Margaret Noel, Author at League of Women Voters of Portland

Redistricting Forum – Preventing Gerrymandering

LWV of Oregon Redistricting Forum

Our Redistricting Forum was held on Wednesday, November 28, 2018.

See http://redistrictingmatters.org for more information about redistricting in Oregon. The 2020 U.S census is coming and so is the 2021 redistricting process. At the forum we learned about problems in our redistricting process now and proposals for fixing them.

We heard about our current process, how it affects elections in Oregon, and what reform could look like. We learned about a new way to allow voters to elect representatives who truly represent the will of the people in their district.

What Kind of REform Do we need?

The League wants to put the process of redistricting back into the hands of voters. We believe voters should be choosing their representatives—not representatives choosing their voters. We can do this by amending the Oregon Constitution to create an independent redistricting commission.

Guest Speaker: Candalynn Johnson, LWV of Oregon Redistricting Reform Campaign Coordinator, will talk about why the League supports reform.

For questions about the forum please contact Candalynn Johnson, at Candalynn@lwvor.org. You may also visit the redistricting reform website at: www.redistrictingmatters.org.

Justice for Teens – Improving Outcomes

In October, the Portland League presented a discussion about the effects of Measure 11 on young offenders. Click on the recording below to hear what our speakers told us about how Measure 11 affects teens accused of crimes.

Important November Dates

November 1 was the last day to mail your ballot.
November 6: ELECTION DAY.
November 13, 7 PM: Panel Discussion on Immigration. Free and open to the public.
November 28, 5:30 PM: Redistricting Reform Forum. Free and open to the public.

Immigration Panel Discussion

Immigration: Welcomes, Walls, Sanctuaries, and Borders

Tuesday, November 13, 2018, 7 to 8:30 pm, Multnomah County Board Room, 501 SE Hawthorne. Free and open to the public.

PANELISTS

Polo Catalani, NWCommunities Counsel
Leland Baxter-Neal, ACLU of Oregon
Erin McKee, Oregon Justice Resource Center
Chanpone Sinlapasai, Marandas & Sinlapasai Immigration Law Office

The audience will be invited to reflect upon their own immigrant roots and stories, and the panelists will give an overview of the challenges that today’s immigrants face. The discussion will include information about the scope and scale of immigration in Oregon, economic impacts of immigration, and stories of community members who have made the transition from new immigrant to citizen.

GETTING THERE AND WATCHING THE PROGRAM

Parking is available on the street. The Multnomah County Board Room at 501 SE Hawthorne is easily accessed by public transportation, TriMet options include bus lines 4, 6, 10, 14, 15, and the Portland Streetcar.

MetroEast Community Media records these programs for rebroadcast and online streaming from www.lwvpdx.org. We thank the Multnomah Bar Foundation and the Carol and Velma Saling Foundation for their grants to pay for these recordings.

The League of Women Voters Civic Education programs are free and open to the public. Programs are designed to inform our community about relevant issues. PLEASE JOIN US FOR THIS DISCUSSION.

RECORDINGS OF PREVIOUS PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND SCHEDULE OF FUTURE PROGRAMS

Click here to view recordings of earlier civic education panel discussions, with links to shorter “highlights” videos from those programs. The same page also shows the public events planned for 2019.

Your Vote is Important!

Did you vote? There were many important issues on the ballot for the November 6 election—affordable housing, taxes, clean energy, jobs, abortion, the influence of money in politics and how we treat immigrants. We also elected leaders for our national, state and local governments – the people who will represent you in the next two to four years.

The League offered voters lots of nonpartisan information about the 2018 General Election in Oregon.

Your vote can make a difference. Be a voter. Use our website to help you decide how you want to vote.