The Liftoff: Major shakeup in GOP primary for Gov. and three trends you should know about
PLUS: Short session updates; campaign finance reform still alive; Sam Adams' proposal to end unlawful camping; and new research from OVBC
Welcome back to The Liftoff!
After months of the Democratic primary for governor dominating the headlines, the last couple of weeks have proven that the GOP side can be interesting and unpredictable, too—with two new entrants that were prominent political figures in the 1990s. More on that, the legislature, state agency news, and more below.
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1. Big developments in the GOP primary for Governor
New Entrant #1: Bill Sizemore is back and running for governor once again. Sizemore was a major figure in Oregon politics in the 1990s as the architect of several anti-tax ballot measures. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion. As Reagan Knopp pointed out, as the GOP nominee in 1998, he was defeated by incumbent Governor John Kitzhaber by 34 points.
New Entrant #2: Bob Tiernan, a former state lawmaker in the mid-90s and former Chair of the Oregon GOP, is also running for Governor. His campaign came out of the gates with over $1 million in cash. $500,000 came from a personal loan from Tiernan, and $500,000 came from a California-based LLC.
The fallout from the revelation of Mayor Stan Pulliam’s private life is still unfolding. The story was featured in People.com, The New York Post, The Daily Mail—it even made The View. Both Sizemore and Bridget Barton are vocally criticizing the Mayor. Former Rep. Julie Parrish says the controversy doesn’t really matter, while former Rep. Jeff Kropf says it does. Pulliam released a video with his own response, and penned an op-ed for Pamplin.
2. A very busy week for the Oregon legislature: Farmworkers, childcare, wolves, pay raises, and more
With the legislature in session, February is an incredibly busy news month, so we’ve tried to distill some key highlights below:
YIKES, courtesy of WW: “The massive earthquake that’s expected to one day hit off the coast of Oregon is scary enough without considering what would happen to the Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub. The CEI Hub, as it’s known, is a collection of huge white tanks you see on your right as you head up U.S. Route 30 to Sauvie Island to go berry picking. There are 630 of them, full of 150 different liquids, including gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.” Also, they could catch on fire. BUT, legislators are trying to take a step in the short session to begin to address this.
Lawmakers received a ridiculously positive economic forecast, with over $1.5 billion more than anticipated in revenue.
A bill to require overtime pay for farmworkers is scheduled for a work session in the House. It has sparked fierce opposition from Republicans and farm owners, and passionate support from Democrats, farmworkers, and progressive organizations.
A massive, $100 million expansion of Oregon’s childcare system is working its way through the legislature.
A proposal by Sen. Floyd Prozanski to tie legislator pay to Oregon’s average income ($57,000 in 2020) received bipartisan support, with positive testimony from progressive organizations and the Portland Business Alliance. Legislators are currently paid about $33,000. In addition to 14 Democrats, the bill is sponsored by Republicans Rep. Greg Smith and Sen. Dallas Heard.
Speaking of Sen. Heard, he was kicked out again by Sen. President Peter Courtney for not wearing a mask.
Three environmental bills made news this week:
A bipartisan bill (sponsored by Sens. Lee Beyer and Bill Kennemer with unanimous support from the State Land Board) could bring to an end the years-long controversy over the Elliott State Forest by making it into a research forest, protecting critical salmon and owl species, and allowing some limited logging.
A bill to codify the Private Forest Accords appears to be moving through the legislature with unified support among interest groups and legislators.
Finally, a proposal related to reimbursements for livestocks killed by wolves has generated opposition from wildlife proponents.
Following the firing of superintendents in Albany, Adrian, and Newberg, legislators are considering a bill that would make it harder for school boards to fire superintendents.
The legislature is also considering a bill that would require the state to assess the needs of women serving in prison and develop policy recommendations.
A bill has moved out of a senate committee that would prohibit police from stopping drivers for minor infractions (like a broken tail light). The bill would also require law enforcement officers to inform drivers that they have the right to decline a search of their vehicle or property.
3. Campaign finance reform ballot measures still alive; 4th CD race heats up
At first, campaign finance reform measures seemed unlikely to qualify for the ballot after being ruled ineligible by Secretary of State Shemia Fagan for failing to meet a technical requirement. Then, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum certified the language of the three measures—meaning the matter will be settled by the Oregon Supreme Court.
In the 4th Congressional District, Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle has been endorsed by the national group EMILY’s List, which has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to pro-choice Democratic women in Oregon.
Alek Skarlatos, the likely Republican nominee in the 4th CD, was back in the news with a KOIN interview with Ken Boddie—and because State Rep. Marty Wilde filed a complaint with the Oregon DOJ against a charity founded by Skarlatos.
4. GOP political consultant Reagan Knopp joins The Bridge to deconstruct the governor’s race
Republican political consultant Reagan Knopp returns to the Bridge to deconstruct and offer a deep-dive analysis on the Oregon Governor's race. Reagan walks through both the Democratic and Republican primaries and recent hurdles that candidates on both sides are facing. We cover (nearly) everybody and its an episode you won’t want to miss.
5. State and local government news (featuring federal electeds!)
Sam Adams, former Portland Mayor and current aide to Mayor Ted Wheeler, wrote a memo outlining his ideas to create large-scale shelters that would eliminate unsanctioned camping in Portland (along with other key provisions). Neither Commissioner Carmen Rubio nor Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty had seen the memo, but both reacted negatively in their comments to Willamette Week.
Mayor Ted Wheeler also penned an op-ed for The O calling on Governor Kate Brown and the legislature to assist the state’s mayors with the homelessness crisis.
The Oregon Department of Justice has determined that the proposal to bring horse racing terminals to Josephine County, supported by Dutch Bros co-founder Travis Boersma, is unconstitutional.
Some of the state’s top civic leaders are working together to revive Oregon’s chip industry, a more urgent priority following the news of Intel’s massive expansion in Ohio. The task force will be led by Sen. Ron Wyden, Gov. Kate Brown, and PGE CEO Maria Pope and will also include Sen. Jeff Merkley, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Speaker Dan Rayfield, Sen. Tim Knopp, Rukaiyah Adams, and over a dozen more leaders.
Oregon’s indoor mask mandate will be lifted by April 1st (this is not an April Fool’s joke). Masking decisions will be left to businesses and local governments.
Governor Kate Brown has reached an agreement with Metro President Lynn Peterson, Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega Pederson, and Portland City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty over a more than $1 billion project to cap I-5 at the Rose Quarter.
The tight labor market has created a workforce crisis for some state agencies.
The Secretary of State’s office will audit Oregon’s rental assistance program; the move is welcome by Oregon Housing and Community Service, the agency overseeing the program.
6. Three Oregon trends you should know about
Over 95% of Oregonians have health insurance, as of 2020. This is fantastic news—and it’s important to remember that having health insurance coverage doesn’t necessarily mean having accessible healthcare. For example: high deductible health plans, while technically providing coverage, can make access challenging.
Oregon’s union membership is growing, defying a national trend. From The O: “Nearly 18% of Oregon workers are now represented by a union, making Oregon the fourth most unionized state in the country.” Even Oregon’s 18% rate is a decline from national rates decades ago.
The addiction crisis is really, really bad in Oregon. Nearly one in five adults report a problem with drugs or alcohols—and we have the worst access to treatment of anywhere in the country. The rise of fentanyl is a contributing and complicating factor.
7. Compromise or stick to your beliefs? Here’s what Oregonians want from their leaders
As it turns out, Oregonians overwhelmingly want their leaders to get things done—even if it means compromising—rather sticking to their beliefs at the expense of progress. Thank you to the Oregon Values and Beliefs Center for this relevant and important research for Oregon’s state and local political leaders.
8. News Roundup
Ines Peña, one of the three members in the minority of the Newberg School Board, has resigned her position, citing “emotional and psychological abuse”
A member of the ODOT advisory board was ousted over inappropriate comments on an internal survey.
Uber and Lyft have lost more nearly 2/3 of their Portland drivers over the last three years. Kyle Iboshi over at KGW tells you why.
Olympia’s Power Play: Washington state legislators want to raise your taxes and Sen. Lee Beyer says Oregon may look at ways to retaliate.
The Oregon Health Authority is rolling out a new round of recommendations regarding psilocybin mushrooms.
Ever wanted to know where bridges in Oregon are in the worst shape? Jayati Ramakrishnan and Mark Friesen at The O have you covered.
We Made It! “Oregon reaches peak of omicron wave.” Check out the full story from the team over at OPB.
Andy Polo was released from the Portland Timber’s after an allegation of domestic violence from a former partner. Polo played for the Timber’s for four seasons and for Peru at the 2018 World Cup.
Nearly 50 gun shots were fired and 6 vehicles were hit in a shoot out in SE Portland on Saturday. No one was reported injured.
Thank you for reading.
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A lot of good stuff in this issue. Thanks!