Commentary
Anti-LGBTQ laws in the US are getting struck down for limiting free speech
Nearly 500 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures in the U.S. in 2023. Many of those bills seek to reduce or eliminate gender-affirming care for transgender minors or to ban drag performances in places where minors could view them. Most of those bills have not become law. But many of those that have […]
National officials should spark prescribed burns on federal lands to mitigate extreme fire seasons
When I was a former wildland firefighter between 2008 and 2011, peak fire season would migrate north in late summer, to our district in eastern Oregon, but the critical practice of prescribed burning was infrequently used in our region. Twelve years later, the fire seasons still migrate north, and millions of acres continue to be […]
Portland’s new system of representation might create some civic happiness
An upcoming government change could make Portlanders feel more connected to City Hall. A Portland commission just adopted a map specifying council wards, something new for the city where council members in the past have been elected at large. The new system tracks the change in role for council members, since they will no longer […]
Democracy Day: Election workers in Oregon, elsewhere face growing toll
One lesson we have learned about the American experiment over the past decade is the crucial role played by public servants who are in charge of safeguarding our vote. Their efforts have delivered safe, secure and efficient elections. Yet we tend to take this system for granted – and often fail to properly invest in […]
Wedding website, affirmative action cases show widening inequality in access to justice
A civil lawsuit is a means to prove one has been harmed and who bears responsibility. A less-considered component is the demand: What remedy would justly resolve the harm? To use a familiar example, E. Jean Carroll sued a recent president of the United States. She proved at trial that she had suffered the harms […]
Living with wildfire: How to protect more homes as fire risk rises in a warming climate
Humans have learned to fear wildfire. It can destroy communities, torch pristine forests and choke even faraway cities with toxic smoke. Wildfire is scary for good reason, and over a century of fire suppression efforts has conditioned people to expect wildland firefighters to snuff it out. But as journalist Nick Mott and I explore our […]
All workers – including farmworkers – deserve the right to organize
For most of us, Labor Day is a day of well-earned leisure, a time to celebrate the contributions of workers. But not everyone gets to rest on this day. Because the holiday arrives during the harvest season, many Oregon workers will be toiling in the fields to keep food flowing to our tables. The sacrifice […]
OHSU/Legacy merger could spur tectonic shift in Oregon health
I’ll admit to a bias about news of a corporate merger or takeover: It’s often a good thing for a small group of insiders and poor news for employees, customers, vendors and other people. How that bias relates to the case of a semi-public organization like the Oregon Health & Science University taking over the […]
It’s time to stand up to the oligarchy
Hardly a month goes by without news of billionaires lavishing gifts or favors on members of the U.S. Supreme Court. The latest revelation once again involved Justice Clarence Thomas, who reportedly has been traveling in private jets and luxury yachts to exotic destinations, paid for by a group of ultrawealthy benefactors. The fact that corruption […]
Idaho’s new abortion law will affect Oregonians, too
Several times a year for many years, I have crossed the Oregon-Idaho line in each direction, usually on Interstate 84 over the Snake River bridge. In all these years, I’ve never been slowed or stopped at the border, and the only thing that might have caused such an event is the speed limit. These days, […]
Oregon elevates natural and working lands to help slow climate change
In a forward-looking move, leaders in Oregon have committed funding to utilize farms, forests and wetlands in the effort to blunt the effects of climate change. On July 27, Gov. Tina Kotek signed the Climate Resilience Package, House Bill 3409, into law, helping to ensure that the state’s natural and working lands can continue to […]
Ohio voters affirm the “Defense of Democracy” enacted by Oregonians 25 years ago
Voters in Ohio turned back a blatant attempt to change the rules of their democracy this week, when they trounced a ballot referral designed by the state’s Republican Legislature to stymie a citizen initiative headed to the ballot in November. The issue in this case was abortion rights, which elevated Ohio’s Measure 1 to national […]