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Election Debrief Panel: Video & Podcast

Election Debrief: What’s Next? Click below to watch the video of our November 29 panel discussion.

To listen to the podcast of this program click here.

A panel of experienced political analysts discussed the implications of the November 8 election results with a focus on Portland, Multnomah County and major statewide elections.

Anna Griffin, Vice President of news, talk and podcasts for Oregon Public Broadcasting. Before OPB, she spent 11 years as a reporter and editor at The Oregonian and 10 years as a reporter at the Charlotte Observer. She served as a 2011-12 Nieman fellow at Harvard University.

John Horvick, Senior Vice President at DHM Research. John serves as political commentator with expertise in opinion research and community based politics. His areas of interest include electoral politics, healthcare, education, land use planning, natural resource use, energy and utilities, transportation, and taxation. John is often quoted in local media such as OPB, the Pamplin Media group, the Oregonian, the Willamette Week, and national publications.

Dr. Dan Qi, Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science at Reed College. Dr. Qi writes about race-ethnicity, and identity politics, especially in Asian American Politics and immigration, and does research on gender politics, news media and government, political behavior, public opinion, and political economy.

Alex Zielinski, News Editor for the Portland Mercury, writes about economic inequities, police, civil rights, and city politics. She received awards in 2022 for her articles from the Society of Professional Journalism. https://www.portlandmercury.com/authors/4416614/alex-zielinski.

Our evening’s moderator was Barbara Dudley, LWVPDX member and Senior Fellow at Portland State University’s Mark O. Hatfield School of Government. Our chat facilitator was James Ofsink, League member, who leads our League’s Criminal Justice Group and is serving Multnomah County taxpayers as a Tax Supervising and Conservation Commissioner, appointed by the governor. MetroEast Community Media recorded this event for video replay and podcast. Here again is the link to the podcast.

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Why We Supported Charter Reform

The League’s top priorities are good government and fair elections! Measure 26-228 on Charter Reform will promote BOTH better government and fairer elections for Portland.

The League of Women Voters of Portland is one of 50 civic organizations that supported the Charter Reform ballot measure. In-depth two-year studies by the Portland League, the LWV of Oregon, and Leagues in other states persuaded us that the proposed changes will substantially improve Portland’s government structure and the way we elect our city officials.

TOP-TEN REASONS For Supporting Charter Reform (Click here to learn more about each one)

1. The reforms create a separation of powers. The powers of the Councilors and Mayor are balanced.
2. Portland’s City Council will be more effective, responsive and representative.
3. Management by a professional City Administrator, supervised by the Mayor, will improve operations of city services and bureaus.
4. Voters will have more choices and more power to elect government officials who represent them.
5. Ranked Choice Voting is an easy, proven way to vote. It’s used in other countries and increasingly in the U.S.
6. By electing three city councilors from four geographic districts, we can have both geographic and proportional representation.
7. An Independent District Commission will draw district boundaries.
8. An Independent Salary Commission will set salaries for elected officials.
9. The benefits more than justify the costs.
10. These proposals were developed by a diligent, transparent Charter Review Commission.

See through the “confusion”smokescreen. Click here for the real story.

Read our explanation about How Ranked Choice Voting Works.

LWVPDX is in good company. Click here to learn about other Measure 26-228 supporters

Nonpartisan Info for November Election

For the recent 2022 General Election, we provided nonpartisan information for Multnomah County voters on our November 8, 2022 Election page. Find links to candidates’ statements and explanations of ballot measures.

When you mail your ballot or deposit it at a drop site in Oregon, you can trust that it will be counted accurately. The latest Election Results are here.

From start to finish, Oregon’s elections are run with high standards. Accurate registration lists, secure and transparent ballot counting, and post-election audits are built into Vote by Mail.

Learn more at Oregonvotes.gov. #TrustedInfo2022

October 5 Gun Safety Panel

VIEW THE VIDEO or LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

How can we protect our communities and schools from gun violence?

This panel Discussion is also available as a podcast here.

PANELISTS:

The panelists (left to right):

Dr. Kathleen Carlson, Chair, Gun Violence Prevention Research Center (GVPRC) at Oregon Health and Science University. In 2022, Dr. Carlson launched the GVPRC to collect objective data and evaluate novel interventions to inform policy makers in their work.

Pastor Edward Williams, FITCOG Chair . In June 2021, the Portland Police Bureau launched the Focused Intervention Team Community Oversight Group in response to the growing gun violence crisis in Portland. FITCOG works to reduce gun violence through prevention, intervention, and response.

Andrew Scott, Chair, Portland Public Schools, Board of Education. Andrew has more than 20 years of experience in the public sector and currently serves as Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Metro. He grew up in Southwest Portland and attended PPS schools. His two children currently attend a PPS school.

Paul Kemp, representing Gun Owners for Responsible Ownership. Paul Kemp became an advocate for responsible gun use and safety after his brother-in-law was shot and killed in the 2012 mass shooting at the Clackamas Town Center.

Moderator Marge Easley covers gun safety legislation for the LWV of Oregon Action Committee.

MetroEast Community Media recorded this program for the video and podcast.

Watch the Video on Charter Reform

Click the arrow below to watch the video.

This program features members of the Portland Charter Commission. They explain how the charter reform measure would change Portland’s government and elections, if voters pass it in November.

To listen to the podcast of this program, click here.

Listen to LWVPDX PODCASTS on your favorite platform.

You can listen to our shows on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or Spotify, or find them in many other directories.