Tag: oregon
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Oregon Supreme Court justice to retire at year’s end
Oregon Supreme Court Justice Lynn Nakamoto is retiring on Dec. 31, 2021. Nakamoto’s replacement will be Governor Kate Brown’s (D) sixth nominee to the seven-member supreme court. Under Oregon law, midterm vacancies on the state supreme court are filled via gubernatorial appointment. Appointed judges serve until the next general election more than 60 days after…
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Oregon state Rep. Gary Leif dies
Oregon state Rep. Gary Leif (R) died on July 22, creating a vacancy in the state legislature. County commissioners from Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine counties had originally appointed Leif to the legislature on April 30, 2018, replacing former Rep. Dallas Heard (R) upon Heard’s appointment to the Oregon Senate. Leif defeated Charles Lee (D) to win…
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Mayoral recall effort underway in Portland, Oregon
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler is facing a recall effort after a group filed petitions on July 1, with volunteers starting to gather signatures on July 9. Petitioners have until Sept. 29 to submit at least 47,788 valid signatures to put the recall election on the ballot. The recall effort is organized by Total Recall PDX.…
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Pennsylvania, Oregon end statewide face-covering requirements
Two states ended statewide public mask requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated people between June 25 and July 1. Pennsylvania Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam lifted the statewide mask requirement for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals on June 28. In accordance with CDC guidelines, vaccinated and unvaccinated people still have to wear masks on public transportation and…
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Oregon voters to decide on removing slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishment from state constitution in 2022
On June 24, the Oregon State Legislature voted to send a constitutional amendment to voters in November 2022 that would remove language that allows slavery or involuntary servitude for duly convicted individuals. The amendment would also add language to authorize an Oregon court or a probation or parole agency to order alternatives to incarceration for…
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Mike Nearman expelled from OR state House
The Oregon House of Representatives voted to expel state Rep. Mike Nearman (R) on June 10. Nearman’s colleagues expelled him due to video footage that showed him helping protesters, some of whom were armed, enter the state Capitol building on December 21, 2020. This led to a struggle between the protesters and police officers, causing…
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Oregon voters will decide on whether to add a right to affordable healthcare to the state constitution in 2022
On May 19, the Oregon State Legislature voted to refer a constitutional amendment to the 2022 ballot that would add a new section requiring the state to “ensure that every resident of Oregon has access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care as a fundamental right.” The amendment would also add a provision requiring…
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Voters in Multnomah County, Oregon, renew property tax levy to fund historical society
On May 18, voters in Multnomah County, Oregon, which includes Portland, approved a ballot measure to renew a property tax levy of $0.05 per $1,000 in assessed property value. Revenue will fund the Oregon Historical Society’s library, museum, and educational programs. The ballot measure received 78.5% of the vote according to unofficial election night results.…
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Ballotpedia is covering general elections in eight Oregon school boards on May 18
The general election for eight school boards in Oregon is on May 18. These districts do not hold primary elections for school board races. The filing deadline to run passed on March 18. School board candidates are competing in the following districts: • Beaverton School District • Centennial School District 28J • David Douglas School…
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New apportionment data released – six states gain congressional seats, seven states lose seats
On April 26, 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau released it post-2020 census apportionment counts. Six states—Texas (two seats), Colorado, Florida, Montana, North Carolina, and Oregon—gained seats. Seven states—California, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia—each lost a seat. Of the six states that gained congressional seats, three are Republican trifectas (Texas, Florida, and…