The Liftoff: A shake-up in legislative leadership
PLUS: Obama's mysterious trip to Nike, Dame leaves Oregon, Legislature meets for "leg days", combative hearing over Oregon's gun laws; Kotek solicits public feedback on Portland; and more!
Welcome back to The Liftoff! There was so much news this week—including the heartbreaking but inevitable fact that Portland’s unofficial mayor, Damian Lillard, is heading to Wisconsin.
We’d also like to welcome our newest sponsor: our friends at the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center—and they need your help! Please go to ovbc.info/2023 and take the 2023 Typology survey to help strengthen Oregon’s civic culture. See below to learn more about the survey.
Our readership continues to blow us away each week! Thank you, as always, for reading, liking and sharing! Contact Alex (alex@or360.org) if you’d like to discuss advertising opportunities.
1. Legislators return to Salem (and the House GOP elects a new leader)
Oregon lawmakers were back in Salem this week for the first time since June for dozens of meetings previewing some of the issues they’ll tackle next year.
As Julia Shumway with the Capitol Chronicle reminded us, legislators don’t pass laws during this time, but the Senate did vote on confirming new members to state boards and commissions. Lawmakers will be back on February 5 for the “short session”, where they will have 35 days to address huge issues like housing, tolling, behavioral health—and even the dissolving of the Pac-12—before they adjourn until 2025.
University of Oregon and Oregon State University officials met with the House Higher Education Committee on Thursday afternoon to discuss the economic impacts of the Pac-12 Conference realignment, reports Eugene’s KEZI.
"There are significant impacts on budgets, student athlete scholarships and to the Corvallis community," said Oregon State University President Jayathi Murthy. "There are severe impacts to non-revenue sports, Olympic sports and women athletes."
At a hearing on Thursday, Oregon economic officials said they expect $40 billion in new semiconductor investment in the coming years, spending they anticipate will rejuvenate the state’s computer chip industry and create 6,300 new jobs, reports Oregonian business reporter Mike Rogoway.
State Sen. Floyd Prozanski, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is planning to have a bill in the 2024 session that would recommend changes to Measure 110, the voter-passed law that decriminalized possession of small amounts of hard drugs.
In an interview with the Capital Chronicle, “Prozanski said he’s in a learning phase. He said it’s too soon to know what changes might be made. But he’s clear on two points: Oregon cannot return to the old way of doing things and put drug addicts in prison. And the state also needs to hold people accountable and look for ways to get them into treatment.”
The Oregon House Republicans have a new leader. House Republicans chose Rep. Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) in a private election this week after Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) stepped down. Helfrich is a retired Portland police officer who served in the Air Force during the First Gulf War, represents one of the most competitive districts in the Legislature. The Capital Chronicle spoke to Helfrich last week about his priorities.
Oregon lawmakers also announced a new committee to address the state’s drug and addiction crisis and Measure 110, reports WW. The new Joint Interim Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response will consider new laws while providing additional oversight over money that’s already being spent, legislators said.
The committee is co-chaired by Rep. Jason Kropf (D-Bend) and Sen. Kate Lieber (D-Southwest Portland), and includes five Democrats and three Republicans.
From WW: Newly minted House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich was not optimistic, saying: “…the same people who helped create the problem and continue to perpetuate the problem will not solve the problem.”
2. A contentious county meeting, another story in the New York Times, and more Portland area news
KGW’s The Story called it “A Clash of Commissioners”. Following a month of debate, and a very contentious meeting on Thursday, the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners approved $63 million to fund more shelter beds, behavioral health services, and rent assistance after a contentious debate Thursday morning. The Oregonian reports that this funding is from the unexpected windfall of homelessness funding. Commissioner Sharon Meieran said she was “disgusted by this proposal” and was the only commissioner to vote no.
This week’s must-read story: Another New York Times Sunday feature story about Portland, complete with over a dozen powerful images: “He’s a Dab of Glue in a Broken City. Can He Hold It Together?”
The story follows a private security guard named Michael Bock who encounters an onslaught of fights, emergencies, and criminal activity in the course of his job—and does his best to help. Here is an excerpt:
In Portland, a record-breaking number of daily emergencies has strained every part of the system: 911 hold times have quintupled since 2019, the average police response has slowed to nearly an hour, firefighters work overtime to handle more overdoses than actual fires, and each week there are no ambulances left to respond to hundreds of medical emergencies.
Gov. Tina Kotek on Tuesday announced that the Oregon State Police will send new resources to Portland to disrupt the flow of fentanyl. The governor unveiled the initiative during the second full meeting of the Portland Central City Task Force, reports OPB.
From OPB: The “strategic enforcement and disruptive initiative” will see state troopers teaming up with Portland police and engaging in high visibility shows of force, with troopers out in numbers along key highways.
The Governor’s Central City Task Force also released a website, featuring a public survey soliciting input about the future of downtown Portland. According to the Governor’s office, the survey asks participants to name what they value most about the Portland area, what would bring them downtown more often—and for solutions to the challenges facing Portland’s Central City.
More Portland-area news:
The Portland Bureau of Transportation is facing a $32 million budget shortfall and is proposing significant cuts to road repair services and mass layoffs, reports The Oregonian. “If the council approves the cuts, staff could start receiving layoff notices as early as spring of 2024, the agency said in a statement.”
Doctors, nurses, and physicians assistants at Legacy Health say they plan to unionize, in part because of “grave concerns” about Oregon Health & Science University’s effort to purchase Legacy. If the OHSU/Legacy merger happens, it would create the Portland metro area’s largest employer, with 32,000 doctors, nurses and other staff, and 10 hospitals, writes WW.
More from WW: “Fight Between Portland Officials and Regional Arts and Culture Council Turns Bitter”
3. Sponsored Message from Harrang Long P.C.: Harrang Long’s Political Law Practice
This message is from our sponsor, Harrang Long P.C.
Now that the legislative session is over, Oregon’s activists, candidates, political committees, and ballot measure petitioners are turning their attention to the 2024 elections. Harrang Long P.C. has represented clients in the political arena for decades, handling matters that include the legal requirements of ballot measure petitions, campaign finance disclosures and regulation, political committee organization, ballot access, and election challenges.
Government regulation of political activities becomes more complicated nearly every year, and political actors increasingly initiate regulatory complaints and litigation to achieve political goals. More and more, having experienced legal counsel is critical to success in the political arena.
To learn more about how Harrang Long’s Political Law Practice, check out our website here.
4. Producing our way out of the housing crisis with Jodi Hack
Oregon is grappling with a severe housing crisis. Recent data reveals that the median selling price of homes in Oregon is hovering around the $500,000 mark. In swiftly growing cities like Bend, this figure climbs even higher due to significantly constrained housing availability. Governor Tina Kotek has set an ambitious target of constructing 36,000 new homes annually.
However, critics argue that current regulations, coupled with limited land resources stemming from the Urban Growth Boundary and Oregon's stringent land use guidelines, render this goal unattainable. Joining our discussion today is Jodi Hack, a former Republican State Representative and now the CEO of the Oregon Home Builder's Association. Jodi will help us break down what is contributing to the housing shortage and what policies may need to change in order to increase inventory and address the demand for affordable housing in Oregon.
5. Controversies, scandals, court fights, and more state news
First, a sampling of stories about controversies and scandals from across the state:
From the East Oregonian: “Boardman mayoral candidate sues six for defamation”
From Willamette Week: “OHSU Gives Upper Management, Administrators $12.5 Million in Bonuses Untethered to Performance”
From The Oregonian: “Oregon officials face ethics sanctions over Amazon data centers’ tax breaks and land deals”
From The Blue Mountain Eagle: “Complaint criticizes John Day mayor's use of city manager powers”
From Willamette Week: “Nine Months After She Left State Government, U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle Can’t Shake the Long Shadows of Her Time There”
From The Capital Chronicle: “State ends two Measure 110 grants this month over misuse of funds, failure to provide services”
Three years after Oregon voters decriminalized drugs, OPB reports that a new national study shows Oregon’s first-in-the-nation law has not led to increased drug use or drug overdoses.
From OPB’s: “Researchers at NYU, the Network for Public Health Law and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at 13 states with similar drug overdose rates to Oregon in the three years leading up to Measure 110 going into effect. They then compared overdose rates in Oregon to those same states in the first year after decriminalization.”
A six-day trial in Harney County over the constitutionality of Oregon’s voter-approved gun laws ended Monday. OPB’s Jonathan Levinson described the hearing:
“Witnesses for the state faced direct scrutiny from Harney County Circuit Court Judge Robert Raschio, who will decide if the voter-approved Measure 114 is legal under Oregon and federal law. The at-times combative inquiry from the judge highlighted the fraught debate over gun laws in Oregon and across the country.”
6. Sponsored Message from the Oregon Values & Beliefs Center: Take the 2023 Typology Survey!
This message is from our sponsor, the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center.
The Oregon Values and Beliefs Center provides independent, nonpartisan opinion research for Oregon. This fall, we’re conducting the OVBC 2023 Typology Project to help give Oregonians the tools to have better conversations about the challenges facing our state and our communities.
Building on past research from the Oregon Values and Beliefs Studies, Policy Interactive, and Pew Research, OVBC’s 2023 Typology Project clusters Oregonians into “neighborhoods” of shared values and beliefs. It gives us a clearer picture of what we agree is important and a better starting point for working together, even when we disagree.
Every Oregonian who takes the survey helps paint a clearer picture of what's going on in our state. So go to ovbc.info/2023, take the survey, tell your friends and family, and talk about it with one another. Make sure your voice is counted, and get the conversation started now, even before the data is ready.
7. The Oregon Way
Oregon City Commissioner Adam Marl is one of the youngest elected officials in Oregon and has experience working in the Legislature and on local, state, and federal campaigns. Check out his piece this week in The Oregon Way.
8. News Roundup: Obama’s trip to Nike and Bonamici’s bipartisan bill
Oregon will receive $157 million from the federal government to connect about 17,000 homes and businesses to the internet, the White House announced Wednesday.
President Barack Obama quietly visited Nike HQ in Beaverton Wednesday and was spotted in a building that house the offices of top executives, reports The Oregonian.
One of the closest legislative districts in Oregon, House District 53 (Bend and Redmond), will have a contested election. The seat is currently held by State Rep. Emerson Levy. Last week, Redmond School Board Member Keri Lopez filed to run as a Republican.
From The Capital Chronicle: “Starting next year, drivers traversing U.S. Highway 30 between Astoria and Ontario will see signs honoring Gold Star Families – the parents, children, spouses and siblings who lost loved ones serving in the military.”
From Willamette Week: “A supporter of Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene), the state legislator facing a recall election initiated by the United Food & Commercial Workers union, asked the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office this week to investigate an anti-Holvey mailer that she says has the look and feel of an official elections guide.”
From Pamplin: “Bipartisan legislation led by U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici could spread nationwide the work by the Beaverton School District and others to warn students about the dangers of fentanyl, a powerful drug that often masquerades in fake prescription pills.”
We have two corrections from last week. We incorrectly said AG Rosenblum is the first AG from Oregon to serve as President of the National Attorneys General. Attorney General David Frohnmayer actually served as president in 1987.
We also attributed the story on Vikki Breese-Iverson stepping down as minority leader to The Oregonian, but the story is from the Capital Chronicle (but also ran in The Oregonian).
Tips? Feedback? Ideas? Corrections? We want to hear from you! Emailbenjaminwbowman@gmail.com or kristinaedmunson@gmail.com.
Consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support helps us grow and offer more opportunities to this community. It’s just $10 a month!
Want to advertise with us? Get in touch! Our readership has grown and we reach a wide variety of Oregonians!
About the Authors
Ben Bowman is the state representative for Oregon House District 25 (Tigard, Metzger, and South Beaverton) and a member of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board. In his day job, he works as an administrator for a public school district. Previously, he worked as a legislative aide for former Reps. Margaret Doherty and Val Hoyle. He also co-hosts The Oregon Bridge podcast. In the newsletter and podcast, he speaks only for himself.
Alex Titus is a small business owner and consultant to businesses, nonprofits, and associations. Previously, he served as an Advisor in the Trump Administration and as a Policy Advisor to President Trump’s Super PAC. His writing has appeared in National Review, Fox News, The Hill, RealClearPolitics, and other publications.
Kristina Edmunson has been everything from press assistant for Governor Kulongoski, media advance associate for Vice President Biden, and communications director for Attorney General Rosenblum. Born and raised in Eugene, she has been involved in some of the biggest policy and legal decisions in Oregon over the last decade. Today, she runs her own communications practice. She speaks only for herself in her contributions to The Liftoff.