Blog Archives - LINN COUNTY DEMOCRATS

LINN COUNTY DEMOCRATS

February 28th, 2026

2/28/2026

Linn Dems meet March 5
at Albany Library and on Zoom

The Linn County Democratic Central Committee will conduct our next regular meeting, starting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5, at Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. S.E., and on Zoom. Social time starts at 6:30 p.m. (Links to Zoom registration, the agenda and minutes from last month's meeting are below).
The agenda includes elections of two Congressional District 5 Committee delegates. Precinct Committee People can nominates others or self nominate. Nominations can be emailed to [email protected].

Register for Zoom

February 28th, 2026

2/28/2026

Neighborhood Leaders to hear
from Democratic Primary candidates March 1

Please join us at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, for the first of our Primary Election Lead-Up meetings on Zoom. (To register for Zoom access, contact Nancy Greenman.)
And mark your calendars for ongoing Zooms every other Sunday through April 26, all at 6:30 p.m.
On March 1, we'll hear from our first three candidates running in the Democratic Primary.

Joanna Robinson, candidate for House District 15 (Albany, including North Albany; Millersburg; and Tangent);'
Ivan Maluski, candidate for House District 11 (Linn County east of Albany); and
Dr. Melissa Bird, candidate for Congressional District 4 (Benton County)

We'll also review the Primary calendar and sharpen our skills with a role-play. Hope you can be there!
— Brenda, Carol, Steve, Carrie, Mark, Linda, Susan & Nancy
Linn Benton Democrats Neighborhood Leader Team

February 26th, 2026

2/26/2026

Epstein files

Bill Clinton says he had no knowledge of Epstein crime

• The former president tells GOP-led House panel that compelling his wife to testify
“was simply not right." (Feb. 27, CNN)

Video: Former President Clinton's statement after testifying

Hillary Clinton: 'My heart breaks for the (Epstein)
survivors. And I'm furious on their behalf'

Hillary Clinton

Here is the full text of Hillary Clinton's opening statement Feb. 26 to the  House Oversight and Government Reform Committee:
  Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member, Members of the Committee… as a former Senator, I have respect for legislative oversight and I expect its exercise, as do the American people, to be principled and fearless in pursuit of truth and accountability.
As we all know, however, too often Congressional investigations are partisan political theater, which is an abdication of duty and an insult to the American people.
The Committee justified its subpoena to me based on its assumption that I have information regarding the investigations into the criminal activities of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Let me be as clear as I can. I do not.
As I stated in my sworn declaration on January 13, I had no idea about their criminal activities. I do not recall ever encountering Mr. Epstein. I never flew on his plane or visited his island, homes or offices. I have nothing to add to that.
Like every decent person, I have been horrified by what we have learned about their crimes. It’s unfathomable that Mr. Epstein initially got a slap on the wrist in 2008, which allowed him to continue his predatory practices for another decade.
Mr. Chairman, your investigation is supposed to be assessing the federal government’s handling of the investigations and prosecutions of Epstein and his crimes. You subpoenaed eight law enforcement officials, all of whom ran the Department of Justice or directed the FBI when Epstein’s crimes were investigated and prosecuted. Of those eight, only one appeared before the Committee. Five of the six former attorneys general were allowed to submit brief statements stating they had no information to provide.
You have held zero public hearings, refused to allow the media to attend them, including today, despite espousing the need for transparency on dozens of occasions.
You have made little effort to call the people who show up most prominently in the Epstein files. And when you did, not a single Republican Member showed up for Les Wexner’s deposition.
This institutional failure is designed to protect one political party and one public official, rather than to seek truth and justice for the victims and survivors, as well as the public who also want to get to the bottom of this matter. My heart breaks for the survivors. And I am furious on their behalf.
I have spent my life advocating for women and girls. I have worked hard to stop the terrible abuses so many women and girls face here and around the world, including human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual slavery. For too long, these have been largely invisible crimes or not treated as crimes at all. But the survivors are real and they are entitled to better.
In Southeast Asia, I met girls as young as twelve years old who were forced into prostitution and raped repeatedly. Some were dying of AIDS. In Eastern Europe, I met mothers who told me how they lost daughters to trafficking and did not know where to turn. In settings around the world, I met survivors trying to rebuild their lives and help rescue others – with little support from people in power, who too often turned a blind eye and a cold shoulder.
If you are new to this issue, let me tell you: Jeffrey Epstein was a heinous individual, but he’s far from alone. This is not a one-off tabloid sensation or a political scandal. It’s a global scourge with an unimaginable human toll.
My work combatting sex trafficking goes back to my days as First Lady. I worked to pass the first federal legislation against trafficking and was proud that my husband signed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which increased support for survivors and gave prosecutors better tools for going after traffickers.
As Secretary of State, I appointed a former federal prosecutor, Lou CdeBaca, to ramp up our global antitrafficking efforts. I oversaw nearly 170 anti-trafficking programs in 70 nations and directly pressed foreign leaders to crack down on trafficking networks in their countries. Every year we published a global report to shine a light on abuses. The findings of those reports triggered sanctions on countries failing to make progress, so they became a powerful diplomatic tool to drive concrete action.
I insisted that the United States be included in the report for the first time ever in 2011. Because we must hold ourselves not just to the same standard as the rest of the world but to an even higher one. Sex trafficking and modern slavery should have no place in America. None.
Infuriatingly, the Trump Administration gutted the Trafficking in Persons Office at the State Department, cutting more than 70 percent of the career civil and foreign service experts who worked so hard to prevent trafficking crimes. The annual trafficking report, required by law, was delayed for months. The message from the Trump Administration to the American people and the world could not be clearer: combatting human trafficking is no longer an American priority under the Trump White House.
That is a tragedy. It’s a scandal. It deserves vigorous investigation and oversight.
A committee endeavoring to stopping human trafficking would seek to understand what specific steps are needed to fix a system that allowed Epstein to get away with his crimes in 2008.
A committee run by elected officials with a commitment to transparency would ensure the full release of all the files.
It would ensure that the lawful redactions of those files protected the victims and survivors, not powerful men and political allies.
It would get to the bottom of reports that DOJ withheld FBI interviews in which a survivor accuses President Trump of heinous crimes.
It would subpoena anyone who asked on which night there would be the “wildest party” on Epstein’s island.
It would demand testimony from prosecutors in Florida and New York about why they gave Epstein a sweetheart deal and chose not to pursue others who may have been implicated.
It would demand that Secretary Rubio and Attorney General Bondi testify about why this administration is abandoning survivors and playing into the hands of traffickers.
  It would seek out officers on the front lines of this fight and ask them what support they need.
  It would put forth legislation to provide more resources and force this administration to act.
  But that’s not happening.
  Instead, you have compelled me to testify, fully aware that I have no knowledge that would assist your investigation, in order to distract attention from President Trump’s actions and to cover them up despite legitimate calls for answers.
  If this Committee is serious about learning the truth about Epstein’s trafficking crimes, it would not rely on press gaggles to get answers from our current president on his involvement; it would ask him directly under oath about the tens of thousands of times he shows up in the Epstein files.
  If the majority was serious, it would not waste time on fishing expeditions. There is too much that needs to be done.
What is being held back? Who is being protected? And why the cover-up?
My challenge to you, Mr. Chairman, Members of the Committee, is the same challenge I put to myself throughout my long service to this nation. How to be worthy of the trust the American people have given you. They expect statesmanship, not gamesmanship. Leading, not grandstanding. They expect you to use your power to get to the truth and to do more to help survivors of Epstein’s crimes as well as the millions more who are victims of sex trafficking.

February 08th, 2026

2/8/2026

Wyden-Bynum Town Hall

Sen. Ron Wyden gives opening remarks Feb. 7 during his Linn County Town Hall with Rep. Janelle Bynum at Linn-Benton Community College. Seated from left are: Jeff Davies, LBCC Board Chair; moderator Steph Newton; Albany City Council President; and Bynum, who represents Oregon's 5th Congressional District.

Video: Town Hall Part 1

Video: Town Hall Part 2

Video: Town Hall Part 3

First-time attendee:
‘This is a hugely uplifting event’

Several hundred people turned out Saturday morning, Feb. 7, for Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Janelle Bynum's Linn County Town Hall at Linn-Benton Community College.
It was Wyden's 1,149th town hall since he first entered the Senate in 1997 and the 25th for Bynum, now in year two of her first term. It was her second town hall in LBCC's Russell Tripp Performance Center in less than three weeks, having appeared there with Sen. Jeff Merkley on Jan. 18.
Wyden and Bynum fielded questions and heard comments from the audience for more than an hour. The final person to take the mike was a woman who spoke to two of the day's top issues: ICE and detention centers.
“I’m real concerned that we put in place these limitations (on ICE), but I need for there to be consequences for not obeying the law,” she said. “There needs to be some powerful teeth in those laws that are swift, not a long drawn-out process.
“I’m also concerned about the billions of dollars that are going to the ICE detention facilities. In the privatization of these kinds of facilities, it’s all about what hotels call ‘butts in beds.’ You get paid for how many people you have. If you keep them longer, you will get paid more. There’s got to be some disincentive for hanging onto bodies in detention facilities. I don’t know how to do that.”
Bynum said the courts have been too nice. “People should have been held in contempt and the lawyers should have been locked up,” she said. “I think the courts are starting to see this isn’t a game. The other day when the attorney (in Minnesota) said, 'I’m just tired' (because of the crush of immigration cases), that was a turning point. She basically admitted that the country has not set up a fair and judicious process for the people that they have kidnapped. It hasn’t happened.
“It’s one thing to say that this is wrong. It’s another thing to say that your state is fertile ground for this type of behavior to happen. So we can’t let it take root in

Bynum and Wyden responded to questions and comments from the audience for more than an hour.

Video: At the banner drop on the Santiam Highway overpass Feb. 7, Linn County Democrat Susan Leonard reflected on some of what she heard earlier in the day at the Wyden-Bynum Town Hall.

Oregon, and we shouldn’t let it take root in Alabama or
Louisiana or Texas or Ohio.”
Bynum said there are resistance tools to stop the opening of new detention centers and making ICE accountable. “That is how we use those neighbor networks, that’s how we use the Chamber of Commerce, that’s how we use zoning. These are the grassroots ways we have to fight hack.” she said. “I would encourage you to share your thoughts with the judicial branch because they are the ones right that can put and end to a lot of this.”
  Wyden, a member of the Senate Finance Committee, said following the money is also also key.
  “The reality is, the way that we have best fought corruption is to follow the money. I’m staying with this because the victims (in the Epstein case) are winning in court and they’re going to win because of the remedy you’re talking about — prosecution, the courts and the like. And we’ve got to do the same thing with D.O.G.E.
   ‘The point is, you’ve got to have remedies. You talk about the problem, but you’ve got to have the deterrent. With respect to Epstein and
D.O.G.E. and some of these areas where there is big money, this is where there is opportunity (for uncovering corruption). That’s what the follow-up is all about and prosecuting people.”
The woman who had the final turn at the mic started by saying this was the first town hall she had ever attended, and she praised Wyden and Bynum for being there.
“I’m a little overwhelmed by how comforted I feel, in this time of kind of collective trauma of Trump, of seeing you here and being a part of this," she said. "I think we have the best congressional delegation of all of the 50 states. It’s just outstanding. I always feel fully represented, and I always feel our congressional delegation is listening. This is a hugely uplifting event.”
***
Links to videos with the town hall's entire question-and-answer session are above.

February 07th, 2026

2/7/2026

Robinson, Maluski running
for Oregon House seats

Democrats Joanna Robinson of Albany and Ivan Maluski of the Scio area have filed as State Representative candidates for House Districts 15 and 11, respectively, in the May 19 Primary Election..
Robinson to focus on affordability
Robinson, Linn County Democrats Campaign Co-Chair, announced her candidacy at the Linn Dems’ Central Committee meeting Feb. 5 at Albany Public Library.
Robinson said the Campaign Committee had been working with a good prospective candidate for HD15, but that person chose not to run.
“So I decided to throw my hat in the ring,” said Robinson, who served last spring as campaign manager for Stephanie Lunceford, elected in May to the Greater Albany Public Schools Board..
Although it’s her first time seeking elected office, Robinson said, “I know how to run a campaign.”
Assuming she advances to the November General Election, Robinson’s opponent will be Republican incumbent Shelly Boshart Davis, who is seeking a fifth term as HD15 representative.
“I think people are ready for change, Robinson said. “I want to represent working families and working people. I think we don’t have that kind of representation in this district, and it’s time that we did.”
She is formalizing policy ideas focused on affordability — “how to lower costs and make life more affordable for people living here.”
Robinson has lived in Albany for six years. She works from home as a project coordinator. She is also the mom of two twin toddlers. Her partner is working toward a mechanical engineering degree at Oregon State University.
Robinson’s campaign phone number is 541-791-6260.
House District 15 includes portions of Linn, Benton and Marion counties and the cities of Albany, Millersburg and Tangent.
Maluski: ‘We need a new approach’
Maluski, a farmer and rancher, said on his campaign website that “Oregon should be a place where families can afford to live, rural communities are thriving, and everyone has access to quality, affordable health care

State Representative candidates Joanna Robinson and Ivan Maluski

and meaningful job opportunities. I’m running for State
Representative in rural Linn County's House District 11 to make our state work for the people who live here — not for special interests or national political agendas.
“For far too long, the legislators representing House District 11 in rural Linn County have been ineffective at delivering on these priorities for local folks like you and me. We need a new approach.”
This is Maluski’s second campaign for House District 11. He came up short in 2024 in his run against Republican incumbent Jami Cate, who instead is vying this year for the Oregon Senate District 6 seat now held by Cedric Hayden. (Because of his previous Senate walkout absences, Hayden is disqualified from seeking reelection.) Sweet Home City Councilor Angelita Sanchez, has filed as an HD11 candidate in the Republican May 19 Primary,
Maluski served from 2010 to 2014 as an elected director of the Colton Rural Fire Protection District in Clackamas County. He also spent nearly a decade as the policy director for Friends of Family Farmers, working to help independent family farmers and protect farmland.
He is married and has one adult son.
For more about Maluski, see his campaign website: www.ruralindependent.com
House District 11 is located mostly within eastern Linn County with a small portion of southern Marion County and it includes the cities of Lebanon, Sweet Home, and Brownsville.
The Primary Election filing deadline for state and federal candidates is March 10. The deadline for incumbent candidates is March 2.

February 03rd, 2026

2/3/2026

February 03rd, 2026

2/3/2026

Linn Dems to meet Feb. 5, at library and on Zoom

The Linn County Democratic Central Committee will conduct our next regular meeting on 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5th PM(social time at 6:00 PM) at Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. S.E., and on Zoom. Links to Zoom registration and the meeting agenda are below.
The meeting will include:

Committee reports.
Previous business and new business.
Update on Polluter Pays legislation efforts.
Jeff Merkley-Janelle Bynum Town Hall review.

Register for Zoom

Feb. 5 Meeting Agenda

February 03rd, 2026

2/3/2026

'ICE Out' protesters
hit the streets in Lebanon, Albany

More than 175 protesters in Albany and more than 100 in Lebanon took to the streets Jan. 31 for 'ICE Out' protests. The local turnouts were among massive protests against ICE around the state and the nation over the weekend. Mid-Willamette Valley for the People and East Albany Indivisible were the respective organizers for the Albany and Lebanon protests. (Thanks to East Linn Indivisible's Ruth Kish for providing photos from Lebanon and to Linn County Democrats' Mark Leonard for providing photos and video (at right) from Albany and to Mid-Willamette Valley For The People's Christopher Arnold for photos from Albany.)

February 03rd, 2026

2/3/2026

Council adopts resolution supporting resources
for residents affected by immigration actions

Carolyn McLeod

The Albany City Council on Wednesday, Jan. 28, unanimously approved a resolution supporting community resources and information for Albany residents affected by immigration enforcement. Here's is what City Councilor Carolyn McLeod had to say about it in a Jan. 29 Facebook post:
***
"Last night, the Albany City Council passed a resolution I was proud to introduce — written by a dedicated local community leader — affirming our city’s commitment to safety, dignity, and trust for all who call Albany home.
"This resolution responds to recent federal immigration actions that have created fear, instability, and barriers to everyday life for many families. With nearly 8,000 Hispanic residents in Albany, these issues are not abstract — they affect our neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and friends. Our city’s own mission statement calls on us to honor diversity, protect individual rights, and foster a community where everyone can thrive. This resolution puts those values into action.
"It directs the City to strengthen communication about legal rights and available resources (in both English and Spanish), support partnerships with community‑based organizations, pursue grant opportunities, and ensure our staff have clear guidance consistent with Oregon law. At its core, it reinforces something simple but essential: public safety depends on trust, and trust depends on treating every person with fairness and humanity.
"Thank you to every resident who showed up, spoke up, or stood in support last night. Your voices and your presence mattered. Albany is stronger when we show up for one another, and I’m grateful to be part of a community that continues to do just that.
"If you have questions about the resolution or want to stay connected to this work, I’m always here to listen."