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On this day, March 28, 1942, Japanese-American lawyer Minoru Yasui (1916-1986) violated a military curfew in Portland, Oregon, and demanded to be arrested after he was refused enlistment to fight for the US. He was one of the few Japanese Americans who fought laws that directly targeted Japanese Americans or Japanese immigrants following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 2015 he was among 17 people awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom.

Also on this day March 28, 1939, the front page of the Eugene Register-Guard blared the headline: "Mighty Oregon Scramble Ohio State to Take Hoop Title of All America," right under a declaration that the Spanish War had ended, of course.




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Hood River County GOP's Second Annual Lincoln Dinner
Saturday, April 6, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Hood River County GOP's Second Annual Lincoln Dinner 5pm-9pm
Hood River, OR



Dorchester Conference 2024
Friday, April 26, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Dorchester Conference 2024 April 26th-28th
Welches, Oregon



Memorial Day
Monday, May 27, 2024 at 11:00 am
Memorial Day
A federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving.



Juneteenth
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 at 12:00 am
Juneteenth
Celebrated on the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when in the wake of the American Civil War, Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas.



Independence Day
Thursday, July 4, 2024 at 11:59 pm
Independence Day
USA



Linn Laughs LIVE with Adam Corolla
Saturday, September 7, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Linn Laughs LIVE with Adam Corolla 5pm-9pm
Albany, OR


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Linn County to Sell Sweet Home Mill Site
Two bids were received

Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger and Will Tucker have agreed unanimously to sell the former Willamette Industries mill site in Sweet Home to Sweet Home Real Estate Restorations for $800,000.

At the board’s Feb. 1 meeting, two bids were received. In addition to the bid from Sweet Home Real Estate Restorations there was a $450,000 bid from Sweet Home Mill Site, whose principal is Scott Lepman of Albany.

County Property Manager Rachel Adamec told the commissioners the Sweet Home Mill Site bid did not comply with bidding criteria.

Adamec said materials submitted to the county by Sweet Home Mill Site after the bidding deadline were not opened and could not be considered.

Owner Josh Victor said after the meeting that he intends to begin the process of developing a road system to provide access to the neighboring property.

Linn County has already given to the city of Sweet Home, the former Morse Bros (Knife River) rock quarry. The city plans to create a venue for the Oregon Jamboree and other community events at the 250-acre property.

Victor said his plans include both housing and commercial development of the 154-acre property.

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Board Chair Nyquist provided a short summary of the history of the property, noting that in 2010, Linn County received the property in lieu of more than $500,000 in back taxes per state statutes.

Nyquist said former County Assessor Mark Noakes gave owner Dan Desler of Western States Land Reliance Trust numerous “last chances” to make tax payments before the county was forced to foreclose.

Nyquist said the county realized an environmental assessment was needed at the site and that was accomplished with a $360,000 grant from the Department of Environmental Quality. The county has been working with environmental agencies since that time and has mitigated most of the areas of concern.

Commissioner Tucker has previously said he believes the remaining areas of concern could receive an environmental approval within a year if the mitigation process were to continue.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-02-14 11:52:49Last Update: 2022-02-14 12:51:36



Hidden Federal Funds Come to Light
Childhood arrivals get $495 and $200 to renew their DACA paperwork

The Biden-Harris American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in early 2021 gave Oregon the resources to contain COVID-19 and rebuild the economy. Under ARPA, states may use their share to replace revenues lost as a result of the pandemic and to address the economic and public health impacts of COVID-19.

To efficiently and effectively spend approximately $6.4 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, Governor Kate Brown has laid out principles on the Governor’s ARPA website. Governor Brown summarizes those principles saying, “The American Rescue Plan offers Oregon the ability to turn around its economy from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. With this historic relief package, Oregon can revitalize and rebuild our economies — and our communities — with equity and fairness at the center.”

It has been contentious among legislators because Governor Brown didn’t distribute the funds in a timely manner to small businesses that were forced to close, and some have never reopened.

Apparently, there is still a reserve of funds that Representative Ricki Ruiz (D-Gresham) found to fund HB 4122. But, does it meet what is required of ARPA funds?

HB 4122 directs the Department of Human Service to distribute funds to community-based organizations to provide one-time maximum financial assistance of $695 per individual, to recipients of federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). It’s broken down into two payments, a one-time check of $495 and up to an additional $200 for legal costs to help them renew their DACA paperwork.

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Representative Ruiz amended HB 4122 so funds are distributed through community-based organizations instead of directly to every DACA eligible individual in Oregon. This little wordsmithing appears to provide the appearance of meeting a community principle. But, does it provide economic relief and replace revenues lost as a result of the pandemic?

HB 4122 appropriates $7,000,000 for distribution to approximately 9,700 DACA eligible individuals. Dare we ask the balance of ARPA funds? The bill passed out of the House Committee on Human Services referred to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-02-14 11:52:28Last Update: 2022-02-15 09:48:23



Fahey Proposes Even Easier Voter Registration
Critics say it opens the door for fraud

State Representative Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) has brought forward HB 4133 to use the last four digits of a voter's social security to register voters online. Currently, this can be done on a paper application, but not online, using an Oregon ID or drivers license. Third party organizations will be able to gather and submit those social security numbers for voters as well.

Chair Barbara Smith Warner and the committee voted it to the House Floor without discussing the tremendous submission of 172 Oregonians who took the time to let these legislators know they opposed the measure as opposed to the 17 who approved of the idea. That is a 10-1 ratio against the measure.

Many of those who supported the bill may possibly benefit as one of the third party entities that will have the ability to gather social security numbers and register voters through their organizations. What happens to this information before and after it is submitted online? What if they make an app to do this? Those processes were not discussed.

Some of the supporters were Planned Parenthood, Oregon AFSCME, SEIU, ACLU, PCUN, Next Up Action Group and Oregon Student Association. Some stated that they were Political Policy Analyst or Political Strategists for these various groups. Their testimony was about modernizing the election system, equity, and ease in voting.

The testimony against the bill was spirited and diverse.

Steve Mangold said, “Who are these third party organizations?” and Robert Hafer suggested that “this will make forever Oregon voting corrupt, regardless of party in power”

“I want all legal, eligible voters to be heard and counted, regardless of their party affiliation,” said Sloan Neal. “That's why it's absolutely critical we finally get serious about election integrity. This system is fraught with potential abuse. Voters who are legal residents of this state should not have their voices and votes watered down or jeopardized by some swiss-cheese system that allows any bad actor to cast a fraudulent vote. Protect legitimate votes!”

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Marcus Winston considered the technical aspect of the bill, “I Strongly oppose HB 4133. It is a completely misguided and disingenuous attempt to make "voter registration easy". Specifically, subsection 5 requiring an Application Programming Interface will open up the voter registration system to incalculable fraud. Computer APIs are very simple to hack and misuse. I know this because I am, by profession, a computer engineer. Putting an API on the voter registration system is, quite simply, to open it up to untold fraud. The State would be negligent to allow such a thing. The only responsible action is to let this bill die in committee.”

The bill passed out of the committee on party lines. 4-3. It now waits a second hearing on the house floor and then a vote by the entire House before it goes to the Senate.


--Janice Dysinger

Post Date: 2022-02-14 11:22:21Last Update: 2022-02-14 11:52:28



Bill Gives OHA Emergency Powers
The pandemic emergencies are still very raw to many

Less than half way through the Oregon Legislative Short Session and the trickery is starting to show up. With barely 24 hours notice, Senator Deb Patterson (D-Salem), chair of the Senate Committee on Health Care, rushed through a committee sponsored amendment to SB 1529. What was a good bill that authorized pharmacy or pharmacy technician to swipe identification card or driver license of purchaser of pseudoephedrine or ephedrine, turned ugly.

The amendment that was pushed through by Democrats on the committee allows the Oregon Health Authority to declare a health care emergency and to deploy the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR). To completely close voters out of their voice, the bill declares an emergency, effective upon passage. This emergency prevents any challenges to the bill by voters.

SB 1529 redefines ‘Health care emergency’ to include: A last-minute amendment in the work session prevented the public from giving testimony or submitting testimony for public record. The pandemic emergencies are still very raw to many, so threats of more emergencies won’t set well with those still struggling.

The bill goes to the Senate floor for a vote this week, then to the House for a public hearing.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-02-13 22:27:20Last Update: 2022-02-13 22:32:19



Kate Brown Appoints Judge to the Yamhill County Court
Cynthia Kaufman Noble will replace Judge Collins

Oregon's Governor Kate Brown has announced that she will appoint Cynthia Kaufman Noble to the Yamhill County Circuit Court.

Kaufman Noble will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge John L. Collins.

Her appointment is effective immediately.

“Cynthia Kaufman Noble’s broad experience and history of service in the Yamhill County community make her an excellent fit for this position,” Governor Brown said. “I look forward to seeing her new role as a Circuit Court Judge.”

Kaufman Noble currently divides her time between her roles as Municipal Court Judge for the City of McMinnville, Chief Judge for the Tribal Court of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, and as an attorney in private practice in McMinnville doing primarily juvenile defense work and serving as a family law mediator.

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Over the course of her 29-year legal career, she has also served as a city prosecutor for the city of McMinnville, an attorney for Legal Aid, and has maintained her own private practice for doing defense-side criminal and juvenile work, in addition to family law. Kaufman Noble earned her bachelor's in fine arts from Syracuse University, and her law degree from Willamette University College of Law.

Kaufman Noble currently serves on the Tribal Court State Court Forum and the Ensuring Racial Justice Committee; as a board member for the Oregon Municipal Judges Association and the Yamhill County Bar Association.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-02-13 11:01:18Last Update: 2022-02-13 11:13:36



Statewide Education Plans Expanded
“It is grooming at best, evil at worst.”

Representative Teresa Alonso Leon (D-Woodburn) has introduced HB 4091, which does a number of things. It develops a statewide education plan for students who are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; requires all statewide education plans to include strategies that provide for alignment with other statewide education plans; and directs Department of Education to revise processes for collection of racial and ethnic data for purpose of developing and implementing statewide education plans.

This bill also has a funding segment providing grants to educational entities implementing a plan from the Statewide Education Initiative Account. Hidden in the middle of what the Account can be used to fund is added “the minority gender identity or sexual orientation education plan developed under ORS 329.847. Even though it is bolded along with and next to the funding for Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander education plans, it runs together without notice. ORS 329.847 was also added as part of the education plan for early childhood through post-secondary education under all the statutes for students identified as slow-learners.

Rep. Alonso Leon chairs the House Committee on Education and made no mention of this added funding either in the bill summary or during the discussion, until the committee passed the bill. Why is this significant?

Parents are just finding out that their elementary student is being invited to join a QSA club at their school. They are asking why they aren’t informed of clubs. QSA stands for Queer Straight Alliance or Queer & Sexuality Alliance. It seems that the LGBTQ has taken their minority status as a right to invade elementary schools motivating middle school students who are questioning their identity to start QSA Clubs. A slide presentation with an invitation to join the QSA Club was presented to all 4th and 5th graders at Raleigh Hills Elementary School in Beaverton School District, and now showing up in other schools.

A public records request revealed predatory behavior on the part of the social worker, district personnel, and principal pressuring kids into joining this club by signing a contact form without parental knowledge or consent. The record shows district leadership, Pat McCreery, sought district counsel’s guidance on permission slips trying to not tell parents. The district’s legal counsel responded: ”In summary, it looks like the permission part is needed for student transportation, not general participation, and to answer the question of who is in the building before/after hours, not why they are there.”

For a club to be able to occur on a school campus, a teacher or other school staff has to be the sponsor and it has to get administration approval. The administrator approved Amanda Cook, Raleigh Hills Elementary Social Worker, as the school faculty advisor for the QSA Club. Her request states, “We have a small group of students now asking and advocating to start a QSA, and I’m hopeful we can start after winter break.” Did students contact her, or did she instigate the contact? Cook put together the material for the club invitation and used classroom hours for the presentation. Her office is the meeting place during lunch to avoid contacting parents.

The club is intended to be student run. However, Jeanette Schade says, “public records requests produced emails shared with many different campuses and district personnel to find a way to get QSA clubs going on October 20, 2021. This goes all the way up to the district level, pushing this hard onto other elementary campuses.” There are also emails crafting meeting notices so parents won’t suspect their child is attending. Raleigh Hills Principal, Jennifer DeMartino, is trying to find a way to get this club into elementary schools. It seems the Beaverton School District administration and QSA club promoters are finding ways to communicate to avoid public record requests.

The slides say QSA is a community where everyone belongs; students who identify as LGBTQ+, their allies, and those who want to learn more. One line says “What is said here, stays here” advocating to the students to keep things from their parents. Another slide addresses: What will we do? Representative E Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls) responded to the situation, “This is shocking. It is grooming at best, evil at worst. Sexualizing children is wrong, period, full stop. It is child abuse, no matter whether done by a pedophile or by the state.”

Jeanette Schade, educator for 24 years, stated in public testimony, “It is absolutely appalling that school teachers and officials are partaking in this type of behavior who are supposed to be ‘safe’ adults. These are 9- and 10-year-olds. Keep the personal and social politics out of the schools. Stop this predatory behavior and get back to teaching reading, writing and arithmetic without indoctrination.”

HB 4091 opens the door to support these clubs and now targets the most vulnerable.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-02-12 06:48:43Last Update: 2022-02-12 01:00:09



Senate Democrats Push Workforce Spending
“If you’re not familiar with a socialist agenda, read this bill”

The Senate Committee on Labor and Business has voted unanimously to move SB 1545 out of Committee, clearing its first legislative hurdle. This bill will focus targeted investments on building career pathways in targeted sectors, including health care, manufacturing and construction and was introduced at the request of Governor Kate Brown.

“We need to build an economy that works for working families and Oregon businesses,” said Senator Kathleen Taylor (D-Portland), Chair of the Senate Committee on Labor and Business. “That means investing in skills training and reducing barriers to people working to build their careers. SB 1545 will achieve that goal by expanding opportunities for hardworking Oregonians.”

Not everyone agreed.

Donna Bleiler submitted testimony, saying "I strongly oppose this bill. If you're not familiar with a socialist agenda, read this bill. $115.5 million of wealth redistribution."

“The pandemic created unprecedented challenges for many of our frontline workers, including health care workers,” said Senator Deb Patterson (D-Salem), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health Care. “Staffing shortages in health care settings affect quality of care and the ability of health care workers to do their jobs. SB 1545 will help Oregonians build their careers in health care, improving patient outcomes and the economic wellbeing of their families.”

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Testimony from David Wall pointed out that, "Priority populations means Communities of color and Women. SB 1545 supports and codifies into Oregon law 'systemic racism' and eliminates 'equal treatment of everyone under the law'. I cannot support 'systemic racism' and or preferential treatment of one person over another.

SB 1545 creates and expands on various grant and advisory programs to provide increased access for what it describes as "priority populations" to workforce programs and training opportunities in health care, manufacturing and construction.

SB 1545 now goes to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means for consideration.


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-02-11 22:25:55Last Update: 2022-02-12 13:51:56



Grants Available to Expand Oregon’s Meat Processing Industry
ODA is now accepting applications

The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) Director Alexis Taylor announces the launch of a six-week application period (February 9 – March 23 Noon PT) for the new Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant.

The $2 million investment comes from the 2021 Oregon Legislature’s state funding package. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for more options in meat processing for livestock raised in Oregon.

“These critical resources will expand Oregon’s regional meat processing capacity and strengthen our food supply chain from disruptions we saw early on in the pandemic,” said Taylor. “I am excited to see the proposals we receive which will support our rural economies, open new markets for Oregon products, and connect local consumers with local producers and products.”

Grant awards will be capped at $500,000, recognizing the significant investment meat processing facilities and equipment requires. ODA anticipates the requests will exceed available funds; however, this investment will help support the long-term economic and market development.

The Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Building Grant are open to all Oregon meat processors, including slaughter facilities who fall into one of three categories: In addition to the grant, ODA has also completed a draft plan to start a State Meat Inspection Program that is expected to begin in July 2022. The state’s program will be equal to USDA in all its requirements. Stay tuned for updates from ODA. For more information about USDA requirements, please visit their website.

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For the grant application form and more information about the Oregon Meat Processing Infrastructure and Capacity Grant, please visit the Oregon Meat Initiative webpage.

For additional questions or to receive a paper application, please contact ODA Trade Development Manager Gary Neuschwander at (503) 551-1706.


--Bruce Armstrong

Post Date: 2022-02-11 16:21:58Last Update: 2022-02-11 17:06:02



Sales Tax Bill is Dead
It must be an election year

Public voices rang out in the capitol yesterday. HB 4079, Oregon’s first sales tax bill was scheduled for a hearing at 1 PM. Just hours prior to the hearing, the House Committee on Human Services Chair, Anna Williams (D-Hood River) suddenly took the bill off the agenda and removed it from the committee along with hundreds of testimonies that had been submitted.

Representative E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls) said, “the only explanation is you spoke up. You said no. You made the difference.”

Choosing HB 4079 as Oregon's first ever identifiable sales tax that didn’t address safety or educational issues that are at the top of everyone’s minds may have doomed it before it received a hearing. The purpose of the sales tax was to fund $750 monthly debit cards to the homeless and people under the poverty level.

Oregonians have voted down a sales tax six times, but more than saying no to a sales tax, is the current distrust of government. Even if they had proposed an offset in income taxes, the economic environment is not in favor for the Democrat leadership to advance a new tax.

Oregonians who signed up to testify or submitted testimony, can pat themselves on the back, and stay involved. There are election bills, gun bills and education bills flying through the system that still need your voices.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-02-10 22:35:15Last Update: 2022-02-10 22:44:38



Minority Kids Given More Voice
Creates a collaborative from 15% of the population to meet an equity criterion

The last three Oregon legislative sessions have been a concentrated effort to change laws from “equality” to “equity,” contrary to the Oregon and U.S. Constitutions. Governor Brown has made it a priority for the legislative majority party. To help, minorities have been appointed to replace legislators who leave. There is now 30% of the majority party representing 15% of the minority population.

The march towards equity for racial, ethnic, underrepresented or underserved, sexual identity, English language learners, disabled minorities and poverty communities is being prioritized in every aspect of our lives and is seen in almost every legislative proposal. Our schools aren’t exempt.

HB 4099 was initially introduced in 2021 as HB 3363 with a proposed $1 million price tag, but left blank. Representative Andrea Valderrama (D-Portland) re-introduced the bill as primary sponsor of HB 4099. What is so desirable to resurrect this bill is the establishment of the Racial Equity and Justice Youth Collaborative. The formation of the collaborative isn’t simple, but has the potential of impacting the whole education system.

This bill creates a state-level student collaborative drawing members from 15% of the population to meet an equity criterion. The selection of members is done by a work group of racial, ethnic, underrepresented or underserved, sexual identity, English language learners, disabled minorities and poverty communities that will determine the criteria for selecting members for the collaborative, recommend names to Governor, and mentor youth members in the collaborative.

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The same membership criteria applies to the collaborative as used for the work group. The purpose of the collaborative is to serve at the will of the Governor to make recommendations on educational policy, and consider racial equity and justice and align with other statewide efforts for racial equity and justice when developing goals and criteria for making recommendations. They will identify best practices for reporting racist incidents or hate or bias crime. This amounts to giving 15% of students a say over the remaining 85% of the students.

What does this mean to school districts? School districts are to provide the collaborative members with counseling support, mental health support, tutoring, an adult mentor, and an opportunity to provide peer support or be a youth mentor. Individual schools, school districts, alternative education programs, or ESDs have no local control. All control is exercised by the Department of Education, whom are requesting $372,412 per biennium to administer and determine the training that may be required.

Who will do this administration and training? Since July 2018, Carmen Xiomara Urbina has been the Oregon Department of Education Deputy Director and works with agencies, executive leadership team, directors and principals regarding equity, diversity and inclusion helping to guide their approach.

Urbina also owns Oregon Center for Educational Equity (OCEE), trainers in equity and inclusion since December 2017. The license lapse, but was reinstated August 16, 2018, a month after she was hired by ODE, to do business with multiple public agencies and organizations in Oregon. It remains active through 2021.

Urbina’s dual activities were challenged when they overlapped in August 2020, promoting her own company to school superintendents to meet state requirements in equity and inclusion. More evidence is being pursued.

Besides the fox in the hen house, the Racial Equity and Justice Youth Collaborative is pacific to a group exclusive of others that teaches segregation, by its structure, as their norm. And, teaching them how to discriminate and be discriminated against. No equity agenda can force unity when the criteria segregates.

HB 4099 captures vulnerable youth in the quicksand of government, programming them to believe that government provides the only solution to racial, cultural, and ethnic conflicts.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2022-02-10 17:37:20Last Update: 2022-02-10 22:35:15



The Masks are Off
“The hypocrisy is unbelievable”

Oregon State Senator Dallas Heard (R-Roseburg) released the following statement regarding masks.

“The assault on freedom by the radical left against all Oregonians is simply wrong. This clear attempt to enslave all Oregonians, especially our children must be stopped. It is alarming to see how many elitist officials have been uncovered using COVID as a political weapon, a trojan horse to secretly steal the government and our freedoms away from ‘We The People’. Yesterday was no exception. When I attempted to speak out and peacefully protest their immoral mandates against our children and the people of Oregon, the Senate Democrats directly infringed on my constitutionally protected speech yet again and refused to allow me to exercise that right.

“On Tuesday of this week, in a small school district in the greater Roseburg area, 50+ middle and high school students were suspended and sent home from school for refusing to wear masks. They were temporarily expelled, just as all of the citizens of Oregon were expelled from their own capitol building during the 2021 legislative session. Enough! It is time to stand up to this tyranny against our children! Yesterday, the hypocrisy of Democrat Senate President Peter Courtney was exposed as I revealed a photograph of him blatantly unmasked on the Senate floor while mandating all others be masked. The hypocrisy is unbelievable.

“Instead of admitting that these mandates have been a political science experiment and allowing me to continue speaking, he turned my microphone off and told me that I was required to leave the Senate floor unless I submitted and donned a mask. All this as I was standing next to a picture of him unmasked in that same room. I decided to leave the floor…for now. The unparalleled hypocrisy of Oregon’s most powerful Democrat government officials is now complete. Kate Brown, Tina Kotek, and now Peter Courtney have all been exposed for not adhering to their own tyrannical rules being forced upon the children and people of Oregon.

“How many Oregonians have lost their jobs? How many have lost their homes or education because of those elected officials? How many in Oregon have been fined, discriminated against, had their schools shut down, or experienced deep depression because of the isolation we have all had to endure at their command?

“I am calling on all Democrats and Republicans of the legislative assembly to bring forward a bill that will strip the office of the Governor of these easily abused and manipulated emergency powers. The madness must end.

“To my fellow Republican House and Senate members, please join me in refusing to wear masks on the House and Senate floors going forward.

“To the people of Oregon, we cannot do this alone.

“This radical hypocrisy and oppression cannot continue to be submitted to!”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-02-10 17:03:36Last Update: 2022-02-10 17:37:20



House Republicans Propose the Oregon Solution to Agriculture Overtime
“Let’s learn from what other states have done”

Oregon House Republican members of the House Committee on Business and Labor announced an Oregon solution for mandatory agriculture overtime pay to benefit both employees and farms.

A February 8 public hearing held by the House Committee on Business and Labor received testimony from more than 100 individuals with comments or concerns about a proposal mandating overtime pay in agriculture. More than 70 Oregonians and farmers from across the state spoke to the uniqueness of agriculture in Oregon and the need for fixes to the agriculture overtime proposal. Around 20 labor union representatives and their allies supported the proposal without changes.

Republican members of the committee, led by Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) introduced a amendment to HB 4002 with three elements for an agriculture overtime proposal. These changes incorporate a year of comments from a diverse range of Oregonians and reflects Oregon’s unique agriculture industry: “These are three elements to a proposal to create an Oregon solution for agriculture overtime,” said Representative Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) who serves as co vice-chair. “Let’s learn from what other states have done and incorporate feedback we’ve received from Oregonians. We have an opportunity to make this a workable solution for our state that benefits both employees and farms. Without these changes we will only cause harm to both by reducing employee hours and increasing labor costs.”

“We need this Oregon solution that reflects our unique state and the unpredictability of agriculture,” added Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany). “These fixes are carefully crafted to avoid unintended consequences for Oregon’s farmworkers and our family farms and ranches. We invite our colleagues to join us by passing an Oregon version of agriculture overtime that supports jobs and preserves family farms.”

“An overtime threshold that ignores the complexities of Oregon agriculture and fails both our farms and employees is not the solution Oregonians deserve,” said Representative Jami Cate (R-Lebanon). “We need to truly heed the testimony of those directly responsible for implementing this policy on our farms and pass the solution Oregonians expect - balancing the needs of our farms and employees. Anything less is a disgrace to the confidence voters put in this Legislative body.”

“These fixes reflect input from Oregonians as well as the complex and unique nature of our state’s agriculture,” added Representative Jessica George (R-St. Paul). “Oregon agriculture requires an Oregon solution that protects employee salaries and farms. That’s what this amendment represents.”


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-02-10 09:38:07Last Update: 2022-02-10 17:03:36



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