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Redistricting In Oregon Join us on April 29 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm for our People Powered Day of Action event! As part of the LWVUS’s People Powered Fair Maps (PPFM) initiative, LWVOR will be working in tandem with other groups and organizations to explain the importance and the process of redistricting to Oregon residents in the coming months. On Thursday, April 29, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, as part of PPFM national Day of Action activities, LWVOR will join with local Oregon Leagues and other groups in sponsoring a Zoom meeting to provide resources to League members and others for understanding the process of redistricting, why it is important to individuals, where the process now stands, how an individual can help shape their state legislative and congressional districts for the next ten years, and to answer questions from participants. LWVOR President Becky Gladstone and IP 57 (People Not Politicians) Chief Petitioner Norman Turrill are expected to participate in the discussions. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqfuigqD0sE9RyVH7kLFHGQ3yittLuxLuA After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Questions? Contact lwvor@lwvor.org.

Your First Chance To Be Heard Personally On Redistricting! Date: March 6, 2021 To: All League Members From: Rebecca Gladstone, LWVOR President Norman Turrill, LWVOR Governance Coordinator Chris Cobey, LWVOR Redistricting Specialist Next Tuesday evening, Oregon state House and Senate redistricting committees will commence a series of ten public hearings – two for each of Oregon’s five congressional districts – to hear from you. Where do you think your community district lines should be drawn? What does your ideal congressional or legislative district look like? Why? What “community of common interest” represents you? What kind of a district do you not want your neighborhood placed in? Hearings start March 9, schedules are here and in this linked flyer. Read LWVOR’s written testimony or verbal testimony, here at 39:00. You can testify from home, submit written testimony – or both. It’s pretty easy! Follow suggestions to submit written testimony. Instructions for presenting live remote verbal testimony are in each hearing agenda. Remind legislators – verbally, in writing, or both – of the long-standing LWVOR and LWVUS goal to use independent Citizens’ Redistricting Commissions in this process – and now is a great time to refer a constitutional amendment to voters for that. Suggest using the very common legislative option, a citizens’ advisory committee. Contact Chris Cobey (he/him/his; redistricting@lwvor.org, 650.743.5653) with any questions.

Becky Gladstone President, LWVOR See the Oregon Vote By Mail Procedures Manual, from this page with other manuals and tutorials. This is from the state Elections Division: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4YFMJn2MNs Also, these: Video, “How Ballots are processed in Lane County, Oregon”. https://vimeo.com/269755185 Video, “Maintaining Voter Privacy with the Optional Secrecy Sleeve”, Multnomah County Elections: https://youtu.be/XD_KlcI5FPs BEST PRACTICES What are the best practices for the following sections in operating a vote by mail infrastructure? Request a mail-in ballot Oregon is VBM so all ballots are mail-in. to replace a ballot, see ballot help: If your ballot arrives damaged, you make a mistake, spill something, lose your ballot, or for any other reason, contact your county elections office for a replacement ballot. Observing the counting process Oregon supports unparalleled transparency. Contact your county elections office to observe the election process. See the VBM Manual, p. 22, and the Election Law Summary Manual, p. 20. I can send our Observer Training PPT, needs updating, underway. Deadlines for receiving and postmarks for ballots? Varies by state. Oregon, by 8pm on election day: received in the mail, into dropboxes/drop sites, or delivered to the County Elections offices. Late arriving ballots are not counted. We encourage and hammer with heavy publicity to get ballots in. Campaigns and political parties call daily, using daily ballot return reports from elections, to get ballots in. Counting Timelines When do they start counting and when must counting be completed? Ballot counting in Lane County, Oregon usually starts the Friday before election day. NO results are ever released before polling closes. Counting continues until completed on election day. That is not the same as election certification, determined by statute. See our 2021 election calendar for state statute references. Use the Oregon Revised Statute (law) look-up link from UO Law. Elections law is Chapter 260. Harder to navigate and the official source to cite is Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS). Prepare to count- How many people are needed, how are these people trained? See Oregon Vote by Mail Procedures Manual. Experienced staff usually just needs a review, otherwise a day, half-day to train. How are drop box locations determined? Se VBM Manual, p. 10 for drop box security. See Oregon drop box locator. Drop site requirements are in statute. Training people for signature matching, creating signature matching procedures? See VBM Manual under Staffing, p. 36. Securing the ballots before, during and after counting? What are the top 5 reasons people’s ballots are rejected? Per our state Elections Director, 2 big reasons- ballot isn’t signed or signature doesn’t match. How are voters notified if there is a “problem” with their ballot and what processes are in place to allow voters to remedy the “problem”? If voters share contact info, county elections will call or email. Problematic since this is public info and voters now don’t want the spam. Track with ballot tracker, need to verify if it can notify for problems. What are the key considerations when operating a vote by mail infrastructure to ensure all votes are counted? 1. Voter Registration: publicize widely and remind often because if voters aren’t registered, they can’t vote. Our #MotorVoter through the DMV is not perfect. We haven’t gotten back to address party registration online, currently a separate, easily overlooked postcard. Our nonaffiliated voters because drivers’ licenses are renewed every 2. Ballot Mailing Alerts: tell voters when ballots are being mailed, to contact their county elections’ offices if they haven’t gotten theirs. 3. Track Your Ballot Encourage voters to sign up for ballot tracker, or whatever program your area may use, to track their ballots, from mailed, to received, to counted. Here in CA, Multnomah CO, OR, King CO WA. 4. Deadline pushing- Ballots must be received by deadlines, in Oregon by 8pm on election day-postmarks don’t help, and now, with pre-paid envelopes, our state Elections Director cautions that there will not be postmarks anyway. Be sure to use realistic mail processing time, longer if post offices have closures (we did a few years ago). 5. Secure Procedures See the videos and Manuals for thorough safety protocols to control location oversight, tracking, redundant staff review, always having political party inclusion in each team with everyone stopping together for meal or rest room breaks, etc. Who are key allies for this issue? Do they include groups representing communities of color, the disability community, etc.? ACLU, political parties, even though they do not work directly with LWV. Disability Rights Oregon are very active but strictly advocating for their limited constituency, not for benefit of voters overall. more directly the State Library, TBABS, Talking Books and Braille Services for vision related concerns. Very important, those advocating for current ballot measures, eg League of Conservation Voters, education communities, etc. What research or data can you share to show that vote by mail has actually increased turnout, especially among underrepresented groups? See The SoS Election Statistics page for general, primary, special election turnout and ballot return history since 2000. OR VBM statistics, a comprehensive history, up to 2006. Please explain your public education messaging on how to vote by mail: Is there any type of messages or methods that seemed effective when explaining to the general public on how to vote-by-mail? Oregon started VBM in the early 1980s, gradually, for local special elections. Please see the videos; messaging has evolved. How did you measure its effectiveness? During the implementation of all-mail elections in your state, what were some of the challenges advocates for all-mail elections had to overcome? Vote by mail, automatic voter registration, pre-paid ballot postage, pre-registration for younger voters, all have been opposed, sometimes invoking vulnerability to voter fraud. No one has been able to validate those concerns. From NPR, 2018, "If and when a bank gets robbed or a car gets stolen, we don't stop using banks or cars. We enforce the laws we have in place." How should advocates for all-mail elections prepare for these challenges? Encourage elections offices to prepare ASAP: Establish needs (quantity, cost, time, and materials’ availability), for paper, printing, processing and staffing/labor needs. Equipment needs to be in place and compatible, with staff trained to use it. We are concerned that our veteran pollworking crew, many older and notably vulnerable to COVID-19, may not be available. Coordinate a publicity campaign with trustworthy branding, multi-faceted outreach to various communities and media, especially social media. Include partners like the Dept of ED, youth groups, League, ACLU, disability and minority voters rights’ groups, Chambers of Commerce, City Clubs, etc. Oregon has compiled election statistics from 1992-2018, for cost per ballot (received), and per voter with turnout. These notes were assembled quickly and more information is available. – Becky Gladstone, LWVOR

This post was originally published on The Center Square. By Tim Gruver | The Center Square (The Center Square) — Oregon ranks among the easiest states to vote in, and state lawmakers want that to be true for everyone behind bars too. For almost 20 years, the vote-by-mail state continues to see some of the highest voter turnout in the country. In 2020, 78.5% of Oregon voters cast 2.3 million votes or the most in state history. A bill this session would include the state's more than 12,000 prisoners among them. Sponsored by Sen. Sara Gelser, D-Corvallis, Senate Bill 571 would allow the state's more than 12,000 convicted felons to register to vote, update their voter registration, and vote from prison using their last residential address. SB 571 has big backing already from the ACLU of Oregon, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, the League of Women Voters of Oregon, and Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. "My agency's job is to uphold Oregon's democracy," Fagan said. "This bill stands for the simple proposition that when somebody is incarcerated, they don't stop being citizens." Maine and Vermont remain the only two states in America where prisoners can vote while incarcerated in addition to the District of Columbia. Though Oregon does not disenfranchise released prisoners, research including one University of California Berkeley study found that whether a released prisoner had voting rights decreased risk of recidivism by about 10%. Supporters of the bill see it as overdue racial justice rectifying the country's centuries of racial disenfranchisement. English colonists brought with them to North America the common law practice of “civil death,” criminal penalties which included stripping someone of voting rights. Connecticut was the only state 200 years ago to legalize the practice. By the beginning of the Civil War, 17 states followed. Once slavery was abolished, another 10 states joined them. Prior to statehood in 1859, Oregon was the only U.S. territory to ban Black individuals from its borders all together. Samantha Gladu, executive director of civic action group Next Up Action, told state lawmakers on the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday that the bill is an essential civil rights issue. "This is a big bill, but it's not scary," Gladu said. "To continue to delineate who we restore rights to based on sentencing is a failure to recognize the unimpeachable rights that we all have as citizens." State Department of Corrections data shows Latinos amount for 12% of the state, but make up 16% of its prison population while white people make up 78% of the state and 69% of its inmates. Black people still see the highest disparities, making up 2% of the state and 10% of its prisoners. Some research also suggests felony disenfranchisement deters ex-felons from voting as many remain unaware of their eligibility, often deterring those around them from political participation. As the authors of a Stanford report on the matter wrote, "disenfranchisement not only impacts the felons themselves, but also disempower the group to which they belong." Of the more than 60 people submitting written testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, most supported the bill, but many argued restoring voting rights to prisoners would diminish the purpose of imprisonment: punishment. "Allowing convicted felons to have the right to vote while incarcerated removes one the fundamental punishments for breaking the law in America," wrote concerned citizen Carolyn Polzel. "The right to vote is sacred and should be held at the highest value. Allowing incarcerated criminals this right decreases the value of the right to vote." State Rep. Khanh Pham, D-Portland, shared the view of many testifying that prisons should be preparing prisoners for freedom, of which civic engagement is a critical part. "The ability to vote while incarcerated reminds people that they are still meaningful members of society, and it encourages them towards civic participation," Pham said. "Incarcerated folks are directly impacted by elections, from their meals to their medical care to the school districts that their children attend, the laws that we create." Others preferred a system restoring voting rights to certain prisoners depending on the reason for their incarceration. "This kind of bargaining would once again be denying humanity, autonomy and citizenship of incarcerated community members," Gladu said. Proponents of the bill also believe it would allow state laws to better reflect a 1996 amendment to the Oregon Constitution, which maintains "laws for the punishment of crimes" be guided by principles of "protection of society, personal responsibility, accountability for one’s actions and reformation." "We know that the civic engagement model of reentry, one that involves community through service and restorative justice, works far better than forcing inmates to undergo 'civil death,'" wrote Rebecca Gladstone and Marge Easley of the League of Women Voters of Oregon. On Wednesday, SB 571 had picked up 16 sponsors including Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Sen. Floyd Prozanksi, D-Eugene.

Secretary of state, advocates say it would end voter confusion over when to mail them back. This article was originally posted on Pamplin Media. Oregon, the nation's first state to conduct all elections by mail, would join the ranks of other states to accept ballots postmarked by election day under legislation heard Thursday, Feb. 11. House bills 2226 and 2687, heard by the House Rules Committee, are nearly identical, except that HB 2226 by Rep. Marty Wilde, D-Eugene, would allow third-party collection of ballots only on election day itself. Oregon now requires mail ballots to be in the hands of county elections officials by 8 p.m. election day. Postmarks do not count, unlike the practice in Washington, California, Nevada, 11 other states and Washington, D.C., according to a 2020 report by the National Conference of State Legislatures. Four other states require a postmark the day before the election. Under the proposed change, county officials would have to receive postmarked ballots no later than seven days after the election. States with similar laws have differing deadlines. A count for the Nov. 3 general election is not final, but in Oregon's 2016 and 2018 general elections, nearly half a million of the ballots ultimately counted were turned in on the final day, either by mail or drop boxes maintained by the 36 counties. Secretary of State Shemia Fagan, the state's chief elections officer, says it's time to end the confusion. "We've all seen it every election cycle," Fagan said at a hearing. "The news media, the county clerks, the secretary of state's office, people in organizations, various people just guessing have to constantly estimate when is the unofficial last day to mail your ballot. It just creates confusion typically on those last five days before an election." Rep. Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis, the chief sponsor of HB 2687, said 130 voters in Marion County alone cast ballots that did not count because they were received after the Nov. 3 election. "That is what this bill is trying to solve," he said. Under Oregon law, ballots are mailed to voters 14 to 18 days before the election date. Because of uncertainties raised about the reliability of the U.S. Postal Service — although USPS said in a year-end report that it delivered 99.89% of mail from voters to elections officials on time — more than the usual number of voters returned their ballots early. "We can and do encourage people to vote early," Isabela Villareal, who spoke for the Next Up Action Project, said. "But that really does not solve the problem. "We know of Oregonians who become nonvoters and do not cast their ballots," Villareal, who spoke for the former Bus Project, said. "They think they are too late to mail their ballots. and dropping off their ballots is a barrier due to mobility, transportation, lack of available drop-off locations, and confusion over mailing deadlines." Among the organizations endorsing HB 2687 were the League of Women Voters of Oregon and the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon. Although she did not testify at the hearing, Gov. Kate Brown — herself a former secretary of state — identified election-day postmarks in her state of the state address as one of her three priorities to expand access to voting. The others are election-day voter registration, which is proposed in House Joint Resolution 11, and use of information from agencies other than the Driver and Motor Vehicle (DMV) Services Division to register voters automatically. Many Oregonians do not drive or own cars. (That bill was not up for a hearing.) House Joint Resolution 11, which requires a statewide election, would amend the Oregon Constitution to remove the 20-day deadline that voters put there in 1986. They did so after the attempted Rajneeshee takeover in Wasco County, although county and state officials managed to thwart irregular voter registrations. Oregon had election-day voter registration from 1977 to 1985, when lawmakers changed the deadline to the day before an election. Also heard by the committee in addition to election-day postmarks and the constitutional change was House Bill 2679, which would allow some 17-year-olds to vote in party primaries if they turn 18 by the general election and if the political party they affiliate with allows them to do so by rule. Rep, Jack Zika, R-Redmond, asked what would happen to election timelines if the Legislature allows for election-day postmarked ballots to count. Zika won his 2018 primary by just two votes of around 7,500 cast. Rayfield said he would propose a technical amendment to his bill to adjust the timelines. Yamhill County Clerk Brian Van Bergen, speaking for nonpartisan county elections officials, expressed reservations about the proposed changes. Democrats command supermajorities in both chambers, so they can pass them without Republican votes. They can only refer a constitutional change to voters, however. "We don't think the system is broken," Van Bergen said in response to a question by House Republican Leader Christine Drazan of Canby, who sits on the House Rules Committee. "We think there are opportunities for improvement." pwong@pamplinmedia.com

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1/21/2021 The original Action Alert was issued by LWVUS. Please follow the links to take action. Dear League members, In 2019, we celebrated the passage of HR1, the For the People Act, in the U.S. House of Representatives. This sweeping piece of legislation is the most expansive democracy reform agenda we have seen since the Voting Rights Act, but back then it never got to the President's desk. With the start of the 117th Congress it is imperative that the For the People Act once more become a top priority. We must get this bold, transformative set of reforms to strengthen our democracy and return political power to the people over the finish line, but we cannot do it without your help! The For the People Act is the democracy reform bill the American people want and deserve. This legislation will put power back into the hands of American voters by making voting easier and more accessible and by modernizing future elections. It's up to us to speak up for what's right. Contact your Representative* and ask them to champion the For the People Act. The For the People Act addresses some of the most pressing issues facing our democracy. From restoring the Voting Rights Act, modernizing our voter registration system, updating the public financing of elections through small donor matching funds, ending partisan gerrymandering, and making campaign contributions more transparent, this bill will put control of our government back into the hands of the people. As an organization with a mission of empowering voters and defending democracy, the League of Women Voters is proud to support the For the People Act. We have fought for HR1 for the last two years and will not give up the fight any time soon. It is time to put power back in the hands of the American people. Tell Congress to pass the For the People Act as a first order of business in the new administration. Tell your Representative how important this reform package is to the future of our democracy. Contact your Representative* TODAY and implore them to support the reintroduction of the For the People Act. Yours in the fight, Virginia Kase CEO

1/14/2021 The League can help with the legal definitions for the 1/6/21 acts being discussed. These are rarely cited for the usually dignified US transition of power. It is important to understand the gravity of these acts to our democratic republic and the penalties to those participating. We want to focus here on attacks to our Capitol(s). Many are questioning the lack of police preparedness and coordination on 1/6/21, contrasting it to last summer’s BLM protests. Now, coordinated and adequate protection must be quickly arranged for the inauguration and beyond. Legal experts distinguish between higher level and lesser individual crimes being investigated, in DC and around the country, as reports expose threats of violence in the next few days. Big picture, or high crimes: TREASON is defined in US Code, Title 18, Section 2381. Note, war has not been declared. Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. RIOT is defined in US Code, Title 18, Section 2102 The 1/6/21 events were closer to insurrection. INSURRECTION an attempt to overthrow the authority of the federal government, using force to resist and subvert defined in US Code, Title 18, Section 2383 as: Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten an insurrection years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. DOMESTIC TERRORISM This is more serious. Here’s the FBI statement on the US Capitol violence and their summarized definition of domestic terrorism (our annotations): (1) violent, criminal acts (we can all agree that what happened was violent since people were hurt and killed) (2) committed by individuals and/or groups (the attack involved hundreds of individuals who breached security of the U.S. Capitol) (3) to further ideological goals stemming from domestic influences, such as those of a political, religious, social, racial, or environmental nature (There should also be little doubt that this was to further a political ideology since there was massive amounts of signs, flags, and social media posts expressing these people’s intention and ideology.) (4) against its own citizens. (And finally, the people within the building were primarily citizen legislators, staff, and personnel.) The U.S. PATRIOT ACT was written to deter and punish domestic terrorists. Acts of domestic terrorism are defined in Section 802: (A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State (B) appear to be intended – (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping and (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. SEDITIOUS CONSPIRACY This relevant national security statute is used very rarely and some of last week’s actions seem to pertain. See the US Code Title 18, Section 2384: Criminal disruption of government proceedings by individuals: If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. From LWVPDX Leadership: "Despite the violent and frightening interruption to Congress’s mandated task of certifying the electors’ votes for president and vice president, our elected representatives returned to their constitutional duty, completing their task in the middle of the night. The rule of law prevailed. We thank them." Individual crimes being investigated from 1/6/21 Criminal law experts note these individual 1/6/21 crimes. Ongoing investigations may include others: · Unlawful entry, possibly trespass · Felony theft and destruction of property · Assault on law enforcement officers or others, for example journalists in Salem · Communicating threats · The pipe bombs found · Attempted murder and deaths as a direct result If coordination between individuals in these crimes is found, additional penalties may apply. Some elected officials may have been involved. For them, being barred from serving in public office may apply. The League of Women Voters values peaceful political expression. It is the core of our mission. The violence, deadly and disruptive at the US Capitol last week prompted unprecedented League statements: The LWVUS condemned the domestic terrorist attack on the US Capitol and called for the immediate removal of President Trump. Violence is wrong. Those bringing it must be held accountable. From LWVUS leadership: "The League condemns the attack for what it was: domestic terrorism. We call on all members of Congress to respect the certification process, condemn the actions of these terrorists, and support a peaceful inauguration on January 20th." From LWVOR: We grieve for the violation of our US Capital and the heritage it embodies for our republic. We call for respect of our Constitutional processes, accountability for criminal actions, and for safety, for reliable protection of our public servants and for the work we have given them to do. The League of Women Voters, now entering our second century, celebrates our legacy of informing voters. We thank voters for the historic voter turnout rates around the country. The LWVOR will continue to encourage other states to share our automatic voter registration, and safe and secure Vote-by-Mail practices. We call for a peaceful transition, with respect for the election results and the will of the people. Please be safe, everyone.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT Rebecca Gladstone, President, LWVOR lwvor@lwvor.org, 503.581.5722, lwvor.org [Salem, Oregon] – The League of Women Voters of Oregon champions the importance of counting every ballot. We call on Oregon voters to “cure” challenged ballots, those set aside in our elections offices with problems. Oregon’s County Clerks mail letters or postcards to voters whose ballots cannot be processed, most often for lack of a signature. Ballots can still be counted if elections offices receive corrections within Oregon’s two-week extension deadline of November 17th, one reason Oregon statute allows 30 days to officially certify election results. Oregon voters should check first with County Elections Officials. For more help, our national #866OurVote Election Protection Hotline: 866.687.8683 can be reached 9am-9pm Eastern time, with state-by-state specific answers. Thousands of volunteers nationally are working in earnest under deadlines now. You may be transferred directly to experts in Oregon. Deadlines for ballot corrections vary not only by state but within jurisdictions. Others should check their state’s ballot cure deadlines; Georgia’s was today. See CNN’s Ballot Curing explained, with deadlines. We are proud of Oregon’s legacy of first statewide Vote by Mail, automatic “MotorVoter” registration, voter-verifiable paper ballots, postage paid ballot envelopes, and progress with risk-limiting audits. In 2016 over 28,000 Oregon ballots, between 0.2-1.0%, were challenged, mostly because voters failed to sign the outer envelopes. Bill Burgess, Marion County Clerk, reported two weeks ago: “So far, about 800 Marion County voters have been notified of signature mismatch issues, and about 100 didn’t sign their ballot envelopes”. LWVOR is sharing the 24-page Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions from OSCE, an international election observers’ team, which conducted an extensive interview on our experience with Oregon’s elections. OSCE has observed a number of US election cycles and this team was one of 15 traveling around the country. The Oregon League has sent election observers to other countries but we have not been interviewed here before. The report includes problems persisting from earlier reports. Rebecca Gladstone, LWVOR President: “The League of Women Voters of Oregon will be addressing concerns raised in the international observers’ report. We advocate for many facets of elections, from civics education to improved voter registration, candidate filing software and improved geospatial elections districting. We look forward to working with our recently elected Legislature and the incoming Secretary of State to address this election’s challenges including COVID and wildfires.” ###

This article was originally published by KGW. Author: Brittany Falkers Published: 6:30 PM PST November 9, 2020 Updated: 6:32 PM PST November 9, 2020 PORTLAND, Ore. — In her vice president-elect acceptance speech, Kamala Harris thanked those who paved the way for women in politics and set the course for the future generation. “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” she said. Those words resonate with women and girls across the country, no matter what party you are a part of. “I think that it’s amazing that we’re going to have a female vice president,” 11-year-old Alma Ben-Zaken said, “And, actually, we should have had one already.” For the next generation of leaders, Harris’ ascent to the White House will have a profound impact. “I think that’s really inspiring and cool,” 12-year-old Mitzi DuPlain said. “It’s really really, really awesome,” 11-year-old Siri Rettmann said. These three middle schoolers are all part of Girls Count, a non-profit group in Portland that provides programs to inspire girls to be the next generation of innovators, critical thinkers, and decision-makers by giving them opportunities to see academics in action. Mary Hlastala is the founder and executive director. “Really our mission is for girls to understand that their voice matters in the world,” Hlastala said. “And it’s important to understand what’s going on in the world so they can make informed decisions and become, hopefully, the next generation of leaders and innovators.” “I actually learned stuff that even my parents didn’t know about,” Ben-Zaken said. Programs focus on showing girls academics in the real world. Their programs focus on everything from business and finance to their most recent lesson: the election. “We learned about the Electoral College, which I found very important to know about,” Ben-Zaken said. In that lesson, they’re learning about the importance of having diverse leadership to represent our diverse country. “You get different ideas and some of those ideas could be better than the ones previously thought of,” Rettmann said.” Women make up 51% of the U.S. population, but only account for a quarter of the U.S. Senate and less than a quarter of the U.S. House of Representatives. When it comes to local government, women make up just 22% of mayors in cities with populations over 30,000, according to Represent Women. Women of color, Republican women, young women, and low-income women are especially underrepresented. “Representation does matter,” President of the League of Women Voters of Oregon Rebeca Gladstone said. The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan group that encourages informed and active participation in government. They are celebrating their 100th birthday and the anniversary of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote. However, Gladstone is quick to point out that while the ratification happened a century ago, it took decades more for Black women and POC women to be able to exercise their vote alongside their white counterparts. While Harris’ new role as vice president-elect is breaking barriers, Gladstone says that we still have a long way to go for an equitable future. “There’s a diversity in our society and our government should reflect that. Our democracy should have people that speak for all of us,” she said. “There are some really great ideas out there, but we just have to give them a chance to come up and speak.” For these young girls and girls around the country, seeing someone who looks like them in the White House matters, right now and for the future ahead. “I’m really, really glad we’re having one, especially a mixed-race vice president,” Ben-Zaken said. “And if we start with the vice president then we’re going to work our way up to president someday.” Girls Count is working to grow its mission of empowering middle school-aged girls. They’re in the middle of a fundraiser to provide a permanent space in Portland for their non-profit work. To learn more and donate visit www.girlscountpdx.org.

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This article was originally published by the Statesman Journal. Author: Connor Radnovich Published 2:41 PM PT November 3, 2020 The results of Tuesday’s elections in Oregon and around the country won’t be certified for weeks, but the prospect of a distressing campaign season coming to a close is giving some hope for a return to calmer political times. Danielle Black of Tigard said she is afraid to leave her home because of how politics and this election have permeated so much of public life. While she was sitting in line at a drive-thru, Black said a woman got out of her car and began yelling at her because she thought Black had cut her off. Black said the woman screamed about how Black was what is wrong with America and that she bet Black voted for Democratic candidate Joe Biden. “I have never been scared of an election,” Black said. “This is horrendous.” Regardless of who wins at the state level, Black said she hopes Oregon’s political leaders can address the growing homelessness crisis. She also wants politicians to listen to the demands of Black Lives Matter protesters — not to empathize, but to seek solutions. Change takes time, but Black said she hasn’t seen any attempts to move towards action. After the past four years, Black is tired of political talk. “Nobody is trying to mend anything, come to any agreement,” she said. “There have been so many opportunities that have been missed.” Wendy Latta of Dallas said her biggest concern is getting children back to school safely during the coronavirus pandemic. She has two kids, ages 10 and 12, who are currently attending school remotely. She also wants to see the state prioritize bringing businesses into Oregon and revitalizing rural towns. She sees the stagnation on solving critical issues as a symptom of rigidity among those in power, holding onto their values too tightly to seek the common good. “Both sides need to realize that they’re not giving up their values when they compromise on issues to get something done for everyone,” Latta said. These include issues as seemingly fundamental as communication. The League believes more discourse would decrease partisanship, Gladstone said. But while tone is an issue, more pressing for the legislative process is the volume of input. Lawmakers and their staffs are deluged by calls and emails during the legislative session. On hot-button topics, lawmakers will sometimes get thousands of identical form emails or calls from supporters or opponents, which can clog communication lines. With in-person meetings restricted due to the pandemic, those lines of communication are only going to get more congested, further limiting the time available to discuss issues more deeply. “I am really concerned about how to make this functional because it’s a little bit ridiculous,” Gladstone said. “I think people are not really listening to each other. But how can they?” Vonnie Mikkelsen, chair of the Oregon State Chamber of Commerce board of directors, said his organization hopes to see bipartisanship after the election, especially geared toward recovery for small businesses. Mikkelsen said polarization at the national level has found its way into Oregon’s politics, which is ultimately counterproductive, especially in light of Oregon’s wildfires and the ongoing pandemic. “We need to come together to support our local businesses and communities as we work to recover from the pandemic and devastating wildfires,” she said. Reporter Connor Radnovich covers the Oregon Legislature and state government. Contact him at cradnovich@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6864, or follow him on Twitter at @CDRadnovich.

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This article was originally published by the Bend Bulletin. By KYLE SPURR The Bulletin Housing, transportation and other major issues in Bend were discussed Tuesday at a virtual forum for three City Council candidates. Anthony Broadman, an attorney at an indigenous rights law firm running for Position 2, and Position 4 candidates Rita Schenkelberg, a mental health counselor, and Michael Hughes, a cannabis lawyer, each took turns answering questions on a wide variety of topics. August Paul Johnson, an Oregon State University-Cascades student running for Position 2 and Anon “Bubba” Walters, who works in commercial flooring and is running for Position 4, did not participate. The forum was hosted by the City Club of Central Oregon and the League of Women Voters of Deschutes County. The three candidates at the forum agreed Bend is facing a housing crisis and there is a need for more diverse housing options. “Let’s be clear, the crisis is that many people who work in Bend cannot afford to live here,” Broadman said. “That’s not the type of city any of us want to live in.” Schenkelberg said she believes that making neighborhoods better connected to basic services should be included in any discussion about improving affordable housing. “We can’t just stop with having diverse housing units,” Schenkelberg said. “It needs to include having complete neighborhoods so humans can walk or bike to grab something from the store. It also means that we have to have safe transportation within those complete neighborhoods.” Hughes supports more affordable housing options, but warned that changing the city’s zoning codes could cause legal issues if not done right. “Anytime we do anything with zoning, the city has to do so in a very cautious manner so we don’t create land use disputes that get stuck in the courts for years,” Hughes said. Each candidate did not support the bond to build a new library in Bend due to the proposed location and investment, but the candidates had differing views on the $190 million transportation bond on the general election ballot. Broadman said now is the time to invest in Bend’s future transportation needs, and not doing so would hamper the city’s efforts to become more bike friendly and environmentally conscious. “If we make this the most bikeable, busable, walkable city, it will also be the most drivable city,” Broadman said. Schenkelberg also supports the transportation bond and wants to see more connection for travelers from the east side of the city to the west side. Schenkelberg wants to prioritize safer sidewalks and bike lanes, as well. “Crossing from the east side of Bend and trying to go over or, rather under, Greenwood or Franklin is kind of terrifying,” Schenkelberg said. Hughes said he does not support the transportation bond and said it is too much money to ask, as many residents are hurting financially from the COVID-19 pandemic. He understands residents wouldn’t have to pay the bond for another two years, but the $190 million is still too much. Other specific transportation projects could be done, such as reexamining speed limits and creating better bike paths, Hughes said. “We need to do more to connect our bike paths along the river to make this a more bike friendly town,” Hughes said. As for addressing climate change, the three candidates said they support the city’s Community Climate Action Plan. But the candidates said they want to see the city take the work further. Broadman said it is the responsibility of all levels of government, from city councils to the federal government, to find climate change solutions. “We need to take this matter very seriously,” Broadman said. “I reject the idea that this is too big of a problem for the city to take up.” Schenkelberg said she was encouraged to see several community members involved with the city’s climate action plan. With that much involvement, Schenkelberg could see Bend being a leader in climate change policies. “There were so many different individuals that were able to share their perspective on the climate right now and really have conversations,” Schenkelberg said. Hughes said he has fought for the environment many times as an attorney. He wants to see the city do more to examine the chemicals it uses to treat landscaping and roads. “I think the city could do a lot more than the action plan,” Hughes said. “I would be in favor of looking at anything that would involve making our environment cleaner.” Reporter: 541-617-7820, kspurr@bendbulletin.com

This article was originally published by the Bend Bulletin. By JACKSON HOGAN The Bulletin There were topics that Republican state Rep. Cheri Helt and the Democratic challenger for her legislative seat — Deschutes County deputy district attorney and Bend Park & Recreation District board member Jason Kropf — agreed on during a virtual forum Tuesday. Those include abortion rights, gun safety and campaign finance reform. Yet, the two House District 54 candidates — who have had a heated campaign this fall — found a multitude of ways to continue attacking each other for much of the hourlong forum, hosted by City Club of Central Oregon and the League of Women Voters. During her opening statement, Helt immediately focused on the fact that Kropf had to return over $20,000 in campaign contributions from the Oregon Trial Lawyers Association. An argument about this topic lasted so long, that both candidates had little time to answer the moderator’s first question, about redistricting. In a tweet Tuesday morning, Kropf admitted to returning contributions from the trial lawyers association. The association allegedly requested silence from former Deschutes County prosecutor Jasmyn Troncoso, who earlier this year issued an intent to sue the office of District Attorney John Hummel for having a sexist and racist workplace, Kropf wrote. An investigation into the district attorney’s office, commissioned by Hummel himself, disproved a number of Troncoso’s claims, Hummel said in September. Throughout the first 10 minutes of the forum, Helt repeatedly told Kropf that his return of the association’s contribution was a “clear admission of wrongdoing,” and that he needed to issue Troncoso an apology. “I want to point out that he still has not apologized to Jasmyn,” Helt said near the end of the argument. “You can do better, Jason.” Kropf said he respects Troncoso, and wouldn’t attempt to silence her, which is why he returned the contribution. He also chastised Helt for asking him to compromise his ethics by discussing a potential lawsuit involving his workplace. “I understand you’d rather mislead voters about my record than talk about your record, but it’s time for open and honest discussion about the issues,” Kropf said. Both candidates also repeatedly assailed each others’ actions in their elected positions. Kropf attacked Helt for voting against the Student Success Act in 2019, which taxes businesses to create millions of dollars in additional school funding for disadvantaged students. She also voted against a failed cap-and-trade bill in 2019, which would have fought greenhouse gas emissions, Kropf noted. Helt defended her vote against the cap-and-trade bill, calling it too expensive for Oregonians. She also voted for other environmentally focused bills, such as bills that banned fracking and offshore drilling, she said. “We cannot raise the cost of heating to where people on fixed incomes cannot afford it,” Helt said. “We cannot raise gas prices … where people living paycheck to paycheck cannot get to their jobs.”Kropf said he felt the high cost of both the Student Success Act and cap-and-trade were worth it to guarantee better educational outcomes and protect Oregonians from climate change-induced wildfires. “I’ve heard Rep. Helt say, ‘It costs too much,’” Kropf said. “What costs too much is when we have a school system that doesn’t work for every kid. What costs too much is what we just saw on the western slope of the Cascades, when wildfires devastated huge towns.” Helt condemned Kropf’s Bend Park & Recreation board for its high developer fees, which she said prohibits the building of affordable housing. “I’m wondering, when are we going to do something about that, Jason?” Helt said, regarding developing fees. “You’re in the position to change that.” Knopf said the parks board has waived these fees on some recent affordable housing projects, and he’s voted against raising the fees. Both candidates also brought forward many ideas to improve Bend. Kropf repeatedly stressed the need to increase funding for mental health care. “We have to make sure people’s basic needs are being met,” he said. “We’re trying to prevent crisis, as opposed to dealing with crisis on the back end.”Helt — who served on the Bend-La Pine School Board before being elected to the Legislature in 2018 — introduced a bill recently that would build secure entryways for every Oregon school, something many local schools already have, she said. Helt also touted her moderate stance, reminding listeners that she supports abortion rights and doesn’t like President Donald Trump, yet still values small government. “Most people agree with my policies, because they’re right down the middle,” she said. “I don’t have my party’s affiliation on my yard sign; that’s offensive to me.” Reporter: 541-617-7854, jhogan@bendbulletin.com

This article was originally published on Herald and News. Measure 107 is packed with proposed new limitations on campaign contributions that would amend the Oregon Constitution. The measure, which will be on the ballot this November, would allow the Legislature, local government bodies and voters to create laws that would limit political campaign contributions and expenditures, require disclosure of political campaign contributions and would require advertisements to display information about who funded them. Currently there are no such limitations on political campaigns in Oregon. A “yes” vote on the measure would allow laws to be created in Oregon that limit those contributions and expenditures. A “no” vote would keep current laws on the books. There are no limitations to campaign contributions in the Oregon Constitution, because the Oregon Supreme Court interprets the Oregon Constitution to prohibit limits on expenditures when it comes to political campaigns, according to the State of Oregon’s Voters Pamphlet. The measure would have no financial impact, according to the pamphlet. The Joint Legislative Committee, appointed by the Oregon Legislature, wrote a letter in support of the measure. “Oregonians have a fundamental right to know the true source of money that influences our state’s election process,” the letter states. “Voting yes on Measure 107 will allow Oregon to require strong transparency measures that will give voters more insight and information about how campaign spending tries to impact our democracy.” Sen. Kim Thatcher, a Republican running for Oregon Secretary of State, wrote a letter of support for the measure. Rebecca Gladstone, president of League of Women Voters, also wrote a letter of support for the measure. Kyle Markley, a Libertarian candidate running for Oregon Secretary of State, submitted 12 of the 13 letters in opposition, which are printed in the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet. Markley argues that the measure is a “fundamental attack on the Oregon Bill of Rights” and threatens freedom of speech. hdillemuth@heraldandnews.com; @HollyDillemuth

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This article was originally published on OregonLive. As the November election approaches, in the tense atmosphere of a national pandemic, wildfires and civic unrest, Oregon’s decades of experience with mail-in ballots and online voter registration mean we could equal or exceed the voter participation rates of previous elections. Just one question remains: will we? The League of Women Voters has conducted voter registration drives for a century at public meetings, citizenship ceremonies, schools and street fairs. Those opportunities are not available now; yet we persevere. We just need to ask, in a grocery line or in online classes and throughout the community, “Are you registered to vote? Can I help you with that?” Then, masked and at a six-foot distance, we can direct future voters to the state’s online registration site Oregonvotes.gov or to the League’s national website VOTE411.org, which also offers nonpartisan election information. (Voters can also use these sites to check that they are registered or to update the address on their registrations.) With government-issued ID, like a driver’s license, one can register to vote online in minutes. Lacking that ID, aspiring voters must deliver or mail a printed application to the county elections office by the registration deadline, October 13. Every vote is a voice. When you help someone register, you are saying “I believe you have a right to be heard.” That is a powerful message to send each other right now. Debbie Kaye and Katie Pool Kaye is president of the League of Women Voters of Portland and Pool is the organization’s voter registration coordinator.

Date: September 21, 2020 To: All League Members From: Rebecca Gladstone, LWVOR President Claudia Keith, Climate Portfolio Support the Congress4Juliana Climate Press Conference Register Today! Join League members all over the country to support a virtual press conference to introduce the Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery Congressional Resolution! This congressional resolution for Our Children’s Trust, #Congress4Juliana, recognizes the rights of children, the disproportionate impacts from climate change on youth, and the need for national climate recovery planning. Register today at http://bit.ly/StandwithJuliana and help support #Congress4Juliana and this resolution! #youthvgov For more info, contact: Claudia Keith, Climate Portfolio

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