The Democratic Party of Oregon 5th Congressional District Committee held its reorganization meeting Saturday, March 18 on Zoom.  Results of the reorganization meeting will be posted soon. These were the open positions:
Open Positions (Eligibility):
Officers: (CD5 Delegates / Alternates Only)

• Chair
• Vice Chair
• Treasurer
• Secretary

Standing Committees: (Any Democrat in the 5th Congressional District)

• Budget Committee: 2 delegates, 1 alternate
• Credentials Committee: 2 delegates, 1 alternate
• Platform and Resolutions Committee: 5 delegates, 2 alternates
• Rules Committee: 3 delegates, 2 alternates
• Local Events and State Fair Committee: 5 delegates, 2 alternates

A special district election will be held May 16 to fill positions for school boards, rural fire protections boards, water control districts, Lebanon Aquatic District, Oakville Community Center Park and Recreation District and the Sweet Home Cemetery District. (All the open positions are listed below) Each candidate for an office must file a declaration of candidacy or petition for nomination for office with the Linn County Clerk's Office no later than 5 p.m. Thursday, March 16. The Clerk's Office is on the second floor of the Linn County Courthouse, 300 Fourth Ave. S.W., Albany. For more information about the election, call the Clerk's Office, 541-967-3831.
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Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District:
Director Zone 4, 2 Year Unexpired Term (Benton County)
Director Zone 5, 4 year term (Linn County)
Director Zone 6, 4 year term (Linn County)
Director Zone 7, 4 year term (Lincoln & Lane County)
Linn-Benton Community College:        
Director Zone 1, 4 year term (South & East Linn County)
Director Zone 2-3(A), 2 Year Unexpired Term (Linn & Benton County)
Director Zone 2-3(B), 4 year term (Linn & Benton County)
Director Zone 4, 4 year term (Lebanon)
Director Zone 6-7(A), 2 Year Unexpired Term (Benton County)
Director Zone 6-7(B), 4 year term (Benton County)
Central Linn School District #552-C:
Director Zone 1, 4 year term
Director Zone 2, 4 year term
Director Zone 3, 4 year term
Director Zone 5, 4 year term
Greater Albany Public School #8J:
Director Zone 3, 4 year term
Director At-Large #1, 4 year term (Linn & Benton County)
Harrisburg School District #7:
Director Position 2, 4 year term        
Director Position 3, 4 year term
Lebanon Community School District #9:
Director Zone 1, 4 year term
Director Zone 4, 4 year term
Director Zone 5, 2 Year Unexpired Term
Santiam Canyon School District #129J:
Director Zone 1, Position 3, 2 Year Unexpired Term
Director Zone 1, Position 4, 4 year term
Director Zone 2, Position 1, 4 year term
Scio School District #95C:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 4, 4 year term
Sweet Home School District #55:    
Director Zone 2, (Liberty), 2 Year Unexpired Term
Director Zone 3, (Foster), 4 year term
Director Zone 4, (Cascadia), 4 year term
Director Zone 5, (At Large), 2 Year Unexpired Term
Director Zone 6, (Crawfordsville), 4 year term
Director Zone 9, (Sweet Home), 4 year term
Albany Rural Fire Protection District:
Director Position 4, 4 year term
Director Position 5, 4 year term
Brownsville Rural Fire Protection District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 2, 4 year term
Director Position 3, 4 year term
Halsey-Shedd Rural Fire Protection District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 2, 4 year term
Director Position 3, 4 year term 
Harrisburg Fire/Rescue District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 5, 4 year term
Lebanon Rural Fire Protection District:
Director Position 3, 4 year term
Director Position 5, 4 year term
Lyons Rural Fire Protection District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 4, 4 year term
Director Position 5, 4 year term
Mill City Rural Fire Protection District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term
Director Position 2, 4 year term
Director Position 3, 2 Year Unexpired Term
Director Position 5, 4 year term
Scio Rural Fire Protection District:
Director Position 3, 4 year term    
Director Position 4, 4 year term
Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 2, 4 year term
Director Position 3, 4 year term
Tangent Rural Fire Protection District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 2, 4 year term
Dever-Conner Water Control District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 2, 4 year term
Director Position 4, 4 year term    
Grand Prairie Water Control District:
Director Position 5, 4 year term    
Director Position 6, 4 year term
Director Position 7, 4 year term    
Director Position 8, 4 year term
Director Position 9, 4 year term
Little Muddy Creek Water Control District:
Director Position 1, 2 Year Unexpired Term
Director Position 4, 4 year term    
Director Position 5, 4 year term
Director Position 6, 4 year term    
Lyons-Mehama Water District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 3, 4 year term
North Lebanon Water Control District:
Director Position 1, 4 year term    
Director Position 2, 4 year term
Director Position 4, 4 year term    
Director Position 6, 4 year term
Director Position 7, 4 year term
South Santiam River Water Control District:
Director Position 1, 2 Year Unexpired Term
Director Position 2, 2 Year Unexpired Term
Director Position 4, 4 year term
Director Position 5, 4 year term
Director Position 6, 4 year term
Director Position 7, 4 year term
Sweet Home Cemetery District:    
Director Position 3, 4 year term
Lebanon Aquatic District:    
Director Position 1, 4 year term
Director Position 2, 4 year term
Director Position 3, 4 year term
Oakville Community Center Park & Recreation District:
Director Position 2, 4 year term    
Director Position 3, 4 year term
Director Position 4, 4 year term

Krystal Vertig was elected by acclamation as Linn County Democratic Central Committee 3rd Vice Chair during the Linn Dems monthly general meeting March 2 at Albany Public Library.  Bill McCoy resigned as 3rd Vice Chair last month, and Vertig was appointed to temporarily fill position until the March 2 election. Vertig also announced that, among 12 finalists, she was selected as communications intern for the BIPOC Caucus of the Oregon State Legislature.
In other business March 2, the Central Committee:
• Approved the standing rules for the Linn County Democrats Platform Convention, set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Ave. S.E. It will be the first county platform convention since 2017.
• Heard an appeal from Events Chair Keith Kolkow for volunteers, and donations of raffle items and pies for a dessert dash for the first quarter Democratic Party of Oregon State Central Committee fundraising dinner Saturday, March 25, at Linn-Benton Community College. Proceeds from the raffle and dessert dash will go to the Linn County Democrats. The SCC meeting runs Saturday and Sunday that weekend. To volunteer or donate, please click here.
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​​​The Oregon Senate Committee on Natural Resources on Monday, March 13, held its second public hearing on SB-85, which would require the state Department of Agriculture to study confined animal feeding operations. There were numerous comments supporting and opposing the bill during the morning hearing at the Capitol in Salem. Many residents of the Scio area, who oppose plans by Foster Farms to build three mega chicken operations in the area and elsewhere in Linn and Marion counties, spoke in favor of the bill.  (To watch the two public hearings, click the links below. ) Committee Chair Sen. Jeff Golden will decide whether to kill the bill or hold a committee work session to consider amendments and a vote on whether the bill should advance to the full Senate. Bills not scheduled for work sessions by Friday, March 17, will die.​
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​• Linn County farmers, school children want to press pause on mega chicken farms (March 12, Democrat-Herald)
• Linn County farmers, school children want to press pause on mega chicken farms (March 12, Democrat-Herald)

News from the Capitol
• Video:Senate Natural Resources Committee informational hearing on regulatory framework for Confined Animal Feeding Operations (Feb. 21)
• Oregon semiconductor aid plan takes shape (Feb. 27, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Civil commitment spike challenges legal system (Feb.25, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Panel hears measures to lower voting age (Feb. 24, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Capital Chatter: A big week in Oregon state government (Feb. 23, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Lawmakers consider requirements to spur housing development (Feb. 19, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Reality check arrives for Oregon Legislature, or how most legislation gets left in the dust (Feb. 17, Oregon Capital Insider)
Oregon Senate passes bipartisan bill to address child care shortage (Feb. 16, Oregon Capital Insider)
• 'Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance' rejected by Oregon Court of Appeals  (Feb. 16, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Oregon's Adrienne Nelson confirmed for federal judgeship (Feb. 16, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Appeals judge fires back at gun rights advocate (Feb. 16, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Senate Committee on Health Care public hearings on SB 704 (Universal Health Care Plan) Listen to the Feb. 13 testimony (starts at beginning). Listen to Feb. 15 testimony (starts at 40:39).
• Petition urges legislators to support bill on moratorium for industrial-scale animal feeding operations (Feb. 15, linncodems.org)
• Mass notification 'panic button' system for schools gets hearing (Feb. 14, Capital Insider)
Kotek alleges abuse of power by top OLCC managers (Feb. 8, Oregon Capital Insider)
• Governor Kotek's recommended budget (Office of the governor)
Five takeaways from governor's budget proposal (Feb. 6, Oregon Capital Insider)
​•  Recreation coalition seeks reversal of landmark liability ruling (Jan. 21, Oregon Capital Insider)