Oregon House passes bill barring police from buying some military equipment
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) House Democrats have voted to pass House Bill 2481, prohibiting Oregon law enforcement agencies from receiving certain types of military surplus equipment from the federal government, including armored drones, grenades and firearm silencers.
Sponsored by Reps. Power(D-Milwaukie) and Fahey (D-West Eugene & Junction City), the bill, passed Friday on a 39-9 vote, comes in response to a tumultuous year of protests against police brutality, which has disproportionately affected BIPOC communities, according to Oregon House Democrats, whose news release continues below:
“Militarized law enforcement is extraneous to public safety,” stated Rep. Power. “This is a step towards creating a safer environment, not only for protesters exercising their First Amendment (rights), but for the well-being of our communities.”
Oregon House passes bill to make Juneteenth an official state holiday
House Bill 2168 would establish June 19 as a state holiday in Oregon, marking the final emancipation of slaves after the Civil War.
Posted: Apr 9, 2021 1:13 PM
Updated: Apr 9, 2021 1:15 PM
Posted By: Jamie Parfitt
SALEM, Ore. The Oregon House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that would establish Juneteenth, a commemoration of slavery s end in the United States, as an official state holiday.
Juneteenth is the oldest-known event celebrating the end of slavery. On June 19, 1865, Major-General Gordon Granger led his Union soldiers into Galveston, Texas, with the news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were now free. This was two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863.
Oregon House passes bill making Juneteenth official state holiday
(Update: Adding video, lawmaker comment)
June 19 widely recognized as the day slavery in the US officially ended
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) Riccardo Waites, the founder of the Central Oregon Black Leaders Assembly, said Friday the Oregon House recognizing Juneteenth as a formal state holiday brings legitimacy to the day.
On Thursday, the Oregon House unanimously passed HB 2168 to officially recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. The bill now moves to the Senate.
“I think it’s a really good step in the right direction, Waites told NewsChannel 21 on Friday. It shows that Oregon as a state is looking for equality.”
House Democrats recognize the state s long, painful, racist history as well as the many ways that bias and racism are threaded through everyday life and institutions. Dismantling these longstanding systems and building a more equitable future will require intentional effort to center the voices and leadership of BIPOC communities and low-income Oregonians in all of our decision making. We will take on urgently needed reforms to policing and criminal justice systems so that everyone is able to feel truly safe.
Economic recovery for every part of Oregon
Small businesses across Oregon have been hit hard by the pandemic many have shuttered permanently or are on the brink of closing. Workers, especially in service, retail and low-wage industries, have struggled to pay their bills, and those in essential industries risked their health on the job. Women and BIPOC communities have been disproportionately impacted, further widening the wealth gap. We will advocate for economic recovery