research-Aligned:
      
      

      Definition: Refers to programs or practices that generally align with principles or strategies recommended by relevant research. This term does not imply a direct evidence base or specific empirical support for the program itself.

      Example: A "research-aligned" curriculum incorporates strategies research suggests are effective, even if the curriculum itself has not been the subject of specific studies.

      Order of Process: Review untested research ? Develop lessons ? Implement in classrooms (with students as the initial subjects).

   These definitions shall be utilized in all communications and documentation related to educational programs, practices, and interventions to maintain transparency, uphold standards, and ensure a shared understanding across all public agencies in Oregon.
   
   Additional Components for Further Consideration
   
   This section highlights supplementary ideas that should be considered when drafting the full legislative bill. While the core legislative concept is kept straightforward, these components provide valuable detail to address potential gaps, enhance transparency, and mitigate risks.
   1. Appeals Process: Establish a mechanism for reporters to appeal if they believe the Oregon Department of Justice has failed to meet required timelines, issued an incorrect ruling, or mishandled the process. This ensures an additional layer of accountability and fairness.
   2. Justification for Financial Incentives: Include a detailed rationale for financial incentives. Reviewing and validating research is often time-intensive, requiring meticulous verification of information from potentially hundreds of citations in a single report. Financial incentives offset these costs, encouraging individuals and organizations to undertake this vital work.
   3. Penalties for False Reports: Introduce penalties for submitting false reports of research fraud, particularly when done maliciously or with the intent to disrupt legitimate research. These penalties could include fines or compensation to the authors of the research for costs incurred in defending their work.
   4. Public Reporting of Fraud Investigations: Require the Oregon Department of Justice to maintain a publicly accessible database of research fraud reports. This should include the date of the report, the research in question, examples of the alleged fraud, the agency's status on the investigation, and the final outcome. Reporters should have the option to remain anonymous or have their name/organization listed publicly.
   5. Expedited Review for Related Reports: Establish a process for expedited review when fraudulent research is identified in reports that share similarities with others issued by public bodies across the country. Reporters could link their findings to previously identified fraudulent reports to streamline the review and investigation process.
   
   
   Examples of Research Fraud
   
   These are just two examples of research fraud in Oregon. These articles identify the instances of fraud, primarily by the Oregon Department of Education, and how they have led to misguided programs, practices, and content that are causing issues in our public schools today.
   • Unveiling Oregon Department of Education's ontroversial Methods: A Deep Dive into Research Flaws and Lack of Oversight
     
     

     In September 2022, the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) delivered a research report on high-school graduation requirements to the legislature in response to Senate Bill 744 (2021)

     ODE’s report misrepresented evidence, made unsubstantiated claims, and contained plagiarism

     When the legislature didn’t take immediate action on their report, ODE bypassed them and went to the State Board of Education in late 2023 to implement some of their misguided recommendations

     
     
     

     This report continues to influence legislation and policy decisions and has not yet been retracted

   • Another "F" Grade for the Oregon Department of Education - Fact-Check Finds 2016 Chronic Absenteeism Plan is Biased and Flawed

     This December 2016 “Chronic Absenteeism Statewide Plan” and its related research report were created in response to House Bill 4002 (2016)

     Like the previous example, there were many falsehoods, biased statements, and fraudulent representations of research

     Chronic absenteeism has continued to get worse in schools around the state, which is no surprise given the plan was not research-based but instead manipulated by its authors to implement radical, unproven programs and practices

     --Donna Bleiler
     
     

     Post Date: 2024-12-14 14:00:00

     Last Update: 2024-12-15 17:20:27

     
     

In the House Rules Committee’s hearing on election integrity, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade’s testified that many Oregonians experienced issues in receiving the ballots on time or at all this election cycle.

House Republican Leader Christine Drazan state, “I want to encourage the Secretary of State to continue to press the United State Postal Service to deliver answers and solutions for the Oregonians who experienced delays in receiving their ballots, or didn’t receive them at all.

“However, today’s testimony from the Secretary of State’s office did nothing to give Oregonians confidence that the errors that allowed non-citizens to register to vote in Oregon have been fully identified and corrected.

“Automatic voter registration must remain suspended until we can confidently tell Oregonians that only eligible voters are registered through our automatic voter registration system, safeguards have been implemented to verify citizenship at the point of registration, and that regular audits will be performed in perpetuity to remove ineligible voters from the voter rolls.

Janice Dysinger, election expert and founder of Faithful Elections, agrees. "Vote by Mail misses 4 out of 100 people automatically to start with for mailing problems. Every election there are people looking for their ballots to come on election day. I hear from them and direct them to their clerk. Often they become disenfranchised voters.

"Our voter rolls include dead and inactive voters as no-one has removed these voters per recent Oregon law changes. Now we learned, as we suspected, that non citizens are on our voter rolls. So Oregon elections are being decided by non citizens, dead voters, people who have moved and the people who vote those ballots.

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Dysinger says we should do more than monitor for non-citizens. "Our voter rolls change every election. They are an exploited plot to control the outcome. It all takes place in the dark. Oregonians need to take back their elections and return to the precinct, vote in person with ID on paper ballots that are counted in that precinct that day. Absent voters need to apply each election with proof of ID as military and real Oregonians should do. Machines make our elections a farce as recent court cases show. Count the vote under 'Sunshine laws' that requires, out in the open under televised video surveillance where all can see the count.

"Precincts should be small enough to count votes in one day. More precincts is the solution to counting and posting results to the elections office that same day. No one should be allowed to turn in their ballot late. Election day should be a holiday for voting. Real elections take effort. Oregon did it for 145 years when it was a trusted process, and Oregon can do it again," Dysinger concludes.

Rep. Drazan says: “As elected leaders we have a duty to strengthen our election system, provide transparency for Oregonians, and ensure the continued trust in our elections.” Will she be a leader to pass solutions?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-12-14 12:37:18

Last Update: 2024-12-14 23:42:06

Governor Tina Kotek has announced that she will appoint Jeffrey D. Auxier to the Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Auxier fills the vacancy created by the resignation of Judge Amy Baggio. In an announcement of her appointment, Governor Kotek indicated that Auxier received the most votes in the November 2024 general election and that "the appointment reflects the will of the voters in Multnomah County." The appointment is effective immediately. Article V, Section 16 of the Oregon Constitution says that "[W]hen at any time a vacancy occurs...in the office of judge of any court, the governor shall fill such vacancy by appointment"

In this case, an election did precede the appointment, but it need not, and in nearly all cases, judges resign partway through a term and -- as provided in the Oregon Constitution -- the replacement appointment is made by the Governor. Nearly all Oregon Governors are from the west side of the state, and an even higher percentage from the Willamette Valley. Since 2014, Oregon Governors (Brown, Kotek) have hailed from the Portland metro area. This has a disruptive effect on the regional ties judges have to their communities in other parts of the state.

Jeffrey Auxier's left-leaning credentials are unquestionable. He was a member of OHSU Gun Violence Review Commission.

In an interview with the Oregonian Editorial Board prior to the November 2024 elections, Auxier said:

In July of this year, I served as the lead prosecutor in State v. Rahnique Jackson, a murder case in which a man was stabbed to death for defending his transgender friend. The case lacked meaningful surveillance footage or forensic evidence, and relied heavily on eyewitness testimony. I biked around Portland to meet my witnesses after they got off work at bars and restaurants. Connecting with Portlanders of varying gender identities and racial backgrounds who wanted to help their community and honor Colin’s life deepened my connection to the city and strengthened the case.

This case was rigorously and publicly prosecuted by then-Multnomah County DA Mike Schmidt.

Again, from the same interview,

As district attorney of Columbia County, I made several decisions that were not always politically popular but they were the right thing to do. Following my appointment as DA in 2017, I inherited the case of State v. Daniel Butts, in which the defendant was charged with murdering the chief of police in Rainier. Many members of the community wanted me to pursue the death penalty in that case, but after working closely with law enforcement and the family of the victim, I gained their support to pursue a life sentence, which better accounted for the defendant’s mental illness.

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-12-04 14:38:57

Last Update: 2024-12-04 15:28:23

Oregon's Governor Tina Kotek released her 2025-2027 recommended budget entitled “Building on Progress”.

Governor Kotek says she continues to consult with the Governor’s Racial Justice Council, and these conversations have helped inform her approach to decision making. She states: “My approach to being your Governor will always be grounded in truth, pragmatism, and a relentless pursuit of equitable outcomes for all Oregonians. The December revenue forecast projects stability for Oregon, and I am pleased to share that my budget does not lay off people or cut services, and instead strategically deepens our commitment to building progress on Oregonians’ top priorities while remaining disciplined when it comes to new programs. I fundamentally believe the Legislature needs to pass budgets for the next two years that build on the progress we have achieved together.”

Governor Kotek made housing and homelessness a top priority in 2023-24, and continues down that path.

The Homelessness budget includes infrastructure to stabilize partnerships. Her 2025-2027 budget shows resolve toward continuing a progressive plan committing more than $700 million, including:

• $217.9 million to maintain Oregon’s statewide system of shelters. The Oregonians who are still spending the night on our streets are relying on statewide support and we cannot afford to allow our progress to stall.
• $188.2 million to maintain current efforts to transition Oregonians out of homelessness and into housing. The Oregon Rehousing Initiative gets Oregon families into safe, stable housing, and keeps them there.
• $173.2 million to maintain services to prevent Oregonians from becoming homeless in the first place. The most cost effective strategy to combat our homelessness crisis is to prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place.

The failed Housing Program she says takes persistence, and her 2025-2027 recommended budget continues to focus on increasing Oregon’s housing supply in every part of the state by committing more than $1.4 billion including:

• $880 million new bond authority to build more affordable housing and homeownership pathways. The recommended budget reflects a dogged commitment to meet the state’s housing production goals and includes $780 million to build affordable rental homes and $100.9 million for new homeownership units.
• $100 million to establish a new housing infrastructure program. These new funds will establish a new housing infrastructure program to fund water, sewer, stormwater, and transportation infrastructure linked to new housing development to unlock thousands of new affordable and market rate rental and homeownership units.
• $57.6 million to continue efforts for supporting first-time home buyers and Oregonians looking to buy an affordable home. Homeownership is out of reach for many working families, keeping Oregonians from building wealth over the long term. This investment supports homeownership development and homebuyer assistance.

Not all agree with Governor Kotek’s proposal. Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) criticized Governor Kotek’s proposed budget for lacking a bold vision to address Oregon’s worsening housing crisis, highlighting her administration’s failure to meet its own housing production goals.

“When Governor Kotek took office, she set an ambitious goal of building 36,000 housing units per year to address Oregon’s severe housing shortage. Yet, the latest report shows that only 18,000 units were built in 2023—less than half of her target and even fewer than the 20,000 units built in 2022,” said Bonham. “This failure reflects the shortcomings of the policies she continues to champion.”

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“Under Governor Kotek’s leadership, housing policies have been largely driven by bureaucracy and ideology, prioritizing government-subsidized projects over real solutions to increase supply, reduce costs, and empower working families. Her new budget doubles down on the same failed strategies that have left Oregonians behind. It's time for a new vision—one that focuses on affordability, homeownership, and economic opportunity for all,” added Bonham.

Senate Republicans are committed to delivering a housing policy that works for every Oregonian. This means focusing on increasing housing supply across the spectrum, reducing regulatory burdens that drive up costs, and addressing the skyrocketing energy prices that make it harder to build and maintain homes.

“Oregonians don’t need more empty promises or half-measures. They need real solutions to bring housing within reach. Senate Republicans will continue to fight for policies that deliver the American Dream for Oregonians,” concluded Bonham.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-12-03 17:01:20

Last Update: 2024-12-03 19:13:12

Oregon's Governor Tina Kotek released her 2025-2027 recommended budget entitled “Building on Progress”.

Governor Kotek says she continues to consult with the Governor’s Racial Justice Council, and these conversations have helped inform her approach to decision making. She states: “My approach to being your Governor will always be grounded in truth, pragmatism, and a relentless pursuit of equitable outcomes for all Oregonians.” Voters could ask how her council, her biggest influence, represents “all” Oregonians.

She touts that her “budget does not lay off people or cut services, and instead strategically deepens her commitment to building progress on Oregonians’ top priorities while remaining disciplined when it comes to new programs.” As Oregonians deal with inflation, growing government isn’t even on Santa’s wish list. “I fundamentally believe the Legislature needs to pass budgets for the next two years that build on the progress we have achieved together.” The majority of Oregonians are scratching their heads to list what she has accomplished.

Governor Kotek made housing and homelessness a top priority in 2023-24, and continues down that path dedicating $700 million for homelessness after the 2023 legislature recriminalized drug laws. It took a 210 percent increase in fentanyl-related deaths for the legislature to correct a failed policy that increased homelessness. Kotek is also asking for $1.4 billion for housing supply after the prior attempt failed in accountability. (See companion article on homelessness and housing funding.)

Funding for Behavioral Health includes aligning treatment capacity with workforce capacity to close gaps in services. Since day one, Governor Kotek has been working to make her vision for Oregon’s behavioral health system possible: access to care no matter where you live or what you can afford. The 2025-2027 Governor’s Recommended Budget focuses on building treatment capacity and supporting a strong behavioral health workforce by committing more than $330 million, including:

• $90 million in General Fund backfill of ARPA investments for capacity building. The Governor’s budget includes a $90 million investment towards capacity building for adult mental health services, substance use disorder residential treatment, and withdrawal management.
• $50 million General Fund backfill from ARPA to strengthen workforce investments. Governor Kotek is focused on increasing the supply and distribution of a diverse and culturally responsive behavioral health workforce by investing $25.7 million in behavioral health education and training programs, wrap-around supports for students, and tuition assistance and scholarships, and investing $24.3 million in graduate stipends, loan repayment, and peer and manager support for the community mental health workforce.
• $40 million to continue deflection services through the Criminal Justice Commission. The funding supports deflection coordinators, peers and counselors who give individuals struggling with addiction the opportunity to avoid legal consequences and to seek treatment instead.

Governor Kotek’s vision for her Children and Youth funding is to invest for a stronger, healthier future. Building on her education initiative work, she is advancing a multipronged approach to supporting Oregon’s children and youth for a better future in Oregon by committing more than $835 million, including:

• $600 million increase to strengthen the State School Fund Current Service Level (CSL) for a total of $11.36 billion. The Governor is recommending a three-pronged approach to adjusting funding for the State School Fund to move the needle on student outcomes and provide more accurate and predictable funding for K-12 public education across Oregon, along with adjusting the calculation to account for the recent PERS rate increase.
• $205.5 million to provide additional targeted funding to help more students get on track for success. By recommending $127 million to maintain and strengthen previous early literacy investments and $78.5 million to expand and make ongoing investments in summer learning programs, Oregon’s students will get more help to overcome pandemic learning loss.
• $25 million for youth behavioral health investments. Governor Kotek is recommending new investments in targeted residential and community-based behavioral health and substance use disorder capacity, expansion of mental health services, prevention services for school-based health centers, and funding to expand youth suicide prevention work.

"The Department of Transportation is asking for an additional $1.7 billion per year. The Governor’s budget leaves a massive hole that will likely be filled with new taxes. It’s time for the legislature to live within its means and prioritize essential services—just as every Oregonian is forced to do in this struggling economy.”

“Oregonians are sending a clear message that they want a state where everyone has the freedom and opportunity to succeed. House Democrats will protect what makes Oregon special and show that this state is for everyone. We take this responsibility seriously,” said Majority Leader Ben Bowman (D-Tigard, Metzger, S. Beaverton). “In the 2025 session, we will improve the lives of all Oregonians with a focus on affordability, making government work, and keeping Oregonians safe. It’s time to get to work delivering results for working people and protecting Oregonians’ basic rights and freedoms.”

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In response to Governor Tina Kotek’s 2025 budget proposal, House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) stated: "Budgets express priorities and it is clear Governor Kotek's priority is to protect the status quo. This budget has no new ideas and no new vision. What was put forward today is more of the same from Governor Kotek. The Governor proposed a budget that is unsustainable without implementing substantial new taxes, that Oregonians cannot afford and do not support.

“Whether it’s schools, addiction, roads or public safety, under Governor Kotek’s leadership, this budget means Oregonians can expect to pay more, but get less,” Drazen concludes.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-12-03 12:03:17

Last Update: 2024-12-03 19:12:24

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced that she is using her constitutional authority to call a special session of the Oregon Legislature, to begin on Thursday, December 12, for lawmakers to appropriate funds to pay for the historic 2024 wildfire season. A record 1.9 million acres burned this wildfire season, far exceeding the state’s 10-year average of 640,000 acres per season and incurring costs upwards of $350 million. While over half of the costs will eventually be covered by disaster relief funds from the federal government, the state needs to pay its bills as expeditiously as possible.

“The unprecedented 2024 wildfire season required all of us to work together to protect life, land, and property, and that spirit of cooperation must continue in order to meet our fiscal responsibilities,” said Governor Kotek. “I am grateful to legislative leaders for coming to consensus that our best course of action is to ensure the state’s fire season costs are addressed and bills paid by the end of the calendar year.”

The Governor is asking the Legislature to release a combined total of $218 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Oregon Department of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to address all costs for the season assumed to date. This includes meeting the state’s financial obligations to small, medium, and large contractors who worked tirelessly to protect and support Oregonians for more than five months.

“Fighting wildfires of the magnitude we saw this season required a tremendous level of resources that even wildfire experts couldn’t foresee,” said House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-West Eugene & Veneta). “Now, as we approach the end of the year and the holiday season, we need to make good on our commitments and pay our bills so that the contractors who fought fires in Oregon can be made whole. Convening now will enable us to do so, and to chart a bipartisan path forward to address our state’s most pressing needs.”

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Wildfires this season destroyed at least 42 homes and 132 other structures, and caused severe disruptions and damage to transportation facilities, utility infrastructure, and natural resource economies. In July, Governor Kotek declared a State of Emergency in response to the threat of wildfire and invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act a state record 17 times to mobilize structural firefighting resources coordinated by OSFM to local communities and thousands of wildland firefighting personnel and resources coordinated by ODF.

Oregonians are perplexed over the number of acres burned. If 86% of wildfires are man caused, why are the blaming climate change? How many of those man made fires were prescribed burns? The National Forest Service intents to repeat prescribed burns every five years. The trees that survived the 2021 prescribed burns are now dead hit by current wildfires that had the potential of two billion board feet of timber harvest.

According to ODF, the state’s share of 2024 fire season net cost is $123 million. Net costs are gross costs minus reimbursements from federal or other state agencies. The September 2024 emergency funds provided for 2024 net costs was $40 million, leaving $83 million. ODF intended to request the $83 million from the December Emergency Board, which is the remaining portion of the state’s share (net) of wildfire costs for the 2024 fire season. The gross cost will eventually be reimbursed by sources such as FEMA and USFS, but ODF has to carry that debt and pay those bills in the meantime. After the most expensive fire season in Oregon’s history, it’s clear that ODF needs financial help to make it until federal funds are received for reimbursements.

Will Governor Kotek enforce a 2010 administrative rule mandating that ODF harvest enough timber from state forests to fulfill its obligations to manage the forests. As chief of the Land Board, her decision to advance HCP, cutting production by over 50% is putting a bigger burden on taxpayers to cover wildfire costs, and having total disregard for rule of law.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-26 17:39:28

Last Update: 2024-11-26 19:15:37

The 2024 election has left Oregon Senate Republicans in a superminority position. With Republicans taking control of the White House, U.S. House, and U.S. Senate, there’s a concern that the Oregon Democrat Majority may pursue an increasingly extreme agenda. The Senate Republicans Caucus released their priorities for the 2025 legislative session advancing common-sense policies, and safeguard the interests of Oregonians. They state, “we’re prepared to stand firm, and… ready for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this new political landscape.”

The areas they want to prioritize that will impact Oregonians the most are:

1. Strong Economy
2. A Safer State
3. A Better Future for Oregon’s Children
4. A More Accountable Government

The Oregon Senate Republican Caucus is focused on practical solutions that make life better for all Oregonians. Whether it’s improving public safety, making life more affordable, or supporting good jobs and schools, they are committed to building a safer, stronger, and more affordable Oregon for everyone. They aren’t just focusing on the problems, they are asking for input to make a real difference in people's lives.

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December 10-12 are Legislative Days where committees hold informational hearings on potential legislation, review updates on past bills, and hear reports from state agencies.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-26 17:30:46

Last Update: 2024-11-26 19:28:39

School Board elections could not come soon enough for St. Helens parents. Following the arrests of two teachers on sexual abuse charges, the St. Helens School District has placed its superintendent, Scot Stockwell, and high school principal, Katy Wagner, on paid administrative leave. The district has also accepted the resignation of its school board chair, Ryan Scholl.

On November 12, 2024, the St. Helens Police Department arrested Eric Stearns, a 46-year-old choir teacher at St. Helens High School facing seven counts of second-degree sex abuse and one count of third-degree sex abuse involving six students, according to police. Mark Collins, a 64-year-old former math teacher, arrested on two counts of second-degree sex abuse and one count of attempted second-degree sex abuse. The allegations against Collins involve three students, police said. The arrests came after a two-month investigation.

Parents and students are protesting and want to know why the board didn’t take action in 2019 when they were informed of abuse allegations against Stearns, and didn’t notify authorities.

• November 12, 2024: Stearns and Collins were arrested on sexual abuse charges.
• November 14, 2024: Principal Katy Wagner was placed on administrative leave.
• November 15, 2024: School Board Chair Ryan Scholl resigned.
• November 16, 2024: Superintendent Scot Stockwell was placed on paid administrative leave.

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Eric Stearns has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually abusing six students between 2015 and January 2024. Mark Collins has pleaded not guilty on sex abuse involving three minors between 2017 and 2023. The district is also being investigated for not forwarding the report to law enforcement.

Moving forward, the district has stated its goal is to ensure a safe and positive learning environment, with clear steps to address the concerns of students, families, and community members. St. Helens School Board appointed an acting superintendent to address the rapidly escalating crisis.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-26 16:10:08

Last Update: 2024-11-26 19:29:10

In November 2021, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) adopted the Advanced Clean Truck (ACT), following in the footsteps of the California Air Resource Board’s rules that limit the kinds of vehicles Oregonians can purchase. The first phase of those new regulations takes effect January 1, 2025.

Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) sent a letter to EQC asking for a delay in the implementation of the ACT rules that will lead to the ban of heavy-duty diesel vehicles in Oregon. This includes RVs, heavy duty pickup trucks like Ford F-250 and -350, utility vehicles, tow trucks, and semi-trucks. The rules require medium- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers to sell zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) as a certain percentage of new vehicle sales, beginning with the 2025 model year. RV, pickup truck, and semi-truck manufacturers must increase their zero-emission new truck sales in Oregon year-over-year based on the truck’s size. The ban begins in 2025, requiring between 7-11% (depending on Class size) of sales to be ZEV, and increases in percentage to 100% by 2036.

The letter says in part:

“Given the lack of technological advancements and infrastructure necessary to support this transition, I believe that the implementation of these rules, while well-intentioned, will actually slow the reduction of emissions from the transportation sector while harming local industries and communities who rely on trucks to keep Oregon’s economy moving.”

Due partly to the lack of technological advancement, North Carolina, Connecticut, and Maine have since backed off their commitment to adopt the California standards. Colorado, Maryland, and Rhode Island have also delayed implementation. Federal law allows states that choose to adopt CARB regulations to modify implementation dates, but the substance of the regulations must be identical to California’s.

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“Oregon’s climate change policies need to get back in touch with reality,” Representative Boshart Davis said. “A 100% ban on new diesel pickups, RV’s and semi-trucks by 2036 should alarm everyone. Without immediate action from the EQC, countless everyday Oregonians who rely on essential equipment to make a living will find themselves unable to purchase that equipment. Without action, these regulations will do irreparable harm to Oregon businesses and working people. I urge the EQC to take immediate action and delay these rules.”

You can read the entire letter here.

The EQC is scheduled to meet on November 21 about potential paths forward regarding the ACT rules. There are new inventive energy systems being develop that will soon revolutionize vehicles that should cause a delay in all restrictions of use of fuels whether for vehicles or energy.

See the agenda here.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-15 02:18:46

Last Update: 2024-11-15 00:10:35

The final District 4 election results are in and Oregon Fourth Congressional District will return Val Hoyle to Washington D.C. to represent an average of 706,917 residents in Coos, Curry, Lincoln, Lane, Benton, Linn and a portion of Douglas County.

Challenging Hoyle was Monique DeSpain, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, mother of twin boys, and public policy advocate who resides in Eugene, Oregon. She has been the Republican nominee for Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, running to unseat incumbent Congresswoman Val Hoyle in 2024 to bring about a safer, more prosperous Oregon. She issued the following statement and challenge to Hoyle:

“I am immensely proud of our campaign that led the public debate on the top issues voters care about. We shed a bright light on the truth about the disastrous policies and corrupt conduct of the elected official who has been representing us these past two years,” noted DeSpain.

“Despite being outspent 3 to 1 and inundated with more than $1 million of ads telling baldfaced lies, our campaign message of restoring public safety, securing our border, stopping fentanyl, ending homelessness, bringing back an affordable, prosperous economy, preventing wildfires, and ensuring a transparent and accountable government clearly resonated with voters and forced my opponent to run ads paying lip service to them - issues she made no mention of in her voter pamphlet statement or during her previous years representing Oregonians.”

“With nearly 157,610 or 30% of the 526,538 eligible 4th District voters not casting ballots in this election, there were still too many voters who chose to remain silent when it mattered the most. To bring about the change we seek, these voters must awaken and participate in the political process that dictates the direction of Oregon and our nation.”

“Bottom line: this election is not the end, but just the beginning of holding Val Hoyle accountable for delivering bipartisan results she has promised. I challenge her to actually vote to secure our border, to stop fentanyl from entering Oregon and killing our people, to prevent wildfires rather than fund fires, to end, not just fund, homelessness, to deliver infrastructure with $2.3B of funding to the Coos Bay Port, and to kill the reviled BOEM windfarms threatening our coastal communities,” said DeSpain. “And, all of us will be watching with great interest how the U.S. Department of Justice proceeds with their current investigation of Val Hoyle’s pay-to-play scheme to strong-arm the illegal BOLI grant of over $500,000 for La Mota’s nonprofit Endeavor.”

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“In the coming weeks and months, I will be exploring various opportunities to continue to make a difference on the key issues that we care about, those issues which I have fought to address during my campaign. Our district and our nation are worth it.”

DeSpain fought for bold, effective solutions to the problems that really matter to the people of this District. “Though we didn’t achieve our goal to replace our corrupt incumbent career politician by deploying me to Congress, my outstanding team and I want to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to all of the voters, volunteers, and contributors from all parties and parts of the District for their hard work, generosity in time and resources, and constant moral support and prayers. I am honored to have raised your voices. Thank you.”

She can be contacted via Communications Director, Kevin Hoar, at kevinghoar@gmail.com or call 503-866-3264.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-11-15 01:01:01

Last Update: 2024-11-15 00:09:53

Initial DMV release of its After Action Report, which identified additional errors in its processes resulted in 302 individuals being registered to vote who did not provide proof of their eligibility. In response, Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade directed county elections officials to inactivate all 302 voter registrations.

Secretary Griffin-Valade also joined Governor Tina Kotek calling for an independent, external audit of the Motor Votor system.

Secretary Griffin-Valade stated, “The DMV’s After Action Report raises serious concerns about this important part of our voter registration system. The first step in restoring the public’s trust in Motor Voter is a transparent review by a neutral third party operating under strict government auditing standards.”

The investigation by DMV increased the number to 1,259 in September. Two days after the election DMV says they have found 56 more non-citizens who were added to the voter rolls making the total 1,617 since the error was discovered.

According to the After Action Report:

The system was configured to use a drop-down menu of document choices, where the default choices included U.S. passport (as opposed to any other kind of passport) and U.S. birth certificate (as opposed to any other kind of birth certificate). This configuration did not separate documents that prove U.S. citizenship from those that do not and did not take into proper account the need to minimize potential for human error when accurate input for OMV purposes should have been paramount. Front-line staff were not adequately trained on the importance of accuracy in this part of a transaction and why it was critical for the reliability of OMV to take the time to get it right every time.

Secretary Griffin-Valade instructed the Oregon Elections Division to take steps to increase its oversight of the Motor Voter system. DMV hired a new Motor Voter oversight position to ensure automatic voter registration policies and procedures are reviewed, updated and followed with regular data checks. Additionally, she directed corrective action to be taken to protect the integrity of the 2024 election. County clerks were to inactivate all ineligible voter registrations and issue “due process” letters providing them with the opportunity to reregister if they can confirm their eligibility. In a second layer of security, ensure that any ballots returned from this group are not counted without first verifying eligibility to ensure the error does not impact the 2024 election.

Do we know these individuals’ citizenship status?
No. We simply know that they did not present the necessary documentation supporting their eligibility when they interacted with the DMV.

Did any of these individuals vote? And if so, what will be done with them?
The Oregon Elections Division will work with the 36 county election officers to determine if there are any individuals with a vote history and follow the same process used with the previous data sent over by the DMV in September.

Counties will be instructed to flag these ballots in the election management system. If any ballots are returned, they will be removed from the vote tallying process. The voter will be given an opportunity to demonstrate that they are eligible, but if that doesn’t happen the votes will not be counted.

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“Both the Secretary of State’s office and the Department of Motor Vehicles assured voters there were no more issues to be found, but again they were wrong. They also assured voters nothing would impact the 2024 election; how are voters to be sure they are not wrong about that also?” said Representative Anna Scharf (R-Amity). “What is clear is that there are major flaws in the Motor Voter system. Yes, we should have an independent audit, but there should also be an investigation performed into possible violations of the law”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-11-11 12:42:59

Last Update: 2024-11-11 17:28:30

According to the 2022 Oregon Student Health Survey taken by 6th, 8th and 11th grade students, 12% think they are transgender, gender-expansive, or questioning. The survey is used to gather data to increase gender-affirming support for youth, families, and educators, and build legacies of love and support for transgender and gender expansive youth in our school communities during Transgender Awareness Month and all year.

According to the LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan, student focus groups reported, “a majority of students we heard from believe that their curriculum is not sufficiently inclusive of LGBTQ2SIA+ people or issues.” Only 3 out of 10 Oregon LGBTQ2SIA+ students said they were taught positive representations of LGBTQ2SIA+ figures, history, or events with inclusive instructional materials, and fewer than 2 out of 10 reported receiving inclusive sex education in school.

In Director Dr. Charlene Williams’ monthly report, she expounded on creating spaces where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging that means also carrying the responsibility to show up well, to make room for learning and growth, and to step up when it’s time to make amends. She provides an example, “sometimes getting folks to the table requires us to think about how we are welcoming them: strong relationships with families, as well as intentional communication, are impacting attendance rates for kindergartners in Yoncalla, Oregon. Yoncalla kindergartners are attending school at 93%! This is just one example of how our efforts to reach out to our communities matters significantly for the youth and families we serve.”

Does the LGBTQ2SIA+ Student Success Plan reach out to present themselves as being inclusive? Or is the program so self-centered it conveys their own exclusion? How should inclusion be taught so it goes two ways? President-elect Trump has announced that on day one he will set up processes that may affect how Oregon schools treat equity and diversity.

Trump states: “I will revoke Joe Biden’s cruel policies on so called gender affirming care, a process that includes giving kids puberty blockers, mutating their physical appearance and ultimately performing surgery on minor children. I will sign an executive order for all agencies to cease programs that promote the concept of sex and gender transition at any age. I will then ask congress to stop any taxpayer dollars to be used to promote or pay for these procedures and pass a law prohibiting child mutilation in all 50 states. Any hospital or healthcare provider that participates in the chemical or physical mutualization of minor youth will no longer meet health and safety standards for Medicaid and Medicare and terminated from the program immediately. Furthermore, I will support the creation of a private right of action for victims to sue doctors who have unforgivably performed these procedures on minor children…

“My department of education will inform school districts, if any teacher or school district suggests to a child that they could be trapped in the wrong body, they will be faced with severe consequences including potential civil rights violations for sex discrimination, and the elimination of federal funding. As a part of our new credentials for teachers, we will promote positive education about the nuclear family, the roles of mothers and fathers, and celebrating rather than erasing the things that make men and women different and unique. I will ask congress to pass a bill that the only genders recognized by the United States government are male and female assigned at birth. The bill will also make clear that Title IX prohibits men from participating in women’s sports. It will protect the rights of parents to allow their minor child to assume a gender which is new and an identity without the parent’s consent…”

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The controversial bill passed by Democrats in 2023, HB 2002, allows abortions without parents’ knowledge or consent. Oregon also lets teens age 15 and up receive state-subsidized gender-affirming care and other medical treatment through school services without parental consent. Oregon has even prevented parents from seeking psychological conversion preventive therapy when a child is confused. It's that 12% that thinks, but not positive they are transgender, gender-expansive, or questioning that run the risk of being abused.

Governor Tina Kotek said of HB 2002, “I want to be very clear. Gender-affirming care is health care.” Oregon should ask what role schools need to play in healthcare and seek a healthier curriculum to serve 100% of the students?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-11 10:10:04

Last Update: 2024-11-11 15:37:20

The League of Women's Voters of Oregon has been running a TV ad in support of Measure 117, Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). The ad is misleading and may be mal-information. They state: "study after study, state after state confirms it’s effective” while displaying two articles that supposedly supports their statement. Those studies are articles written by NBC News,”New voting method that involves ranking candidates gains favor across the nation,” stating that 14 states will consider bills.

USA Today article, “Following a big year, more states push ranked-choice voting,“ simply cites who is using RCV, and not a study. USA Today cites California, Oregon counties and Florida cities.

The League’s ad seems to copy what FairVote Research says on their website. FairVote, a non-partisan organization, takes credit for getting Measure 117 on the ballot in Oregon. They do not identify one actual study done to come up with their ideology. They examined recounts and determined that there were not enough to be concerned about. The issue here is whether fraud can be proven or not, and they don’t seem to have an answer.

A study by the Report: Deficiencies in Recent Research on Ranked Choice Voting Ballot Error Rates (July 13, 2024) found that RCV causes an average of 17% more votes to directly affect the outcome between top candidates. This highlights the potential for inaccuracies in vote tallies.

Overall, studies that have been done highlight the ongoing debate and discussion surrounding ranked choice voting, with proponents arguing it can improve elections and opponents citing concerns about complexity and potential drawbacks of unintended results and transparency.

Some key findings and debates from these studies include:

• Inadequate testing and implemented incorrectly leading to errors.
• RCV’s complexity and difficult to understand leading to voter confusion.
• Lack of standardization leading to inconsistent application and potential errors.
• The impact of RCV on candidate quality and diversity.
• The effectiveness of RCV in reducing spoilers and vote splitting.
• The potential benefits of RCV in increasing voter satisfaction and participation.
• The need for further research and evaluation of RCV’s effects in different contexts.

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In areas that have actually used RCV:

1. Ballot Measure 2 in Alaska: The 2020 ballot initiative implemented RCV in Alaska, and opponents argue it is complicated and convoluted. It is on the ballot to repeal after the system provided a win to other than the most popular candidate.
2. Ranked-Choice Voting in Missouri: Amendment 7, a ballot measure in Missouri, aims to ban RCV in the state. Proponents argue that RCV is unnecessary and would lead to confusing elections, while opponents claim it would increase voter participation and reduce spoilers.
3. California’s 2023 Oakland Unified School District election, a court-ordered recount revealed errors that changed the outcome of the race.
4. Maine’s 2018 primary election, errors were discovered in the RCV count, leading to a re-count and a changed winner.

Portland City Council races will be using RCV to select City Council members. Architects of the system hoped for a more diverse set of policymakers, and political experts predicted candidates would identify with policy-aligned slates and encourage voters to rank multiple candidates.

While ranked choice voting aims to promote more representative outcomes, its counting process can produce faulty results due to errors, inaccuracies, and complexity. To ensure the integrity of election results, it is essential to prioritize thorough testing, due diligence, and transparency in the counting process.

Failing this, the choice is to vote No on Measure 117.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-03 23:43:50

Last Update: 2024-11-04 00:06:59

Clatsop County Circuit Court Judge Beau Peterson dismissed the Jewell School District’s case against the state over the Western Oregon State Forest Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) limits on logging that will lead to reduced funding for the district. The Jewell School District with 124 students, funds its current $4.3 million budget entirely with state forest timber harvests. They rely on timber harvests along with 13 Forest Trust Land Counties.

The School District argued that the Oregon Department of Forestry will cause the school and the forestry department serious financial harm by allowing the HCP to move forward that will reduce logging more than 35% in the Clatsop State Forest. The HCP will scale back logging on 630,000 acres for the next 70 years claiming to protect 17 threatened or endangered species.

Judge Peterson’s decision stated there was not enough evidence that the forestry department couldn’t find other cost-saving or revenue-generating activities to make up for any lost revenue from the HCP. He must not be aware that ODF is asking taxpayers for $450 million in lost wildfire revenue, or that a 2010 administrative rule mandates that ODF harvest enough timber from state forests to fulfill its obligations to manage the forests. The judge also determined that ruling against the state on the HCP wouldn’t guarantee the school district would receive financial relief. The judge is making a political decision leaving Jewell’s fate to taxpayers because the Oregon Department of Education is obligated to provide adequate funding. Under the state education funding equalization formula, Jewell would take a 17% cut with the timber harvest reduction.

Recently, an Oregonian had the opportunity to ask President Trump his thoughts on removing dead trees and debree from forest floors instead of backburning. After he explained the need for the jobs wasted, Trump agreed that the jobs are important to rural communities and he will look into a more productive forest management plan.

Meanwhile an investigation is brewing to carry on the work of the National Wildfire Institute (NWI) to continue research into the increasing wildfires that pose financial risks to communities in addition to the HCP. The need for USFS to better manage its wildfires and forestlands includes immediate snag salvage and site preparation followed by better reforestation planning and forest maintenance strategies for future generations.

In the past 10 years, 51 communities in western states were struck by wildfires started on National Forests, and most of those are in the legal range of spotted owls and subjected to the NWFP. These communities had at least 30 structures burned; or 50% of a community’s structures. A part of the project is to determine if the source of fires are related to parts of the forest management practices.

Bob Zybach, spearheading the project, said, ”We were pretty shocked at how recent most of the fires were, and also that they were almost entirely related to USFS lands. All indications are that the September 2020 fires were at least as destructive, if not as deadly, as the historic 1871 and 1910 Fires.”

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As reports come out on increasingly destructive wildfires in western states, regrowth is proving to be slow. It isn’t just that nursery can’t keep up with seed supply, training enough workers is difficult to prepare burnt sites and replant. The Forest Service says the biggest roadblock is the never-ending task of completing environmental and cultural assessments and preparing severely burnt land for replanting.

Now studies show a slowing of regrowth blamed on climate change producing extended drought. This makes young trees more vulnerable to repeat fires and often killing them. Research indicates hot fires also can harden the ground leaving barren slopes susceptible to washing away in rainstorms and polluting waterways that may never recover.

Forestry practices have been a hot topice for decades, starting with enviornmental and conservation clamp downs to forest management, which has steadly increased wildfire risks. For the first time, what once was a self-supported Oregon Department of Forestry, it is in the red asking for taxpayer bailout. While some call the HCP illegal, it will also have its toll on taxpayers to makeup for reduction in harvesting timber as many counties and school districts rely on those funds.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-01 15:18:46

Last Update: 2024-11-01 16:49:46

In July, Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch sent a notice letter to the Oregon secretary of state on behalf of the Constitution Party of Oregon and an Oregon registered voter, notifying them of violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, based on the failure to remove inactive voters from the registration rolls. The notice letter to Oregon served as a “pre-suit” notice.

Judicial Watch announced this week it is making good on the notice and filing suit after discovering a statewide failure to clean up voter rolls. In its complaint, Judicial Watch argues that Oregon’s voter rolls contain large numbers of old, inactive registrations; and that 29 of Oregon’s 36 counties removed few or no registrations as required by federal election law. Their discovery contends that 35 of its counties had overall registration rates exceeding 100%; and that Oregon has the highest known inactive registration rate of any state in the nation.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Oregon, Eugene Division, to compel the defendants to comply with their voter list maintenance obligations under Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA).

The NVRA requires states to “conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove” from the official voter rolls “the names of ineligible voters” who have died or changed residence. Among other things, the NVRA requires registrations to be cancelled when voters fail to respond to address confirmation notices and then fail to vote in the next two general federal elections. In 2018, the Supreme Court confirmed that such removals are mandatory (Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Inst., 138 S. Ct. 1833, 1841-42 (2018))

Judicial Watch is a national leader in voting integrity and voting rights. As part of its work, Judicial Watch assembled a team of highly experienced voting rights attorneys, including Stephen Joncus of Joncus Law PC in Happy Valley, who stopped discriminatory elections, and cleaned up voter rolls across the country. Legal pressure from Judicial Watch ultimately led to the removal of up to four million ineligible voters from voter rolls in New York, California, Pennsylvania, Colorado, North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, and elsewhere.

In September, Judicial Watch presented arguments regarding a lower court ruling on Mississippi’s election law that permits absentee ballots to be received as late as five business days after Election Day. Now, the 5th Circuit Court just ruled that ballots must be received by Election Day and any state laws that allow them to be received and counted after Election Day violates federal law. This case affects Oregon’s practice giving ballots seven days to arrive.

Oregon has also been shown to have over 100% of registered voters in 35 out of its 36 counties. Oregon’s legislature has also tried to limit public access to voter lists. In July 2023 Judicial Watch filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief, supporting the decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, which struck down Maine’s policy restricting the use and distribution of the state’s voter registration list. According to a national study conducted by Judicial Watch in 2020, Maine’s statewide registration rate was 101% of eligible voters.

“Dirty voter rolls can mean dirty elections,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “Oregon has among the dirtiest voting rolls in America and needs to clean them up ASAP!”

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This suit comes on the heels of Oregon’s DMV caught registering more than a thousand noncitizens as eligible voters. The potential is that Oregon has 218,521 noncitizens that could have done business at DMV in the past two years that have a possibility of receiving a ballot in error. Add to that dirty voter rolls of people that have moved out-of-state or died, no wonder so many counties have more than 100% registered voters, and they all were sent ballots that can be fraudulently cast by unethical people.

Any ballot not legally voted, is an opportunity to be illegally cast. Please vote, and vote early to prevent your ballot from being stolen.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-01 11:59:48

Last Update: 2024-11-01 16:49:17

Ballots were mailed last week and Oregonians are pondering how to vote. Early voting nationally indicates the nation seems to be making a shift for change. Has Oregon’s one-party state had enough to follow? Oregon voters have more than enough to make their decision.

1. HB 4133, passed in 2022 by Democrats, created a fourth option for identifying as a valid voter in the registration process. This bill was advertised as “an effort to make voting more accessible to minority and underserved communities.” In Oregon there were three valid forms of ID: a drivers' license, a drivers' permit, or a State issued ID card. HB 4133 added a valid Social Security number, but then they negated its “validity” for the last four-digits, which can have duplicates. It became more complicated after allowing noncitizens a drivers' license.
   
   
2. Registering noncitizens at DMV has been in the news, and Governor Kotek and Secretary of State Lavonne Griffin-Valade are calling it “clerical errors.” It was a challenge for them to admit the number was over a thousand and call for an investigation. The potential is that Oregon has 218,521 noncitizens that could have done business at DMV in the past two years that have a possibility of receiving a ballot in error. Now, they are pushing ranked-choice-voting so these errors will be nearly impossible to discover.
   
   
3. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is holding its final public hearing on the leadership’s plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 90% from fossil fuels used in Oregon. This would essentially shut down the Oregon economy. DEQ’s Climate Protection Program was ordered by former Governor Kate Brown after she failed to get the program enacted by the state legislature. The Democrat controlled legislature has refused to address the devastation it will bring to the economy and raise costs on everything. It seems their answer is to move closer to socialism.
   
   
4. Governor Brown issued an Executive Oregon (EO 20-04) in 2020 which directed state agencies to reduce and regulate greenhouse gas emissions followed by the Democrat legislature passing HB 2021 into law creating a 100% “clean” energy mandate by 2040 and prohibited new fossil fuel plants. Ratepayers will bear the cost of this expensive mandate and will also be the ones left in the dark when the grid fails to operate without sufficient reliable power. The excess cost has already shown up in residential arrearages for energy utilities. They tripled throughout the pandemic, and increased $74 million on arrears over 91-days with nearly 300,000 Oregon residential customers collectively owing more than $94 million in arrears.
   
   
5. In 2019 a huge transportation package was enacted to solve Oregon’s infrastructure. Years later the infrastructure is as bad as it ever was, and now they want to install tolling, even on already built highways. One of the proposals is a $3 toll on Hwy 217 and I-5.
   
   
6. Oregon Department of Forestry was one of the few agencies in the nation that was self-funding and some of the forest harvest money went to 250 essential services. That all changed when leadership adopted an illegal unfunded HCP, which will reduce timber harvest 57% on 640,000 acres. This is about $4.5 billion in lost revenues. Now, they are asking taxpayers to pick up nearly $450 million, and counties are left bankrupt.
   
   
7. Speaker of the Oregon House Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis) and then-Majority Leader and now-Speaker of the Oregon House Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) and eight others listed on OrStar received LaMota money, a company based in Spain. The parent company is still under secret investigation. They are accused of a crime against public health, criminal organization, money laundering, and power theft. These candidates along with Rayfield took LaMota money and didn’t report it until they got caught up in the 2023 scandal. Is this money connected to why the legislature didn’t refund the 2021 grant to irradiate "illegal grows"?
   
   
   
   
8. Leadership’s experiment to decriminalize drugs was a disaster, which has lead to taxpayer funded treatment centers as they try and dig their way out of legalizing criminal activity. Even though more arrests for trafficking drugs have taken place, they have not provided more funds for the one enforcement program that shut down over eight slave camps in one county. Fentanyl deaths in Oregon increased 41% in 2023, and a 1,500% increase in overdose deaths since 2019, which is mostly the results of cartel activity.
   
   
9. Biden/Harris Administration has flown in 674,000 convicted criminals distributed nationwide. Now, Oregon is giving homes to non-citizens, including free abortions to non-residents, free medical care, free sex changes, free treatment centers, and free lodging for homeless all funded by taxpayers.

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10. Are Oregon voters happy with 10-year-olds getting abortions without parent consent, and the legalization of pornography in schools? In 2023, the legislature passed HB 2002, which allows girls of any age to obtain an abortion without her parents’ knowledge. ODE teaches students how to redefine their gender as X giving them 58 options. Are Oregonians satisfied with a stagnant education system that focuses on identity and diversity and not education?
    
    
11. The current majority party repeatedly tries to exclude parents from school board meetings and from their children’s school records. The legislature, in 2024, introduced SB 1583 attempting to block parents and citizen-elected school boards from having input to determine and exclude age-inappropriate books and materials used in the curriculum. The Education Recovery Scorecard, 2024 study, shows Oregon’s elementary and middle school students remain an average of about two-thirds of a year behind in reading compared to pre-pandemic levels and three-fourths of a year behind in math. That’s roughly two to three times the deficit faced by students nationwide despite a $1.6 billion infusion of federal pandemic aid.
    
    
12. In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2005 which makes it a crime to make or be in possession of any modern firearm or certain firearm’s parts unless those have been serialized in accordance with federal rules.Then there is Measure 114, still making it’s way through the courts, which legislature leadership should never have put an unconstitutional measure before the voters that ends the sale and possession of most modern firearms and magazines.

Oregonians "flies with her own wings", is she ready to break the old mold?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-11-01 11:58:20

Last Update: 2024-11-01 16:48:43

The Oregon Joint Committee on Transportation recently wrapped up its 12-stop tour to determine how to fix the many ways Oregonians need a safe, functional and efficient transportation system. Now the committee will convene three workgroups tasked with providing a starting point for the legislature in 2025.

From June through September, legislators visited 12 cities around Oregon where legislators and staff received more than 1,000 pieces of spoken and written testimony and engaged in detailed dialogue with 285 roundtable participants.

Election years give voters a preview of what legislation will look like if reelecting the same people. Developing consensus ideas, in most cases, is a show of cooperation to impress voters. The group expressed the need to address Oregon’s transportation system with a focus toward fundamental maintenance and safety, public transit options, and finishing major existing projects.

The Joint Committee on Transportation is made up of 12 members, seven Democrats and 5 Republicans. Three workgroups consisting of approximately 50 members consisting of committee members and stakeholder will determine the direction the legislation will take. Meetings will be livestreamed and posted on the Oregon Legislative Information System. The three workgroups will be:

• Back-to-Basics / Maintenance and Operations: Preservation of our systems and ADA requirements
• Public and Active Transit: Transit, Rail, Micromobility, Safe Routes to School
• Finishing 2017 Priority Commitments: Projects with statewide significance that are already in process with state and major federal funding secured (e.g., I-205-Abernethy Bridge, the I-5 Rose Quarter Safety Improvement Project).

“Whether we were in Ontario, Coos Bay, Bend, or Tillamook, we learned about the unique challenges that different communities face when it comes to transportation infrastructure," said Senator Chris Gorsek (D - Gresham), committee chair. "We also heard many common themes: Oregonians said they want well-maintained roads, stable bridges, multiple modes of transit, and for everyone to pay their fair share.”

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, “Inaction is not an option — based on what we learned during our statewide tour, the legislature must act in 2025 to provide stable and sufficient funding to our transportation systems,” said Rep. Susan McLain (D - Hillsboro). "Now that we’ve heard from the public, members of the committee will lead workgroup discussions in three key areas so the legislature can consider the best package for all Oregonians using our roadways."

"Over the past several months, this committee engaged in robust discussions with members of the public and community leaders about their needs and their suggestions for how we fund those needs. Those conversations were a vital step in crafting a path forward," said House Speaker Julie Fahey (D-West Eugene & Veneta) and Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego). "Now, the work groups will incorporate those perspectives into discussions about how we maintain a safe, functional, and efficient transportation system.”

This is the slow easing towards developing the need to support a tolling package that can’t be refuted by voters regardless of prior outcries. The only option is to vote.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-10-16 22:49:51

Last Update: 2024-10-16 23:11:23

It is nearly a year since Oregon Governor Tina Kotek issued Executive Order 23-26 establishing a state government artificial intelligence advisory council. She stated it was a fundamental priority of her office to be well-prepared for the rapid evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI).

The council’s primary recommendations aim to ensure the responsible and beneficial use of artificial intelligence in Oregon state government, while promoting transparency, equity, and fairness. The council will be meeting October 30 to finalize their action plan. Even though the public comment period closed last week, public comment can be made at the October 30 meeting.

The council is recommending 35 actions in three principle areas. All actions seem to point to an agency for oversight and governance, and establishes a methodology of equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas. Standards of transparency, accountability, testing, auditing and guidelines for use ensure compliance with relevant privacy laws with exceptions.

In all the recommendations, there seems to be convenient carve outs that will allow the Secretary of State and any other government agency to continue spying on free speech for what they determine to be mis- mal- or dis-information.

Big tech AI is an energy guzzler and the council has ignored standards for energy use. Big tech AI companies Google, Oracle and Microsoft have turned from renewable energy giving up on reaching ‘net zero’ with wind and solar power. Instead they are buying buildings next to nuclear power and employing nuclear engineers. If Oregon wants to be a player in AI, the council needs an energy action plan that will secure energy for Oregonians.

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OSU has been at the forefront of AI research and education. As a result, AI development companies are the 13th most popular industry and market group, including such companies as AI Chatbots, Generative AI, AI Virtual Assistants, AI Deployment and Darwoft, which is a custom software development company with expertise in UX design and development for web and mobile applications.

Possibly the only thing standing in the way of AI success in Oregon is leadership's policy on energy.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-10-13 16:29:57

Last Update: 2024-10-14 01:10:21

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) released results from the Oregon Statewide Assessment System’s spring 2024 summative tests, which highlights the need for more work to reach pre-pandemic academic performance levels. The results included key areas of progress statewide, with six out of seven grade levels showing improved math scores, while recovery in literacy scores has been slower and more uneven across the state.

While ODE is patting themselves on the back claiming gains were made in math scores, overall the gain was 0.4 percent for 31% achievement rate compared to pre-pandemic of 45.8%. That’s barely noticeable to base progress on and still leaves a gap of 14.8. It doesn't show real gains when the national average is approximately 70.9%.

Districts who have shown improvement are pointing to several factors that have contributed to this progress, including teacher collaboration time, an emphasis on connecting the math lesson to other school subjects such as science and social science, and a focus on conceptual understanding.

ODE says English Language Arts (ELA) data reveals it as a critical area of concern as students are not consistently demonstrating grade-level knowledge and skills. The ELA scores dropped -0.5% showing eighth grade with the biggest loss at -1.3. The overall achievement rate is 42.5 compared to the pre-pandemic rate of 62.6 leaving a 20.1 rate gap. In the last three school years, the level of achievement in ELA has steadily declined -1.1, clearly showing the current programs are not working. Then compare that to the national average of 65.1%.

Science also took a 0.1% loss which puts it back at 2021-22 levels at 29.3 achievement rates.

Along with the data release, ODE has identified key areas for targeted action to support improved student performance, including continued and increased investment in K-12 literacy, support for summer and afterschool learning, refining data and policy practices and developing an accountability framework. The key areas they want to target are:

• ODE was recently awarded $11.5 million from the U.S. Department of Education to deepen and expand literacy efforts across the K-12 continuum. This grant is the initial installment of a potential total of $57 million, with funds flowing as soon as the 2025-26 school year to high need districts through competitive subgrants. This new grant builds on the momentum generated by the Early Literacy Success Initiative, the 2023 legislation (HB 3198) that invested more than $90 million in state funding to close opportunity gaps for historically underserved students, including multilingual learners and those experiencing disabilities from birth to 12th grade.
  
  
• The state legislature has tasked a workgroup to address critical areas such as equitable access to summer and afterschool programs, sustainable funding, streamlined grant administration, program quality and oversight, and incentivizing partnerships.
  
  
• Ongoing examination of achievement data to guide decision making in order to direct resources where they are most needed. ODE is elevating a system of assessments by combining the state summative test results with other data, such as the Student Educational Equity Development (SEED) Survey. The intent is to highlight those students who had more frequent opportunities to learn (e.g. write about what they read, use different ways to show math thinking, etc.) were also more likely to be proficient on the state summative tests.
  
  
• ODE is developing an accountability framework in partnership with education and community partners that represents the diversity of our state in terms of race/ethnicity, region, gender, and role. This workgroup is synthesizing the guiding principles and student success categories that will drive the identification of indicators that can be used to shine a light on Oregon’s K-12 education system in places that might need additional attention.

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ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams said, “Several targeted efforts are underway to support students including the statewide investment and commitment to early literacy best practices. As funding and supports from the Early Literacy Success Initiative become embedded in schools, we will begin to see a significant payoff for Oregon’s scholars.”

Governor Tina Kotek expressed her dissatisfaction, “We must double down on our commitment and collaboration to fix the gaps in our system that are failing students. I am focused on working with education partners across the whole system to identify evidence-based solutions, increase high-quality learning opportunities, and strengthen student wellbeing.”

Filling the gap to regain pre-pandemic levels that are below national levels, is to continue to be below achievement levels the state should be providing students. After three years of no viable gains, it’s a high indicator that the state’s answer to throw more money in the system is failing students. It has encouraged a growing movement towards school choice with funding that follows the student as an attractive education option.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-10-03 18:46:36

Last Update: 2024-10-03 19:47:46

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek issued Executive Order 24-28 directing state agencies to take all actions necessary and work cooperatively to fulfill the State of Oregon’s commitments to the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI).

Governor Kotek said, “The Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative is the result of a historic, unified partnership with sovereign Tribal nations and the states of Oregon and Washington – and I am committed to full implementation of our agreement over the next decade. My directives to state agencies will uphold our state’s commitment and complement other efforts by the state to build a resilient and adaptive future to climate change, while also positioning our communities for a prosperous economic future.”

The “Six Sovereigns,” made up of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the states of Oregon and Washington, joined together to develop the CBRI.

In December 2023, the United States government agreed to a suite of actions memorialized in the federal commitments made by the Biden-Harris Administration in response to the CBRI, in conjunction with a Presidential Memorandum, and the federal commitments together comprise the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA).

In collaboration with the Biden-Harris Administration, an agreement was developed to work in partnership with the Six Sovereigns to restore wild salmon populations, expand Tribally sponsored clean energy production, and provide stability for communities that depend on the Columbia River System for agriculture, energy, recreation, and transportation.

A key to the stability of the region is the development of clean, reliable, and affordable replacement power for the region prior to considering removal of existing dams on the Snake River as a priority in the agreement.

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To achieve these outcomes, Governor Kotek is directing relevant Oregon state agencies to:

• By February 2025, develop a report that outlines program commitments and existing statutory or administrative needs and capacity.
• Twice annually, meet with the Governor’s Office to review coordination among the State of Oregon, the federal government, and the other Six Sovereigns for the purpose of assessing their work to achieve and accelerate full implementation of the CBRI and RBCA.
• By June 2025, and annually thereafter, report to their respective boards or commissions on their implementation of the CBRI and RBCA, including identifying opportunities to enhance their agency’s role in CBRI and RBCA implementation.
• By November 2025, and annually thereafter, convene with the Governor’s Office a meeting with the Six Sovereigns to discuss ongoing implementation efforts and opportunities for collaboration to optimize implementation by Oregon.

The Governor’s Executive Order also directs the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) to identify opportunities for the NWPCC to advance the goals of the CBRI and RBCA and, by April 2025, deliver a report to the Governor of the opportunities that have been identified and the actions that are needed to implement those opportunities.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-10-01 20:14:35

Last Update: 2024-10-01 22:54:21

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality recently asked for public comments on rules for the Climate Protection Program (CPP). In December 2023, the Oregon Court of Appeals invalidated CPP for not complying with notice requirements. The new rules will:

• Reestablish a program to set limits on greenhouse gas emissions from significant sources in Oregon including large stationary sources, transportation fuels, and other liquid and gaseous fuels.
• Set an enforceable and declining limit, or cap, on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels used in Oregon, including diesel, gasoline, natural gas, and propane beginning in 2025.
• Prioritize equity by promoting benefits and alleviating burdens for environmental justice communities.
• Reestablish a climate program with comparable scope and emissions reduction ambitions as the previously adopted Climate Protection Program.

Oregon’s intense policy mandates based on human caused climate change has caused energy bills to sky rocket, and the elimination of fossil fuels is impacting transportation and costs of produce. Now, an inconvenient truth, a new study vindicates the human desire to be effective, efficient and economically minimal that challenges the theory that human emissions are the primary driver of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration.

It turns out that fossil fuel emissions have a negligible impact on atmospheric CO2 levels, especially when compared to natural phenomenon like natural fluctuations in sea surface temperatures according to research, published in the Science of Climate Change. The research shows that sea surface temperatures (SST) dictate atmospheric CO2 levels. This research calls into question every climate change agenda proposed by global governments and institutions.

Dao Ato, an independent researcher, Osaka, Japan, released his study comparing the impacts of sea surface temperature and human emissions on atmospheric CO2 concentrations derived from NASA and the UK-HADLEY Centre datasets, which has the most accurate predictors of CO2. The analysis spanned from 1959 to 2022 and employed multiple linear regression techniques to evaluate the influence of sea surface temperature and human CO2 emissions on the annual increase in atmospheric CO2. He built his research upon three other studies that established fossil fuel emissions had no impact on CO2 levels so much so that a 2009 study produced such a negligible impact on atmospheric CO2 that it was excluded having no impact on the planet.

The study conclusion reads:

The global SST has been the main determinant of annual increases in atmospheric CO? concentrations since 1959. No human impact was observed. This result indicates that human efforts to curb CO? emissions have been, at least in the past, meaningless. Moreover, the theory that modern global warming and climate change are caused by human-emitted CO? is also wrong, irrelevantly to the credibility of the story that modern warming and climate change are occurring more dramatically than those in the past.

Ato’s study also found that human methane emissions, despite rising dramatically in recent decades, have not contributed to rising methane concentrations in the atmosphere through the 21st century.

The study’s findings suggest that natural variations in sea surface temperature, rather than human activities, are the dominant factor influencing fluctuations in atmospheric CO2. This study challenges the prevailing narrative that human emissions are the primary driver of climate change, and should call into question all global government narratives surrounding the climate change agenda.

Oregon has been on its own planet for more than a decade, not stopping to do due diligence or research best practices. As early as 2009 a whistleblower leaked thousands of emails between scientists in high-ranking positions in the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). These emails document their “unethical attempts to suppress contrary opinions and publications from climate skeptics.” He submits that climate change is a political hoax with no true basis in real science/data.

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There are many Al Gore types that are calling these studies a hoax, but cannot disprove them. They have gone to great effort to tie CO2 levels to temperature changes and human activity and those ties are becoming weak. Now that fossil fuels aren’t increasing in the atmosphere as predicted, government is doing other activities to keep the pretense going. Most notably is adding to wildfires by increasing prescribed burns, and building windmill farms at sea to disrupt surface temperatures to increase CO2 levels inland.

Historically, climate changes in cycles, always has and always will. When government lacks due diligence with an independent scientific study, how much suppression and tyrannical control can a democratic republic tolerate?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-29 02:51:39

Last Update: 2024-09-29 10:56:52

Oregon measure 118 is far from being transparent and simple as they claim. The eye catcher is the $1,600 yearly income, which would be $6,400 for a family of four. There are very few restrictions on who would receive this windfall and will go to prisoner, drug addicts, undocumented residents, cartel traffickers, and anyone else living in Oregon. Under Measure 118, the current minimum corporation tax is replaced with a 3 percent gross receipts tax. It is being sold as a classic tax on big business, but it functions like an aggressive sales tax on consumers.

So where does all this money come from? They say big corporations need to spread their wealth back to residents of Oregon. And where do big corporations get their profits – from us, you and me. That family of four will pay approximately 12 percent more for purchases like groceries, clothes, entertainment devices, utilities, and general goods. They will also pay income tax on the added funds if they make over $40,000. Redistribution of wealth is the backbone of a socialist government, which has a history of failing. Is that where Oregon is headed?

The Tax Foundation says this scheme is a hidden sales tax, which voters have rejected 10 times. They calculate that a modest corporation of $50 million in Oregon sales would generally owe taxes of $294,000 on average profit margins of 6.6 to 7.6 percent. Under measure 118, paying 3 percent on gross receipt, they would pay $1.5 million, which is 37.5 percent on profits. You might say they can afford it, but that isn’t the whole picture. Unfortunately, this sales tax isn’t just imposed at the retail level. It’s also imposed on the same product at the wholesale level, and at each stage of the manufacturing process. The tax is embedded at every level of production. That creates what is called tax pyramiding, where the final price to consumers has embedded added tax costs so that each level of production is taxed on the higher added taxed price, effectively the consumer is taxed multiple times on the same item amounting to an approximate 10.9 percent sales tax.

The proposed tax is also regressive, since the highest effective rates are on consumer goods (where profit margins are often slim) and the lowest effective rates are in areas like information services, where profit margins are often larger. Typically, there are far more stages of production for retail goods than for services. Groceries, which have notoriously low margins, would be hit particularly hard. The Tax Foundation charted effective rates at a single stage of production for several different industry sectors, not even taking into account how many times the tax would pyramid for the goods and services provided by these industries.

If Oregon were to see the same levels of pyramiding as Washington State has documented, consumers could expect to see about a 12 percent price increase. It may not show up on the receipt, but a 12 percent sales tax would impact Oregon’s livability negatively. According to “Rich States, Poor States” (2024 edition), Oregon is currently ranked 42nd out of 50 states in terms of its economic outlook. This forward-looking forecast is based on the state’s standing in 15 important policy variables. A WalletHub report (August 2024) ranked Oregon among the top 10 worst states to live in, citing factors such as high cost of living, housing affordability, restaurants per capita, and job opportunities, which would all be hit harder by measure 118.

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The pyramiding of taxes creates incentives for businesses to do as much of their production as possible outside Oregon borders, which is bad for Oregon’s economy. In 2023, Portland was fifth highest for large cities and Grants Pass was ranked 13th highest in the nation for unemployment. Increasing unemployment would put pressure on the legislature to increase the 3 percent tax, which could be done by a simple majority once the funding source (tax) is passed as law.

Will outside influencers be successful in deceiving Oregon voters that are so aversive to a sales tax?


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-24 12:19:42

Last Update: 2024-09-23 23:40:31

Oregpn 4th District Republican candidate Monique DeSpain condemned Val Hoyle’s vote against H.R. 7909 Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act, which would make non-U.S. nationals (alien under federal law) who admit to or are convicted of domestic violence crimes and sex offenses, including conspiracy to commit a sex offense, inadmissible for entry and deportable.

“This past Thursday, Val Hoyle voted against the bipartisan Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act H.R. 7909, which would make it easier for law enforcement to deport illegal aliens who assault or rape women,” stated DeSpain. “Hoyle pretends she stands up for women’s rights, but when it comes to deporting illegal aliens who assault women, she stands with the rapists and abusers. Hoyle is nothing but a thoughtless administration rubber stamp who won’t even stand with Democrats who want border security and a safe country for their constituents.”

Hoyle rejects all bipartisan attempts to achieve national security. In early 2023, Hoyle voted against H.R. 2 Secure The Border Act, which would have:

• Restarted building the border wall
• Ended Biden catch and release policy
• Reinstituted the Remain in Mexico policy
• Deployed technology to the southern and northern border
• Increased the number of Border Patrol agents
• Strengthened the asylum process
• Reimbursed states for costs incurred while securing the border.

Earlier this year, Val Hoyle went to El Paso, TX, and praised open borders while lecturing her constituents who asked her, “Why don’t you just shut down the border?” explaining that “We need to have movement through the border and how much we need the workforce.” Seven weeks later, Texas National Guard Troops at an El Paso, Texas checkpoint were overrun and assaulted by foreign military-aged males forcing their way into our country.

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As a result of the Biden Harris open border policies that Hoyle supports, lawmakers have fought to protect Americans by passing the following bills in Congress, all of which Hoyle voted against:

• H.R. 7511 Laken Riley Act requiring ICE to detain illegal migrants who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.
• H.R.7343 Detain and Deport Illegal Aliens Who Assault Cops Act requiring ICE to detain any illegal aliens who assault a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.
• HR 5283 Protecting our Communities from Failure to Secure the Border Act barring the housing of illegal immigrants in national parks, forests, and public lands
• H.R. 1371 Strongly condemning the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris’s, failure to secure the United States border
• H.Res. 957 Resolution Denouncing Biden Border Crisis
• H. Res. 863 Impeaching Biden Secretary of Open Borders Alejandro Mayorkas for his role in causing this crisis and providing false testimony to Congress about it.
• H.R. 8580 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act included a provision that would H.Amdt.958 that would prohibit the use of funds for the Department of Veterans Affairs to process medical claims for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Health Service Corps, originally proposed under H.R.6744 - No VA Resources for Illegal Aliens Act.
• H.R. 8281 Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act requiring individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections.
• H. R. 7109 Equal Representation Act to count and exclude the massive influx of millions and millions of illegal migrants during the Biden Administration in the next U.S. Census from Congressional Reapportionment.

“Val’s appalling support for the current administration’s disastrous open border and the devastating ramifications we all feel has led directly to unlimited illegal immigration, human smuggling, fentanyl trafficking, overwhelmed communities and law enforcement, and terrorist infiltration,” said DeSpain. “Representative Hoyle supports the interests of criminal illegal immigrants over law-abiding immigrants and other people severely impacted by crime every chance she gets by casting votes no reasonable person in the 4th District would approve. Voters, especially female assault victims, deserve a representative in Washington, D.C., who puts them first. I will.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-23 16:43:03

Last Update: 2024-09-23 17:01:34

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.”

House Republicans will introduce legislation to safeguard our elections in the 2025 session.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-23 16:16:28

Last Update: 2024-09-23 16:43:03

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.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-21 12:23:15

Last Update: 2024-09-21 00:41:00

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.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-20 13:23:36

Last Update: 2024-09-21 00:40:21

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.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-20 12:19:48

Last Update: 2024-09-19 19:44:09

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.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-17 09:11:20

Last Update: 2024-09-17 00:55:56

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.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-13 23:27:33

Last Update: 2024-09-14 00:07:13

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.”

The report, entitled State Secrets: How Transparent Are State School Report Cards About the Effects of COVID? was produced by CRPE. According to it's website, the Center on Reinventing Public Education is a research organization at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College where transformative ideas are rigorously examined and tested, and research informs action

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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.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-06 06:21:34

Last Update: 2024-09-05 16:44:11

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.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-09-05 20:23:28

Last Update: 2024-09-05 21:08:56

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.

--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-05 12:44:24

Last Update: 2024-09-05 13:16:39

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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."


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-04 22:50:22

Last Update: 2024-09-04 23:07:47

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.

Media reports have exposed clear evidence of a cozy, highly inappropriate relationship between Hoyle and La Mota’s CEO, Rosa Cazares, for whom Hoyle authorized, supported, and lobbied to issue an illegal federal grant to a Cazares-controlled non-profit now under federal investigation.

“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.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-09-03 18:07:21

Last Update: 2024-09-03 21:52:29

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.

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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.


--Dollie Banner

Post Date: 2024-09-03 14:35:30

Last Update: 2024-09-03 17:07:53

Fourth District Congressional Candidate Monique DeSpain has announced her opposition to the state ballot Measure 118 that would impose the largest tax increase in Oregon history in the form of a 3% tax on the gross receipts, not just profits, of any corporation with Oregon sales of more than $25 million a year in order to send an annual check of $750 to individuals residing in Oregon for at least 200 days. The scheme, known as Universal Basic Income, has been tried and abandoned as a failure in several countries in recent years and has been funded overwhelmingly by wealthy California-based individuals and organizations, led by venture capitalist and UBI activist Josh Jones.

“I oppose the inflationary and economically destructive Measure 118 and urge voters to defeat it on the ballot this November,” stated DeSpain. “Once again, out-of-state wealthy interests are trying to dupe Oregonians into being experimented on by an expensive, damaging, radical policy. We’ve seen this movie before with the catastrophe of Measure 110, and we know it ends in disaster for working people and families. It’s time to take the ‘kick me’ sign off of our state and instead unite to pursue effective, commonsense policies for a prosperous and affordable economy for all Oregonians.”

In addition to opposition from business groups whose members would be impacted, the measure has also received opposition from across the political spectrum for its expected inflationary consequences for Oregon consumers and a forecasted reduction in government tax revenues available for funding schools, other essential services, and the state’s healthcare infrastructure. It faces particularly strong opposition from grocery retailers who typically operate on 1-3% profit margins, which would be wiped out by the 3% tax and very likely result in leading grocers closing stores and raising prices to stave off financial losses.

“The bottom line with Measure 118 is that it will cause inflation to go up and businesses to flee or go bankrupt,” said DeSpain. “With the urgent crises gripping our state and nation of unsecured borders, declining public safety, spiraling drug addiction, rising homelessness, and a crushing inflation all fueled by other failed policy experiments, the last thing citizens of the Fourth District of Oregon need right now is a failed socialist income redistribution idea adding another crisis to the list.”

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“Speaking out on behalf of the Fourth District against Measure 118 is what real leadership looks like. For years, career politicians like Congresswoman Val Hoyle have rubberstamped one disastrous policy after another, and voters have had enough,” added DeSpain. “As a retired Air Force Colonel, a fighter for crime victims, and the mother of twin sons, I am ready to deploy to Congress to bring my independent leadership to fight for Oregon’s voiceless in Washington, D.C.”

This past May, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee moved Val Hoyle to its “Frontline” list of vulnerable incumbents, a powerful sign of Hoyle’s weakness versus the strong challenge being offered by GOP nominee DeSpain. Last week, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) named Monique DeSpain to their Young Guns Program, recognizing her campaign as one of the best and strongest in the country and making OR-04 a key flip opportunity for national Republicans. DeSpain has challenged Hoyle to six debates in six counties in the 4th District, to which Hoyle has so far failed to agree.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-08-31 12:42:02

Last Update: 2024-08-31 13:33:52

A year ago Oregon State University Extension Service encouraged homeowners to not take down their ash trees before they are infested bu the Emerald ash borer or unless the insect has been detected nearby. Homeowners have the option of using a systemic pesticide to keep the insects at bay, but once the beetles arrive, pesticides won’t kill them.

Now it has become real for four counties. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has detected the Emerald ash borer (EAB) and expanded the EAB Quarantine Alert to Yamhill, Marion, and Clackamas counties. This brings the number of counties with EAB populations to four, including Washington County, where APHIS first confirmed EAB in Oregon in June 2022.

This highly destructive wood-boring pest targets ash, white fringe trees, and olive trees. The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) has expanded the quarantine per the Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR 603-052-1075) on ash, white fringe trees, and olive tree material in these counties.

The four counties are on permanent quarantine status for ash, olive, and white fringe tree. They must remain within the quarantined counties, and wood waste must be processed as regulated. The Oregon Department of Forestry warns that the establishment of Emerald Ash Borers will likely devastate ash woodlands and riparian zones where native Oregon Ash (Fraxinus latifolia) is a dominate species. These trees provide important shade, food and habitat resources in riparian areas where soils can be poorly draining and where seasonally high water tables can exclude other tree species.

Oregon ash (Fraxinus latifolia), a member of the olive family (Oleaceae), is one of 16 species of ash in the United States. It is the only ash species that is native to the Pacific Northwest; however, ornamental ash species from other parts of the country and world are commonly used in landscaping in Salem, including: white ash (F. americana), flowering ash (F. ornus), Raywood ash (F. oxycarpa), green ash (F. pennsylvanica), European ash (F. execelsior), black ash (F. nigra), and velvet ash (F. velutina).

City of Salem staff is moving quickly to implement Emerald ash borer management plans after ODA confirmed detection of the Emerald ash borer in Marion County on August 28, 2024. The loss of ash trees caused by EAB infestations could lead to a reduction in urban tree canopy, an increase in invasive plants taking hold within communities, and loss of shade and habitat along streams, to name just a few of the anticipated impacts.

Milan Davis, Salem’s Urban Forester said, “We are collaborating with the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Department of Agriculture and have plans in place to start implementing preservation strategies this coming spring and to complete an overall management strategy to protect urban tree canopy against EAB for years to come.”

Since the first observation of the Emerald ash borer in Oregon on June 30, 2022, Salem officials have been working on a plan for responding to the arrival of this aggressive tree pest in order to slow its spread and preserve Salem's tree canopy.

The quarantine does not allow the movement of tree materials from ash, olive and white-fringe trees outside the county unless they meet certain conditions. Live plant material is eligible for compliance agreements with the Oregon Department of Agriculture if one of the following conditions is met:

• Diameter at the base of the plants is less than 0.75 inches
• Plants were grown in a screenhouse approved by the ODA
• Plants have been properly treated with an approved insecticide
• Debark wood and remove at least 1 inch of underlying wood
• Grind or chip to 1 inch or less
• Heat wood to a minimum of 140°F for at least 60 minutes
• Bury under at least 12 inches of topsoil
• Incinerate wood materials
• Secondary processing to produce wood by-products (i.e. paper)
• Other methods specified within a compliance agreement with the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

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Suggested care for Ash trees includes keeping trees from stress:

• Water your trees in the dry months and maintain a layer of woodchips or mulch around the base of your trees.
• Avoid pruning, especially during high EAB activity (April through October). Pruning can send signals to insects that a tree is in stress. A professional arborist can also provide guidance on other things you can do to improve the health of your trees.
• If planting new trees on your property, carefully inspect plant materials before purchasing. Avoid planting new ash trees.
• Report observations of EAB or trees with symptoms by calling 1-866-INVADER or reporting online to the Oregon Invasive Species Online Hotline.
• Enroll in OSU Extension's Oregon Forest Pest Detector Program to learn more about recognizing and reporting signs and symptoms of high-priority, invasive forest pests like EAB.

--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-30 11:26:32

Last Update: 2024-08-29 19:15:49

As students across Oregon begin a new school year, Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) is demanding accountability and transparency from the state's largest teachers’ union, the Oregon Education Association, led by Union President Reed Scott-Schwalbach. Concerns have surfaced regarding the OEA's potential ties with the Democrat Socialists of America, a radical group that openly supports pro-Hamas rhetoric. Following the discovery that OEA was regularly hosting DSA’s monthly meetings at their headquarters, DSA proclaimed via social media that “Oregon's educator unions and DSA are in a committed relationship”.

“The OEA represents over 41,000 teachers across Oregon, and their actions have a significant impact on the education of our children,” said Leader Bonham. “If the OEA is actively involved with the Democrat Socialists of America, who have been openly pro-terrorist, it raises serious questions about their commitment to neutrality in our classrooms. Oregon’s parents and students deserve to know where the OEA stands and how its affiliations may influence the education system.”

Oregon's public education system is already struggling to deliver positive outcomes for students, with many falling behind in critical subjects like reading, math, and science. Rather than being distracted by extreme political ideologies, the OEA should be fully focused on improving educational outcomes and supporting teachers in their mission to provide a quality education to every student.

“Our education system is at a critical juncture, and we cannot afford to have it sidetracked by political partisanship,” Bonham continued. “Oregon's children deserve a public education system that is transparent, accountable, and dedicated to their academic success. The OEA must be transparent with its affiliations to ensure that the focus remains where it belongs—on the students.”

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As the new school year begins, Leader Bonham is calling on the OEA to publicly clarify its position, disclose any affiliations with extremist groups, and reaffirm its commitment to impartiality and the best interests of Oregon's students and teachers. He also encourages parents, teachers, and community members to demand transparency and hold the education system accountable to prevent any undue influence from radical political agendas.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-08-30 05:27:21

Last Update: 2024-08-30 23:47:04

The latest revenue forecast reveals that Oregon's economic situation remains precarious, with stagnant growth, persistent inflation, and rising costs posing ongoing challenges for the state. Despite modest revenue increases, the forecast underscores the need for cautious budgeting and prudent spending as the state faces significant economic uncertainty.

“This forecast is another clear warning that we must exercise fiscal restraint,” said Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles). “Oregon families are already feeling the squeeze from high costs, and it's imperative that we don't add to their burden by overspending.”

The forecast, while showing slight improvements in revenue projections, highlights the continued pressure from inflation and the impact of rising costs on state finances. Senate Republicans caution against relying on these modest gains to justify increased spending, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing essential services, and addressing the long-term financial health of the state.

“Now is not the time to get complacent,” added Senator Lynn Findley (R-Vale), who sits on the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. “We need to focus on sustainable budgeting practices that protect Oregonians from the uncertainty of the future. Our priority should be ensuring that we have the resources to support critical needs without overburdening taxpayers.”

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Senate Republicans also reiterated their call for a comprehensive review of state spending to identify areas where efficiencies can be found. With the state facing ongoing challenges, they argue that now is the time to reassess priorities and make tough decisions to ensure Oregon's economic stability.

“Every dollar spent must be scrutinized to ensure it's serving the best interests of Oregonians,” Bonham added. “We need to make smart choices now to avoid more difficult decisions down the road.”

In response to the August revenue forecast, House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) offered the following remarks.

“This forecast shows that government and government-adjacent bureaucracies are expanding while private industries struggle to keep up. Meanwhile, inflation remains higher than national averages. Many in the current majority will call for new taxes next session, which will make these problems worse. The legislature should resist the push for new taxes both to ease the cost burden for families and to unleash Oregon’s private sector potential,” said Leader Helfrich.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-08-28 22:02:13

Last Update: 2024-08-29 10:52:48

The year 2021 was pivotal in Oregon when voters lost control over maintaining voter rolls. The Oregon legislature passed HB 2681 to suspend cleaning voter rolls, sponsored by Representative Dan Rayfield (D-Corvallis), running for Attorney General. No one will be taken off the active voter rolls even if their address is wrong or they have not voted for any period of time.

The bloating of voter rolls will increasingly cost taxpayers a lot more to send out ballots to addresses that are no longer accurate for that voter. A Rasmussen Poll from a national telephone and online survey found that 75% of likely U.S. voters believe voters should be required to show photo identification such as a driver’s license before being allowed to vote. Only 21% are opposed to such a requirement.

Eight states have enacted voter ID laws since the 2020 election, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures: Arkansas, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio and Wyoming. The US Supreme Court recently added Arizona to the list allowing them to reinstate proof of American citizenship for voter registration.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced last week that since signing Senate Bill 1 into law in 2021, Texas has removed over one million people from the state’s voter rolls, including people who moved out-of-state, are deceased, and are noncitizens. That removal process has been, and will continue to be, ongoing.

While other states are working towards election integrity, Oregon is making it easier for illegal voting by a self-certification of citizenship, and never cleaning voter rolls. Oregon’s Secretary of State was notified earlier this year in a “pre-suit” to come into compliance with the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

In 2018, the Supreme Court confirmed that removals are mandatory in Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Inst., 138 S. Ct. 1833, 1841-42 (2018).

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Oregon has approximately one-fifth the registered votes that Texas has, and comparing their results, Oregon could see removal of 1,300 noncitizens, 1,200 voters with felony convictions, 91,400 deceased people, 92,600 unresponsive suspended voters, 26,800 confirming they have moved, 13,000 failing to respond to notice, 3,800 requests to cancel their registration, for a total of 230,000 potential removals. Texas further strengthened the law by increasing the penalty for illegal voting, including voting by noncitizens, to a second-degree felony.

In contrast, Oregon passed HB 4133 (2022) allowing the last 4 digits of Social Security number for online voter registration, and HB 2107 (2023) that expanded Oregon’s Automatic Voter Registration system to the Oregon Health Plan to register users of that system to be automatically registered as voter.

It didn’t stop there, SB 166 claims to protect voter privacy, but it prevents observers from getting the ballot images to discover fraud and assist in cleaning voter rolls. This bill could make the cast vote record cost up to $700,000 in some counties. The ballot is a public document for rule of the people.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-27 20:50:24

Last Update: 2024-08-27 21:45:45

Oregon OSHA is proposing significant changes to its safety and health rules for housing that employers provide to workers, most often in agricultural settings. The proposed rule changes are part of a comprehensive package of program enhancements aimed at protecting agricultural workers and their families and boosting employer compliance.

The division's agricultural labor housing (ALH) rule proposal is going through the public hearing and comment process before it is adopted. The proposed rules address the potential hazards in employer-provided housing. Oregon OSHA regulates such facilities from the perspective of workplace safety and health.

The rule proposal is part of a comprehensive set of reforms on how the division addresses ALH. Those reforms, which are in addition to the rule proposal, would be incorporated as part of the budget and other administrative processes. Altogether, the reform package includes:

• Rule changes that would substantially raise the protective standards for indoor and outdoor facilities that employers must include when they provide housing.
• Technical assistance to support the Oregon Department of Agriculture in providing $5 million in grant funds to growers for existing on-farm housing compliance with the rule change, and additional funding for infrastructure improvements once the existing grant funding is exhausted.
• Development of a new, annual self-certification requirement for employers that would be pursued through a budget proposal during the 2025 legislative session. If approved, it would complement future enhancements to the registration system by including more detailed information about each location's amenities.
• Establishment of a new seasonal ALH surveyor program to increase Oregon OSHA's ability to evaluate conditions at housing locations. The surveyor program would deploy seven seasonal surveyors to evaluate site conditions, attempt to gain compliance, and refer a site to Oregon OSHA's enforcement program if needed.
• Increased interagency coordination regarding issues affecting agricultural workers.

Renée Stapleton, administrator for Oregon OSHA commented: “Our comprehensive approach to ALH reflects the fact that this rule proposal must be accompanied by additional, program-level steps to bolster the safety and health of who we know are among our most vulnerable workers and families. And with all of these proposed changes, we are focusing on increasing protective measures while maintaining a stable operating environment for employers."

Andrew Stolfi, director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, of which Oregon OSHA is a division states: “Worker protection is at the core of our mission. We know that we cannot achieve our mission simply by issuing regulations, which is why we are proposing a comprehensive, multi-agency approach to protecting some of our most vulnerable workers. We look forward to receiving public comment on these proposals."

Public hearings on the ALH rule proposal will follow a public comment period, which may be submitted by email at OSHA.rulemaking@dcbs.oregon.gov. The deadline for submitting comments and the public hearing schedule will be posted online on Oregon OSHA's proposed rule and the agricultural labor housing webpages.

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The proposal's language – available for review online in more detail – includes delayed effective dates for certain provisions, recognizing the need for time to prepare for the changes. The table shows the proposal broken down by category and year of implementation:

• Registration deadline is January 2025 to remove exception that housing provided for nonfood crops were not required to register, submit water testing results, and require sites in Initial registration to have no hazardous conditions.
• Facility Grounds proposed exterior/walkway lighting by January 2025 and remove livestock care exception by 2026.
• Laundry proposed tubs, trays and laundry machines and separate cleaning for contaminated clothes by 2026.
• Water testing results in language of occupants, and add arsenic and nitrates to well water testing frequency implemented by 2025. By 2026 require water pressure to be at least 20 psi.
• Bathing facilities with locking shower stalls by 2026, and private changing rooms by 2027.
• Toilets to include solid doors and handwashing with paper towels by 2025. Facilities must have 200 feet and provide 1:10 ratio for each gender
• Kitchens need protected food storage by 2025, and gas vented burners by 2026, and enclosed kitchens with plumbed sinks with hot and cold water by 2027.
• Housing must have mattresses with cleanable covers, and add safety measures including reporting diseases by 2025. Heating and cooling and electrical outlets in sleeping areas, and lockable storage by 2026. By 2027, provide at least 50 square feet per bed in sleeping rooms with bunk beds.

Oregon OSHA's announcement of the package of reforms follows a challenging multi-year, comprehensive review of its existing ALH requirements that included using a rulemaking advisory committee. The division garnered input from growers, agricultural associations, housing operators, and employee representative groups. For more information, go to osha.oregon.gov.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-18 15:01:08

Last Update: 2024-08-16 16:50:38

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek led a Mobilization Ceremony for the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) at the Salem Armory. The Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers will be deploying to the Kosovo Force (KFOR) Mission. The 41st IBCT will be returning to the U.S European Command as part of a 28-country alliance to maintain a safe and secure environment across the region.

During the ceremony, members of the 41st IBCT were honored as they prepared for their deployment, which is part of KFOR’s 34th rotation. Established to end the Kosovo War, KFOR was authorized to deploy an international peacekeeping force to Kosovo, a mission crucial for maintaining regional security and stability. The brigade’s support will include security forces, logisticians, medical professionals, intelligence analysts, and a command team. In keeping with the National Security Strategy, the 41st IBCT KFOR mission will provide stability, safety and security, as part of a NATO international peacekeeping force.

“I am honored to be with you to mark the deployment of the 41st to support the United States European Command’s Kosovo Force Mission,” Governor Kotek said. “Whether the mission is to protect democracy and peace abroad or protect Oregonians from wildfire here at home, the Oregon National Guard’s Citizen-Soldiers are ‘always ready, always there.’ Serving as your Commander-in-Chief is one of the honors of my lifetime.”

As Governor, Kotek is the Commander-in-Chief of the Oregon National Guard when it is activated for state emergencies or domestic purposes. However, when the Oregon National Guard is deployed overseas, the Commander-in-Chief is the United States Commander-in-Chief, which typically is the President. Must has been said who the Oregon National Guard will report to, but according to military law, it won't be the Biden Administration.

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Col. Peter Helzer, Commander of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, spoke about the deployment’s significance before the ceremony. “The 41st IBCT brings a robust set of capabilities to support the people of Kosovo. From security to medical and logistical support, Oregonians will contribute to the stability and security of the region as part of the NATO effort.”

Support and education for employers, families, and other service members during mobilizations can be found in programs like the Employer Support of Guard and Reserve (ESGR) and Service Member and Family Support (SMFS).

The 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team continues its long legacy of service, tracing its lineage back to the 41st Infantry Division that served in World War I and performed the longest overseas service of any division in the U.S., in the Pacific during World War II.

To view the ceremony visit the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team’s Facebook page.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-16 15:23:45

Last Update: 2024-08-16 16:49:01

Oregon’s Fourth Congressional District Candidate Monique DeSpain announced the launch of her second TV ad spot of her campaign targeting general election voters. The ad is running on broadcast and cable TV, OTT/disconnected cable, and Digital platforms.

“Oregon is in trouble, and voters know things have gotten worse. The career politician currently representing them, Val Hoyle, has ignored their top concerns and has rubber-stamped the disastrous policies making our communities unaffordable and unsafe while she dodges federal investigations into her pay-to-play scandal,” said DeSpain.

“I’m not a career politician, and I will be an independent voice who will bring bold new leadership to Congress,” added DeSpain. “I served our country for 30 years in the Air Force, and I’m ready to serve again to fight for the common sense solutions the people of Oregon’s 4th District need and deserve.”



In late July, DeSpain was named to the National Republican Congressional Committee Young Guns Program, which recognizes a handful of the strongest Republican challenger campaigns in the country. This past May, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee moved Val Hoyle to its “frontline” list of vulnerable incumbents, a powerful sign of Hoyle’s weakness versus the strong challenge being offered by GOP nominee DeSpain. DeSpain has challenged Hoyle to six debates in six counties in the 4th District, to which Hoyle has so far failed to agree. Two weeks ago, DeSpain launched her first TV ad highlighting voters from all walks of life who have had enough of career politicians.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-08-16 10:36:17

Last Update: 2024-08-14 10:47:28

A lawsuit has been filed in Federal Court to overturn a recent firearms restriction. In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed HB 2005 which bans many home made firearms and firearm parts. The suit names current Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and current Superintendent of the Oregon State Police Casey Codding as defendants. The plaintiffs in the suit are Dallin Montgomery, Nick Holdway, Kevin Walters, Oregon Firearms Federation, and Firearms Policy Coalition. All three individual plaintiffs have concealed carry licenses and own firearms described in the bill.

According to the complaint, "The net effect of HB 2005 is to criminalize the core aspects of the self-manufacture of firearms."

The complaint goes on to describe the history of home made firearms. "Throughout American history, people have been free to personally manufacture, construct, and/or assemble arms for lawful purposes, including self-defense in the home. In defiance of this historical tradition, Oregon’s Bans completely and categorically prohibit individuals not prohibited from exercising their Second Amendment protected rights from possessing, acquiring, and self-manufacturing firearms that are of types, functions, and designs, and are themselves, commonly owned and possessed firearms—self-made firearms that do not bear a manufacturer’s serial number, as well as the component parts used to build such arms—by law-abiding citizens for lawful purposes."

As the bill was making its way through the legislature, Oregon House Republicans pledged to support legal action against HB 2005. According to Oregon Firearms Federation Director Kevin Starrett "Oregon’s House Republicans pulled a “bait and switch” and extorted money from their members with a false promise of funding a lawsuit against the bill they helped pass. Since then they have pretended it never happened and just don’t want to talk about it." OFF is asking for donations to help defray the costs of legal action.

The complaint summarizes the reasoning behind the suit. "Because Plaintiffs’ proposed course of conduct is covered by the Second Amendment’s plain text, it the Constitution “presumptively protects” their conduct. It is thus the State’s burden to “affirmatively prove that its firearms regulation is part of the historical tradition that delimits the outer bounds of the right to keep and bear arms.” (“[W]e are not obliged to sift the historical materials for evidence to sustain New York’s statute. That is respondents’ burden.”). Oregon cannot meet this burden. There is no well-established and representative historical tradition of banning the self-manufacture of arms that are in common use for lawful purposes or banning the self-manufacture of such arms.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-08-15 06:56:26

Last Update: 2024-08-14 10:36:17

Oregon Representative E Warner Reschke (R-Crater Lake) answers: “What is Measure 118?”

“Measure 118 will be one of several ballot measures on your ballot this November. Put simply, Measure 118 is a tax, another tax. Whenever a new tax is introduced into Oregon’s economy, it means you will pay more for the things you buy, period.

“Measure 118 tries to fool you by claiming you’ll get a check from the government. “Pass 118 and get money,” is the pitch. Sounds great, right? But Measure 118 is the classic bait & switch. As my Dad used to say, “There is no such thing as a free lunch, someone always pays.” In this case, that is you — you’ll be paying more with higher prices on everything."



How Measure 118 Works

“Measure 118 is like going to your favorite cafe to buy a coffee for $5. Pass Ballot Measure 118 and you could get money back from the government, but now the coffee’s price will increase and could be $8, or higher. But it won’t just be coffee’s price going up — everything will go up! What’s worse is Measure 118 is not just a tax, but a tax on a tax!

“Measure 118 will tax businesses on their gross revenue, not their profits. That means you won’t be taxed directly, but indirectly through higher prices everywhere. When your gas station, your utilities, your grocery store, your coffee shop, your home improvement store, your doctor’s office, your delivery service (Door Dash, Amazon, Fed Ex, UPS, etc), your bank, your cell phone service, your home and auto insurance, your beer or wine, your prescriptions and your fast food restaurant all have their taxes go up, they pass that cost along to you. Furthermore, if they use electricity or fuel to keep the lights and get supplies to their location, those additional costs will also get passed along to you.

“This tax is called a gross receipts tax; it is the worst kind of tax for businesses because even if the business is losing money, it will incur these new tax costs directly or indirectly — and pass them along to you.

“Gross receipts taxes discourage businesses from coming to Oregon, for start-ups to find their footing and for current businesses to expand. That means fewer jobs in Oregon; that means less opportunities for Oregonians. That’s why both Democrat and Republican lawmakers are opposed to Measure 118.

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“As Oregonians try to recover from high inflation, Measure 118 will breathe new life into further increasing prices on nearly everything you buy. Don’t Be Fooled. Oregonians Don’t Deserve Higher Prices!”

For more information visit the No On Measure 118 website.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-14 18:33:15

Last Update: 2024-08-14 19:20:24

As dozens of wildfires burn, smoke spreads, and emergencies are declared, fourth District Candidate for Congress Monique DeSpain criticized incumbent Congresswoman Val Hoyle’s leadership failure to deliver wildfire prevention after nearly two years in Congress. Oregon's fourth Congressional District contains Eugene and the Southern Oregon Coast region.

“Another year brings us another season of choking on smoke from wildfires. Everyone supports doing more to fight these fires, but voters in the Fourth District have had enough of the excuses for failing to diminish and end these annual wildfire emergencies, which are both predictable and preventable,” stated DeSpain. “In a district that is 85% forestland, of which half of it is federally-managed and where so many of these fires burn out of control every year, our current federal representative, Congresswoman Val Hoyle, hasn’t led in delivering the urgent, proactive, transformative solutions that we need. I will.”

HR 8790 Fix Our Forests Act is comprehensive, bipartisan legislation designed to restore forest health, increase resiliency to catastrophic wildfires, and protect communities by expediting environmental analyses, reducing frivolous lawsuits, and increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration projects. The Act presents desperately needed solutions that would expedite progress under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and improve forest management activities on National Forest System lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, and on Tribal lands to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for other purposes.

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“I am at heart an environmentalist who values our state's beautiful natural ecosystems and its abundant resources. I know that what is happening now, and for the last several years, is not good for the environment nor for any of us living creatures who live in or near our forests. The truth is; either we act now to harvest the timber and underbrush, which serves as a powerful fuel load for these wildfires, or we breathe the timber later as wildfire smoke every year. We must act now to improve overall forest health, which would have the added positive benefit of producing revenue for our local economies and communities that are desperate for law enforcement, school funding, and other basic community resources. This is why I will work with anyone from any party starting on Day One by supporting bipartisan bills like H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act,” added DeSpain.

Widely recognized as a vulnerable Democrat in her reelection campaign, Congresswoman Hoyle has announced that she is skipping the Democratic National Convention later in August in order to remain in Oregon because “Wildfires are getting worse out here and working this is her priority right now.” This statement falls in stark contrast to her signing of an Old Growth Pledge in support of the Biden Administration's plan to further limit the removal of dead trees on federal lands.

“As a retired Air Force Colonel, a fighter for crime victims, and the mother of twin sons, I won’t wait 19 months into my term of office to make wildfire prevention through active forest co-management a priority,” added DeSpain. “Career politicians like Val Hoyle have given us the forest policies we have now that have led to these annual wildfire disasters. She’s even doubled down on failure by signing a pledge to extreme special interest groups vowing to block better forest management policies on more Oregon federal land. I will be an independent voice for our 4th District who will focus on delivering concrete results using proven, effective solutions. Deploy me to Congress, and let's make it happen.”

This past May, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee moved Val Hoyle to its “Frontline” list of vulnerable incumbents, a powerful sign of Hoyle’s weakness versus the strong challenge being offered by GOP nominee DeSpain. Last week, the National Republican Congressional Committee named Monique DeSpain to their Young Guns Program, recognizing her campaign as one of the best in the country and making OR-04 a key flip opportunity for national Republicans. DeSpain has challenged Hoyle to six debates in six counties in the 4th District, to which Hoyle has so far failed to agree.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-08-14 09:32:20

Last Update: 2024-08-14 09:47:58

Oregon's U.S. District 5 covers Linn County, most of Clackamas County, Deschutes County, and parts of Multnomah and Marion Counties. Oregon Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R) is being challenged by Janelle Bynum (D), Sonja Feintech (L), Kurt Hauth (C) and Andrea Thorn Townsend (PG) for the Fifth District spot.

Chavez-DeRemer has accomplished a lot in her first term in Congress. Currently she is focused on obtaining more Federal resources for Oregon firefighters. But, now she has surprised Oregonians by joining a handful of House Republicans supporting Biden’s $370 billion Green New Deal bill, because it brings tax dollars to their districts. Perhaps her constituents will see the benefit.

Chavez-DeRemer signed onto a letter to Speaker Johnson with 17 other House Republicans asking him not to repeal the energy tax credits that are part of the Green New Deal. They argue that eliminating the credits would jeopardize the investments they've made because of the bill's promised payments.

Steve Forbes’ team commented, “Sorry. Private companies are not entitled to billions of dollars of taxpayer money for worthless projects. And members of Congress have a duty to protect the public purse – not raid it.”

Chavez-DeRemer, former mayor of Happy Valley and first Republican congresswoman to represent Oregon, was named a 2024 Hero of Main Street by the National Retail Federation. The recognition is given to lawmakers who work to advance policies that help create a vibrant and healthy retail sector. Retail is the nation’s largest private-sector employer, and contributes over $27 billion in Oregon’s economy. Chavez-DeRemer is a cosponsor of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to protect retailers from this criminal activity, which has cost $720,000 for every $1 billion in sales.

Chavez-DeRemer also introduced the Tolling Transparency Act and the No Tolls on Oregon Roads Act. The bill, HR 4820, passed the House in November but was unfinished business at the close of the session.

Chavez-DeRemer’s biggest contender with like principles is likely to be Sonja Feintech, the Libertarian candidate serving as the party’s Public Policy Council Secretary. Feintech is a mother, farmer, business owner and butcher. She has been labeled as a “fighting warhawk” as the former Political Action Director of FreeOregon, and is out to end the warfare state. The fight isn’t new to her. She stood against COVID tyranny and has fought against oppressive government policies.

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State Representative Janelle Bynum, Democratic candidate, has been dubbed by the New York Times as a “Democrat who could make history — and help her party win back the House.” She is an electrical engineer, small business owner, and state legislator and mom, and is running to become the first Black person to ever represent Oregon on the federal level. As a state representative, Bynum has been a vocal supporter of police reform and of liberalizing drug laws, which is turning against her in Oregon’s re-criminalizing drugs.

Chavez-DeRemer has a challenge to keep her seat.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-12 12:05:22

Last Update: 2024-08-11 20:23:07

Pacific Power announced it is lowering its rate increase request for 2025 from 17.9% to 11.9% overall. For residential customers, that’s a drop from 21.6% to 14.9%. This is a significant reduction relative to the original rate requested in February, and an overall reduction in the company’s rate increase request from $322.3 million to $214.5 million.

The overall proposed average rate increase for residential customers of 14.9% using 950 kilowatt-hours per month would see a $21.49 increase on their monthly power bill. This is closer aligned to Portland General Electric (PGE) request for a 10.9% rate increase.

PacifiCorp states, “Like all utilities in the West, we are managing significantly higher insurance costs due to increased wildfire risk and activity in the region. We have also increased our own insurance coverage to ensure we can continue responsibly managing our energy system for our customers.”

All utilities were affected on April 24, 2023 when a jury verdict found PacifiCorp liable for damages for negligently failing to cut power to its 600,000 customers during a windstorm over Labor Day weekend, despite warnings from top fire officials, and for its power lines being responsible for multiple blazes. That fire killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles and destroyed upward of 5,000 homes and other structures leaving billions of dollars in damages. The case highlights the legal and financial risks utilities take if they fail to take proper precautions in a hotter, drier climate.

After the verdicts were handed down, PacifiCorp filed a request with Oregon’s public utility commission asking to potentially defer the costs linked to the lawsuit. The jury awarded around $90 million to 17 homeowners named as plaintiffs in the case, and damages for a broader class that included about 2,500 properties, totaling nearly $180 million.

In its filing, PacifiCorp said the application would enable it “to preserve its ability to seek recovery in the future” in case potential future class-action damages “impact the financial stability of the company.” Such a move “would result in higher costs to customers.” They are building hundreds of miles of new lines to improve resiliency to mitigate wildfire risks. Wildfire mitigation includes vegetation management, removing dead trees around lines, and forecasting weather disruptions.

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The Oregon’s Citizens’ Utility Board sees the rate hikes as massive investments in infrastructure and creating a slush fund for potential wildfire payouts in the future. The board wants PUC to cap rate increases at 7% plus the rate of inflation, or 10% annually, whichever is lower.

No matter how you look at it, rate payers are assuming the cost of a well-meaning jury that forced infrastructure improvements. Government policies are also leading to economic struggles for countless Oregonians who are forced to keep up with inflation while their sources of income do not. While utilities are forced to incorporate expensive wind and solar energy, and even though Vice President Harris has declared she is for fracking, Oregon still wants to ban the cheapest energy. Natural gas has dropped to the lowest price in 20 years, which is also needed to produce electricity. And, Oregon still hasn’t addressed what Casper, Wyoming, is now facing with 870 windmill blades in their landfill that are indestructible and non-recyclable.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-11 12:33:28

Last Update: 2024-08-10 13:07:49

Oregon House Republican Caucus sent a letter to US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday, Aug. 2, in support of a federal disaster declaration to offset certain agriculture losses and damages from wildfires.

The letter supports a request by Governor Tina Kotek to designate the event a disaster, thereby unlocking emergency funds through conservation, hay and grazing, and livestock assistance programs. The letter also supports the governor’s request to expand grazing on federal lands and improve access to weed-free forage. More than a million acres have burned in Oregon, more than any other state.



All areas statewide are already eligible to apply for hazard mitigation assistance. Clackamas, Douglas, Jackson, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, and Marion counties are currently eligible for the Individual Assistance (IA) program, providing grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans for uninsured property losses, and other recovery programs. Survivors can register for disaster assistance by visiting www.DisasterAssistance.gov, calling 800-621-3362, or using the FEMA app.

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Stay informed by calling 211 or visiting wildfire.oregon.gov, which includes the latest information and resources available to those affected by wildfires.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-10 12:06:23

Last Update: 2024-08-10 12:33:28

The unofficial results of a special election held July 30, recalled three Cottage Grove City Councilors, Mike Fleck, Chalice Savage and Alex Dreher. The results are the second attempt by political action committee, Save The Grove, to conduct a recall election.

The group members claim the targeted councilors were not acting in the public’s best interest. The failure of the two unmanaged homeless camps and a perceived lack of attention to taxpayers’ concerns fueled two efforts in the past eight months to recall Cottage Grove city councilors.

Cottage Grove 912 Vice-Chair Chris Wagner commented, "The recall process was used because council actions led to an intolerable homeless situation here in the city where the homeless population exploded leading to a drastic increase in crime and worsening living conditions for residents who live near the new unmanaged camps the city set up. Resident concerns about their situation were ignored by councilors, who refused to take action to correct the situation or even acknowledge that there was a problem.

"The recall was also based on dubious spending actions the council took, chief one being to spend around $70,000 on a process to hire a new city manager when we already had a capable and willing person on city staff ready to step into the position."

Mike Fleck expressed his disappointment. “The recall process is supposed to be used to remove elected officials that have done something wrong, not for political reasons. That’s what the regular elections are for.” To 27-percent of voters, it was more than political.

Alex Dreher defended her position stating. "The real disappointment is the division this has caused in the community. The chaos of the recall lost us $2 million in homeless services that St. Vincent de Paul was going to bring to our city. If you really want to move people out of homelessness, and prevent people from coming here because we have entirely unmanaged camps, $2 million and some structured programs goes a long way. I am concerned that we will be denied other grants and state money because our own community basically turned this down.

Wagner responded, “This recall process has been active since February 2024 following a failed recall attempt in the fall of 2023. It was ongoing when St. Vincent entered the scene so they were not blind-sided by the recall. It may be added that whatever millions of dollars St Vincent might get to run a homeless shelter in Cottage Grove are going to St. Vincent, not to the residents of Cottage Grove or the city. There is also no guarantee that St. Vincent would not try to import more homeless to Cottage Grove if they felt their shelter had "extra capacity" available.”

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According to the City’s charter, a council vacancy is filled by the three remaining councilors and mayor. The appointee must be a resident of the same ward as the predecessor, unless the predecessor was a Councilor-At-Large. The appointees’ term of office will run to the next general election (Nov 5), at which time a candidate will be elected to serve the remaining term.

Councilor Jon Stinnett remarked, “This recall is not going to save our town because our town does not need saving. Our town needs to come together and bring all available resources and ideas together to find a solution. It’s been the way this community has addressed problems for well over a century. Cottage Grove always rises to meet its challenges.”


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-05 21:38:46

Last Update: 2024-08-05 22:12:24

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek's answer to affordable housing is encompassed in a 6-acre 87 home new development in Medford called New Spirit Village. The new housing development had its grand opening dedicated to fire-victim families in Southern Oregon.

New Spirit Village is a creative re-thinking on the development of affordable housing. The development is the vision of the Thalden Foundation to help wildfire victims get out of hotels and campgrounds. “While this one project of 87 homes will not solve the housing crisis in the U S, or even in Southern Oregon, it can serve as a prototype for building affordable communities because it encompasses so much more than just a new building type. Rather, it is a whole new approach that creates the opportunity for a way out of multi-generational poverty.”

Governor Kotek said, “My administration is laser focused on our state’s housing crisis because we know that having safe, affordable housing is the foundation for Oregonians building healthy and full lives. Part of the solution must include permanent housing for Oregonians who lost their homes because of wildfires. The innovative approach taken here at New Spirit Village represents exactly the kind of creative thinking and community-mindedness that we need to tackle a challenge of this magnitude.”

After the 2020 Almeda Wildfire, Kathryn and Barry Thalden dedicated a significant portion of The Thalden Foundation funds to the construction of New Spirit Village, and more than 20 community service organizations joined in the planning and development. Funding for the project included a State of Oregon LIFT Grant of $4,300,000, as well as private funds from United Way, PacificCorp Foundation, and the Oregon Community Foundation.

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Construction at New Spirit Village began in March 2024, and once complete, will have 87 single family one, two, and three-bedroom homes. The price of homes will be below $195,000 for a one-bedroom and below $249,000 for a three-bedroom in an area where the average home price is $463,000.

The village is within two blocks of shopping, including drug store and grocery stores, and is one block from bus transportation. The cobble stone drive through goes up to front doors for high-density housing. Immediately next to the site is the 8-acre Lewis Park, with its walking trails, wooded creek, and athletic field and courts.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-03 12:53:47

Last Update: 2024-08-01 22:10:54

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is seeking public comment on proposed updates to the Oregon Main Street Network rule to include Oregon Main Street. (OAR 736-056-0000 through 736-056-0080).

Downtowns are traditionally the heart of a community – the social, economic, and civic center. Many of our downtowns in Oregon are “diamonds in the rough" that need a little polishing to sparkle once again. Others are vibrant and want to maintain their competitive advantage. Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant Program and funding was passed by the Oregon legislature in 2015, but never added to or made a part of ORS chapter 390 (ORS 390.262 and 390.264). The program intends to help communities wherever they are in their downtown revitalization efforts.

What is most noticeable is the proposed rules may be in violation of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council (1984), allowing agencies to exercise significant discretion in interpreting laws, while courts played a limited role in reviewing those interpretations.

The proposed rules implements the Main Street Approach™ trademarked and managed by Main Street America, a third party, national nonprofit that isn’t mentioned in the enabling statute. Oregon Parks and Recreation Department holds an annual agreement with Main Street America to be the official statewide coordinating program, also not mentioned in the enabling statute.

Oregon Main Street provides training and technical assistance to communities participating in the Main Street Track of the Oregon Main Street Network and allows for access to the Oregon Main Street Revitalization Grant which funds building improvement projects that spur economic development for all Network communities (available once per biennium in odd years).

The proposed rule will include parameters for participation in the Oregon Main Street Network, describe how resources will be provided to participating organizations and establish primary structure for management of and participation in the Oregon Main Street Network. The proposed rules provides for representation, but lacks a requirement that participants must live or operate in the greater main street area.

Communities with population over 5,000 are obligated to hire a full-time executive managerial position or part-time if less in order to qualify for the program and a grant. How long will a grant pay for that position before taxpayers are obligated?

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OPRD is accepting comments until 5 p.m. August 31, 2024, and they can be made online, at a public hearing, in writing or via email: D.Publiccomment@oprd.oregon.gov or OPRD.Publiccomment@oprd.oregon.gov.

Mail: OPRD, attn: Helena Kesch, 725 Summer St NE, Suite C, Salem OR 97301

Virtual Public Hearing: 1 p.m. August 26th. Must register in advance to receive conference link.

Individuals who require special accommodations for the meeting should contact Helena Kesch at least three days in advance of the meeting at Helena.KESCH@oprd.oregon.gov or 503-881-4637.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-08-02 12:30:54

Last Update: 2024-08-01 21:15:25

The National Republican Congressional Committee named Monique DeSpain to their Young Guns Program, recognizing her campaign as one of the best in the country and making OR-04 a key flip opportunity for national Republicans.

“I am honored to be named to the NRCC’s Young Guns Program as one of the nation’s strongest challengers in my campaign to unseat corrupt incumbent career politician Congresswoman Val Hoyle,” stated DeSpain. “Val Hoyle has been a rubber stamp for all the worst policies coming out of Washington, D.C., and is under federal investigation for a pay-to-play scheme in Oregon. Voters are in desperate need of an authentic servant leader who will listen to and represent them with transparency and integrity and enact real and lasting policies that address their top concerns.”

The NRCC’s Young Guns program recognizes a handful of the strongest Republican challenger campaigns in the country. The campaigns selected have met rigorous benchmarks demonstrating strength in campaign organization, fundraising, communications, and grassroots engagement. This past May, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee moved Val Hoyle to its “frontline” list of vulnerable incumbents, a powerful sign of Hoyle’s weakness versus the strong challenge being offered by GOP nominee DeSpain. She has challenged Hoyle to six debates in six counties in the 4th District, to which Hoyle has so far failed to agree.

The newly redistricted CD4 contains the counties of Lincoln, Benton, Lane, parts of Douglas, Coos and Curry.

“As a retired Air Force Colonel, a fighter for crime victims, and the mother of twin sons, I will pursue bold, commonsense solutions to secure our borders, end the fentanyl crisis, restore an affordable economy, and bring the transparency and accountability to government that voters deserve this November,” added DeSpain.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-08-01 06:06:51

Last Update: 2024-07-29 13:29:11

A lawsuit has been filed by Oregon plaintiffs in federal court against the federal government, naming Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen regarding the constitutionality of the Corporate Transparency Act. The plaintiffs are seven Oregon business owners.

According to the motion for injunction:

Buried deep in over 1,500 pages of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 ("NDAA") are fifteen pages of regulatory statue call the Corporate Transparency Act The "Sense of Congress" is that the CTA is necessary because "more than 2,000,000 corporations and limited liability companies are being formed under the laws of the States each year" and that most States do not set about to require or collect information about the beneficial owners of such entities. Congress further notes that "malign actors use the types of entities being regulated by the CTA for a litany of criminal activities including "money laundering, the financing of terrorism, proliferation financing, serious tax fraud, human and drug trafficking, counterfeiting, piracy, securities fraud, and acts of foreign corruption."

While there is no dispute that these issues are serious and of genuine concern, rather than make investments into already-existing Federal agencies whose mission is to bring these types of criminals to justice, or make budget allocations to States to address these types of crimes at a local level by helping local law enforcement enforce existing State law, the CTA instead designs a complex statutory and regulatory scheme, replete with eye-popping civil and criminal penalties, which starts from a premise that all businesses subject to the CTA should be and will be suspect of these kinds of criminal activities at the outset of an entity's formation.

The motion for injunction describes the impact of the Corporate Transparency Act:

Developed from a premise that all covered entities should be suspected by law enforcement of engaging in the types of criminal activities that Congress seeks to uncover, the finished work product of the CTA will result in a vast database containing the personally identifiable and "sensitive" information of the covered entities subject to the CTA's requirements. This database, which is designed to give law enforcement agencies unfettered access to the information contained therein, will be managed by the United States Department of Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Such a collection and aggregation of the individualized and "sensitive information of law-abiding Oregonians like Plaintiffs, in furtherance of providing that information for unwarranted law enforcement purposes, is in opposite of the protections afforded Plaintiffs and others under the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Ninth Amendments. The CTA is a serious breach of Plaintiffs' rights to privacy, their right to not have law enforcement rifle through their personal information in search of a crime for which there is otherwise no reasonable suspicion or probable cause to search, and the right of Plaintiffs to not self-incriminate to the government.

For Plaintiffs, challenging the CTA is not merely an exercise of objecting to another government regulation and more red tape on small businesses. While Plaintiffs most certainly will be burdened by the financial cost of compliance, including the financial costs of trying to ensure Plaintiffs have followed ever step to a "T" and do so every single time a change occurs in their covered entity, the financial cost is only one of several burdens. The cost of compliance includes protecting themselves from the actual threat of civil and criminal penalties when there is no due process and no safe harbor in the law. But most problematic is that cost of compliance includes an unwarranted and unreasonable invasion of Plaintiff's privacy and it does so in violation of their civil rights.

The plaintiffs are accepting contributions to offset their legal costs.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-07-31 06:38:46

Last Update: 2024-07-30 14:13:15

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it has awarded Oregon $197 million from the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. This is the largest award announced in the Pacific Northwest. The EPA’s CPRG program provides $5 billion in grants to states, local governments, Tribes, and territories to develop and implement ambitious plans for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful air pollution.

Authorized under Section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act, this two-phase program provided $250 million for noncompetitive planning grants and is now announcing approximately $4.6 billion for competitive implementation grants. The CPRG implementation grants are designed to fund measures contained in climate action plans developed under CPRG planning grants.

Governor Kotek said, “Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is a critical strategy to mitigate the impacts of climate change. When I was Speaker of the House, I fought for ambitious GHG reduction goals. This investment is not only an affirmation of Oregon’s collective efforts to combat climate change, but a significant down payment on our ability to meet our reduction goals with a statewide approach. I want to thank Oregon’s congressional delegation for their partnership in making this key investment happen.”

“Every community is feeling the impacts of climate change, from heat waves and drought conditions to increased wildfire smoke and severe winter storms. We must act collaboratively to reduce carbon emissions and to address the adverse impacts on people’s health and our economic prosperity,” said EPA Regional Administrator Casey Sixkiller. “Through the Biden Administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, EPA is partnering with states and local communities to make the largest investments ever in green buildings, clean energy transportation, and climate justice, and the State of Oregon continues to lead the way.”

“Governor Kotek and our state agencies have demonstrated outstanding leadership in securing this highly competitive federal grant,” Meredith Connolly, Director of Policy and Strategy for Climate Solutions said. “This level of funding will enable investments in every corner of Oregon, making clean energy solutions more affordable, our air cleaner, and our economy greener. By transitioning to electric cars, buses, trucks, and heat pumps - all powered by renewable energy - we are also increasing our communities’ long-term resilience in the face of rising wildfire threats and extreme heat. Our organization along with many others stand ready to support the state’s implementation to ensure a swift reduction of climate pollution, with a strong focus on benefiting frontline communities and lower-income Oregonians across the state.”

Oregon will use this federal grant to implement the measures identified in Oregon’s Priority Climate Action Plan. The prioritized measures fall into three categories that are among the largest contributors to Oregon’s GHG emissions: transportation, residential and commercial buildings, and the handling of waste and materials. The workplan lays out 12 critical measures that will accelerate Oregon’s emission reduction efforts for a vibrant environment, for the health of communities across the state, and for a more sustainable future.

To read Oregon’s Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grant Workplan Narrative, priorities fall into three categories:

• Transportation accounts for at least 35% of state emissions. Incentivizing zero-emission vehicles in all classes will achieve significant reductions in GHGs. Co-benefits include improved public health in communities that are nearest to transportation corridors by lowering tailpipe emissions of criteria and toxic air pollutants such as diesel particulate matter. However, the net zero is the measurement only of the exhaust pipe.
• Residential and Commercial Buildings account for about a third of the state’s GHG emissions. Incentives are proposed to improve the efficiency of existing and new buildings, promote the transition to clean equipment and appliances, and increase building weatherization. Co-benefits include improved indoor air quality, including protection from wildfire smoke, and reduced energy cost burdens due to more efficient homes and buildings.
• Waste and Materials are also major contributors of GHGs. Oregon’s consumption-based emissions inventory (CBEI) identifies 51 MMT CO2e of additional emissions that are not a part of Oregon’s sector-based inventory. Incentives addressing waste and materials focus on some of the largest emissions categories in the CBEI, including embodied carbon in the built environment and emissions associated with food. Reducing these emissions, along with significant sources of landfill methane, offers multiple co-benefits and will demonstrate for the nation opportunities to address sources that are more difficult, but still necessary, to abate in ways that are responsive to community needs.

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  Waste and Material proposals should be of most concern to residence. Fifteen-minute cities are being explored and this proposal focuses on space-efficient housing, embodied carbon and consumption-based emissions of households. A DEQ study found the operational and embodied carbon impacts of extra-small homes (defined as 1149 SF in the study) are reduced by 20 to 40 percent compared to medium-sized homes. Case studies of building reuse where cites embodied GHG emissions reduced 40 to 75 percent in reuse of existing buildings compared to new construction.
  
  Another concern is food waste as the single largest source of methane generation in landfills, accounting for 58% methane generation (EPA). Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas – 28 times as potent as carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere. Is this their way of replacing natural foods? No mention was made of developing more trash incinerators that produce electricity. Opened in 1986, Covanta Energy is the backbone of Marion County's waste management system, diverting 90 percent of the county's trash from landfills and putting it to use creating electricity.
  
  Amid the projects of how emission reduction will benefit quality of health, it never compares it to quality of life. It also lacks an evaluation of how and how much emissions are reduced for the cost and effort.
  
  How many programs are long-term needing additional funding when the grant runs out? Oregon is already in a school crsis when school districts used Covid temporary funds to fund regular services and then the money ran out. Is this a repeat?
  
  
  --Donna Bleiler
  
  

  Post Date: 2024-07-29 17:33:04

  Last Update: 2024-07-27 18:57:41

  
  

Oregon is one of 35 state receiving an allocation of $13.08 million out of at least $55 billion awarded to states and localities from opioid-related lawsuits. by the Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment & Recovery Board (Settlement Board) will expand and strengthen the state’s access to substance use disorder treatment and services through opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and jails. The funding was awarded to OHA, which will administer the allocations. The Board’s decision can be viewed in a recording of its July 10 meeting.

The Board approved Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission (ADPC) recommendations July 10. The allocation, which Oregon Health Authority (OHA) will administer, will improve access to medication for opioid use disorder and treatment services by providing:

Up to $3.9 million to fund:

• Two mobile or non-mobile medication units in Clackamas County serving Oregon City and rural Clackamas County.
• An opioid treatment program or a mobile or non-mobile medication unit in Multnomah County serving the geographic areas of the county with the highest unmet need.

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Up to $9.1 million to fund a total of seven opioid treatment programs or mobile or non-mobile medication units, specifically:

• Two in Northeastern Oregon.
• One in the Mid-Gorge region.
• One in Klamath County.
• Two in underserved coastal areas.
• One in eastern Lane County.

To be eligible for funding, a mobile or non-mobile medication unit or an opioid treatment program must be currently certified by OHA.

Up to $250,000 to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to provide technical assistance to jails and to foster collaboration between opioid treatment providers and jails.

Prior to awarding any funding, OHA must engage the partners listed in the ADPC proposal and provide a proposed timeline and implementation plan to the Board for approval no later than Sept. 1, 2024. The drawback that was evident during the pandemic, when a windfall of funds are used to establish programs, it creates a future tax obligation to continue. School districts are suffering over poor decisions, will this be a repeat of a lesson not learned?

Since July 2021, the State of Oregon has reached agreement on national lawsuits against several companies for their role in the opioid crisis. Through these agreements, nearly $600 million will be awarded to Oregon over the course of 18 years. Settlement funds from opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies are divided between the State of Oregon (45%) and local jurisdictions (55%).

The state’s share is deposited as it becomes available into the Opioid Settlement, Prevention, Treatment and Recovery (OSPTR) Fund. This fund is controlled by the 18-member OSPTR Board. Next meeting is August 7, 2024, 10:00 am – 1:00 pm by zoom.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-07-28 16:48:22

Last Update: 2024-07-27 18:39:19

Republican candidate Monique DeSpain reacted to Congresswoman Val Hoyle’s vote against HR 1371 “strongly condemning the Biden Administration and its Border Czar, Kamala Harris’s, failure to secure the United States border.” This week, in the wake of President Biden’s withdrawal from the Presidential race, Val Hoyle endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for President, despite Harris’ shocking past comparisons of the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement with the KKK and calling to get rid of it.

“Yesterday Val Hoyle just added to her horrendous record in Congress by refusing to vote to hold Kamala Harris accountable for her abject leadership failure to fix the crisis at the border,” stated DeSpain. “Given her full-throated endorsement of Harris for President, does Val Hoyle also proudly endorse the Vice President’s comparing ICE to the KKK and calling to get rid of it?”

Vice President Harris took on the lead role to address the crisis at the border on behalf of the Biden-Harris Administration in 2021 and has since presided over record levels of illegal immigration, drug trafficking, human smuggling, and terrorist infiltration into the country. As a result, 4th District communities, along with those across the nation, have been flooded with deadly fentanyl and meth, skyrocketing addiction and homelessness, and surging crime, while bringing law enforcement and public services to their knees.

Earlier this year, Val Hoyle went to El Paso, TX, and praised open borders while lecturing her constituents who asked her, “Why don’t you just shut down the border?” explaining that “We need to have movement through the border and how much we need the workforce.” Seven weeks later, Texas National Guard Troops at an El Paso, TX checkpoint were overrun and assaulted by foreign military-aged males forcing their way into our country. This past May, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee moved Val Hoyle to its “frontline” list of vulnerable incumbents, a powerful sign of Hoyle’s weakness versus the strong challenge being offered by GOP nominee DeSpain.

“We already knew Val Hoyle supports the open border, but now she is 100% in support of the person running for President who was supposed to make things better, but delivered a whole series of national security, public safety, and addiction crises at our border instead. Voters of the 4th District have had enough of Val’s “movement through the border,” said DeSpain. “I will work tirelessly to secure our borders, stop the flow of deadly drugs, support law enforcement, and restore our safe streets and neighborhoods.”

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“It’s time for voters to hear a real debate between Congresswoman Hoyle and me. I have challenged her to six debates in six counties in the 4th District so voters can hear directly from both of us what we stand for and why their current member of Congress has voted repeatedly against their interests in Washington, D.C.,” said DeSpain.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-07-27 11:15:12

Last Update: 2024-07-27 12:11:30

Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch released the notice letter sent to the Oregon secretary of state on behalf of itself, the Constitution Party of Oregon and an Oregon registered voter, notifying them of evident violations of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993, based on their failure to remove inactive voters from their registration rolls. The notice letter to Oregon serves as a “pre-suit” notice.

The NVRA requires states to “conduct a general program that makes a reasonable effort to remove” from the official voter rolls “the names of ineligible voters” who have died or changed residence. Among other things, the NVRA requires registrations to be cancelled when voters fail to respond to address confirmation notices and then fail to vote in the next two general federal elections. In 2018, the Supreme Court confirmed that such removals are mandatory (Husted v. A. Philip Randolph Inst., 138 S. Ct. 1833, 1841-42 (2018))

The letter states:

According to your state’s responses to the EAC’s [federal government’s Election Assistance Commission] survey, 19 Oregon counties reported removing zero voter registrations from November 2020 to November 2022 pursuant to Section 8(d)(1)(B) of the NVRA for failing to respond to a Confirmation Notice and failing to vote in two consecutive general federal elections. Another 10 counties reported just a handful of such removals during the same two-year period.

Furthermore, not a single one of Oregon’s 36 counties reported any data whatsoever to the EAC regarding inactive registrations. Instead, in the relevant column where the data should have been, the survey response for each of Oregon’s counties merely stated, “Data not available.”

Oregon’s non-compliance with the NVRA is further illustrated by the unusually high registration rates observed in several of its counties. Comparing the data your state reported to the EAC regarding the total registrations for each county to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent five-year estimates of the numbers of resident citizens over the age of eighteen suggests that eight Oregon counties have more voter registrations than citizens of voting age. Several federal courts have determined that such high registration rates are sufficient grounds for alleging a failure to comply with the NVRA’s requirement to make reasonable efforts to remove voters by reason of death or change of address.

“Dirty election rolls can mean dirty elections,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “With a presidential election less than four months away, it is vital that Oregon get about the business of cleaning its voter registration rolls of ineligible voters to eliminate any cloud of doubt over the legitimacy of its balloting.”

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Judicial Watch is a national leader in voting integrity and voting rights. As part of its work, Judicial Watch assembled a team of highly experienced voting rights attorneys who stopped discriminatory elections in Hawaii, and cleaned up voter rolls in across the country. These similar cases should give Oregon voters hope:

• A hearing recently held challenges a Mississippi election law permitting absentee ballots to be received as late as five business days after Election Day.
• In May 2024, Judicial Watch and the Libertarian Party of California sued California to clean up its voter rolls. The suit asks the court to compel California to make “a reasonable effort to remove the registrations of ineligible registrants from the voter rolls” as required by federal law (Judicial Watch Inc. and the Libertarian Party of CA v. Shirley Weber et al. (No. 2:24-cv-3750))
• In December 2023, Judicial Watch sent three other notice letters to election officials in the District of Columbia, California, and Illinois, notifying them of evident violations of the NVRA, based on their failure to remove inactive voters from their registration rolls. In response, Washington D.C. officially admitted that they had not complied with the NVRA, and promptly removed 65,544 outdated names from the voting rolls, promised to remove 37,962 more, and designated another 73,522 registrations as “inactive.”
• In July 2023 Judicial Watch filed an amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief , supporting the decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, which struck down Maine’s policy restricting the use and distribution of the state’s voter registration list (Public Interest Legal Foundation v. Shenna Bellows (No. 23-1361). According to a national study conducted by Judicial Watch in 2020, Maine’s statewide registration rate was 101% of eligible voters.
• Judicial Watch in July 2023 settled a federal election integrity lawsuit on behalf of the Illinois Conservative Union against the state of Illinois, the Illinois State Board of Elections, and its director, which now grants access to the current centralized statewide list of registered voters for the state for the past 15 elections.
• In April 2023, Pennsylvania settled with Judicial Watch and admitted in court filings that it removed 178,258 ineligible registrations in response to communications from Judicial Watch. The settlement commits Pennsylvania and five of its counties to extensive public reporting of statistics regarding their ongoing voter roll clean-up efforts for the next five years.
• In March 2023, Judicial Watch filed a federal lawsuit against the Illinois State Board of Elections and its Executive Director, Bernadette Matthews, over their failure to clean Illinois’ voter rolls and to produce election-related records as required by federal law.
• In March 2023, Colorado agreed to settle a Judicial Watch NVRA lawsuit alleging that Colorado failed to remove ineligible voters from its rolls. The settlement agreement requires Colorado to provide Judicial Watch with the most recent voter roll data for each Colorado county each year for six years.
• In February 2023, Los Angeles County confirmed the removal of 1,207,613 ineligible voters from its rolls since last year, under the terms of a settlement agreement in a federal lawsuit Judicial Watch filed in 2017.
• Judicial Watch settled a federal election integrity lawsuit against New York City after the city removed 441,083 ineligible names from the voter rolls and promised to take reasonable steps going forward to clean its voter registration lists.
• Kentucky also removed hundreds of thousands of old registrations after it entered into a consent decree to end another Judicial Watch lawsuit.
• In February 2022, Judicial Watch settled a voter roll clean-up lawsuit against North Carolina and two of its counties after North Carolina removed over 430,000 inactive registrations from its voter rolls.
• In March 2022, a Maryland court ruled in favor of Judicial Watch’s challenge to the Democratic state legislature’s “extreme” congressional-districts gerrymander.

States are required by federal law to report data concerning their removal programs to the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC). Every few years the EAC publishes this data as part of a report it provides to Congress. The most recent report and accompanying datasets were released in June of this year.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-07-26 17:49:00

Last Update: 2024-07-26 18:41:01

Oregon legislature passed HB 4132 (2024), which is designed to protect marine life along Oregon’s coast. This bill focuses on Oregon’s five marine reserves, which are coastal waters dedicated to scientific research and conservation. HB 4132 requires the state to outline ways to continue protecting these coastal waters from developments and other threats to marine life. It provides the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife with funding to do this work.

For relatively low cost ($1 million/biennium), HB 4132 provides support to build a state-of-the-art Marine Reserves Program. It will allow more robust monitoring, adaptive management, and ocean resiliency in the face of a changing climate to support biodiversity and our economically important fisheries.

A "marine reserve" defines an area within coastal waters dedicated to scientific research and conservation, where ocean development and removal of marine life is prohibited. A "marine protected area" refers to coastal waters directly next to a marine reserve, which have site-specific rules that allow some fishing activities while prohibiting development. Oregon currently has five marine reserves that have been officially designated for ocean areas along the coast. These marine reserves are managed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which handles planning and oversight of scientific research as well as monitoring within the reserves.

The five established marine reserves are:

• Cape Falcon - Established in 2016, the Cape Falcon Marine Reserve is the northernmost reserve, just off of Oswald West State Park, near Manzanita. This site includes a marine reserve plus two Marine Protected Areas.
• Cascade Head - The Cascade Head Marine Reserve is located off the central Oregon coast, stretching between the Cascade Head headland and Lincoln City. The site includes a marine reserve surrounded by three Marine Protected Areas and was established in 2014.
• Cape Perpetua - Oregon’s largest marine reserve is the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve, established in 2014 between Yachats and Florence on the central Oregon coast. This area comprises a marine reserve, two Marine Protected Areas, and a Seabird Protection Area.
• Otter Rock - The Otter Rock Marine Reserve is on the central Oregon coast, near the unincorporated town of Otter Rock. As Oregon’s smallest marine reserve, it spans 1.2 square miles and was established in 2012.
• Redfish Rocks - The Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve, established in 2012, is positioned between Rocky Point and Coal Point, just south of Port Orford. This area includes a Marine Protected Area to the west.

It isn't without opponents claiming the plan “will shut down poor people’s access to natural sustainable fishing. This has nothing to do with helping the ecology, it’s simply a communistic shut down of access to food.” They further object to when “Jimmy Carter changed the laws so the Japanese and Chinese can come into USA waters and take as many Salmon as they want and government continues to tax us to death for Salmon Enhancement.”

The open question is the effect of the noise from ocean windmill farms on ecosystems and marine life. From the book, Ocean Noise and Marine Mammals, “When underwater objects vibrate, they create sound-pressure waves that can disturb the natural behavior and habitats of marine animals.”

Some of the effects on marine life includes:

• Loud sound waves can cause internal injuries in fish and, in the long term, physical malformations and increased infertility.
• Shrimp and mussels are also affected, with growth disturbances, reduced fertility, and associated low reproduction rates.
• Animals may flee their habitats, stopping their hunt for food and using up their reserves, which can have cascading effects on entire populations.

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The speed of sound in water is faster than air and travels significantly farther, allowing them to travel thousands of miles at 1,500 meters per second. They may vary with water temperature, salinity, and the source of the sound frequency.

The dominant physical mechanisms of naturally occurring sound in the ocean occur at or near the ocean surface. Most are associated with wind fields acting on the surface and the resulting surface wave activity. Even offshore wind farms have a big impact on underwater pollution. From their construction to their deployment, offshore wind farms, with their turbines and metallic foundations, generate noise and vibrations below the sea surface (called “anthropogenic noise” because it is unnatural and human-made) that disturb marine life and flora, especially for the underwater mammals that rely on sound (like echolocation or vocalization) to survive in the ocean. The impacts of underwater noise pollution on marine life can vary from species to species and long-term effects are yet to be confirmed.

Ocean windmill farms underwater power cables carry the renewable energy from the offshore wind farms to the mainland grid emit electromagnetic fields (EMFs.) These artificial magnetic fields can interfere with, and even mask, the natural EMFs present in the ocean.

Established daily ocean activity has more than doubled in 25 years increasing 0.55 dB per year. This increase was attributed to commercial shipping, namely a doubling of the number of ships. Noise measurements was also made on a receiver on the continental slope of Point Sur, California, that caused and increased noise from 100 to 400 Hz that they have no satisfactory explanation for.

Ocean noise is increasing and potentially five-times due to climate change. Climate change will create areas with amplified noise levels from human-generated noise, such as windmills. These hotspots could impact essential activities of marine life.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-07-26 08:33:00

Last Update: 2024-07-27 18:18:59

Many West Coast homeowners are receiving notice that their homeowner’s insurance is being canceled or increased.

"This is devastating," says Senator Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles). "The average American can barely afford their current home payments let alone increases averaging hundreds of dollars a month.

"Like any industry, the home insurance industry is at a crossroads. With increasing fires due to poor land management for the past decade, the government jumping to overregulate and the lack of market reserves - insurance companies are either pulling out of states or charging impossible premiums. No one is winning in this current market.

"Attempts to create a government-run insurance plan have been met with homeowner complaints about poor service, rising costs and threats of getting kicked off the plan. Government-run programs quickly learn, what private companies already know - providing services efficiently is a tall order with a lot of nuances.

"As the West Coast moves toward more thoughtful land management practices, states need to put in the work to attract types of companies to the market, not seek to overregulate and create government-run alternatives.

"Market-based approaches are the only solution to these service issues. States need to roll up their sleeves and seek to find regional approaches to insurance coverage. Businesses need to be incentivized to learn the nuances of each area and to come up with new technological advances to make homes safer. Further, the nation needs to streamline insurance regulations to reduce cost pass-throughs to consumers.

"Private industry in partnership with government entities will always provide the best service for a consumer. Home insurance is no different. Learn more about free market insurance concepts here."

Three years after the 2020 Labor Day wildfires, many homeowners were still blocked by regulations to rebuild and their homeowners insurance was running out. If the state worked for the people, as it was designed, the market would work more effectively.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-07-23 19:44:31

Last Update: 2024-07-23 21:06:19

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek unveiled a proposal to boost the current service level (CSL) for the State School Fund by an estimated $515 million above the original CSL calculation for the 2025-27 biennium. Representatives from the Governor’s Office, Oregon Department of Education (ODE), and the Chief Financial Office (CFO) presented this information to the legislative Joint Task Force On Statewide Educator Salary Schedules last Wednesday. This estimate will be updated prior to the 2025 legislative session.

The State School Fund (SSF) is the primary source of state funding for K-12 public education. Current service level is the amount of money needed in the upcoming biennium to continue existing authorized programs.

“Across the country, school districts are facing budget shortages caused by the expiration of federal pandemic relief dollars, declining enrollment, increasing costs due to inflation, and many other factors,” Governor Kotek said. “In response to the way these issues are impacting Oregon students, educators and administrators, I committed to reviewing and updating the methods of how the State funds public schools.

“We are working to be a stronger, more accurate and predictable funder of K-12 public education across Oregon. This effort is part of my priority to ensure we are moving the needle on improving education outcomes for our students, from improving early literacy rates to preventing learning loss to increasing graduation rates. And, ultimately it’s about more than just resources – it’s about the specific outcomes.”

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The Governor is directing agencies to take three steps in order to increase funding:

1. Budget Distribution - 49/51 Split: For the last decade, the State of Oregon has budgeted SSF distributions to school districts on a 50/50 split over a two-year period (meaning districts received 50% of funds in year 1 and 50% of funds in year 2). This proposal changes the distribution to a 49/51 split.
   
   This will increase the CSL calculation for the next biennium because CSL is built off the funding available in the second year, which increases when districts receive 51% in the second year, compared to 50% previously.
   
   The change will also support school districts in planning to cover rising costs that occur in the second year of the biennium after the SSF has already been set.
   
   Preliminary Estimate: $217 million increase in the CSL for the 2025-27 biennium.
   
   
2. Compensation Costs: The State’s method to account for compensation costs of teachers, administrators, and classified staff is based on a model that looks back at 20 years of historical data. This model has proven to be very accurate (more than 98%) in calculating actual compensation costs, based on the information school districts submit to ODE. That also means the State has historically been within 2 percentage points of being completely accurate.
   
   The Governor’s direction to close the gap between projected compensation costs and actual compensation costs over the last 10 years – instead of 20 years – will increase the SSF CSL. The 10-year period gives us more accurate and more recent data than 20 years. This one-time increase will reflect an even more precise compensation projection and leads to the largest funding increase in the proposal. It’s also important to note that this change will roll forward into future two-year budget cycles.
   
   Preliminary Estimate: $240 million increase in the CSL for the 2025-27 biennium.
   
   
3. Local Property Tax Revenue: SSF funding to districts represent a combination of local revenue (34%) and state revenue (66%). The State’s historical practice doesn’t include fluctuations in local property tax revenue in the second year of the biennium. This limits the State’s ability to accurately account for the level of resources available for our schools.
   
   Going forward, the Governor has directed State agencies to account for annual information for projected local revenue, with the goal of increasing accuracy and precision.
   
   Preliminary Estimate: $55 million increase in the CSL for the 2025-27 biennium.

--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-07-21 19:16:15

Last Update: 2024-07-21 21:18:30

At their most recent meeting, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission designated Matt Donegan as the commission chair. The commission is the governing body for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, responsible for reviewing and adopting agency policies and rules.

Donegan said, "I am honored to be designated chair of the commission to provide leadership service to DEQ and to Oregon.” “Although I am new to the commission and have a lot to learn from DEQ staff and from my fellow and former commissioners, I bring experience having chaired other state boards and commissions and I believe very strongly in the mission of the agency,” he said.

“I am honored to help advance Governor Kotek’s environmental agenda and have a particular interest in the climate protection program. The climate crisis has reached a tipping point, and I am eager to see Oregon protect its citizens and assert leadership on this critical issue,” said Donegan.

Donegan is a leader in building public-private partnerships to address the wildfire crisis caused by climate change. In 2019, he was appointed to chair Oregon’s Wildfire Response Council to evaluate the state’s system of response to large fires. It was a two-year effort during which he convened federal, state, and local government officials, scientists and environmental groups, and business and industry groups to develop recommendations for the future of Oregon’s wildfire response infrastructure. The Council’s recommendations served as the basis for recent wildfire legislation.

"I am pleased with the commission’s vote to designate Matt Donegan as chair of the EQC and grateful for his willingness to serve Oregon in this critical leadership role," said Leah Feldon, DEQ Director. "He brings extensive policy and leadership experience working within various environmental spheres, which will be a valuable resource to the agency as we continue to develop innovative, equitable and resilient environmental policies and regulations,” she said.

Donegan currently serves on the Lewis and Clark College Sustainability Board and as a fellow for the Oregon Business Council. His prior state service includes chairing both the Governor’s Council on Wildfire Response and the Oregon State Board of Higher Education. He was also a founding member of the Oregon Global Warming Commission, the Oregon Innovation Council and the Oregon Education Investment Board, and has served on various other private and non-profit boards and commissions. [[AD_SLUGG9]] Oregon’s Senate approved Governor Kotek’s nominations of Donegan and Karen Moynahan to the commission on May 31, 2024. Their terms began July 1, 2024.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-07-20 13:45:52

Last Update: 2024-07-20 13:57:50

As global tensions rise and military recruitment faces challenges, the Oregon National Guard is playing a vital role in supporting the Selective Service System, ensuring the state remains prepared for potential national emergencies.

The Selective Service System, an independent agency within the executive branch, is responsible for rapidly providing personnel to the military in a fair and equitable manner if the President and Congress authorize conscription. While the United States has maintained an all-volunteer force for decades, the system remains a crucial component of national defense readiness.

"The Selective Service is a vital pillar in our national defense posture," said Michael Kalberg, Oregon's State Director for the Selective Service System. "Even though it may be overlooked by some, it's an important component of our government."

In Oregon, the Selective Service State Headquarters is located at the Salem Armory on 17th St. The state's mission includes maintaining staffing for local draft boards, preparing to activate a fully operational state headquarters if needed, and supporting the ongoing registration of 18-year-old males.

Lt. Col. Robert Earhart, the Selective Service Reserve Service Member for Oregon, explained the system's role: "Most people are familiar with the draft during World War Two through Vietnam. It's been a volunteer force for the past several decades, so the draft has not been going on. But every state needs to have an apparatus in place in case the President and Congress reinitiate conscription."

The Oregon National Guard provides critical support to the Selective Service mission. This partnership includes sharing facilities, logistical support, and personnel. In addition to occupying space at the Salem Armory, National Guard Armory facilities and administrative equipment would be made available for temporary operations in the event of activation.

"We've had a lot of success in Oregon over the last 50 years, and this office has been functional," Earhart said. "A lot of great people have come through, and a lot of great volunteers helping us along the way."

However, the system faces challenges, particularly in rural areas. Oregon is divided into 18 local boards, with nine single-county boards and nine multi-county boards. As of July 2024, five boards are inoperable due to volunteer board member vacancies across 14 counties.

"We have vacancies quite a few vacancies around the state," Earhart noted. To reach board capacity, "I could probably fill another 30 slots."

These local boards play a crucial role in the Selective Service process. In the event of a draft, board members would review and decide on draftee claims for exemptions, postponements, or deferments from military service.

"It's a big responsibility because you hold someone's future in your hands," Earhart explained. "It's a matter of trust, logic, and an understanding of the story being told to you."

The time commitment for board members is minimal during peacetime — approximately five hours in the first year and two hours annually thereafter. However, their role becomes expanded and critical if a draft is reinstated.

Kalberg emphasized the unique challenges Oregon faces in maintaining the Selective Service System. "Oregon is not a high-visibility military state. We don't have a lot of military footprint [in Oregon]," he said. For that reason, probably in particular, Oregonians have never had a history of high registration compliance when young men turn 18."

Despite these challenges, recent efforts to bolster the system have shown promise. Earhart has been conducting outreach with agency partners, the governor's office, county commissioners, and service organizations like the VFW and American Legion, which has resulted in several new volunteers in the pipeline.

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The Selective Service is also adapting to potential changes on the national level. Congress is considering bills that could expand registration requirements, such as the automatic registration of 18-year-old males and including women in the draft. If passed, these changes would significantly increase the workload for local boards.

"If mandated, it'll be an interesting reaction," Kalberg said. "We're not worried about it, but we do need to get the numbers on the paper, get [board members] trained, and get them ready."

As geopolitical pressures mount and military recruiting struggles to meet its quotas, the importance of the Selective Service System has been identified as a backstop for national defense. Dr. Kathleen Hicks, Deputy Secretary of Defense, recently stated, "I don't want people to think the all-volunteer force is sort of alone when the United States must make major decisions. They do not stand alone."

The Oregon National Guard and Selective Service System are actively seeking volunteers to serve on local boards, particularly in rural areas. Interested citizens can apply online to "Get Involved." Eligible individuals must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, and willing to undergo training and dedicate time to this crucial role in national preparedness.

"We're looking for dedicated individuals who want to serve their community and country in this important capacity," Earhart said. "It's a unique opportunity to play a vital role in our national defense structure."

For more information on volunteering or the Selective Service System in Oregon, you can contact Lt. Col. Robert Earhart, SSS Reserve Service Member, at 503-779-9473 or rearhart@sss.gov.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2024-07-18 23:15:15

Last Update: 2024-07-18 23:34:42

Oregon House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) and Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) have called on Gov. Tina Kotek to remove Cass McLeod-Skinner from her position as director for the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners over her amplification of comments supporting the assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

McLeod-Skinner reposted a social media post that expressed disappointment that the shooter had not succeeded in murdering the former president and current Republican nominee for President of the United States.

In a letter to Governor Kotek, Helfrich and Bonham said the following:

“Political violence has no place in American politics. Certainly, those who believe that it does should not be in positions of authority in Oregon state government. With her amplification of pro-assassination messages, Cass McLeod-Skinner has demonstrated that she is unfit for the position she holds with the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners. Gov. Kotek rightly denounced violence in the aftermath of the shooting, and now she has an opportunity to put her words into action by removing McLeod-Skinner from her position to signal that such dangerous rhetoric is unacceptable.”

According to the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners website, Cass McLeod-Skinner has been the Executive Director for the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners since 2014. Cass came to the OBCE with a background in public health and public service, having held positions as General Counsel and Health Equity Officer for Trillium Community Health Plan and Chair of the Board of Commissioners for Oregon’s Liquor Control Commission. Her spouse is Jamie McLeod-Skinner who lost to Janelle Bynum in a race for the current Democratic nomination for Oregon's 5th Congressional District.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-07-17 15:31:05

Last Update: 2024-07-17 16:28:41

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing its final environmental impact statement analyzing proposed barred owl management alternatives to protect northern and California spotted owls in Washington, Oregon and California from invasive barred owls. The Service’s preferred alternative is the implementation of a proposed Barred Owl Management Strategy, which would result in the annual removal of less than one-half of 1% of the current North American barred owl population.

According to USFW, Northern spotted owl populations are rapidly declining due to competition with invasive barred owls and habitat loss. California spotted owls, which are proposed for ESA listing, face a similar risk as barred owl populations continue to move south into their range.

“Barred owl management is not about one owl versus another,” said Service Oregon Office state supervisor Kessina Lee. “Without actively managing barred owls, northern spotted owls will likely go extinct in all or the majority of their range, despite decades of collaborative conservation efforts.”

If the proposed strategy is adopted and fully implemented, lethal removal of barred owls by trained professionals would occur in less than half of the areas where spotted and invasive barred owls co-exist within the northern spotted owl’s range; and would limit their invasion into the California spotted owl’s range. Public hunting of barred owls is not allowed under the proposed strategy and lead ammunition will not be used for any lethal removal actions.

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“Barred owl removal, like all invasive species management, is not something the Service takes lightly,” said Lee. “The Service has a legal responsibility to do all it can to prevent the extinction of the federally listed northern spotted owl and support its recovery, while also addressing significant threats to California spotted owls.”

Barred owls are native to eastern North America but started moving west of the Mississippi River at the beginning of the 20th century. This expansion was likely due to human-induced changes in the Great Plains and northern boreal forest. As a result, barred owls now surpass northern spotted owls in numbers across most of California, Oregon, and Washington.



If the proposed strategy is adopted, the Service would receive a permit under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The Service could then designate interested Tribes, federal and state agencies, companies, or specific landowners to implement barred owl management on their lands if actions are consistent with the strategy, conditions of the permit, and state laws and policies. Those who implement the strategy will be accountable for annual monitoring and reporting.

The final EIS and proposed strategy reflect the input received throughout the scoping and public comment process, as well as feedback from cooperating agencies and Tribes. The Service expects to announce a final record of decision on the proposed strategy at least 30 days after the formal publication of the final EIS in the Federal Register.

More information is available on the Service’s barred owl management website, including the draft and final EIS, proposed strategy and frequently asked questions. The final EIS will be available in the coming days in the Federal Register and at https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2022-0074.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-07-16 09:59:55

Last Update: 2024-07-16 20:32:53

In response to the attempted assassination of President Trump today in Pennsylvania, House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) offered the following statement.

“Our prayers are with President Trump. Democrats not only need to denounce this despicable act of violence, they must also consider how their over-the-top partisan rhetoric about fake "threats to democracy" have contributed to this,” said Helfrich. “We settle disputes in this country with our votes, not violence.”

Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) also issued a statement.

“Today, we should all be reminded that violence has absolutely no place in our political discourse. It threatens our country and the principles upon which it was built. This violent attack is not just an assault on one individual but on our collective values. This moment transcends political affiliations and ideologies,” said Leader Bonham.

Bonham called for bipartisan unity in the face of such threats, urging all Oregonians to come together in condemnation of this act. “Let us honor our commitment to preserving the integrity of our republic and ensure it remains a beacon of freedom and justice for all. As Americans, we must stand united against any form of violence or intimidation.”

“We extend our prayers to President Trump and his loved ones during this difficult time. We also offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the families of those who lost their lives in this heinous attack.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2024-07-13 15:59:16

Last Update: 2024-07-13 17:36:04