The Liftoff: Kate Brown's legacy
PLUS: More state agency leaders resign; bad news for public education; "five alarm fires" to watch for; DOJ wins massive public health settlements; some good news; and more!
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1. A bad news week for Oregon’s public education system
Here are four articles from the last week on significant challenges facing Oregon’s pre-K through higher education system:
From the Capital Chronicle: “Oregon students pay disproportionately high tuition, hindering enrollment and depriving the economy of trained professionals in key sectors”
From Willamette Week: “An audit of Oregon’s community colleges released Dec. 19 found the system is failing students, in no small part because of poor oversight by the state Higher Education Coordinating Commission.”
From the Oregonian: “Oregon’s per-student spending was 4.6% below the national average in the 2019-2020 school year”
From the Capital Chronicle: “Data analysis by InvestigateWest and the Center for Public Integrity suggests at least 21% of Oregon districts are under-identifying the number of homeless students attending their schools.” This could mean students in need are missing out on critical services.
2. Transition Watch: Two more state agency leaders step down
Two new state agency leaders are joining Pat Allen of the Oregon Health Authority in stepping down ahead of Gov.-Elect Tina Kotek taking office. Andrew Phelps of the Oregon Department of Emergency Management and Barry Pack of the Oregon State Lottery both tendered their resignations, effective early January.
Meanwhile, Alexis Taylor, the former head of the Oregon Department of Agriculture appointed by Gov. Kate Brown, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the next undersecretary for trade and foreign agriculture affairs at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The head of the Oregon agency is Lauren Henderson, an acting director.
Meanwhile, Gov.-Elect Kotek made the first stop of her “One Oregon” listening tour in Yamhill County.
3. Governor Kate Brown’s Legacy
As a growing number of Gov. Kate Brown-appointed agency heads tender their resignations, her most prominent successes and challenges are coming into focus. Here are some highlights from the last week:
In Her Own Words: To hear her reflect on her time in office, you can listen to an hourlong “exit interview” with the Governor on KGW.
Criminal Justice Reform: In addition to effectively ending the death penalty and granting pardons to around 45,000 individuals in the last month, Governor Kate Brown last week forgave 7,000 unpaid traffic tickets.
John Tapogna, former head of ECONorthwest (and author of one our most popular pieces, “Don’t Bet Against Portland”) penned an op-ed in the Oregonian thanking Gov. Brown for leading during one of the most challenging periods in Oregon history.
Here’s an excerpt: “Job approval may be too high a bar in these polarized days. But what if we settle for appreciation? Let’s appreciate and respect a remarkable, punishing 480 days of public service that our fellow Oregonian provided.”
One of Gov. Brown’s legacies will be diversifying Oregon’s judicial branch, including appointing the first Asian American (Lynn Nakamoto) and first Black (Adrienne Nelson) Supreme Court Justices. But, according to the Oregonian, “Three judges appointed by Brown – two of whom are Black – were ousted by opponents during their respective elections.”
Speaking of legacy, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation is raising money to commission Gov. Brown’s official portrait (no public funds are used for official portraits).
4. Three Oregon Republicans debrief the 2022 election—and look for lessons moving forward
Last week, two-time congressional candidate and businessman Jimmy Crumpacker joined the Oregon Bridge to discuss the 2022 election from the GOP perspective. Alex Titus and Reagan Knopp joined Crumpacker to analyze the nationalization of politics, whether policy matters in campaigns, what business leaders are saying about Oregon, opportunities for bipartisanship, and more.
5. Potential “five alarm fires” to watch
Population Decline: Josh Lehner, an economist who works for the state, tweeted out new figures showing a significant decline in net migration—a potential “five alarm fire” for Oregon’s economic outlook.
Homelessness: From OPB: “There were 582,462 people sleeping on the streets nationally during a single night in January this year, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — a 0.3% increase since 2020…In Oregon, according to the federal data, there were 14,655 people, an increase of 22.5% since 2020.”
The housing crisis is not just a Portland-area problem. This story from OPB, featuring a homeless shelter in the The Dalles, will pull at your heartstrings this holiday season. Here’s the lede:
“Kathryn Perkins never imagined she would experience homelessness. ‘I was always a working member of society. And then all of a sudden I’m not, and you know, I’ve had some bad times,’ she said. For the past six months, Perkins has been staying in a 64-square-foot tiny home which she shares with a roommate and her dog, Monster.”
The Bend Bulletin has a powerful story on homelessness in Bend in frigid temperatures. Here’s an excerpt:
“Tammy Carter, 36, came to the shelter last Friday after she said Bend Police impounded her motor home because it lacked proper insurance and wasn’t fully off the road when she parked it. The situation has left her incapable of returning to her camp near La Pine. Carter is pregnant, and her baby is due next month. She knows the warmth of the shelter kept her child safe. ‘If we hadn’t been able to get a place here, I would have lost this baby,’ she said.”
6. And now, for some good news
As of today, Oregon had the highest turnout of eligible voters in the country in 2022, with 61.5% casting votes (67% of eligible voters).
The Oregon Department of Justice had a great year for winning public health settlements. From the Capital Chronicle:
“Oregon will receive an estimated $701.5 million to fight opioid addiction from settlements with companies that distributed, produced or sold the addictive painkillers, the Oregon Department of Justice said Thursday.”
“Separately, the state reached a $698 million settlement with Monsanto Company to end litigation tied to its alleged role in polluting the state for decades with toxic chemicals that still remain in landfills and riverbeds decades later.”
Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Chanpone Sinlapasai is the first Laotian judge in the United States.
7. News Roundup: Gas-powered cars, charges against “shroom house”, and the future of presidential statues
Oregon will ban the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035 with regulations from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality—and Republicans are not happy.
The gruesome murder of four Idaho college students made its way back to Oregon as police investigate an abandoned vehicle in Eugene.
From the Oregonian: “Elections officials in the office of Secretary of State Shemia Fagan are still deciding whether there is enough evidence to ask Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to pursue a case against former FTX director of engineering Nishad Singh for donating $500,000 to the Democratic Party of Oregon under a false name”
Yikes, courtesy WW: “Two men accused of running an illegal shroom storefront are being charged with 40 felonies”
Anna Zusman, daughter of current publisher Mark Zusman, will be the next publisher of Willamette Week.
From OPB: “Portland leaders have announced a partnership with Lewis & Clark College to figure out what to do with five statues that were toppled or removed during the racial justice protests of 2020.” The statues include U.S. presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.
Thank you for reading.
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About the Authors
Ben Bowman is the chair of the Tigard-Tualatin School Board and state representative-elect for Oregon House District 25 (Tigard and Beaverton). 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.