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The curious case of crypto as a player in Oregon politics
Winners for election to the U.S. House in Oregon, who are mostly incumbents, typically raise campaign treasuries for the whole of an election cycle of up to about $2 million. Sometimes they raise more (as in the 4th Congressional District race in 2020), but that’s unusual. What’s happening this year in the 6th Congressional District, […]
Republican candidates for Oregon governor chasing small slivers of voters
Just 5.3 percent of the vote theoretically could produce the next Republican nominee for Oregon governor, far fewer votes someone would need to be elected state senator in the fall. The primary winner likely will get considerably more than that, of course. But since every candidate on the ballot will pick up at least a […]
Oregon’s report on domestic terrorism gives good starting points to counter violence
The problem of domestic terrorism isn’t new, but some of the possible routes to a solution in Oregon probably are new at least to many of us. The report where they can be found comes from the Oregon Secretary of State’s Audits Division. This technically isn’t an audit – that would entail more cost and […]
As Portland again considers reforming its city government, others in state may watch for lessons
In 1900 the city of Galveston, Texas, was thrashed by a hurricane which has been called the deadliest natural disaster in American history. It left much of the city a wreck, and in desperate need of help from its local government. In response, the city changed its form of government to the commission form, which […]
Oregon faces bleak water outlook, and more research into managing water needed
Earlier this month Governor Kate Brown, at the request of local officials, declared a drought emergency for Klamath County when snowpack in the area fell to 60 percent of normal. That news didn’t make the top headlines on the county government’s website last week, but another water emergency did: A serious drying of residential wells. […]
By the numbers, filings for Oregon offices provide political fodder
Oregon’s two top political parties did a solid job of candidate recruitment this year. At least when it comes to the numbers. What those numbers mean when the two sets of elections come around in May and November is a different question. The sheer population of candidates this year at the federal and state level […]
The work done by legislators shows the need for and value of Oregon’s short sessions
Thirty-five days is not a lot of time, especially in an election year. Those are all the days an even-year regular session of the Oregon Legislature has, and this year’s session wrapped its work in even fewer. That Oregon’s legislators got as much done on so many subjects as they did this year is remarkable […]
Oregon state senator’s balk at masks at the Capitol seems more political theater
By the latest stats, Oregon is No. 1 or dead last, but in a good way, when it comes to the pandemic. It ranks last in per-capita cases from Covid, behind all other states and the District of Columbia. (The next lowest is Maryland; Washington is five states down the list.) That could be cause […]
Tobias Read is staking some outsider territory in Democratic bid for governor
With Nick Kristof out of the gubernatorial running, the Democratic field has 16 contenders (one of them not yet qualified). Theoretically, any could catch fire and win, but the nomination likely will go to one of two: former House Speaker Tina Kotek or state Treasurer Tobias Read. The contest between the two of them is […]
Oregon’s resolve against self-serve fueling and sales taxes is slowly weakening, it seems
The old joke has it that at birth Oregonians are given the word: No sales tax and no self-serve at the pump. One of those rules seems to be fading. Might the other, eventually, as well? The long-standing general ban on self-service gas (with a few exceptions) provokes a lot of head-shaking among non-Oregonians (and […]
Those trading in your personal information face regulation in Oregon – and it needs to be strong
Thousands of companies you do no business with and that you hardly ever heard of possess astonishing amounts of information about you, your residence, your family, your work, your religion, your credit score and more. They are called data brokers, and you have no way to find out from them what they have and do […]
Yamhill County commissioner’s retreat from hard stand on Covid may reflect reality
Anti-masking and anti-vax forces have pushed their protests to extraordinary degrees. At one January rally in Washington speakers “compared U.S. vaccination policies to Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Doctors in white coats falsely claimed that vaccines are ‘not working’ and advocated for unproven treatments.” Oregon opponents of measures to combat the Covid-19 pandemic have […]