News from Rep. Marty WildeWe have some good news this week. The federal government back at work and our Coast Guard members are getting paid again. Hopefully, by the time you receive this, they will have received their backpay as well. I understand that Congress will be attempting to address the impact on workers from shutdowns, but I don’t think that we will wait. We’re working on a bill to help federal workers pay their bills during any future shutdowns. This should be bipartisan in the end. We have two bill drafts that take different approaches, but share the same goal.
In the Energy and Environment Committee, we’re taking a lifecycle approach to environmental regulation. That means considering the full impact of materials in our environment, from soda straws to hazardous waste. Too often, the business model of some companies is to profit off of someone else’s responsibility for disposing of waste. Household hazardous waste is the classic example – you pay for the disposal, both in time in going to a disposal site and in money from the costs of such disposal, or from the damage to the environment caused by people who do not dispose of them properly. Paint is a great example of how we can do it right. Currently, we require paint companies to belong to stewardship organizations that arrange for the proper disposal and recycling of paint. We would like to extend that model to other hazardous waste. I served on a number of local board and commissions before running for state office. That experience helped me see the importance of allowing cities and counties the leeway to find their own solutions to the problems they face. Unfortunately, folks in the Capitol are often too fond of centralizing decision making for the whole state. We call this local preemption, and it has negative impacts across a range of topics, from allowing guns in schools, to prohibiting higher minimum wages, to severe limits on the ways cities and counties can raise revenue to fund the services that their people want. Compounding matters, the Legislature does not operate full time, meaning that, even though city and county councils do work year-round, they can’t solve some problems until we address them in Salem. Of course, some issues have to have a floor or ceiling set at the state level, but we should not arbitrarily restrict cities and counties. The relationship between the state and localities should be collaborative. The same is true of federal and state authorities. We rely on the federal government not to preempt reasonable state regulation. Environmental protection and federal preemption intersect when it comes to regulating the safety of oil trains. Under federal law, we have a very limited ability in Salem to protect the environment from contamination from oil spills, as happened in Mosier last year. We were quite fortunate in Mosier, as they had just completed an exercise on such a response. We’re working on legislation that will continue and improve planning and include response exercises, but we are hampered by federal laws preventing us from directly taxing the oil companies involved to support our activities. Nevertheless, I think we’ll have some legislation making substantial progress this session. Thursday, we saw the first draft of the Clean Energy Jobs or Cap and Invest Bill. This is one of the four major issues we’re working on this session. The premise is simple – we cannot continue to emit unlimited amounts of carbon dioxide and drive the world closer to catastrophe, so we should cap the amount of carbon we emit and slowly reduce it over time. Energy and transportation are two of the major contributors of carbon dioxide. We have actually made terrific progress in the energy sector toward decarbonization. Most public power companies have very little carbon, and only one private company still has over 50% of their power from coal. Power companies will receive an exemption until 2030, when they will be carbon-free or close to it. I will continue to push them to decarbonize as fast as possible. In the transportation sector, we are reaching the point where electric vehicles are getting to be comparable in price to gasoline powered vehicles. However, it will take a decade to reach the point where most vehicles sold are electric vehicles. We will also offset the modest increase in costs through investments in green energy and transportation projects that will reduce fuel consumption. How do you build a road that reduces carbon pollution? Well, we’ve got a great example in Creswell. With the closer of the Foster Farms Plant and Bald Knob Mill, 83% of working age residents now commute to jobs. With Cap and Invest funds, we can build the roads necessary to reopen the Bald Knob site, allowing a business to expand and employ more people closer to where they live. I’m working with Creswell to get Bald Knob working for them again. I had a great town hall in Harrisburg last night. Thank you to Mayor Bobby Duncan and City Manager Brian Latta for making it possible! I heard about the need to keep the burdens of state regulation on small cities reasonable, thenimportance of mental health supports, and how much our schools need greater support from Salem. We’re working on listening sessions in Brownsville and Coburg in March and Marcola in April. If you’d like me to come to your community for an event, please give me a call!
Unable to watch the State of the Union? We have you covered! We have embedded the NBC News Live-stream below. We have also embedded the twitter feed from @PolitiFact, who will be live fact-checking the State of the Union. Stay tuned after the State of the Union for the official democratic response from Stacey Abrams!
 Former Linn County Circuit Court Judge Fay Stetz-Waters will be speaking at the Linn County Democrats on February 7th. Doors open at 6:00 for social time and light refreshments. For questions, please contact Jerred Taylor at linncodems@dpo.org.
A message from Gov. Kate BrownOregon’s 2019 legislative session is about to kick off. To get it started, on Monday I delivered my Inaugural Address to lay out my priorities for the coming year and defend the values that make Oregon the place we love.
Our team is focused on finally funding Oregon’s education system at a level our children deserve. We’re building on our successes by making sure health care remains accessible and affordable for every Oregonian. We’re working to address the housing crisis and defending our democracy so every voice is heard. And of course, we’re working to meet the challenges of the future with a comprehensive plan to meet the challenge of climate change. Below, you’ll find details on some of my plans, and I’m looking forward to keeping you informed as we make progress. 2019 holds so much promise for making our state an even better place to live. I can’t thank you enough for all your support in helping us achieve that goal. – Kate Spotlight on… climate. There are no two ways about it: Oregon is suffering as a result of climate change. The Rogue Valley was covered in smoke for more than eight weeks last summer. Wildfires have increased in intensity and severity in the past decade, threatening our culture, our communities, and our economy. Ninety percent of our state is in drought. And last year was the warmest year in Oregon since 1895. We simply can’t afford inaction on climate. Oregon must continue to pursue solutions that will reduce harmful emissions while creating good jobs and building a clean energy economy. Our young people deserve to inherit an Oregon as beautiful and bountiful as the one we cherish today. In November, Kate released a comprehensive plan for how we can get this done (you can read it here), and she’s looking forward to working with the legislature to pass its elements into law. Among our strategies:
Spotlight on… housing. Every Oregonian should have a warm, safe, dry place to call home -- and it should be affordable and accessible. Kate is proud that as governor, she's worked towards building or preserving more than 11,000 affordable homes across the state. But we still have a housing crisis -- and we must act quickly to help the chronically homeless, our children, families, and our veterans. We can’t keep doing the same thing expecting a different result, which is why Kate is challenging the legislature to try something new: If they approve a $20 million bonding package early this session, we can speed up construction of 200 units of permanent housing for the chronically homeless. Beyond that, Kate’s budget makes a historic $400 million investment in housing. It’s an ambitious plan. But if we move now, we can get results quickly. We also need to help Oregonians who have homes but are struggling with the high cost of rent. When problems arise, they need technical assistance to stay in their homes and not end up on the streets. Landlords and tenants are counting on us to help navigate this tight housing market -- and that’s exactly what we must do. Spotlight on… health care. Health care is a fundamental right. And we’re well on our way to making that a promise in Oregon. Because of the work we’ve done to expand the Oregon Health Plan, today 94 percent of adults have access. And because of the work we did to pass Cover All Kids, every single one of our children has access. But we have a lot left to do to make sure health care is affordable for everyone. Families across Oregon need to know that they’ll be able to see a doctor when they’re sick and afford the medicine they need. Kate’s budget sets forth a consensus approach as to how we stabilize funding for the Oregon Health Plan. We can also achieve lower costs and better health by reducing the silos in health care -- by integrating physical health, mental health, substance use disorder treatment, and oral health services. With your help, we’ll work to make it happen. Nominations open for Linn Dems officers, delegates, alternates We're looking for people who will enthusiastically lead the Linn County Democratic Central Committee (LCDCC) in 2019.
Nominations opened Dec. 6 for all LCDCC offices (chair or co-chair, vice chairs (up to three), secretary, treasurer and ambassador) and delegates and alternates to the State Central Committee and Congressional District 4 Committee. All those positions are open to people who have been registered Democrats for at least 180 days, as of Jan. 3, 2019. Nominations and self-nominations will be accepted up until the election during the LCDCC Reorganizational Meeting on Thursday, Jan. 3, at Albany Public Library. (Social time begins at 6 p.m. The meeting starts at 6:30). All nominees will be given time to speak before the vote. Nominees can email their name, position they are seeking and their email and mailing addresses and phone number to Linn Dems Co-Chair Graham Kislingbury, g.kislingbury@comcast.net. Nominees may include up 300 words about why they are running and what qualifies them for the position. All qualification statements received by Jan. 1 will be posted on the Linn Dems website. Regardless of whether someone is nominated or self-nominated before Jan. 3, all nominations will be made from the floor on Jan. 3. Please click here for more about the Reorganizational Meeting and the positions that are open. Linn Dems will look ahead to 2019 at Dec. 6 meeting ALBANY – The Linn County Democrats will discuss ideas and strategies for 2019 and beyond at their monthly general meeting Thursday, Dec. 6, at Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. S.E.
A social time with light refreshments begins at 6 p.m.; the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Child care will be provided. Also on the agenda will be a debrief of the Nov. 6 general election and an explanation of the Linn Dems’ reorganizational meeting, scheduled for Jan. 3 at the library. New party officers and delegates and alternates to the Democratic Party of State Central Committee and Congressional District 4 Committee will be elected at the January meeting. Nominations and self-nominations will open at the Dec. 6 meeting for chair or co-chair, vice chairs (up to 3), treasurer, secretary and ambassadors, and state and congressional district delegates and alternates. The idea and strategy brainstorming will be done in breakout sessions during the second hour of the Dec. 6 meeting. For more information about the meeting and the Linn County Democrats, contact Linn Dems Co-Chair Graham Kislingbury, 541-974-2075.  Words of thanks from Gov. Kate Brown Thanks to the help of Oregonians in every corner of our great state, I am very honored to say that I will serve four more years as governor!
This election showed that when Oregonians are given an opportunity to invest in our classrooms, to build affordable housing, and to protect health care, it’s not a toss-up… it’s not even a close call… it’s a slam dunk! But make no mistake, this fight isn’t over. We’ve never had someone so divisive in the White House, or someone with less respect for the truth, or for the people affected by his decisions. And as we’ve learned this election, Oregon isn’t immune from those threats. But thanks to all of you, and the voters of this great state, we’re going to keep Oregon a shining beacon of hope. Together, we can ensure that every one of us has a warm, safe, dry place to call home. We can ensure that we all have access to affordable health care. We will continue to grow the economy in every corner of the state. We’re going to fight to ensure that every student has the tools they need to succeed. And we’re going to fight to protect our air, water, and pristine coastline, no matter what the federal government does. I want to say thank you to every single volunteer who helped us knock on 400,000 doors in ten days, or who texted or called their neighbors to remind them to vote in this election and defend our Oregon values. Every moment of your time made a difference. I have never seen the level of collaboration and the diversity of voices that came together to fight for Oregon. We did it because we love this state -- and no matter who you voted for or where you live, we can all agree on one thing: Oregon is a very special place. And in the days ahead, we will work together to build a better Oregon for everyone. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.  Our friends Yuri, left, and Raquel at Taqueria Alonzo. Election Night Gathering starts at 6 at Taqueria Alonzo ALBANY – Please join the Linn County Democrats for our Election Night Gathering and Monthly General Meeting on Tuesday evening, Nov. 6, at Two Rivers Market, 250 Broadalbin St. S.W. A social time and no-host dinner will start at 6 p.m. at Taqueria Alonzo in Two Rivers Market. A short monthly general meeting, including brief remarks by Democratic candidates, begins at 6:45 p.m. The election night watch gathering will follow in Taqueria Alonzo and the adjacent Linn County Dems Campaign Office, where dessert will be served. The election ends locally at 8 p.m. Tuesday. There will be televisions with election results in both Taqueria Alonzo and the Linn Dems Campaign Office. Attendees are welcome to bring their laptops, tablets and smartphones to get local and statewide election results. The Linn County Dems also invite all Democrats to join them in the Veterans Day Parade through downtown Albany on Saturday, Nov. 10. For more information about the election night gathering and participation in the parade, contact Linn Dems Co-Chair Graham Kislingbury at 541-974-2075 or g.kislingbury@comcast.net.  Candidates to speak at Oct. 4 Linn Dems meeting Democratic candidates Renee Windsor-White (HD 17), Stephanie Newton (Linn Commissioner) and Jerred Taylor (HD 15) will be the featured speakers Thursday, Oct,. 4, at the Linn Dems monthly general meeting at Albany Public Library. ALBANY – Democratic candidates for Linn County Commissioner and State Representative will be the featured speakers during the Thursday, Oct. 4, meeting of the Linn County Democrats in the Albany Public Library Meeting Room, 2450 14th Ave. S.E.
A social time, with light refreshments, begins at 6 p.m. The meeting starts at 6:30. Child care will be provided Three candidates, all endorsed by the Linn County Dems, will give opening remarks, then answers questions. They are: • Stephanie Newton, Linn County Commissioner candidate, who faces Republican incumbent John Lindsey and Independent candidate Gary Sullivan in the Nov. 6 general election. • Jerred Taylor, House District 15 State Representative candidate, who is running against Republican Shelly Boshart-Davis and Independent Cynthia Hyatt. • Renee Windsor-White, House District 17 State Representative candidate, who who is running against Republican incumbent Sherrie Sprenger. Later in the meeting, other candidates in attendance who are Democrats or consider themselves allies of the Democratic Party will be given time to talk. There will also be an update on statewide and county ballot measures. On another note, the Linn Dems Campaign Office in Two Rivers Market, 250 Broadalbin St. S.W. in downtown Albany, is open from noon to 6 p.m. weekdays. For more information about the meeting and the Linn County Democrats, contact Linn Dems Co-Chair Graham Kislingbury, 541-974-2075 or g.kislingbury@comcast.net.  Christine Blasey Ford Vigil of Protest and Lament set for 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29 A Vigil of Protest and Lament will start at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29, in front of the Linn County Courthouse, 300 Fourth Ave. S.W. in downtown Albany.
"Gather tomorrow as we come together to process our reactions to the Kavanaugh nomination, says Christine Webb of Albany Region Indivisible, which is hosting the vigil. "Bring signs. Wear black. This will be a very organic event." Please share this event on your Facebook pages." |
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