News Archives

Extension Granted for PNP!

We still have time NOW to get this on the ballot!

The Oregon Secretary of State has given the People Not Politicians Initiative Campaign more time to gather signatures. The League of Women Voters of Oregon is one of many statewide nonpartisan groups supporting this initiative. It would place redistricting reform on the November 3 General Election ballot. Please help do that.

If you haven’t yet signed the petition, please download, sign and mail it in by August 8. Let’s make sure voters can elect representatives who truly represent their communities’ interests. We need to end gerrymandering. Politicians should not be drawing election districts that benefit their parties. Read more about the issues and the proposal here.

In response to Secretary of State Bev Clarno’s decision, the campaign wrote:

“We are grateful the Secretary of State recognized the importance of the democratic process and the significant impacts of the pandemic on Oregonians’ ability to participate in this process,” said Norman Turrill, chair of People Not Politicians … “We will continue to collect signatures to ensure Oregon voters have a chance to bring the redistricting reform we need to end gerrymandering in Oregon once and for all.”

You can read the full statement here.

See our previous posts about People Not Politicians here and here.

August 11 Election!

Be ready to vote with LWV resources!

Vote411.org website

Look for voting information on Vote411.org and on this website. The League is preparing to help you choose Portland’s next City Commissioner for Position 2. Two candidates, Dan Ryan and Loretta Smith, are running to fill this vacant seat. To help you compare them, we held a debate. You will find the video of the debate posted on Vote411.org OR click here for our August 11 Special Election page under Vote. In addition, both websites will show the candidates’ written answers to six questions about current city issues. The video and candidates’ answers are available on demand from July 22 through Election Day.

Vote July 23 through Election Day, Tuesday, August 11.

Ballots were mailed to Portland voters beginning on Wednesday July 22. To vote in this special election, voters must register by July 21. The last day to mail your ballot is Thursday, August 6. However, you can drop your ballot off at an official drop site up until 8 pm on August 11.

For more information, see the Multnomah County Elections website.

Fixing Police Oversight

Better Police Accountability with Steps to Make Real Changes

The Oregonian, In Our Opinion, July 2020

On July 1, 2020, The Oregonian published an “IN OUR OPINION” piece by LWV of Portland Action Chair, Debbie Aiona, and founding member of Portland Copwatch, Dan Handelman. The Portland League and Portland Copwatch have been working to improve police oversight for decades. In their Opinion article, they recommended changes to make the system more effective. These would give more power to Portland’s Independent Police Review (IPR) office and its Citizens Review Committee (CRC).

Ensure that in addition to being able to subpoena civilians and documents, IPR has the power to compel officers to testify or face discipline if they refuse. The office also should be given the authority to access all relevant police files.
Empower IPR to investigate incidents in which police officers use deadly force, and give survivors or their family members the right to appeal their cases to the IPR’s Citizen Review Committee.
Empower the CRC to review cases based on whether the majority of the evidence supports a given finding, rather than having to defer to police bureau decisions.

You can read the entire article here.

New LWVUS President

At the League’s 54th National Convention (conducted virtually), delegates representing Leagues throughout the United States elected Dr. Deborah Turner as the new LWVUS president.

Deborah Turner, MD, JD, is the 20th president of the League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) and chair of the Board of Trustees of the League of Women Voters Education Fund (LWVEF). She will serve until June 2022.

Previous LWV Experience

Dr. Turner was president of Des Moines Metropolitan League and vice president of the LWV Iowa board from 2011 until 2015. She was elected to the League’s national board of directors in 2016 where she served on the Finance committee, Governance Committee, and chaired the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. As chair of the DEI Committee, Deborah and her colleagues focused on organizational culture changes to the League’s mission work. They emphasized racial equity as well as equity for all the diverse groups in American society.

Experience as a doctor

Dr. Turner received her BS from Iowa State University and her MD from University of Iowa. She practiced gynecologic oncology for 35 years, enhancing university programs at the University of Nebraska, University of Iowa, and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She also served the private sector in Davenport, IA, Mason City, IA, and in Des Moines. In July 2015, she left active practice to become Vice President of International Medical Programs of The Outreach Program. She participated in twelve medical missions to Tanzania since 2011 and worked with Singida’s Medical Center, Outreach’s Children’s Feeding Centers, and Rotary International. She received her JD from Drake University in 2007. She has served as Associate Medical Director of Planned Parenthood of North Central States since 2016.

Honors and awards

Turner was inducted into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame in 2013 and received the Gertrude Rush Award from the National Bar Association in 2015. She was awarded the Louise Noun Visionary Women of the year award from Young Womens Resource Center Des Moines in 2018. Her most treasured award is a certificate from the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care. She lives in Nebraska and has two grown children – a son and a niece.

A Letter to Congress

Continuing our work for racial justice

In a June 4th email to League members, LWVUS President Chris Carson wrote:

The League is committed to expanding our voice beyond the statement we released last week. We are joining our partners who serve in the civil rights community in fighting for policy reform that will dismantle systematic racism. We joined coalition partners on a letter calling for congressional action on police violence, and in the weeks and months ahead, the national office will be stepping up our commitment to racial justice.

The coalition’s letter was sent from The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and signed by over 400 organizations. LWVUS CEO Virginia Kase serves on The Leadership Conference Board of Directors.

Here are a few quotes from this letter:

“we urge you to take swift and decisive legislative action in response to ongoing fatal police killings and other violence against Black people across our country. Federal statutory reforms are urgently needed on a range of policing issues, including use of force, police accountability, racial profiling, militarization, data collection, and training.”

“Now is the time for Congress to pass meaningful police reform legislation. While we appreciate hearings and resolutions, we need comprehensive measures enacted. We need Congress to advance meaningful legislation to protect Black communities from the systemic perils of over policing, police brutality, misconduct, and harassment, and end the impunity with which officers operate in taking the lives of Black people.”