Oregon legislative logjam lifted in redistricting compromise April 15 2021
Minority Republicans get a voice on redrawing districts; majority Democrats can proceed with more than 80 bills.
The Oregon House has broken its legislative logjam with each party making a concession.
Minority Republicans gained a voice in shaping the redrawing of legislative and congressional district boundaries. The relevant House committee will have Democratic and Republican co-leaders and the House Republican leader was added to the committee for an even 3-3 split.
In return, majority Democrats can proceed with more than 80 bills, most of them noncontroversial, without having to have them read aloud before final votes. Republicans had refused to waive the bill-reading requirement, which slowed the House to voting on a trickle of bills each day, depending on the length of their texts.
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Renewed Pressure From Advocates Revives Committee Hearing for Bill to End Homeless Camp Sweeps If passed, the bill would effectively end such sweeps. Old Town-Chinatown. (Brian Burk) Updated 12:24 AM Renewed pressure from community activists has persuaded Oregon lawmakers to revive a bill that would effectively end homeless camp sweeps. House Bill 2367 will get a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on April 13, after an initial hearing was canceled in early March. The bill faces intense opposition from several city governments and is not expected to pass this session.
Hoa Nguyen received the note just a few days after the shootings in Atlanta. Author: Mike Benner Updated: 11:15 PM PDT April 5, 2021
PORTLAND, Ore. Hoa Nguyen is running for a seat on the David Douglas School Board. The 37-year-old will tell you she has the thick skin necessary for the job. The second-generation Vietnamese American will also tell you no amount of thick skin could shield her from what happened last month. It is happening, Nguyen said. It is real and it s impacting the people around us.
Just a few days after the shooting deaths of the Asian Americans in Atlanta, Nguyen says there was a knock at the front door of her East Portland home. Nguyen opened the door to find a note with the phrase Kung Flu on it.
April 02 2021
The Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie of Northeast Portland is a minister in the United Church of Christ.
Portland has been home most of my life. Our family moved here when I was 10. At 18, I joined the Burnside Community Council board, kicking off a life in social services and ministry that has covered three decades and six Portland mayors.
All these years, I ve been in a lover s quarrel with Portland, demanding more housing and attention to civil rights to make Portland a better home for all.
At 52, like many Portlanders, I m dismayed where we are as a city and wondering if Portland, with all the Rose City has to offer, will become the new Eden, or are we on a path to becoming the new Gotham. You might be surprised to learn I m still hopeful about our future.