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Biden declares
Juneteenth
federal holiday

DPO celebrates recognition
of Juneteenth as official state holiday

June 14
Following Governor Kate Brown’s signing of HB 2168 to establish Juneteenth as an official state holiday, Dr. Rosa Colquitt, Democratic Party of Oregon vicechair and DPO Black Caucus chair, released the following statement:
We are overjoyed at the passage of this bill that establishes Juneteenth as an official state holiday in Oregon, commemorating the emancipation of slaves in Texas in June 1865, nearly two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Oregon is the only state in America to have been established as an all-white state. Celebrating Juneteenth as a legal holiday in Oregon matters a great deal, and brings our state closer to reckoning with the present impacts of a past rooted in white supremacy.
This can be a moment when our state acknowledges the trauma of 4 million enslaved people, while trying to understand that trauma through the eyes of their descendants. We can make it clear that, despite social progress for Black Americans, considerable barriers continue to impede true justice and equality. These barriers go beyond 300+ years of slavery, Jim Crow, and on-going white supremacy. They include sub-standard education, discrimination in housing, lack of economic investment in Black communities, disproportionate access to quality health care, and murder by law enforcement.
We are thankful for the leadership of our Democratic legislators who made this possible, including Governor Kate Brown, State Senator Lew Frederick, House Majority Leader Barbara Smith Warner, State Representative Mark Meek, and the Oregon Legislature’s Black, Indigenous, & People of Color (BIPOC) Caucus.
By choosing to remember the last state in the South that freedom finally touched, we celebrate the shining 'promise of emancipation.' Let June 19th in Oregon forever be a day of celebration for current and future generations, as well as a day to remember and acknowledge the bloody path America took by delaying freedom and deferring the fulfillment of the simple words of Union General Gordon Granger that 'all slaves are free.'"
HB 2168 will take effect 91 days after the adjournment of the current legislative session. The first official Oregon celebration of Juneteenth as a state holiday will take place on June 19th, 2022.

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June 15th, 2021

6/15/2021

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Oregon House expels Nearman

June 11
The Oregon House voted 59-1 Thursday to expel Rep. Mike Nearman following revelations that he helped planned an armed incursion of the state Capitol last last year. In the widely anticipated vote, the House approved a resolution that formally found Nearman’s act of opening a Capitol door for a far-right crowd on Dec. 21 amounted to “disorderly behavior,” the constitutional standard for ejecting a legislator, OPB reported. The only vote against the resolution was that of Nearman, who becomes the first person ever expelled from the Oregon Legislature. For the full story, click here.

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June 11th, 2021

6/11/2021

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Democratic Party of Oregon renews call
for Nearman to resign or be expelled

June 7, 2021
Following a new report with video evidence from The Oregonian/OregonLive that State Rep. Mike Nearman gave detailed instructions on how to get his help to breach Capitol security during a special legislative session, the Democratic Party of Oregon renewed our call for Nearman to resign or be expelled from the Oregon House of Representatives.
Democratic Party of Oregon Chair Carla “KC” Hanson issued the following statement:
“New video evidence shows that Rep. Mike Nearman not only opened the door for armed, violent rioters to enter the Oregon Capitol building and attack Oregon State Police on December 21st, 2020, but confirms his actions were also planned days in advance. The video taken on December 16th shows him literally giving step-by-step instructions on how to get his help to breach Capitol security.
“We applaud House Speaker Tina Kotek’s decision to create a new bipartisan special committee to expedite the process of expelling Rep. Nearman. His unconscionable actions put his House colleagues and everyone else in the Capitol building – especially BIPOC legislators, legislative staff and Capitol staff – in grave danger. The Oregon House of Representatives has a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of legislators and Oregon Capitol personnel. Nearman’s words and, more importantly, his actions have proven that he is unfit to serve and cannot be trusted with the duties and responsibilities of a member of the Oregon Legislature.
“If Rep. Nearman refuses to resign, we call upon all members of the Oregon House of Representatives – Democrats and Republicans – to do the right thing and hold Representative Nearman accountable for his actions. Representative Nearman must resign or be expelled.”

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June 11th, 2021

6/11/2021

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Senate vote moves Oregon
closer to Juneteenth holiday

The Oregon Senate voted 28-0 Tuesday, June 1, in support of the bill to establish Juneteenth as an official state holiday in Oregon, following a 53-0 vote in the House in April. The bill now goes back to the House for action on amendments. State Sen. Lew Frederick, D-District 22, gave a moving floor speech prior to the vote in the Senate. “Juneteenth is not the date all slaves were freed," he said. "Juneteenth is not the date that Black Americans, or Black Oregonians, were guaranteed comfort, relief or safety. Juneteenth was a step forward and a marker of hope, one we must continue to build upon. This official holiday will recognize that the people of Oregon, despite our past, can take the veil of ignorance away, and each year choose to have hope – on Juneteenth and every day thereafter. With House Bill 2168, we can learn from another time. We can change the future now, in real time. We can work towards equality – even without a declaration or official holiday. We must. Celebrating Juneteenth will help each of us remember all that we can and must do to ensure a more just future."

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June 11th, 2021

6/11/2021

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Unite Oregon seeks testimony
in support of SB 755

Unite Oregon is seeking the help of allies in support of fully funding the treatment, recovery, housing and harm-reduction services outlined in Measure 110, approved by voters last fall. It is now Senate Bill 755.
In the next two to three weeks the Legislature plans to open a period to submit public testimony for SB 755 before it goes to a final legislative vote.
“This is the opportunity we've been waiting for and the good news is that submitting written public testimony only takes about 5-10 minutes if you've already formulated your statement and emailed it to your legislators,” said Anna Knierim, Unite Oregon community organizer who spoke briefly about the bill during the May 6 Linn Dems monthly general meeting. “This is a very powerful way to advocate since multiple legislators will see it and you are allowed to submit testimony for this hearing even if you already submitted for the Judiciary Committee's hearing back in March.”
To get involved in this last major stage of advocacy for funding of Measure 110/Senate Bill 755, please click here.

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June 21st, 2021

Biden declares
Juneteenth
federal holiday

June 21st, 2021

DPO celebrates recognition
of Juneteenth as official state holiday

June 15th, 2021

Oregon House expels Nearman

June 11th, 2021

Democratic Party of Oregon renews call
for Nearman to resign or be expelled

June 11th, 2021

Senate vote moves Oregon
closer to Juneteenth holiday

June 11th, 2021

Unite Oregon seeks testimony
in support of SB 755

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June 21st, 2021

​Biden declares Juneteenth federal holiday

June 21st, 2021

DPO celebrates recognition ​of Juneteenth as official state holiday

June 15th, 2021

Oregon House expels Nearman

June 11th, 2021

Democratic Party of Oregon renews call ​for Nearman to resign or be expelled

June 11th, 2021

Senate vote moves Oregon ​closer to Juneteenth holiday

June 11th, 2021

Unite Oregon seeks testimonyin support of SB 755

News & Updates

Archives

Categories

Biden declares
Juneteenth
federal holiday

DPO celebrates recognition
of Juneteenth as official state holiday

Democratic Party of Oregon renews call
for Nearman to resign or be expelled

Senate vote moves Oregon
closer to Juneteenth holiday

Unite Oregon seeks testimony
in support of SB 755