The Way: Protecting LGBTQ+ Rights in Oregon; Milwaukie Mayor To Bring Climate Urgency to OR's Legislature; AND, Tackling Inflation With Growth
Guest contributors Nancy Haque (Basic Rights Oregon), Mayor Mark Gamba (Democratic Nominee, House District 41), and columnist Gary Conkling. PLUS, carbon offsets, administrator pipelines, & land use.
This Week on The Oregon Way
1. The fight (and agenda) to protect LGBTQ+ rights in Oregon
Nancy Haque, Executive Director of Basic Rights Oregon
Problem: The LGBTQ+ community has been at the center of America’s culture war. Oregon is no exception. Two major gubernatorial candidates oppose trans-student athletes competing according to their gender identity. At the same time, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said the Court could reconsider its Obergefel v. Hodges decision, which recognized same-sex couples’ right to marry. After a decade of significant progress, this community is staring down major setbacks.
Why You Should Read This: What can Oregon do to protect LGBTQ+ Oregonians? How can politicians preempt the Court’s decisions? Nancy Haque writes about how her organization is responding to recent and future challenges. She explains that Oregon’s legislature, governor, and courts will determine how this community experiences national changes and that work starts now.
2. Mayor Gamba is taking an urgency for climate action to the state legislature
Mark Gamba, Mayor of Milwaukie and Democratic Candidate for House District 41
Problem: Climate scientists say that we have less than a decade to lower global carbon emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change. Meanwhile, a changing climate is already devastating Oregon communities.
Why You Should Read This: During Mark Gamba’s tenure as mayor, Milwaukie adopted the most ambitious climate plan of any city in the state. Mayor Gamba takes his defining issue to the state level in this op-ed. He makes three proposals, and given his record and experience, one might expect that his ideas will influence whatever climate legislation the Democratic majority comes up with next session.
3. Politicians can fight inflation while growing the economy
Gary Conkling, OR360 Media columnist
Problem: Inflation continues to blow past experts’ expectations. In their attempts to help constituents, national and state politicians struggle to find effective ways to deal with such a complex global problem.
Why You Should Read This: Conkling’s essay responds to Mark Hester’s last week on the ineffective “quick fixes” that politicians are considering. Conkling says the government could lower inflationary pressures while raising long-term economic prospects. He lists six policy areas he believes politicians should focus on. Conkling's essay is a meaningful primer if you are trying to decipher which political rhetoric is substantive and which isn’t.
Noteworthy Ideas
1. A professor of land use planning says the current move to invest in police enforcement and relocations of the homeless could be less cost-effective than investing in proven methods of homelessness reduction. (Dr. Marisa Zapata | Oregonlive/The Oregonian)
2. Portland ended its effective partnership with Friends of Trees, puzzling The Oregonian’s editorial board.
3. Portland Public Schools is using a multi-million-dollar grant to invest in its administrator leadership pipeline. Robbie Davis explains why this work is essential. A question that goes unasked: what about all of the other school districts in Oregon? And what happens when the private grant runs out? (Oregonlive/The Oregonian)
4. Kate Anderson at Sightline Institute writes that the carbon offset market will not be able to finance all the potential gains in extending timber harvest rotations in the Pacific Northwest. She details the problems that limit the carbon market’s potential.
5. The Portland Association of Teachers president discusses the obstacles educators have faced and will face. (“Think Out Loud” | OPB)
6. Tacoma, Washington, is experimenting with guaranteed income. (“Think Out Loud” | OPB)
7. A hate crime suspect was released from prison for 94 hours in Multnomah County during the first week of July. He was re-apprehended. Why did this happen? Recently changed legislation. How can we fix it? There are two ways. (Lucas Manfield | Willamette Week)
8. The history and fear that led to Oregon’s land use system. (Jeff Mapes | OPB)
To Do
Check out The Liftoff! In this week’s edition, Alex and Ben cover —
Betsy Johnson’s attempt to claim legislative immunity
This year’s historic ballot initiatives,
The Oregon GOP’s new chairman,
The politics of Oregon sports,
The new up-and-coming leaders across the state
And much more!
Read and subscribe to have it delivered straight to your inbox every week.
Listen to (or watch) our podcast, The Oregon Bridge. Alex and Ben spoke with Beth Sandor of Community Solutions, a national non-profit working to end homelessness, and Lori Kelly from Multnomah County and the City of Portland’s Joint Office of Homelessness Services about the “Built for Zero” program. They talk about what Built for Zero does, the recent controversy surrounding the program, and the information policymakers should know about homelessness.
Call Back
If you listened to or watched The Bridge, Multnomah County Commissioner Sharon Meieran’s essay is worth a read. In it, she responds to her critics, explaining the rationale behind Built for Zero and why she believes it is a compassionate approach.
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