Not so long ago, Oregon politicians awash in scandal knew when to resign. U.S. Sen. Bob Packwood (R-Ore.) resigned in 1995 as he faced expulsion from the Senate for sexual misconduct. Just five years ago, Gov. John Kitzhaber resigned a month into his fourth term as he faced allegations of influence peddling by his fiancée. But that was the past, before President Donald Trump weaponized shamelessness and crowds deployed moral indignation so often that some politicians developed an immunity. The present may be shame-free for now. A notable trio of elected officials in Oregon face prominent calls for their resignation for misdeeds that once might have compelled them to leave the limelight red-faced.
Updated December 23, 2020
OREGON S COVID-19 VACCINATIONS BEGIN: In the first week since the vaccine arrived in Oregon, 4,475 health care workers have received a first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for emergency use, Oregon Health Authority officials announced Dec. 21. Health care workers, as well as staff and residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, are to receive priority for the vaccine, which is expected not to reach the general public till at least the spring. Oregon received 35,100 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine last week and, after a reduction by the federal government, expects to receive 25,350 doses this week. Shipments of COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna, which the FDA approved last week, are also expected soon, though none has yet arrived.
Willamette Week
The need for strong, independent local journalism
is more urgent than ever. Please support the city we
love by joining Friends of Willamette Week.
Refugee and Immigrant Advocate Kayse Jama Is Endorsed by Rep. Jeff Reardon for Oregon Senate Seat The community leader seeks the District 24 seat that would make him Oregon’s first Muslim and former refugee in the Senate. Kayse Jama and Shemia Fagan in 2018. (Daniel Stindt) Updated December 9, 2020 In 2018, racial justice advocate Kayse Jama made an unsuccessful bid for the Oregon Senate, finishing behind Sen. Shemia Fagan (D-East Portland). But with Fagan headed for statewide office, Jama increasingly looks like the front-runner to be appointed to her seat.