Incumbent Washington County Board of Commissioners Chair Kathryn Harrington, who is running for reelection to the at-large position, claims she was elected in 2018 “with a focus on increasing government transparency and accountability, advancing equity and diversity, addressing affordable housing and homelessness.” She stated on her 2018 campaign website that “We need to be more… Continue reading Primary Ballot Review: Washington County Commission Chair
Tag: COVID-19
Digest: Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Portland city charter commission proposes new government structures The commissioners responsible for updating Portland’s city charter held a preliminary vote on March 31 on changes to city government. All twenty members of the Portland City Charter Review Commission voted in favor of the moderate changes, including: Using ranked choice voting in city elections, which will allow voters to rank candidates in… Continue reading Digest: Tuesday, April 5, 2022
Digest: Thursday, March 31
Students protest Reed College’s response to viral video of professor Reed College students held a protest to push the school to fire a professor who was filmed demanding to know if employees at a Portland business were “illegal immigrants.” The professor, Paul Currie, teaches psychology at Reed College. Protesters first gathered at Reed’s Psychology building, then… Continue reading Digest: Thursday, March 31
Calendar: March 30 to April 6
Wednesday, March 30 9:30 a.m. — City of Portland council meeting Portland’s city council meetings are broadcast live on YouTube. The agenda for this meeting is online and includes authorizing a new agreement with Clean and Safe Inc and a proposal to extend the housing emergency declaration by City Commissioner Dan Ryan. 6:00 p.m. — City of Portland Noise Review Board Special Session The… Continue reading Calendar: March 30 to April 6
Digest: Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Portland Street Response expands Portland’s unarmed street response team has expanded their coverage across the city as of yesterday. Portland Street Response can now take 911 calls without needing to check a map. The program responds to calls about crises that don’t involve criminal activity, usually related to an individual’s mental health. Team members also build… Continue reading Digest: Tuesday, March 29, 2022
Digest: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Oregon’s expiring COVID emergency declarations The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance in February suggesting that most healthy adults can reduce wearing masks in many situations. They also released new metrics for assessing risks in specific communities. The new metrics shift the CDC from looking at how COVID is actually spreading to how many… Continue reading Digest: Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Digest: Monday, February 27, 2022
Legislative scheduling notes This year’s legislative session ends next week, on March 7. Any bill not voted on by both chambers of the Oregon State Legislature by next Monday is effectively extinct. A legislator can propose it again during the next legislative session, which isn’t scheduled until 2023 (although special sessions have been convened multiple… Continue reading Digest: Monday, February 27, 2022
Digest: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Wrongful death lawsuit filed against the City of Portland Portland Police Officer Curtis Brown shot and killed Michael Ray Townsend on June 24, 2021 after Townsend called 911 for mental health help. In September, a grand jury chose to not indict Brown. Townsend’s death is yet another example of the violence the Portland Police Bureau… Continue reading Digest: Wednesday, February 16, 2022
Digest: Friday, January 21, 2022
Portland Street Response set for expansion as People for Portland attempts to take advantage Portland Street Response is only a year old and is already slated for expansion across the entire city in March. The emergency responders, who focus on building trust with community members and providing unarmed support during crises, will start responding to… Continue reading Digest: Friday, January 21, 2022
Digest: Wednesday, January 19, 2022
City employees may strike as soon as Thursday Union members working for the City of Portland are voting on whether to strike and results are expected late today. The District Council of Trade Unions, which represents most of the unions contracting with the City, reports that the City has violated state laws governing collective bargaining… Continue reading Digest: Wednesday, January 19, 2022