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Climate Change in Oregon — Keep Oregon Cool

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The Oregon Global Warming Commission is a governor-appointed advisory body tasked with recommending ways to coordinate state and local efforts to reduce Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions, and to help the state, local governments, businesses, and Oregonians prepare for the effects of climate chang…

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https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-or.pdf

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Planned Parenthood in Oregon

In 2019, Planned Parenthood's 12 health centers in Oregon:

Administered 6,714 cervical cancer screenings

Conducted 50,819 tests for chlamydia,
the leading cause of preventable infertility

Performed 7,158 breast exams

Provided 52,728 patients with birth
control services, averting an estimated
12,760 unintended pregnancies

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Planned Parenthood in Oregon In 2019, Planned Parenthood's 12 health centers in Oregon: Administered 6,714 cervical cancer screenings Conducted 50,819 tests for chlamydia, the leading cause of preventable infertility Performed 7,158 breast exams Provided 52,728 patients with birth control services, averting an estimated 12,760 unintended pregnancies

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Guns in public schools? Background checks? Safe storage?

Background Checks: In 2015, Oregon passed a law requiring private or unlicensed firearm sellers to conduct background checks on private or unlicensed purchasers. Oregon law also requires a prospective purchaser to undergo a background check before buying a gun at a gun show. (ORS 166.438, 166.434).

Background checks are not required for immediate family members including parents, step parents, grandparents, spouses, domestic partners, siblings, children, step children, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, first cousins and the spouse or domestic partners thereof. Law prohibits the sale or transfer of a firearm to anyone a person knows or reasonably should know is legally prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm.

Federal law requires a background check for purchases from federally licensed firearms dealers. (18 USC subsection 922(s), 922(t).)

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO): ERPOs allow families and law enforcement to prevent tragedies by asking a court to temporarily suspend a person's access to firearms. Petitioners must produce documented evidence that a person is threatening harm to self or others. www.courts.oregon.gov/forms/Documents/ERPOApplyInstr.pdf

Child Access Prevention: Both Portland (PCC section 14A.60.050) and Multnomah County (Section 15.051) prohibit endangering a child by allowing access to a firearm.

The Oregon Legislature passed SB 554B which requires firearms to be secured unless "the owner or possessor of the firearm is close enough to the firearm to prevent another person who is not an authorized person from obtaining the firearm" [SB 554B Section 2(3)(a)]. The law, however, is not effective until October 2021 and is facing a recall attempt by Mike Nearman who was recently expelled from the Oregon House. Until SB 554B becomes law, Oregon has no statutes requiring firearm owners secure their firearms to prevent children or others from gaining access to firearms.

Waiting period: Oregon does not impose a "cooling off" period between buying a gun and taking possession of the gun.

Safety standards: Oregon does not require that guns meet any safety standards.

Assault weapons: Oregon does not limit the sale or possession of military-style semiautomatic assault rifles like an AR 15.

Extended capacity magazines: Oregon does not limit the number of rounds in a magazine except for hunting. Oregon Fish and Wildlife cartridge limit for bird hunting is 3. The cartridge limit for large game is 5. No limit exists in Oregon for shooting at people.

License to purchase or possess a gun: Oregon does not require licensing or safety training before buying or possessing a firearm.

License to carry a concealed handgun: County sheriffs must issue a concealed handgun license (CHL) to anyone who meets requirements in ORS 166.291, unless "the sheriff has reasonable grounds to believe that the applicant has been or is reasonably likely to be a danger to self or others, or to the community at large." ORS 166.293(2). At least one in 16 Oregon adults has a concealed handgun license. While some people have training, Oregon law does not require that an applicant even touch a gun to receive a CHL .

Concealed handgun license holders are permitted to bring loaded, hidden guns into public schools K-12 as well as the Oregon State Capitol Building until SB 554B becomes law in October 2021. At that time, public school districts will determine if loaded, hidden guns may be brought into the schools in their district.

Concealed carry reciprocity: Oregon does not allow people with concealed handgun licenses (CHL) from other states to carry concealed in Oregon. Gun owners from states bordering Oregon may request a CHL from border county sheriffs.

Convicted Stalkers: Oregon prohibits people convicted of stalking misdemeanors from purchasing or possessing firearms.

Domestic violence: Oregon prosecutes domestic abuse against abusers who have been involved as dating partners (Oregon closed the "Dating Partner Loophole") in addition to current and former spouses, adults related by blood or marriage, persons presently or cohabiting with each other, and unmarried parents of a minor child.

Minimum age to purchase or possess a gun: Oregon law prohibits anyone under age 18 from possessing a gun unless possession would otherwise be lawful and (1) the gun is not a handgun and was transferred with the minor's parent's consent, or (2) the minor possesses the gun temporarily for a lawful purpose. ORS 166.250. Oregon law prohibits the sale or transfer of a firearm to anyone under age 18, with the same exceptions. ORS 166.470. Federal law prohibits federally licensed firearms dealers from selling a handgun to anyone under age 21. 18 USC subsection 922(b)(1).

Openly carrying firearms (Information obtained from Giffords Law Center): Oregon does not prohibit the open carrying of handguns or long guns on the person in public.

Portland, Tigard and Beaverton prohibit open carry of loaded firearms in their cities as allowed by ORS 166.173.

Firearms in vehicles (Information obtained from Giffords Law Center): Oregon does not prohibit the open carrying of long guns in a vehicle.
In June 2021, the Oregon legislature passed SB 554B which makes a crime to leave a handgun unattended in a vehicle and within view of people outside of the vehicle (SB 554B, Section 3). SB 554B is facing a challenge from ousted former State House Representative Mike Nearman. If SB 554B survives the challenge, the law will take effect in October 2021.
Oregon generally prohibits the knowing possession of a concealed and readily accessible handgun within any vehicle without a license to carry a concealed handgun. A handgun is generally considered readily accessible if it is in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Oregon has special provisions applicable to vehicles that have no storage location that is outside the passenger compartment of the vehicle. A person may own, possess, or keep a handgun within his or her residence, including a recreational vessel or recreational vehicle while used as residential quarters.

Oregon prohibits the operation of a snowmobile or all-terrain vehicle with a loaded firearm in the operator's possession. Concealed handgun permit holders are exempt from this prohibition.

1. Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.250(1)(b).

2. Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.250(4)(b).

3. Or. Rev. Stat. § 166.250(2)(b).

4. Or. Rev. Stat. § 821.240(1).

5. Or. Rev. Stat. § 821.240(2).

Local gun laws: With a few exceptions, Oregon law preempts cities and counties from enacting local gun laws. ORS 166.170-166.176.

In 2010, Portland enacted ordinances that are not preempted by state statute Portland §14A.60

Possession of Loaded Firearm in a Public Place

Discharge of a Firearm

Tear Gas and Stun Guns

Explosives and Bottle Bombs

Endangering A Child By Allowing Access To A Firearm

Failure to Report Theft or Loss

In 2013, Multnomah County passed these laws: Multnomah County§15.051:

Prohibit possession of a loaded firearm in a public place

Prohibit discharge of a firearm within county's boundaries

Prohibit endangering a child by allowing access to a firearm

Require that theft or loss of firearm be reported within 48 hours

Extend curfew hours for minors on pa- role and probation for gun-related charge

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Oregon Statutes and Regulations Related to Gun Ownership

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Guns in public schools? Background checks? Safe storage? Background Checks: In 2015, Oregon passed a law requiring private or unlicensed firearm sellers to conduct background checks on private or unlicensed purchasers. Oregon law also requires a prospective purchaser to undergo a background check before buying a gun at a gun show.

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https://www.oregonlive.com/hg/2021/10/how-oregon-gardeners-can-adapt-their-landscapes-to-changing-climate.html

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This year, Oregon gardeners have seen a shift from the state's traditional Mediterranean climate. Extreme weather conditions, ranging from an ice and windstorm to a record-breaking heatwave, have wreaked havoc on landscapes and gardens.

As the climate continues to shift, there are strategies gardeners can implement to better adapt, protect and prepare their plants for other extreme, incoming circumstances.

"There's great evidence that climate change is occurring and affecting things here in Oregon on a broad scale, and it includes, specifically, higher and higher likelihood of extreme weather events. And we've seen some examples of that recently," said Weston Miller, community and urban horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service and Multnomah County Master Gardener Program manager.

Miller will address such events and their consequences in "Adapting Your Garden and Landscape for Climate Change," a virtual class on Tuesday, Oct. 12. ( Register here for the free event.) The presentation is part of the Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series through the OSU Extension Service Master Gardener Program.

Historically, the climate west of the Cascades consists of moist, cool winters and hot, dry summers, Miller said. While drought happens seasonally and is to be expected, he said springs and summers have been drier and snow is melting faster.

Oregon is "leaning towards regional scale drought that you're starting to see in California already," he said.

Greg Shepherd, co-owner of Xera Plants in Portland, said that Oregon's climate is changing faster than a lot of people have been adapting to with their landscapes.

"A lot of plants you would consider to be a great plant for full sun and dry in Portland, the flowering currant for example, they were really fried and damaged," he said as he assessed the past summer. "It's just something that's happening so fast, a lot of people in the industry and gardeners are going to be struggling to keep up with what to do next."

What we know about native plants is changing

Looking at native plants and climate change over the past 50,000 years, Shepherd said that many native plants have migrated as the climate slowly changed. The problem now is that weather and precipitation patterns are changing faster than the plants can migrate.

An "important thing with native plants for gardeners is helping them adapt and preserve the populations until they have a chance to migrate to where they'll have to go in the future," he said.

When so many native plants were damaged during last summer's heat dome, Paul Bonine co-owner of Xera Plants said that it was a "big shock to everyone that the native plants would have reacted that way." As a result, customers were starting to rethink their landscapes.

"People are sick of watering," Bonine said. "It's expensive and they want their landscapes to succeed, so they're taking out a lot of high-water plants and replacing them with plants that can get along with natural rainfall."

Shepherd said that every day a customer will come to Xera Plants looking for lower water use plants. Although he said the answer "isn't 100% clear yet," people are looking for traits like heat tolerance and drought resistance.

With the nursery's focus on growing naturally climate-adapted and West Coast native plants, Shepherd said they are looking at their product line and evaluating what they will continue to grow and how they will expand their offerings.

"There's some interesting things out there that we haven't relied on, and this is starting to look like a new reality. People are going to want to experiment with things they know will work," he said.

Miller said he recommends people take a longer view of their landscape and consider the potential impact of extended drought and water restrictions that might be put in place.

"I'd say people who are either re-landscaping or replacing plants, that they consider picking drought-tolerant plants in the first place," he said. "Drought-tolerant plants are able to survive and bloom normally after an establishment period, and still look pretty good even without supplemental water."

Bonine adds that gardeners also shouldn't be afraid to try new things in their landscapes.

"You have a lot more options than you think to get the aesthetics that you want and still have it be low-water," he said.

Shepherd added that it also doesn't have to be all cactuses: "You can actually have a lush looking garden that doesn't require any use of water if you plan your plants carefully."

Bonine said that after this year's extreme weather, gardeners will need to focus on resilience in the future.

"The least understood part about gardening is the climate," he said. "The climate is going to be changing really fast, faster than people anticipate and so we're just going to play it by ear mostly and see what happens."

8 steps gardeners can take to help plants and trees adapt to climate changes

Prepare the soil. When planting, dig down deeply enough (a foot down for a 5-gallon shrub, for instance) and work in compost so the roots have something to grow into. "When roots have better established root systems, they are better able to extract water," Miller said. "If people just dig a hole in their hard, compact clay soil without really preparing a larger planting area, plants are always going to suffer because the roots are shorted by the compacted soil."

Consider plant location carefully. Some garden favorites, like hydrangeas, rhododendrons and azaleas prefer shade Miller said, and if they are planted in full sun they will be under more stress. Often, plants will show signs of extreme heat when located on the southwest side of a property or in an area facing a patch of asphalt or concrete. Gardeners can also pick more heat-tolerant species of their water-loving plants such as hydrangeas that can better ride out heat waves. Oak leaf and smooth hydrangeas are two species to consider.

Garden in zones. Shepherd suggests gardening in zones by grouping together high-water and low-water plants. He said it's more efficient and helps constrict water use.

"So, say you want more water intensive perennials, you group them near the hose instead of putting them out," he said. "Having perimeters of your house be low-water will make maintenance a lot easier."

Watch for freezing patterns in winter. Miller said with the unpredictability of climate change, it's not just finding plants that are drought tolerant, but cold hardy as well. "It might be really warm all the way up to Thanksgiving and then it gets really cold the next week and the plants haven't really acclimatized," he said, adding that gardeners should learn to recognize the signs of cold damage and take a wait-and-see approach. "In six months, you can see if something is dead or not and then prune out dead stems at that time."

Look at drought-tolerant native plants: Shepherd recommended manzanita, a West Coast native that is dry adapted and doesn't like water in the summer, as well as other native annuals that don't need summer irrigation and support local pollinators, such as clarkia, madia and gilia. Another good option is the serpentine sunflower, a Southern Oregon native that seeds itself and doesn't require much summer water. He also recommended bulbed plants such as the harvest lily. "Whether native or non-native, (bulbed plants) are acclimated to summer drought," Shepherd said. "So they're a good thing to plant for that seasonal flowering without the support that comes with a lot of summer perennials."

Think Mediterranean for drought-tolerant plants. Miller said to pick plants from lower Mediterranean like climates, where herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme thrive. Other recommended plant origins include South Africa, south Australia and Chile. "Plants from those origins also are accustomed to that wet winter and summer drought scenario," he said.

Deep watering. For trees like conifers and Western red cedar that are experiencing drought stress, Miller's main recommendation is to water deeply every two weeks (during the dry season) to keep trees healthy. One side effect that Miller has seen in stressed trees is insect attraction and damage, problems that can be prevented by keeping trees healthy through deep watering.

Prune branches selectively. For both conifers and deciduous trees, Miller suggested removing branches that are damaged or pruning to counteract the sail effect (wind drag), where a trees' foliage gets caught in the wind and weighs the tree down. That pruning can help minimize damage in case of an ice or wind storm, he said. He also recommended coming up with a pruning plan with an arborist.

Consult an arborist. When it comes to trees, Miller said the first two things people should consider are fire danger - particularly those at the urban-rural interface - and how a wind or ice storm would impact the property. "I would probably think about proactively having an arborist come to one's property and check out several things," Miller said, adding that this is a process that takes place over years and requires building a trusted relationship. "Trees seem like a great idea on an urban property but they're expensive to deal with," he said.

- Aliya Hall, for The Oregonian/OregonLive

READ MORE

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How Oregon gardeners can adapt their landscapes to changing climate

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This year, Oregon gardeners have seen a shift from the state's traditional Mediterranean climate. Extreme weather conditions, ranging from an ice and windstorm to a record-breaking heatwave, have wreaked havoc on landscapes and gardens. As the climate continues to shift, there are strategies gardeners can implement to better adapt, protect and prepare their plants for other extreme, incoming circumstances.

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We are dedicated to understanding and preparing for a range of climate impacts to the City of Portland's drinking water system. Climate change response is an objective identified in our five-year Strategic Plan and it guides the integration of climate preparedness work into our daily operations. While Portland's water system has some fundamental climate resilience already built in, emerging risks and disruptions from climate change will present new challenges.

Climate models project a warmer Northwest with hotter, drier summers, and warmer, wetter winters with heavier rainfall and less snowfall. As the long-term climate shifts, we anticipate a range of extreme conditions will impact the region in the future, even as individual weather years continue to be seasonally variable.

A rain-fed water supply

Portland's water supply reservoirs in the Bull Run Watershed depend mostly on seasonal rainfall, with smaller amounts of snowfall contributing to the overall water supply. The temperate rainforest of the Bull Run Watershed gets as much as four times the precipitation of Portland.

Despite the reliable rainfall, the watershed is experiencing the impacts of a warmer climate. An analysis of environmental data and hydrologic trends in the watershed shows significant trends of increasing air temperatures, decreasing summer streamflows, and increasing water temperature in streams throughout the Bull Run. Climate modeling conducted by our researchers indicates that rising air temperatures in the coming decades will lead to lower snow volumes, earlier snowmelt, higher winter peak streamflows, and lower summer streamflows in the Bull Run Watershed.

Water system climate resilience

We have been working to understand and prepare for the impacts of climate change to the water system for over two decades, and we are planning adaptively for the future. Each year, we develop a Seasonal Water Supply Augmentation and Contingency Plan, which helps guide the management of the drinking water system and prepares us to meet a range of supply and demand conditions.

Portland's groundwater supply, the Columbia South Shore Well Field, is a high-quality, reliable water source. It is a critical factor in the long-term climate resilience of the water system. The groundwater system is frequently used to supplement summer demand and if necessary, it can be used to provide an emergency water supply.

Portland has experienced decreasing water demand in the last two decades despite increasing population. This can be attributed to changes in land use, customers being more water-wise, and water-efficient appliances. Due to declining water demands, the availability of two high-quality supply sources, and adaptive planning, our water system is expected to meet customer water needs into the future.

Research and partnerships

The Water Bureau actively works with research institutions and climate scientists to assess how climate change could affect the drinking water system, and to develop tools to inform future water supply planning. We are currently in a leadership role in the Water Utility Climate Alliance (WUCA), a group of twelve water utilities that collectively serve drinking water to 50 million Americans. WUCA's mission is to collaboratively enhance climate research and improve water-management decision making to ensure water utilities can respond to climate change and protect their water supplies. We have codeveloped and coproduced several reports and tools on climate assessment and adaptation solutions with WUCA. These include preparing for how climate risks will affect built assets and infrastructure, how engineers can better prepare for climate change, and how extreme weather events could affect the health and safety of outdoor workers who keep the water system operating 24/7.

Learn more about water utility climate adaptation from WUCA.

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Climate change resilience and your drinking water

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We are dedicated to understanding and preparing for a range of climate impacts to the City of Portland's drinking water system. Climate change response is an objective identified in our five-year Strategic Plan and it guides the integration of climate preparedness work into our daily operations.

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Chart providing details of Oregon Gun Control Laws. Learn about Oregon’s gun possession laws and the penalties for violating its gun laws at FindLaw.com.

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www.portlandoregon.gov/citycode/29151

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https://www.oregonmetro.gov/news/global-change-local-effects

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Portland is tackling climate change head on. We were the first US city to adopt a carbon reduction strategy in 1993, and our cutting-edge Climate Action Plan put us on a path to reducing emissions by 80% in 2050.

We've made progress, but there's still more to do. Through the American Cities Climate Challenge, we'll continue to lead the way.
What is the American Cities Climate Challenge?
Created by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the American Cities Climate Challenge is a two-year program that empowers 25 of America's largest cities to take bold action toward meeting climate goals. Through the Climate Challenge, Portland joins an unprecedented network of partner cities and organizations committed to climate action.

Together, we can make a real difference. The efforts of the 25 Climate Challenge cities combined will reduce 40 million metric tons of CO ₂ by 2025. That's the same as taking 8.5 million cars off the road or shutting down 10 coal-fired power plants.
What is Portland's Climate Challenge game plan?
Most carbon emissions produced in the Portland area come from powering our homes, businesses and vehicles. The City of Portland is focusing its efforts through the Climate Challenge on projects, programs and strategies that will move the needle in these sectors-what we call "big moves and bright ideas."

Learn more about each of our Climate Challenge goals.
A commitment to climate justice
Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing our planet today. We're already experiencing the effects of rising global temperatures: more extreme weather, more frequent forest fires, reduced air quality and rising sea levels.

The climate crisis affects everyone. But it affects some of us more than others. People of color and communities with low-income levels and wealth are disproportionately impacted by climate change. The City is committed to advancing racial equity, and any big move or bright idea we pursue to reduce our carbon emissions must also result in more equitable outcomes for our community.

Questions? Contact Emma Sagor, Climate Advisor, at emma.sagor@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-1530.

What we're doing to reduce our carbon emissions.

Created by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the American Cities Climate Challenge is a two-year program that empowers 25 of America's largest cities to take bold action toward meeting climate goals.

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Portland is tackling climate change head on. We were the first US city to adopt a carbon reduction strategy in 1993, and our cutting-edge Climate Action Plan put us on a path to reducing emissions by 80% in 2050. We've made progress, but there's still more to do.

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Climate Change in Oregon — Keep Oregon Cool

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The Oregon Global Warming Commission is a governor-appointed advisory body tasked with recommending ways to coordinate state and local efforts to reduce Oregon’s greenhouse gas emissions, and to help the state, local governments, businesses, and Oregonians prepare for the effects of climate chang…

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Sgt. Brandon White of the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office puts a cable lock on a training Glock in a file photo from Jan. 14, 2019, in Portland, Oregon. The sheriff's office gives out gun locks for free to anyone who wants one.
Jonathan Levinson / OPB

Years of halting efforts by gun-control advocates paid off Wednesday, as the Oregon Legislature gave final approval to a bill to require gun owners to securely store their weapons when not in use, or face potential consequences.

The "safe-storage" bill - a key policy aim for groups like Moms Demand Action and State of Safety since 2018 - passed the state Senate on a vote of 17-7 after a brief debate. It passed the House of Representatives last week on a similarly fraught vote.

If signed by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown, Oregon will join 11 other states with laws requiring locking devices on stored firearms. Oregon's bill also opens up gun owners to civil litigation if their unsecured weapon is used to inflict injury.

But the bill does far more, too. Democrats last month combined the safe-storage proposal with a bill that will ban guns in the state Capitol and large airport terminals, and allow public school districts, community colleges and universities to pass their own rules outlawing guns on their grounds.

A version of that proposal had already passed the Senate, but then Democrats agreed to combine the two proposals after political wrangling and concerns that keeping them as separate bills could lead to one being left behind. After the omnibus version of Senate Bill 554 passed in the House last week, it needed a "concurrence" vote by the Senate in its updated form.

That process resulted in far fewer parliamentary tactics than Republicans drummed up at the time of the March vote, when a debate lasted hours and GOP members employed motion after motion in order to slow the measure.

On Wednesday, Republicans mounted a brief attempt to push a final vote on SB 554 back to late June. When that failed, only two Republican senators rose to oppose the bill. Just one Democrat spoke in its favor.

"The bill is not about solving gun violence, but a generalized fear of guns at a time when more and more people need to defend themselves," said state Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale. "People were not given a fair chance to be heard with public hearings wrought with technical difficulties and scheduled at laser speed."

Republicans also took issue with the vast changes the bill had seen since they'd last opposed the measure, pointing out Democrats were passing a safe storage policy through the chamber before Senators took the proposal up in a hearing this year.

"This is an example of how ugly this building can get," said Sen. Fred Girod, R-Lyons, the Senate Republican leader. "We were locked out of the process on this bill."

Gun bills are a perennial source of tension in Salem, but have proved especially tumultuous in 2021. Gun rights groups that normally castigate Democrats changed their tactics this year, instead seeking to apply pressure on Republican leaders in an attempt to force them to walk away from the Capitol to block a vote.

"Some unscrupulous organizations have misled Oregonians into thinking that lobbying any Democrat is a waste of their time - that instead they should push the easy button, to call on me to deny quorum," House Minority Leader Rep. Christine Drazan, R-Canby, said when her chamber took up SB 554 last week. "They were told that instead of voting no, I have an obligation to leave right now before the final gavel drops."

Similar pressure campaigns occurred in the Senate, where five Republicans refused to attend a floor vote when SB 554 first got a vote in March, and declined once again to show up Wednesday. For both votes, six GOP senators chose to stay to oppose the bill, granting Democrats the quorum needed to hold a vote and pass the measure. Gun rights supporters have launched a recall campaign against Girod, the Senate Republican leader.

Related: Oregon Senate Republican leader faces recall effort for not leading walkout

Meanwhile, both Republicans and Democrats have reported ugly backlash over their support for - or refusal to block - the gun legislation. State Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, and other Senate Republicans say they have received death threats for granting Democrats a quorum in March.

"There's a fringe group out there that is sure not welcome in my office," said Girod, apparently referencing the Oregon Firearms Federation. "It's not okay to threaten people's lives. It's not okay to threaten their staff. That's just not an appropriate way to lobby."

State Rep. Rachel Prusak, the West Linn Democrat who was a chief booster of the safe-storage proposal, was the subject of anti-Semitic flyers spread in her district.

Under SB 554, gun owners are required to store their firearms in a safe or gun room, or to use a trigger lock to ensure a gun can't be fired when not in use. That requirement doesn't apply if a gun owner is in "control" of a gun, by either being alone in their home or with other people allowed to use the gun. Failing to secure a firearm would result in a maximum fine of $500. That fine quadruples to $2,000 if a minor accesses an unsecured firearm.

The bill also requires gun owners to report a stolen firearm within 72 hours of noticing it's gone, in most instances. If an unsecured gun or a gun not reported stolen is used to inflict injury, gun owners are open to civil lawsuits under the bill.

The safe-storage portion of the bill has been called the Cindy Yuille and Steve Forsyth Act, after two victims of a 2012 shooting at Clackamas Town Center that was committed with a stolen AR-15. Proponents say it will not only help prevent similar events, but will guard against instances of children shooting themselves or friends after finding a gun.

"Having standards as to what is safe storage will give everyone clearer understanding of what your obligations are as a gun owner," said state Sen. Floyd Prozanski, D-Eugene, the carrier of the bill and lone Democrat to speak in support. "The vast, vast majority of gun owners in this state are not going to be directly impacted by this because they are already taking those steps."

Opponents argue the bill will leave gun owners helpless to access their weapons if they're surprised by intruders in the middle of the night.

The portion of the bill dealing with public buildings changes how state law treats holders of concealed handgun licenses, or CHLs. While it's already a felony to possess a gun in most public buildings, there's a statutory exception for CHL holders.

SB 554 changes that, making it a class A misdemeanor for CHL holders to carry a gun in the Capitol or in the terminal of Portland International Airport, with an exception for unloaded guns stowed securely in checked baggage.

Schools, colleges and universities will be able to set similar bans, under the law. That's a far more narrow step than the version that initially passed the Senate, which allowed all local governments to pass gun bans. That provision was opposed by the Association of Oregon Counties, but strongly supported by at least one member of that group, Multnomah County.

Proponents of the public building ban say that guns have no place in such areas. They conjure images of gun rights advocates toting rifles through the Capitol any time a controversial gun bill is raised in the Legislature, a fairly regular sight lawmakers say chills many people in the building.

Opponents have argued that CHL holders are law-abiding gun owners, and that preventing them from possessing firearms in some places could cause confusion and unwittingly make them criminals. They have also argued that people with concealed handguns can be a first line of defense in mass shootings.

Those arguments held little sway with supermajority Democrats. State Sen. Betsy Johnson, a moderate from Scappoose, was the only Democratic senator to vote against the bill Wednesday.

SB 554 now goes to Brown, whose office declined to guarantee she would sign it on Wednesday.

"Governor Brown believes that every American has the right to be free from gun violence, and she has continually spoken out about the need to pass sensible gun legislation," spokeswoman Liz Merah wrote in an email. "She also believes that public safety is one of the most important responsibilities of government, and she appreciates the impassioned testimony this bill has received from so many Oregonians. The Governor will review SB 554 when it gets to her desk."

If Brown does sign the bill, it's possible voters will have a say in the matter. In closed door wrangling, Democrats agreed to remove an emergency clause from the bill, ensuring that opponents can force an up or down vote on the law in 2022 if they can gather enough signatures to force a referendum.

Despite that possibility, gun control advocates were in a celebratory mood Wednesday.

"After three years of hard work, it is an honor to be part of this moment where we are adopting this common-sense step to save lives and reduce gun violence," Henry Wessinger, executive director of the group State of Safety, said in a statement. "Safe storage saves lives, helping prevent unintentional shootings and firearm suicides. It will make it harder for potential school shooters to obtain a gun, and it will support responsible gun ownership."

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Oregon lawmakers pass the state's first gun-control legislation in years

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Senate Bill 554 requires gun owners to securely store their weapons when not in use, and will ban possession of guns in the state Capitol and Portland International Airport. It paves the way for public schools and universities to enact their own bans.

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https://www.oregonlive.com/environment/2021/09/climate-change-and-hot-dry-summers-mean-big-trouble-for-oregons-trees.html

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As Oregon heads from a summer that began with a record-shattering heatwave into autumn, on some branches, the scorched leaves of deciduous trees are turning brown instead of red before falling to the ground. And there are noticeable dead patches on many large conifers.

That extreme heat was on top of an ongoing drought and part of a pattern of climate change-heightened extreme weather. It's been a rough go for Oregon's flora.

But with rain in the forecast, could there be finally some good news for Oregon's long-suffering trees?

"Water will help for sure," said Dave Shaw, a professor and forest health specialist at Oregon State University.

"We just need more of it," he said, noting how bad the drought monitor for Oregon looks.

That map shows all of Oregon is experiencing drought, most of it ranging from severe to exceptional, the worst category.

Shaw said he was hopeful that this weekend's rain "will be significant and soak the region."

"It will definitely be a good thing for the forests," he said. "But we won't really know how the trees did this year until next spring, as we often see delayed mortality associated with drought."

The same thing goes for the effects of the super-hot temperatures, Shaw said. "We won't really know the ultimate effects until next spring."

Andrew Craig, a certified arborist with Springwater Arboriculture in Milwaukie, agrees.

Craig said fall colors will still be visible on the leaves that are still alive on deciduous trees because that's a biological process that happens every year.

"What it does affect is the plant's ability to produce its energy source," Craig said.

When too many leaves are damaged, the tree can't get the energy it needs from sunlight.

"The tree needs that energy in order to continue to grow," he said, "and to continue to fight off disease."

If the damage to leaves continues, Craig said, "the trees start to decline because they are running on reserves."

It isn't just extreme heat events like the June heat dome that are hurting trees. The drought is harming Oregon's trees in a big way.

"We've been telling people to water trees now," Craig said, "and at some point when do we hit a water scarcity?"

When that happens, he said, "we'll start losing trees, a lot of trees."

Already, Craig said, certain species are suffering. Big leaf maples in some places are dying. Hemlocks are struggling, dealing with bug infestations and lack of water.

"The Western red cedar is going to disappear in the valley within the next 20 years except for in very protected pockets," he said. "The drought is killing them."

Oregon is a state known for its rain, and trees need that rain to survive. But the drought has taken away that necessary ingredient.

"The last five years has been so profound that trees can't adapt fast enough," Craig said.

The loss of trees, said Craig, isn't just aesthetic. Trees are part of the precipitation cycle that puts water into the atmosphere.

"No water, no food," he said. "Trees are vital to us staying alive."

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker

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Climate change and hot, dry summers mean big trouble for Oregon's trees

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As Oregon heads from a summer that began with a record-shattering heatwave into autumn, on some branches, the scorched leaves of deciduous trees are turning brown instead of red before falling to the ground. And there are noticeable dead patches on many large conifers.

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Oregon SB 554 requires firearms to be locked and secured when not in use.

PORTLAND, Ore. - A new Oregon bill goes into effect Saturday that requires guns to be securely stored when not in use.

Senate Bill 554 requires Oregonians to keep guns secured with a trigger or cable lock, in locked container or in a gun room except in specific circumstances. It also allows places like the state capitol, airports, schools and universities to prohibit firearms in buildings.

The bill goes into effect one day after yet another horrific scene of gun violence in Portland. One person was killed by the gunfire and other people were injured at Silver Dollar Pizza on Northwest 21st Avenue early Friday morning. Countless others in nearby bars ran away terrified.

"All we heard was bang, bang, bang, and you see the whole place just duck down," witness Sukhreet Cheema said. "It was pretty scary."

With more than three months to go in 2021, there have already been more than 920 shootings in the Rose City. That is up from 388 in all of 2019. The dramatic uptick has not gone unnoticed.

"My heart breaks and bleeds for the people of Portland," Oregon state senator James Manning Jr. said. "Portland is a great city but we've got to get a handle on this."

Sen. Manning is one of the chief sponsors of SB 554.

"It breaks my heart to know how many innocent lives we lost and continue to lose," Sen. Manning said.

Sen. Manning knows this bill will not necessarily solve the gun violence plaguing Portland, but he believes it is a step in the right direction.

"It's about accountability and hopefully we'll get to a place where we don't have all of this gun violence and innocent people being killed," Sen. Manning said. "We've got a lot of work to do and a long ways to go."

The hope is that the work does not take too long, at least that is the hope for people living near Silver Dollar Pizza on Northwest 21st. The neighborhood now understands all too well the devastating effects of gun violence.

"It's finally encroaching, the violence up here, and you never would think that," said neighbor Avery Lemons.

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New Oregon gun law goes into effect as Portland shootings continue to mount

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Oregon SB 554 requires firearms to be locked and secured when not in use. PORTLAND, Ore. - A new Oregon bill goes into effect Saturday that requires guns to be securely stored when not in use. Senate Bill 554 requires Oregonians to keep guns secured with a trigger or cable lock, in locked container or in a gun room except in specific circumstances.

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This year, Oregon gardeners have seen a shift from the state's traditional Mediterranean climate. Extreme weather conditions, ranging from an ice and windstorm to a record-breaking heatwave, have wreaked havoc on landscapes and gardens.

As the climate continues to shift, there are strategies gardeners can implement to better adapt, protect and prepare their plants for other extreme, incoming circumstances.

"There's great evidence that climate change is occurring and affecting things here in Oregon on a broad scale, and it includes, specifically, higher and higher likelihood of extreme weather events. And we've seen some examples of that recently," said Weston Miller, community and urban horticulturist for Oregon State University Extension Service and Multnomah County Master Gardener Program manager.

Miller will address such events and their consequences in "Adapting Your Garden and Landscape for Climate Change," a virtual class on Tuesday, Oct. 12. ( Register here for the free event.) The presentation is part of the Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series through the OSU Extension Service Master Gardener Program.

Historically, the climate west of the Cascades consists of moist, cool winters and hot, dry summers, Miller said. While drought happens seasonally and is to be expected, he said springs and summers have been drier and snow is melting faster.

Oregon is "leaning towards regional scale drought that you're starting to see in California already," he said.

Greg Shepherd, co-owner of Xera Plants in Portland, said that Oregon's climate is changing faster than a lot of people have been adapting to with their landscapes.

"A lot of plants you would consider to be a great plant for full sun and dry in Portland, the flowering currant for example, they were really fried and damaged," he said as he assessed the past summer. "It's just something that's happening so fast, a lot of people in the industry and gardeners are going to be struggling to keep up with what to do next."

What we know about native plants is changing

Looking at native plants and climate change over the past 50,000 years, Shepherd said that many native plants have migrated as the climate slowly changed. The problem now is that weather and precipitation patterns are changing faster than the plants can migrate.

An "important thing with native plants for gardeners is helping them adapt and preserve the populations until they have a chance to migrate to where they'll have to go in the future," he said.

When so many native plants were damaged during last summer's heat dome, Paul Bonine co-owner of Xera Plants said that it was a "big shock to everyone that the native plants would have reacted that way." As a result, customers were starting to rethink their landscapes.

"People are sick of watering," Bonine said. "It's expensive and they want their landscapes to succeed, so they're taking out a lot of high-water plants and replacing them with plants that can get along with natural rainfall."

Shepherd said that every day a customer will come to Xera Plants looking for lower water use plants. Although he said the answer "isn't 100% clear yet," people are looking for traits like heat tolerance and drought resistance.

With the nursery's focus on growing naturally climate-adapted and West Coast native plants, Shepherd said they are looking at their product line and evaluating what they will continue to grow and how they will expand their offerings.

"There's some interesting things out there that we haven't relied on, and this is starting to look like a new reality. People are going to want to experiment with things they know will work," he said.

Miller said he recommends people take a longer view of their landscape and consider the potential impact of extended drought and water restrictions that might be put in place.

"I'd say people who are either re-landscaping or replacing plants, that they consider picking drought-tolerant plants in the first place," he said. "Drought-tolerant plants are able to survive and bloom normally after an establishment period, and still look pretty good even without supplemental water."

Bonine adds that gardeners also shouldn't be afraid to try new things in their landscapes.

"You have a lot more options than you think to get the aesthetics that you want and still have it be low-water," he said.

Shepherd added that it also doesn't have to be all cactuses: "You can actually have a lush looking garden that doesn't require any use of water if you plan your plants carefully."

Bonine said that after this year's extreme weather, gardeners will need to focus on resilience in the future.

"The least understood part about gardening is the climate," he said. "The climate is going to be changing really fast, faster than people anticipate and so we're just going to play it by ear mostly and see what happens."

8 steps gardeners can take to help plants and trees adapt to climate changes

Prepare the soil. When planting, dig down deeply enough (a foot down for a 5-gallon shrub, for instance) and work in compost so the roots have something to grow into. "When roots have better established root systems, they are better able to extract water," Miller said. "If people just dig a hole in their hard, compact clay soil without really preparing a larger planting area, plants are always going to suffer because the roots are shorted by the compacted soil."

Consider plant location carefully. Some garden favorites, like hydrangeas, rhododendrons and azaleas prefer shade Miller said, and if they are planted in full sun they will be under more stress. Often, plants will show signs of extreme heat when located on the southwest side of a property or in an area facing a patch of asphalt or concrete. Gardeners can also pick more heat-tolerant species of their water-loving plants such as hydrangeas that can better ride out heat waves. Oak leaf and smooth hydrangeas are two species to consider.

Garden in zones. Shepherd suggests gardening in zones by grouping together high-water and low-water plants. He said it's more efficient and helps constrict water use.

"So, say you want more water intensive perennials, you group them near the hose instead of putting them out," he said. "Having perimeters of your house be low-water will make maintenance a lot easier."

Watch for freezing patterns in winter. Miller said with the unpredictability of climate change, it's not just finding plants that are drought tolerant, but cold hardy as well. "It might be really warm all the way up to Thanksgiving and then it gets really cold the next week and the plants haven't really acclimatized," he said, adding that gardeners should learn to recognize the signs of cold damage and take a wait-and-see approach. "In six months, you can see if something is dead or not and then prune out dead stems at that time."

Look at drought-tolerant native plants: Shepherd recommended manzanita, a West Coast native that is dry adapted and doesn't like water in the summer, as well as other native annuals that don't need summer irrigation and support local pollinators, such as clarkia, madia and gilia. Another good option is the serpentine sunflower, a Southern Oregon native that seeds itself and doesn't require much summer water. He also recommended bulbed plants such as the harvest lily. "Whether native or non-native, (bulbed plants) are acclimated to summer drought," Shepherd said. "So they're a good thing to plant for that seasonal flowering without the support that comes with a lot of summer perennials."

Think Mediterranean for drought-tolerant plants. Miller said to pick plants from lower Mediterranean like climates, where herbs such as lavender, rosemary and thyme thrive. Other recommended plant origins include South Africa, south Australia and Chile. "Plants from those origins also are accustomed to that wet winter and summer drought scenario," he said.

Deep watering. For trees like conifers and Western red cedar that are experiencing drought stress, Miller's main recommendation is to water deeply every two weeks (during the dry season) to keep trees healthy. One side effect that Miller has seen in stressed trees is insect attraction and damage, problems that can be prevented by keeping trees healthy through deep watering.

Prune branches selectively. For both conifers and deciduous trees, Miller suggested removing branches that are damaged or pruning to counteract the sail effect (wind drag), where a trees' foliage gets caught in the wind and weighs the tree down. That pruning can help minimize damage in case of an ice or wind storm, he said. He also recommended coming up with a pruning plan with an arborist.

Consult an arborist. When it comes to trees, Miller said the first two things people should consider are fire danger - particularly those at the urban-rural interface - and how a wind or ice storm would impact the property. "I would probably think about proactively having an arborist come to one's property and check out several things," Miller said, adding that this is a process that takes place over years and requires building a trusted relationship. "Trees seem like a great idea on an urban property but they're expensive to deal with," he said.

- Aliya Hall, for The Oregonian/OregonLive

READ MORE

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How Oregon gardeners can adapt their landscapes to changing climate

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This year, Oregon gardeners have seen a shift from the state's traditional Mediterranean climate. Extreme weather conditions, ranging from an ice and windstorm to a record-breaking heatwave, have wreaked havoc on landscapes and gardens. As the climate continues to shift, there are strategies gardeners can implement to better adapt, protect and prepare their plants for other extreme, incoming circumstances.

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As debates over gun control gripped the nation this past month, Oregon lawmakers acted.

On March 5, Gov. Kate Brown signed a law closing the so-called " boyfriend loophole" by allowing police to take guns away from abusers who are subject to a stalking order or have been convicted of domestic violence and are not married to their victims.

Other ideas are gaining traction: Oregon Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian proposed to change state law this month to give stores like Walmart more legal authority to restrict gun sales to buyers over 21. A r eligious coalition last week launched a campaign to place a ban on some semi-automatic weapons on the November ballot.

"Young people in this country are crying out," said Pastor Mark Knutson as the Augustana Lutheran Church in Portland launched its campaign last week. "This is the moment in time where we need to step alongside them as adults and do our part with them."

Gun enthusiasts have been fighting back. As WW reported last week, a 20-year-old Gold Hill, Ore., man became the first to sue national retailers Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart for refusing to sell him a rifle-and then another Oregon man, also aged 20, sued Fred Meyer and Bi-Mart on similar grounds ("Lawyers, Guns and Freddy's," WW, March 14, 2018).

But for now, Oregon's gun regulations are scattershot. WW explored data collected by the Boston University School of Public Health to show how Oregon fits into the national landscape of gun laws.

We found that among 50 U.S. states, Oregon's restrictions on guns are all over the map.

Overall number of gun laws: 15th
Oregon has 35 laws governing firearm sales, ownership and use. California has the most with 106 gun laws, while Alaska, Idaho and Montana are tied in last place with just four.

Ammunition regulations: 50th
Oregon ties 35 other states for last place because it has no regulations on bullet and cartridge sales.

Background checks: 2nd
Oregon is tied with Connecticut for second place (behind California), with 10 laws governing background checks.

High-risk gun buyers: 11th
Oregon comes in 11th for restrictions on sales to "high-risk" buyers, because it bars sales to anyone convicted of a felony or violent misdemeanor, and blocks sales to people with mental health disorders.

Buyer regulations: 16th
Oregon restricts gun sales to people over 18 and requires gun owners to be fingerprinted. Massachusetts does more by also barring people from buying guns for others, mandating permits for gun buyers, and requiring buyers to go through safety training.

Dealer regulations: 5th
Oregon has nine laws requiring firearm dealers to keep records and report sales to the state. That's far more red tape than most U.S. states.

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How Strict Are Oregon's Gun Control Laws? We're All Over the Map.

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As debates over gun control gripped the nation this past month, Oregon lawmakers acted. On March 5, Gov.

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Oregon last week released its fifth biennial climate assessment, which illustrates the past, present and future implications of climate change on the state and its people.

As you may have surmised, the outlook is dim.

"A lot of what we report on here is consistent with what has been understood and expected for a decade or, in some cases, several decades," said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, which assembles the report, and a professor at Oregon State University.

Scientific consensus is that burning coal, petroleum and other fossil fuels emits heat-trapping carbon, causing the planet to warm nearly beyond repair.

Temperatures are going up year-round. Precipitation is surging in the winter, and more of it is falling as rain than as snow. Wildfires are getting bigger and happening more often. And all of those things have the effect of deepening and proliferating racial and economic disparities already present in our society.

"It becomes more and more crystal clear that climate change is not just affecting polar bears on some distant iceberg," said Emily York, who leads Oregon's Climate and Health Program. "It's affecting people, and it's affecting our communities' and our children's health."

Fleishman said that while climate change has very much entered the chat in Oregon, the state has opportunities before it to blunt the onslaught.

"Because Oregon still has it pretty good compared to a lot of parts of the country and the world," she said.

Here's a snapshot of climate change and its effects on Oregon, by the numbers:

Wildfires in Oregon will be larger and more frequent.

Last summer's wildfires were historically devastating. The fires killed several Oregonians and displaced thousands, many long-term if not permanently.

Almost all recent modeling indicates more of Oregon will burn in the coming years. Some projections show a 200% increase in burned area annually by mid-century.

Related: Climate change set the conditions for Oregon wildfires, but did it stoke the flames too?

The largest wildfires, which the climate assessment defines as those scorching more than 12,350 acres, will also increase.

"Although there is a projection that the size of fires will increase in Oregon, it's difficult to say whether that will translate into very costly and very disruptive losses for tens of thousands of Oregonians," Fleishman said.

Oregon isn't becoming California, where Santa Ana and Diablo winds regularly create hot, dry and crunchy fire conditions. Major wind events like the one that fanned last year's firestorm are rare for Oregon.

It's getting hot in here, especially during summer.

The state's average annual temperature is projected to increase 5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050 and more than 6 degrees in summer.

Southwest Oregon is truly feeling the burn. Medford sees about 21 more days a year exceeding 90 degrees than it did in 1940. Portland and Pendleton both have about eight more hot days a year.

Extreme heat is a public health risk that disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

About one in every three single-family homes in Oregon does not have air conditioning. Three in every four multigenerational homes are also without cooling systems.

"We have the data that shows that when we have these extreme heat events, we have a spike in those seeking help in emergency department rooms across Oregon," York said.

Oregon will likely see more precipitation. Less of it will be snow.

Precipitation levels change from year to year, but statewide Oregon will likely see a gradual increase over the coming decades, according to the report.

More than one-third of Oregon experienced at least moderate drought from 2000 to 2020, on average, but more precipitation will not translate to less drought necessarily.

As temperatures climb, precipitation is less likely to fall as snow. For example, about half of wet days in the Cascades have snow, which has been the case since the latter stages of the 20th century. By the middle of this century, less than 25% of wet days in the mountain range will have snow.

Snowpack is also expected to decline in the coming decades - by at least 60% statewide by 2050. While snowpack has been historically very difficult to measure, Oregon's outlook is becoming clearer with advances in climate science.

Diminishing snowpack could lead to water shortages, drought and increased wildfire risk.

"Those changes in the snowpack are likely to have pretty strong ramifications for a lot of the economic and social structures in the state," Fleishman said.

Add to that list drinking water supplies, irrigation, river and stream health, glacial health, and winter recreation.

Sea levels are rising on the Oregon Coast, but so is the coastline.

Rising sea levels pose a threat to coastal communities across the globe, contributing to flooding, erosion and destruction. As the planet warms, glaciers and ice sheets melt, water in the oceans increases and expands.

We've known this for a while, and the latest climate science confirms that sea level rise will continue and at faster rates should humans not kick their greenhouse gas habit.

"Coastal communities along the Oregon Coast should expect that issues associated with various coastal hazards of erosion and flooding will get worse," said Peter Ruggiero, a professor of coastal geomorphology at Oregon State and co-author of the climate assessment's coastal hazards chapter.

Projected sea level rise varies along the Oregon Coast. The climate assessment pulled three coastal cities for comparison. If we significantly cut emissions, sea levels are projected to rise 0.1 feet in Astoria by 2050, 0.4 feet in Charleston and 0.6 feet in Newport.

On the other end of the spectrum, if emissions continue at current levels or even increase, sea level rise could reach 2.4, 2.7 and 2.9 feet for Astoria, Charleston and Newport, respectively.

While sea levels are rising along the Oregon Coast, so too is the coastline itself due to tectonic shifts and other factors. A large portion of the coastline, too, is undeveloped. In that regard, Oregon is generally better positioned to handle sea level rise than, say, southern Florida, where water could inundate low-lying communities.

However, rising, warming oceans still pose a threat to Oregon's rocky coast, especially combined with changes to the wave climate and storm patterns. Not to mention the Big One, a calamitous magnitude-9.0 earthquake predicted to hit off the Northwest coast in the coming decades.

"If we are thinking about ways of managing for sea level rise, we might also be doing ourselves a favor in terms of managing for reducing the potential negative impact of the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami," Ruggiero said.

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science & environment | climate change | oregon

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Climate change in Oregon by the numbers, from 0.1 to 200

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Oregon last week released its fifth biennial climate assessment, which illustrates the past, present and future implications of climate change on the state and its people. As you may have surmised, the outlook is dim.

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Abortion Access - NARAL Pro-Choice Oregon

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The right to choose abortion is essential to ensuring that a woman can decide for herself if, when and with whom to start or grow a family. We’ll never stop fighting to protect and expand this fundamental human right.

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Abortion Access

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Programs for the homeless youth at Janus

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Learn more about the programs for the homeless youth at Janus.

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Kale Williams | The Oregonian/OregonLive

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With a heat dome poised to shatter Oregon records, what role does climate change play?

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“Climate change isn’t your grandchildren’s problem, it’s yours.”

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Portland scraps boycott, changes response to abortion ban

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Portland, Oregon has walked back a proposed Texas boycott.

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impact of the covid-19 pandemic on education

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Portland-area school districts look to add weekly COVID-19 testing for students, faculty

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COVID-19 testing is a little easier to get a hold of now compared to a year and a half ago. Now, it’s becoming a vital resource in preventing the spread of the coronavirus with the rise of the Delta variant. This year, testing is expanding.

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www.oregonmetro.gov/climate-smart-strategy

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Elements of the Climate Smart Strategy

The key policies and strategies recommended to continue demonstrating the region's leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks.

The strategy relies on adopted local and regional land use and transportation plans and expected advancements in cleaner, low carbon fuels and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Short list of Climate Smart actions

A list of three actions for 2015 and 2016 to demonstrate the region's commitment to work together to begin implementing the Climate Smart Strategy.

The actions focus on transportation funding, advancements in clean fuels and vehicle technologies and collaboration to implement transportation projects that combine the most effective greenhouse gas emissions reduction strategies.

Toolbox of possible actions

An advisory menu of possible near-term actions that state, regional and local governments and special districts can take in the next five years to begin implementing the strategy.

A living document subject to further review and refinement as part of scheduled updates to the Regional Transportation Plan to reflect new information and approaches to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The toolbox recognizes that local comprehensive plans and development regulations, transit agency plans, port district plans and regional growth management and transportation plans present ongoing opportunities to consider implementing its actions in locally tailored ways.

Performance monitoring approach

Identifies measures and performance monitoring targets for tracking the region's progress on implementing the strategy.

The monitoring and reporting system builds on existing performance monitoring requirements per state law and updates to the Regional Transportation Plan and Urban Growth Report.

How was the Climate Smart Strategy developed?

In 2009, the Oregon Legislature required the Portland metropolitan region to develop and implement a strategy to reduce per capita greenhouse gas emissions from cars and small trucks. The target: a 20 percent per capita reduction by 2035. The deadline to adopt a strategy: December 31, 2014.

For four years, the region worked together to assess the impacts of over a hundred potential combinations of land use and transportation policies -- for health, livability and prosperity in communities across our region, in addition to greenhouse gas emissions.

Elected and and community leaders, the public and technical analysis helped narrow these scenarios to a final strategy, based on the local and regional plans communities have already adopted in our region. If these plans can be fully funded and built, the strategy finds, we will exceed the state's greenhouse gas emission targets, create healthy communties, expand transportation choices and support a strong economy.

On Dec. 18, 2014, acting on the advice of local elected leaders, agency partners and community based organizations, the Metro Council adopted the Climate Smart Strategy. On May 21, 2015, the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Commission added its unanimous approval.

The Climate Smart Strategy will be implemented and monitored beginning in 2015, through a variety of plans, projects and possible policy actions by the region, local governments, the state and special districts like transit providers and the Port of Portland.

What key policies are included in the Climate Smart Strategy?

Implement adopted land use and transportation plans.

Make transit convenient, frequent, accessible and affordable.

Make biking and walking safe and convenient.

Make streets and highways safe, reliable and connected.

Use technology to actively manage the transportation system.

Provide information and incentives to expand use of travel options.

Manage parking to make efficient use of vehicle parking and land dedicated to parking spaces.

Support Oregon's transition to cleaner, low carbon fuels and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Secure adequate funding for transportation investments.

What are the public health and economic benefits?

By 2035, the Climate Smart Strategy can help people live healthier lives and save businesses and households money through benefits like:

Reduced air pollution and increased physical activity can help reduce illness and save lives.

Reducing the number of miles driven results in fewer traffic fatalities and severe injuries.

Less air pollution and run-off of vehicle fluids means fewer environmental costs. This helps save money that can be spent on other priorities.

Spending less time in traffic and reduced delay on the system saves businesses money, supports job creation, and promotes the efficient movement of goods and a strong regional economy.

Households save money by driving more fuel-efficient vehicles fewer miles and walking, biking and using transit more.

Reducing the share of household expenditures for vehicle travel helps household budgets and allows people to spend money on other priorities; this is particularly important for households of modest means.

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The key policies and strategies recommended to continue demonstrating the region's leadership in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. The strategy relies on adopted local and regional land use and transportation plans and expected advancements in cleaner, low carbon fuels and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

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Health Insurance

8.7% of women aged 19-64 in Oregon are uninsured. Nationally, 11.0% are uninsured.

9.5% of women of reproductive age (19-54) in Oregon are uninsured.

National figure: 11.9%

13.9% of women in Oregon reported not receiving health care at some point in the last 12 months due to cost.

National figure: 14.1%

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Health Insurance 8.7% of women aged 19-64 in Oregon are uninsured. Nationally, 11.0% are uninsured. 9.5% of women of reproductive age (19-54) in Oregon are uninsured. National figure: 11.9% 13.9% of women in Oregon reported not receiving health care at some point in the last 12 months due to cost.

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The strong El Niño is not solely responsible for the warming planet. Global temperatures have been trending upward since 1950, regardless of whether or not the Pacific Ocean was in an El Niño, La Niña, or neutral phase.

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The strong El Niño is not solely responsible for the warming planet. Global temperatures have been trending upward since 1950, regardless of whether or not the Pacific Ocean was in an El Niño, La Niña, or neutral phase.

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https://www.opb.org/article/2021/01/12/climate-change-oregon-effects/

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Oregon last week released its fifth biennial climate assessment, which illustrates the past, present and future implications of climate change on the state and its people.

As you may have surmised, the outlook is dim.

"A lot of what we report on here is consistent with what has been understood and expected for a decade or, in some cases, several decades," said Erica Fleishman, director of the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute, which assembles the report, and a professor at Oregon State University.

Scientific consensus is that burning coal, petroleum and other fossil fuels emits heat-trapping carbon, causing the planet to warm nearly beyond repair.

Temperatures are going up year-round. Precipitation is surging in the winter, and more of it is falling as rain than as snow. Wildfires are getting bigger and happening more often. And all of those things have the effect of deepening and proliferating racial and economic disparities already present in our society.

"It becomes more and more crystal clear that climate change is not just affecting polar bears on some distant iceberg," said Emily York, who leads Oregon's Climate and Health Program. "It's affecting people, and it's affecting our communities' and our children's health."

Fleishman said that while climate change has very much entered the chat in Oregon, the state has opportunities before it to blunt the onslaught.

"Because Oregon still has it pretty good compared to a lot of parts of the country and the world," she said.

Here's a snapshot of climate change and its effects on Oregon, by the numbers:

Wildfires in Oregon will be larger and more frequent.

Last summer's wildfires were historically devastating. The fires killed several Oregonians and displaced thousands, many long-term if not permanently.

Almost all recent modeling indicates more of Oregon will burn in the coming years. Some projections show a 200% increase in burned area annually by mid-century.

Related: Climate change set the conditions for Oregon wildfires, but did it stoke the flames too?

The largest wildfires, which the climate assessment defines as those scorching more than 12,350 acres, will also increase.

"Although there is a projection that the size of fires will increase in Oregon, it's difficult to say whether that will translate into very costly and very disruptive losses for tens of thousands of Oregonians," Fleishman said.

Oregon isn't becoming California, where Santa Ana and Diablo winds regularly create hot, dry and crunchy fire conditions. Major wind events like the one that fanned last year's firestorm are rare for Oregon.

It's getting hot in here, especially during summer.

The state's average annual temperature is projected to increase 5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050 and more than 6 degrees in summer.

Southwest Oregon is truly feeling the burn. Medford sees about 21 more days a year exceeding 90 degrees than it did in 1940. Portland and Pendleton both have about eight more hot days a year.

Extreme heat is a public health risk that disproportionately affects marginalized communities.

About one in every three single-family homes in Oregon does not have air conditioning. Three in every four multigenerational homes are also without cooling systems.

"We have the data that shows that when we have these extreme heat events, we have a spike in those seeking help in emergency department rooms across Oregon," York said.

Oregon will likely see more precipitation. Less of it will be snow.

Precipitation levels change from year to year, but statewide Oregon will likely see a gradual increase over the coming decades, according to the report.

More than one-third of Oregon experienced at least moderate drought from 2000 to 2020, on average, but more precipitation will not translate to less drought necessarily.

As temperatures climb, precipitation is less likely to fall as snow. For example, about half of wet days in the Cascades have snow, which has been the case since the latter stages of the 20th century. By the middle of this century, less than 25% of wet days in the mountain range will have snow.

Snowpack is also expected to decline in the coming decades - by at least 60% statewide by 2050. While snowpack has been historically very difficult to measure, Oregon's outlook is becoming clearer with advances in climate science.

Diminishing snowpack could lead to water shortages, drought and increased wildfire risk.

"Those changes in the snowpack are likely to have pretty strong ramifications for a lot of the economic and social structures in the state," Fleishman said.

Add to that list drinking water supplies, irrigation, river and stream health, glacial health, and winter recreation.

Sea levels are rising on the Oregon Coast, but so is the coastline.

Rising sea levels pose a threat to coastal communities across the globe, contributing to flooding, erosion and destruction. As the planet warms, glaciers and ice sheets melt, water in the oceans increases and expands.

We've known this for a while, and the latest climate science confirms that sea level rise will continue and at faster rates should humans not kick their greenhouse gas habit.

"Coastal communities along the Oregon Coast should expect that issues associated with various coastal hazards of erosion and flooding will get worse," said Peter Ruggiero, a professor of coastal geomorphology at Oregon State and co-author of the climate assessment's coastal hazards chapter.

Projected sea level rise varies along the Oregon Coast. The climate assessment pulled three coastal cities for comparison. If we significantly cut emissions, sea levels are projected to rise 0.1 feet in Astoria by 2050, 0.4 feet in Charleston and 0.6 feet in Newport.

On the other end of the spectrum, if emissions continue at current levels or even increase, sea level rise could reach 2.4, 2.7 and 2.9 feet for Astoria, Charleston and Newport, respectively.

While sea levels are rising along the Oregon Coast, so too is the coastline itself due to tectonic shifts and other factors. A large portion of the coastline, too, is undeveloped. In that regard, Oregon is generally better positioned to handle sea level rise than, say, southern Florida, where water could inundate low-lying communities.

However, rising, warming oceans still pose a threat to Oregon's rocky coast, especially combined with changes to the wave climate and storm patterns. Not to mention the Big One, a calamitous magnitude-9.0 earthquake predicted to hit off the Northwest coast in the coming decades.

"If we are thinking about ways of managing for sea level rise, we might also be doing ourselves a favor in terms of managing for reducing the potential negative impact of the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami," Ruggiero said.

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science & environment | climate change | oregon

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Climate change in Oregon by the numbers, from 0.1 to 200

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Oregon last week released its fifth biennial climate assessment, which illustrates the past, present and future implications of climate change on the state and its people. As you may have surmised, the outlook is dim.

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Shortage of home COVID-19 tests hurts fight against pandemic, experts say

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At-home coronavirus tests in the U.S. are pricey and often hard to find. It didn’t have to be this way.

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Former unused county jail is now operating as the nonprofit Bybee Lakes Hope Center in North Portland.

They said it wouldn't be done. They said it couldn't be done. They said it shouldn't be done.

Nonetheless, one year after the Bybee Lakes Hope Center opened in North Portland, all of the money has been raised to transform the unused former Multnomah County Wapato Jail into a clean-and-sober homeless shelter and addiction recovery center. More than 500 homeless people have walked through its doors. More than 80 people are currently living there, including several families with children attending school. Half the clients are working at nearby businesses. Twenty-eight people are staffing it, most of them former clients. And 240 more beds are scheduled to come online within six months, supported by even more employees with lived experiences.

"It's been a lot of work. We started fundraising and construction before the pandemic, then had to slow down our plans when COVID-19 crashed the economy and most of our donors had to worry about saving their own businesses," said Alan Evans, founder and CEO of the Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers, the non-profit organization that operates it. "We've had to operate with social distancing restrictions, but we pressed on and will be completely built-out by the end of the year."

Evans credits Portland developer and philanthropist Jordan Schnitzer for the success of the project. The Multnomah County Commission repeatedly rebuffed proposals to open Wapato for the homeless, with Chair Deborah Kafoury taking the lead, arguing its location, along the edge of the Smith and Bybee Lakes Wetlands Natural Area, was too far from the existing social service agencies based in downtown. Schnitzer bought the property for $5 million in April 2018, a fraction of the approximately $100 million it had cost the county. He then spent a year trying to find an agency to operate it.

The low point hit in October 2019 when Schnitzer announced he would soon tear Wapato down if an operator could not be found. Multnomah County issued a statement that said, "We're glad that Jordan Schnitzer has reached the conclusion that he can't afford to warehouse people in this remote jail."

But then state Sen. Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) introduced Schnitzer to Evans, whose organization was already operating 11 homeless shelters and re-entry programs in Clatsop, Tillamook, Yamhill and Lincoln counties. Johnson has known Evans for years and served on his organization's board.

Evans toured Wapato with Schnitzer and thought it was a huge challenge and a tremendous opportunity in a region with a rapidly-growing homeless population, as demonstrated by the growing number of tents on sidewalks and other public spaces. As a result, Schnitzer agreed to lease the facility to Evans' organization for $1 per year for five years if it could raise around $3 million for construction and startup costs.

By the time the rechristened Bybee Lakes Hope Center opened on Oct. 2, 2020, the organization had raised around $4 million. Evans told the Portland Tribune last week they have now raised more than $5 million, enough to complete the remodeling and operate it for the foreseeable future.

Kafoury did not reply to a request for comment. She most recently talked about the center in a July 28 Willamette Week interview where she called it too expensive.

"I went out and visited Wapato - uh, Bybee Lakes [Hope Center] - and it reinforced my decision not to open it as a shelter that we run," Kafoury said.

Although Johnson steered $2 million in state funds to the project, the rest has come from private and nonprofit donations. None of the funds have come from the Joint Office of Homeless Services, funded by Multnomah County and the city of Portland. That gives Evans the freedom to say things that service providers dependent on joint office funds might not. For example, he deplores the fact that no comprehensive homeless count has been conducted since 2019, when 4,015 people met the official federal definition of homelessness, even though the increase in outdoor camping has been obvious since then.

And Evans predicts the numbers will only increase, especially with the end of the eviction moratorium.

"The homeless population is increasing every year. What they've been doing - and what they plan on doing - won't reduce it. Homelessness is going to keep increasing unless we are willing to try something different," Evans said.

If true, that will disappoint the voters in the tri-county region who have approved Portland and Metro affordable housing bonds and a Metro supportive services levy. The hundreds of millions of dollars in new spending may slow the increase in homelessness in part because it will help some low-income households stay in their homes. But only around 300 of the city's 1,424 units are intended for the chronically homeless who need services to prevent them from returning to the streets. Metro is promising to connect 5,000 chronically homeless households with supportive housing, but the total won't be reached until 2030.

That will also disappoint the residents, businesses and organizations in the Old Town and Chinatown areas. So many of the homeless camps there are out of control that Scott Kerman, executive director of the Blanchet House social service agency, told Willamette Week he has heard the area referred to as "an open-air psychiatric ward." Four nonprofit organizations, the Japanese American Museum of Oregon, the Lan Su Chinese Garden, the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education and the Portland Chinatown Museum, wrote a letter to the Portland City Council and Multnomah County Commission asking for immediate help.

"We need to hear the city's plans for adding police and combating rising crime and we need the county to step up and deploy mental health professionals and services to our neighborhood," the letter said. Ironically, that is where Kafoury said the homeless are already being served.

In response to the letter, most local officials issued statements pointing to increased funding commitments. Mayor Ted Wheeler announced he will ask the council to increase homeless spending with city surplus funds in November.

Evans believes federal, state and local governments need to support a more comprehensive range of housing options and support services. He fully backs the managed Safe Rest Villages being pioneered by Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan, who is driven by the death of his homeless brother on Portland streets years ago. Although one of the first three proposed sites was withdrawn because it was in an unchecked flood zone, he praises Ryan for immediately admitting the mistake and promising to learn from it.

"When was the last time you heard a politician say that?" Evans asked.

Evans also believes new organizations like his need to be welcomed, not opposed.

"We need to do everything we can, and everyone should be at the table," said Evans, who invites anyone to contact them and arrange a tour.

Find out more

More information can be found online at www.helpinghandsreentry.org.

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mental health professionals and services

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Transformed Wapato marks year of helping Portland homeless

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Former unused county jail is now operating as the nonprofit Bybee Lakes Hope Center in North Portland. They said it wouldn't be done. They said it couldn't be done. They said it shouldn't be done.

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The Women's March on Portland, also known as the Portland Women's March, the Women's March on Washington, Portland, and Women's March Portland, was an event in Portland, Oregon. Scheduled to coincide with the 2017 Women's March, it was held on January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump. The march was one of the largest public protests in Oregon's history with crowd estimates as high as 100,000 participants. No arrests were made during the demonstration.

Plans for the Portland march began with a small group of women in Eastern Oregon on November 11, 2016, following Trump's election. Thousands of people expressed interest in attending the event on its Facebook page just days after its creation. Organizers wanted to focus on women's rights but were criticized for not addressing issues of diversity. On December 27, Oregon's liaison to the national Women's March overtook the original event page. A new page was created, inviting participation by a group of women who had complained about the lack of diversity. Margaret Jacobsen became the march's lead organizer on January 6, 2017.

Sponsors of the event included the Oregon chapter of the National Organization for Women (Oregon NOW) and the Greater Portland NOW chapter, PDX Trans Pride, and a regional affiliate of Planned Parenthood. The NAACP of Portland withdrew its support, citing the original organizers' failure to discuss discrimination affecting minority groups, specifically immigrants, Muslim women, and women of color. Following the march, the Oregon Department of Justice launched an investigation into a dispute between organizers over funds raised.

Many participants marched to support women's rights and to reinforce protests against Donald Trump, even though it was not officially billed as an "anti-Trump" event. Leading up to the march, The Portland Mercury's event description read: "Portland will absolutely be one of the cities engaging in this series of nationwide marches to show support for women's rights in the face of a serial sex-offender and his white supremacist friends entering the White House."

Shasta Kearns Moore of the Portland Tribune called the demonstration, "a reaction to the election of Donald Trump, and nearly all of the forces at work to upset politics in the 2016 presidential race were also in play in organizing the Portland march: social media, race, gender, the urban-rural divide, generational concepts of feminism and, most of all, lots of people feeling like they weren't being heard."

Organizers released a statement about the purpose of the demonstration:

The Women's March on Washington, Portland is aligned with the mission of the national march, which is a national movement to unify and empower everyone who stands for women's rights, human rights, immigrant rights, civil liberties, and social justice for all. This is a non-partisan, permitted and peaceful event where we march in solidarity with our partners and children for the protection of our rights, our safety, our health, and our families - recognizing that our vibrant and diverse communities are the strength of our country. Oregon and Greater Portland NOW and Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette are two of our several sponsors and allies.

Prior to the event, the Women's March on Portland was expected to attract between 20,000 and 30,000 participants, potentially the largest demonstration in the city's history. More than 50,000 people had said they planned to attend on its Facebook page. Unlike some events held in conjunction with the national Women's March, Portland's protest was permitted, and the parade route was made public beforehand.

Preceding the march, which was billed as a family-friendly event, there was a rally for children and families, starting at 11:00 am. Speakers followed, along with chants, songs, and safety instructions for demonstrators with children. The protest was free to attend, but organizers were trying to raise $10,000 to cover event costs. Also preceding the march was a pro-labor rally at the South Park Blocks, after which 150 attendees joined the Women's March.

Participants assembled near the Morrison Bridge at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, then marched through a 44-block area of downtown Portland around noon before returning to the park. With an estimated length of between 1.3 and 2.2 mi (2.1 and 3.5 km), their route followed Southwest Naito Parkway to Jefferson Street, then Fourth Avenue to Pine Street. Marchers finished at Waterfront Park's Battleship Oregon Memorial, most of them dispersing by 3:30 pm.

The march became one of the largest public protests in Oregon history. Following the protest, organizers said 100,000 people attended. The Portland Police Bureau said the demonstration was "easily one of the largest marches ever in Portland", and reportedly estimated that between 50,000 and 100,000 people participated. News outlets published crowd estimates ranging from 70,000 to 100,000 demonstrators. The Portland Tribune said:

The rain-soaked event took on a festive atmosphere. So many people attended that it was impossible for everyone to see or hear speakers on the stage south of the Morrison Bridge. At 1:15 p.m., the official start time of the march, thousands were still crammed motionless in Waterfront Park.

Local media outlets reported that, unlike other protests leading up to the march, there was a positive relationship between demonstrators and police. The Portland Tribune contrasted the event with the previous evening's protests and said the Women's March had a "carnival atmosphere full of smiles". The Oregonian's Kale Williams called the crowd "jubilant, almost to a person". The Portland Mercury's Dirk VanderHart described the event as "massive, jubilant, and lit", and called the crowd "a crush of wet, jubilant, Trump-hating humanity". Police said the march was "100 percent peaceful", and made no arrests. Sergeant Pete Simpson said, "This march was, we think, one of the largest in Portland history... and absolutely zero incidents or problems were reported. The credit really goes to the organizers for working with the city, meeting with the police bureau to help plan the route and allow us to get the proper resources in place."

According to TriMet, the public transit agency served "a record number of people in a short amount of time". MAX Light Rail riders experienced delays because of increased usage, and shuttle buses carried riders between the Providence Park and Pioneer Courthouse/Southwest 6th and Pioneer Place/Southwest 5th stations. TriMet's bus services were also impacted, with passengers experiencing delays and detours as large crowds were bypassed. Increased demand caused the agency's ticketing app to stop working briefly just after noon. MAX Light Rail services resumed in the downtown core around 3:45 pm. TriMet services were altered the day before the Women's March because of anti-Trump protests in downtown Portland, but the agency did not anticipate service suspensions on the day of the march. Traffic backed up on Interstate 5 northbound, and was blocked by police on Southwest Naito Parkway near Tom McCall Waterfront Park and the Morrison Bridge.

Four women in Eastern Oregon initiated plans for a Portland demonstration on November 11, 2016, following the election of Donald Trump. Among them was Dara Glass, who described the group as "dots of blue in a sea of red". One of the organizers created a Facebook page announcing the event, and within a few days, thousands of people expressed their interest in attending. While 600 volunteers were recruited to help, the original organizers became frustrated as various groups began advocating for issues affecting them most. Leaders wanted to focus on women's rights; one of the original organizers explained, "It didn't matter what color you were, who you identified with. It was about the bigger picture."

Despite their inclusion of a woman to speak about rights for trans women and adding an opportunity for Black Lives Matter supporters to stage a die-in to the program, the original organizers were criticized for not addressing issues of diversity. Online arguing resulted in moderators removing personal attacks and other comments. The conflict was not unique to Portland: Eugene resident Constance Van Flandern, serving as Oregon's "official liaison" to the national Women's March on Washington, was told similar disputes were taking place in cities throughout the United States. Moore attributed the disagreements to "how different generations view feminism". Similarly, Rachel Monahan of Willamette Week commented, "The conflict in Portland reflected strife that also occurred among national women's march planners. An older generation of feminists disagreed with younger activists about whether there could be unity on women's issues without reference to discrimination against racial, ethnic and sexual identities."

On December 27, Van Flandern "stage[d] a hostile takeover" of the event's Facebook page and created a new one titled "Women's March on Washington: Portland". Her first nine invitations were extended to women who had previously complained about the lack of diversity. After the organizers in Eastern Oregon asked for assistance, Van Flandern appointed new administrators to the original Facebook group, removed blocks on previously banned individuals, and changed the graphics to mirror the new event page. In response, thousands more people said they planned to attend the demonstration. Margaret Jacobsen, a 29-year-old activist and writer identifying as a nonbinary polyamorist, joined the campaign on January 5, 2017, and became the march's lead organizer the following day. Rebekah Brewis, executive legal director of PDX Trans Pride, Nora Colie, Erica Fuller, and Kat Lattimer also served as organizers.

Seeking to make the march inclusive for people of any age, gender, or physical ability, the new organizers released a statement which read: "The Portland team has also made sure to have diverse representation, and is working hard to make sure the Portland march is an event of inclusion, and that the voices of women of color are heard and centered during the event." The women, along with mayor Ted Wheeler, police chief Michael Marshman, and members of the Portland Business Alliance, attended a press conference on January 18 during which organizers emphasized the importance of "self-policing". Wheeler said violence and vandalism would not be tolerated, and Marshman expressed the Bureau's support of the right to protest.

Calling the march "an incredible day for Portland", Wheeler commented: "This has been a very positive, family friendly event. A lot of people out here expressing their First Amendment rights and doing so in a peaceful way. There is a strong value in this community to be engaged, active and expressive, and I strongly support that. We support peaceful protest." Earl Blumenauer, the U.S. Representative for Oregon's 3rd congressional district, attended the march instead of Trump's inauguration. Senator Ron Wyden attended Trump's inauguration and the Women's March in Washington, D.C.

Major sponsors of the event included the Oregon chapter of the National Organization for Women (Oregon NOW) and the Greater Portland NOW chapter, PDX Trans Pride, and Planned Parenthood's Columbia Willamette affiliate. The Planned Parenthood chapter had previously elected not to participate when early march leaders failed to incorporate the organization's issues into the event's platform. Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility also claimed to be a co-sponsor.

The NAACP of Portland withdrew its support of the protest, accusing the original organizers of failing to discuss discrimination affecting minority groups, specifically immigrants, Muslim women, and women of color. The group's president, Jo Ann Hardesty, said she was told that those issues, along with anti-Trump and Black Lives Matter messaging and signage, were "too political". As a result of the affiliate's criticism, the small group of women from Eastern Oregon who served as the original organizers of the Portland event were replaced with new leaders to "[give] a larger platform to women of color". After the NAACP chapter was made aware of the leadership changes, Hardesty explained: "I felt it was important that we not miss this teachable moment about what role of race and religion and class were playing in pulling this march together." Furthermore, she told Willamette Week: "Putting a black woman's face at the beginning of the march doesn't fundamentally change the reason we withdrew our support. It's always been the case that if somebody suffers a racist incident, you're just supposed to suck it up and then, for the sake of unity, let's all join hands and pretend it didn't happen. I'm just at a place where I don't think that's healthy or wise anymore."

The executive director of the Women's Foundation of Oregon also participated in the march.

Following the march, organizers had a dispute over approximately $22,000 in funds raised via T-shirt sales and direct contributions. Jacobsen said PDX Trans Pride agreed to serve as a fiscal sponsor, and accused the organization of keeping donations intended to support the event as well as future Women's March activities. Brewis insisted "The allegations are absolutely unfounded". There was no written agreement between the two groups. In March 2017, the Oregon Department of Justice confirmed a complaint had been filed; however, the department did not launch a formal investigation until January 2018, and questions started being referred to its criminal division. Reporting on the dispute, The Oregonian also noted that some donations thought to be tax deductions were possibly not because PDX Trans Pride did not have 501(c)(3) status at the time donations were being accepted. The paper also noted that PDX Trans Pride's website had gone dormant.

The funding dispute, along with other disagreements between activist groups, was a main reason no Women's March was held in Portland in 2018.

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The Women's March on Portland, also known as the Portland Women's March, the Women's March on Washington, Portland, and Women's March Portland, was an event in Portland, Oregon. Scheduled to coincide with the 2017 Women's March, it was held on January 21, 2017, the day after the inauguration of Donald Trump.

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https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/portland-heat-wave-2021-1190804/

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PORTLAND, OREGON - The streetcars stopped running because power cables were melting . The public pools were to protect lifeguards and pool staff from "severe heat." Roads and intersections began to buckle. Economic and civic life in this Pacific Northwest city ground to a halt as temperatures soared to an inconceivable 116 F on Monday - just one degree shy of the all-time high in Las Vegas.

Portland is a leafy, tree-festooned city that sits further north than either Toronto or Montreal. A typical hot summer day might spike into the 90s, but this week the city experienced the kind of radiant, baking temperatures and convection-oven winds more typical of Death Valley. A rare high-pressure formation blocked the region's evening coastal breezes, forming a "heat dome" over Oregon and Washington. The previous record high temperature for Portland was 107, set in 1965 and tied in 1981. On Saturday, the mercury hit 108. On Sunday, it spiked to 112. And then yesterday, 116.

Heat waves are natural phenomena, of course. But such record-shattering heat extremes are one of the most predicted impacts of manmade global warming, which has now run rampant for decades. As meteorologist Eric Holthaus described the record heat : "We've left the era of fucking around, and we're now entering the era of finding out."

I've been writing about global warming for nearly two decades. One of my first features for ," grappled with the first observable effects of Rolling Stone, in 2004, " Diary of a Dying Planet climate change. That story began with a description of a deadly 2003 heat wave that killed some 70,000 people across Europe, and reported that global warming was no longer an over-the-horizon threat, but here and now:
Droughts are longer, torrents heavier, flooding more severe. Heat waves are turned up to 11. "Because of our fossil-fuel burning, we are changing the climate," says Sir John Houghton, former co-chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.... Houghton, a mild-mannered knight, insists he's "not a hyping sort of person." Yet as the scientist surveys the recent string of heat waves, floods, and other extreme weather wracking the planet, he concludes that they are the "most obvious manifestations" of global warming in our time. "These are the biggest disasters we know in the world," Houghton says. "They cause more death, more economic loss.... I have no hesitation in describing it as a weapon of mass destruction."
I remember worrying a bit at the time: Were we overdoing it? Should the language be less strident? But it turned out we we were not sounding the alarm nearly loudly enough. Houghton is no longer with us; he died in April. But as I stepped outside Monday, his words echoed in my ears as a feverish breeze lashed at my face.

I've lived in Portland since 2013. When my wife and I were making a choice of where to move our family from California, climate change was a consideration. Portland seemed like a fair bet - far enough from the coast for sea-level rise not to be a worry. Wet enough to be less concerned about fire. North enough to tolerate a few degrees of temperature rise.

But we were naive. In the past year, climate-change-amplified emergencies have twice forced us to seek shelter in our basement for days at a time. Last September, raging fires in forests just dry enough to burn made the skies overhead look like Mordor, and the outside air unbreathable with smoke. This week's heat wave again made life outdoors intolerable, and our basement was the only place the AC could cool completely. Even as the region's fever has broken as I write on Tuesday morning, with temperatures blessedly in the 70s, I fear the moisture that the heat dome wicked away from the trees and soil could soon portend a return of the Mordor skies, as fire season ramps up again later this summer.

Before the heat dome hit, Portland was returning to life. Covid restrictions are easing. Eateries across the city have built dining booths atop parking spots in front of their establishments. But this heat wave snapped the city back into a shutdown reminiscent of the worst days of the pandemic. The Alberta Arts District, a bohemian stretch in the city's Northeast quadrant, is typically crowded with pedestrian traffic. The line at Salt & Straw, the city's famed craft ice-cream chain, often stretches down the block. But the Alberta shop was shuttered - the HVAC couldn't cope with the heat. I drove for dozens of blocks and saw only one couple braving the baking sidewalks. Portland is home to thousands of unsheltered individuals, and temperatures this far above the century mark are a threat to life. The city opened a section of the sprawling Oregon Convention Center as a "cooling center" to give people experiencing homelessness, and other city residents who lack air conditioning, a respite from the heat. The accommodation was far from luxurious, with the inhospitable entrance at a truck-loading dock at the back of the building. Inside a mix of cots and hundreds of mattresses rested on the bare concrete floor, spaced out at six-foot intervals, offering places of rest for people and even their pets. The room was cool enough that one elderly woman napped under an American Red Cross blanket. One corner of the cavernous space was set up as a theater with a Planet of the Apes movie playing on a flatscreen TV.

But not everyone sought refuge from the heat. Downtown, near the train station, is an area with large homeless encampments. Here, shirtless men with dazed looks sat on the ground, leaning up against buildings casting shade. The only obvious option for cooling came from the city's always-on drinking fountains known as Benson Burblers . A middle-aged man in jean shorts cupped water in his hands and splashed it over his face and neck.

In a city deadened by heat, the only hive of activity I spotted was at the public park that was the epicenter of Portland's street protests and federal occupation last year. A half-dozen activists sat in folding chairs, camped under a canopy tent that read "Community Jail Support." They were set up, as usual, to provide what leftists call " ," to people exiting jail at the county Justice Center, as well as to a homeless encampment lining the nearby sidewalk. Tables and a shopping cart were stacked with water and Gatorade bottles dropped off by volunteers dedicated to serving these communities.

Portland is not built for this heat. About a third of Portlanders have no air conditioning. That rises to well over half of residents in nearby Seattle. But I'm not sure any place is built for this heat. And that's the problem. The emerging extremes of climate change are survivable with the right infrastructure. But our legacy infrastructure literally buckles and melts under this new reality. And fixing it is expensive, as champions of President Biden's climate-focused infrastructure package urgently pointed out:

THE COST OF NOT TAKING ACTION ON CLIMATE IS ALMOST UNIMAGINABLY HIGH. https://t.co/VGCDtMI7GL

- Brian Schatz (@brianschatz) June 29, 2021

Closer to home, in our yard at 2:30 p.m. on Monday, our thermometer said it was 114 degrees. The heat was oppressive. "Even the breeze is nasty," my wife told me as she watered our wilted hydrangea and California poppies. Trying to find some distraction in the crisis, we stuck a cast iron pan on the patio pavement. It got up to 150 degrees. My kids and I cooked an egg.

How it's going pic.twitter.com/zfH1r58ujE

- Tim Dickinson (@7im) June 28, 2021

Inspecting the back of my own house, I realized some of the vinyl siding near the roofline had buckled and bent in the punishing sun. After spending a few minutes hosing it with water to prevent further damage, I pulled out my phone to take a picture. I had just long enough to wonder whether insurance covers heat damage before I realized my phone was dead. A n error message informed me it had shut itself down "due to heat."

In the age of modern convenience, even our most modern devices can't cope at temperatures this high. The time for action on climate change is now, because the alternative is a new normal where life can come to a sudden, and scorching, halt.

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I Moved to Portland Because It Seemed Like a Safe Bet in the Face of Climate Change. I Was Naive

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PORTLAND, OREGON - The streetcars stopped running because power cables were melting . The public pools were to protect lifeguards and pool staff from "severe heat." Roads and intersections began to buckle. Economic and civic life in this Pacific Northwest city ground to a halt as temperatures soared to an inconceivable 116 F on Monday - just one degree shy of the all-time high in Las Vegas.

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Leading Portland Democrats are tripping over each other to condemn Texas' new anti-abortion law-but their actions don't completely back up their words.

On Sept. 1, for instance, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block Texas' draconian new limits on abortion, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) slammed the Lone Star State.

"It's appalling that the courts aren't protecting Texans from this extreme law," Kotek tweeted. "We've worked hard to ensure full access to reproductive health care in Oregon and won't stop fighting to protect those rights."

Kotek, the longest-serving House speaker in Oregon history (she assumed the post in 2013), is running for governor next year. She hopes to succeed another former Democratic lawmaker from Portland, Gov. Kate Brown, who like Kotek is a strong abortion rights advocate.

Brown also expressed her dismay at the Texas law."Reproductive health care and access to abortion is a human right," the governor tweeted Sept. 1. "Here in Oregon, the right to make your own reproductive choices will continue to be protected by state law."

Although Oregon is routinely ranked as one of the most abortion-friendly states in the U.S., both Democratic leaders stood by earlier this year as state Sen. Art Robinson (R-Cave Junction) proposed to direct $4 million to what experts say is a thinly veiled anti-abortion counseling service.

The earmark shows, even with Democratic supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature and nearly 40 consecutive years of Democrats in the governor's mansion, cutting deals sometimes trumps ideological purity.

Kotek was "appalled" by Robinson's proposal to "misuse this rare opportunity to fund a so-called crisis pregnancy center," says Kotek's spokesman Danny Moran.

Nonetheless, Kotek voted for the enabling bill and, last month, Brown signed it.

In April, the federal government funneled $2.6 billion in COVID-19 bailout dollars to Oregon for economic relief.

Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) wanted to keep Republicans on task, so they proposed a novel idea for ladling out some of the federal pork: Give each state senator $4 million and each representative $2 million to spend at their discretion.

Many lawmakers plowed the money into infrastructure or economic development. Others rewarded favorite organizations. Courtney, a long-term booster of the Salem YMCA, shoveled his whole $4 million allotment there. State Rep. Khanh Pham (D-Portland) gave $1.1 million to her former employer, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, for property acquisition.

"This targeted investment in community-building and housing was part of a response to stopping API hate," Pham says. "As the only Asian legislator in the [Legislature] it was absolutely vital that I spoke out hard against rising hate and backed it with dollars and policy changes."

But Robinson, a 79-year-old biochemist who lost to U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio for Congress five times before winning his state Senate seat in 2020, gets the award for most eye-catching use of the bailout money.

Abortion rights advocates say the Pregnancy Care Center of Grants Pass is essentially an anti-abortion health referral service.

Samantha Gladu, who works for the National Network of Abortion Funds in Portland, says such centers prey on uninformed women.

"People deserve medically accurate information, which they don't get at those centers, which are not qualified in any way to give medical advice," Gladu says. "They're politically motivated, anti-abortion advocates."

The bailout money, which flowed from the federal government to the state general fund, is supposed to be used for educational, health-based or economic stabilization programs and COVID-19 mitigation projects.

It's unclear whether Robinson's idea will qualify.

George Naughton, chief financial officer for the state's Department of Administrative Services, says the feds will release final guidance for disbursing the funds in the coming months and state officials will screen each of the earmarks against it.

"The bill has been passed," Naughton says. "Our role is to implement what's been passed by the Legislature."

Grants Pass faces plenty of challenges that have nothing to do with abortion. Its hospitals are so overwhelmed by COVID-19 that patients in intensive care units are doubling up in rooms meant for one. And the unemployment rate in Josephine County is 20% higher than the state average.

Robinson's earmark would be a windfall for the nonprofit pregnancy center, which had revenue of about $650,000 last year.

While Kotek spokesman Moran says such operations are "deceitful," the center says it offers informed choice.

"We don't pressure our patients to make any specific decision," the center's website says. "We believe people are intelligent and when provided all the information they need, each can make the best decision for themselves while considering others involved and those closest to them."

Meanwhile, the center declined to say how it plans to spend the $4 million.

Gov. Brown's spokesman Liz Merah says Robinson's earmark is "incredibly problematic," but she adds that the governor had little choice but to approve it.

"Because she did not want to jeopardize hundreds of millions of dollars in vital economic investments in every part of the state," Merah says, "the governor signed the bill rather than vetoing that particular section."

An Do, executive director of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, tells WW that Robinson "should be ashamed." "Attaching any blame to [Kotek or Brown] for Sen. Robinson's decision is inaccurate and a misrepresentation of the events and circumstances of last session."

Moran declined to explain why Kotek allowed the expenditure to sail through the Legislature, placing the blame on Robinson, who Moran says "abdicated his responsibility to his community."

"It is up to him to justify his choice to the families and businesses in his district who missed this opportunity for support," he adds.

Robinson did not respond to requests for comment.
Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed comments from the office of Gov. Brown to a different spokesperson. Sen. Art Robinson's party affiliation and home town have also been corrected. WW regrets the errors.

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Democratic Leaders Allowed an Oregon Lawmaker to Earmark $4 Million in Public Money for an Anti-Abortion Group

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Leading Portland Democrats are tripping over each other to condemn Texas' new anti-abortion law-but their actions don't completely back up their words. On Sept. 1, for instance, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block Texas' draconian new limits on abortion, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek (D-Portland) slammed the Lone Star State.

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Gun control advocates push for stricter purchase laws in Oregon amid surge in shootings

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PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) - Gun control advocates said the state of Oregon should limit how many guns people can buy within a certain timeframe. Groups supporting gun rights, however, argue limits would do nothing to change a surge in gun violence, specifically in Portland.

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Portland City Council Allocates $200,000 to Fund Abortion Care – National Institute for Reproductive Health

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2021
CONTACT: Chrissy Faessen, chrissy@conwaystrategic.com, 703-828-7769

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Portland City Council Allocates $200,000 to Fund Abortion Care

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Nothing the Democratic Party advocates for is more dishonest than gun control. Everything about that specific issue is false. Most policy debates aren't like that, and we try to be honest about it. No matter how passionate you are about a position, you can still sort of see what the other side is talking about.

You might deeply dislike taxes, for example, but you can still acknowledge it's fair to charge people for the services they receive from government. The other side isn't crazy, they've just arrived at a different number than you did. You can hate abortion (and we do) and still understand (again, if you're being totally honest about it) why a scared pregnant teenager might be tempted to have one.

Gun control is not like that. Gun control is entirely fraudulent. The Democratic Party claims that guns cause violence. That's the core claim, and it is a lie. It's provably untrue. The places in this country that have the most guns and the loosest controls on those guns also have the least gun violence and the fewest killings. That's the bottom line. You could look it up; the statistics are available to anyone.

Anyone who tries to restrict your legally owned firearms is not trying to make America safer. The point is to disarm you and strip you of your autonomy, your power, your right to self-defense. Gun control is not about guns. Gun control is about who controls America. Is it the population, as in a democracy, or does all control go to a small group of authoritarians, as in an oligarchy? Those are the stakes in the gun control debate. It's not about guns, it's about who runs the country.

With that in mind, Joe Biden's speech Thursday calling for more gun control should make you uncomfortable. Almost nothing the president said was true. For example, he claimed that firearms purchased at gun shows are exempt from background checks. That's a lie, as anyone who's ever been to a gun show can tell you. Biden also claimed that gun manufacturers have total immunity against lawsuits. That's also a lie. Gun manufacturers get sued all the time, just ask them. And so on. It was a speech aimed to mislead rather than to inform. Before he announced how he plans to restrict your Second Amendment rights, Joe Biden wanted to remind you that those rights are not real in the first place. They are not, as he put it, "absolute."
BIDEN: Nothing I'm about to recommend in any way impinges on the Second Amendment. There are phony arguments suggesting that these are Second Amendment rights at stake, for what we're talking about. But no amendment, no amendment to the Constitution is absolute.
(By the way, if you watched the speech live, you heard the sirens in the background responding to the skyrocketing crime rate in the city Biden presides over.)

The right to keep and bear arms "shall not be infringed," the Constitution promised. But according to Joe Biden, that's not an absolute right, despite what the text says. No, that right is subject to his approval and his interpretation. Joe Biden is in charge of the Constitution now. Joe Biden defines its terms and Joe Biden has decided that something called "stabilizing braces" can no longer be allowed.

Now, a stabilizing brace is used by target shooters to hold heavy firearms. They play zero role in the murder epidemic now underway in our cities. So why is Joe Biden banning them without the approval of Congress? Probably because up to 40 million law-abiding Americans own this device. Under Biden's order, every one of those people will have to alert federal authorities and pay hundreds of dollars in fines for the crime of owning a harmless piece of plastic that was legal yesterday. If they don't comply, Joe Biden's federal authorities can drag them off in handcuffs, seize their property, and charge them with a felony.

So with a single stroke of a pen, Joe Biden just turned tens of millions of overwhelmingly Republican voters into criminals. Is it starting to make sense now? Think about that for a minute and you'll begin to understand why the Democratic Party is so focused on what they call "weapons of war." You might know them as semiautomatic, small-caliber sporting rifles that normal people use for hunting and target shooting and home defense.

Here's the thing: No subject is more carefully cataloged than gun violence. Guns like these so-called "weapons of war" play no meaningful role in crime. Virtually all gun murders in this country are committed with handguns (again, don't take our word for it, you can look this up). A small number of people are responsible for most of the violence and they use a small variety of weapons to commit it (again, you can look this up). Those weapons are not rifles.

Here are the numbers: According to the most recent data from the FBI, firearms were involved in a total of 10,258 homicides in 2019, the last year for which data is available. Fewer than 500 out of more than 10,000 of those homicides were committed with rifles, including so-called weapons of war. So criminals don't use rifles. They're not concealable. Maybe that's why, in fact, more people were murdered with knives than with rifles.

So if you actually cared about making the country safer and keeping people from getting murdered, you would target handguns in big cities. That's where the murders are. That's where the violence is. But the Biden administration is doing the opposite of this, the mirror image of this. The Biden administration is letting big city criminals go. People who use guns for violence are walking out of jail. And instead, the Biden administration is using the full force of government to disarm peaceful voters in zip codes that voted for Donald Trump. It is that simple.

Thursday, Biden announced that he wants to ban what he called "assault weapons." He was speaking about the AR 15, the single most popular sporting rifle in America. So the question is: If we banned so-called assault weapons, would the country become safer? We don't need to guess about the answer because we tried this before under Bill Clinton. For ten full years, we banned assault rifles and then, by law, the Department of Justice studied the effects. Once that ban expired in 2004, gun homicides fell in almost every major city (again, you can look this up). So policies like this one are unhinged from reality, to put it gently.

Luckily, to enforce them. Joe Biden nominated a man who is unhinged from reality. His name is David Chipman, and he will now run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), an agency that Joe Biden referred to Thursay as the "AFT"
BIDEN: Today I'm proud to nominate David Chipman to serve as a director of the AFT. David knows AFT well. BIDEN ATF PICK CHIPMAN ALARMS GUN RIGHTS GROUPS
"David knows AFT well." Hilarious. If you're Joe Biden, everything's a teacher's union.

So who is this David Chipman? He's a conspiracy nut, for one thing.

In a recent Internet post, he claimed that the Branch Davidians shot down helicopters during the Waco siege in 1993. They didn't. No one aboard a federal helicopter was shot or injured that day. The helicopters also didn't crash. That's a bizarre claim coming someone who was directly involved in the case, as Chipman was. But it's worse than that. In the spring of 1993, the ATF killed dozens of innocent children and at least one pregnant woman for no obvious reason. It's one of the worst things federal agents have done in this country.

If you're taking over the ATF, maybe you could apologize for that. But no. David Chipman lied about it, and attacked the dead. It was like blaming the Japanese for their own internment, or attacking the victims of the Tuskegee Experiment for getting syphilis. Not evidence of a generous spirit, evidence of a zeal. This is the man Joe Biden just nominated to lead the ATF.

But it gets worse. In a Reddit post, David Chipman suggested that people who fail background checks should be arrested on the spot.

While at ATF, I conducted studies involving people who failed background checks to determine how many later committed crimes with a gun-many did," he wrote. "This is a perfect opportunity to arrest people before committing crimes rather than responding after the fact."

"Arrest people before committing crimes." That's a new concept in American law, though the Chinese are highly familiar with it.

However, it does raise a point of pressing interest to the Biden family. Joe Biden just appointed a guy who thinks people who lie on federal firearms background checks should go to prison. Do you know any people like that? Hunter Biden purchased a handgun illegally. He lied on a federal background check. (That's not speculation. He did. We've seen the form.) So the question is, will David Chipman arrest the president's son? And if he doesn't arrest the president's son, the question is: How exactly are you obligated to follow these rules?
WHO IS BIDEN ATF NOMINEE DAVID CHIPMAN?
That's a serious question. Can you live in a country where the rules don't apply to the president's son, but you could go to jail for violating them? How can you participate in a system like that?

We should note that David Chipman has said a lot of other things on the internet that he doesn't want you to see. He's locked his Twitter account so no one can read what he's written. But the Daily Wire found an archived version of David Chipman's Twitter page, and compared it to his current page. They found he's deleted at least 1,000 tweets in recent days.

We can only speculate what David Chipman said in those posts. But we do know that what he's said publicly tells us all we need to know about why Joe Biden selected him. In October 2018, for example, David Chipman told The Hill that AR-15's should be treated "just like machine guns" -- meaning banned. Chipman made that remark in his capacity as a policy adviser for an anti-gun group. In 2012, he suggested on MSNBC that the Secret Service shouldn't carry firearms. And last year, David Chipman openly mocked the millions of Americans who are buying guns to protect their families from the crime wave Chipman's party started:
CHIPMAN: They might think that they're Die Hard, ready to go, but unfortunately they're more like Tiger King and they're putting themselves and their family in danger, and so what I would suggest is to those first-time gun owners - I would secure that gun locked and unloaded and hide it behind the cans of tuna and beef jerky stored in a cabinet and only bring that out if the zombies start to appear and I don't think they are.
It's hard to imagine a flippant or more infuriating remark. If you bought a gun to protect your family, your business or your home during the riots that these people unleashed on the country, the conspiracy nut running the ATF calls you crazy. That's why, if you made the mistake of buying a handgun with a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds -- in other words, if you bought a Glock 19 or any of the most popular handguns sold in America -- you'll be obligated to surrender it to that guy.
WILLIAM BRANGHAM, PBS HOST, 2019: And high-capacity means - what kind of numbers are we talking about? CHIPMAN: Yes. I think the consensus has been around 10. And there are a number of reasons why. BRANGHAM: So, 10 and above would be high? CHIPMAN: Yes. Well, I think -- let's say 10 and below are OK or reasonable. Above would be regulated.
So this raises a lot of questions: Why is David Chipman allowed to decide how many rounds you're allowed in your magazine? What does he know about that? Is he in charge of protecting your family? Does he live in your neighborhood? Are your children his responsibility? It's outrageous. But worse than that is, it's theater. It's not real. People like David Chipman aren't opposed to gun violence. In fact, people like David Chipman, his party, certainly are making gun violence possible in this country.

We can give you many examples, but here's just one from Washington D.C.: The city is planning to stop enforcing gun laws. The party that thinks guns cause violence is no longer pulling them off the street. Why? Because it's racially insensitive to do so. A D.C. police commander called John Haines just sent a memo announcing this policy: "No longer are we focused on getting guns." What aren't they telling us out of the other side of their mouth? That your guns are their problem. Your guns, not the criminals' guns, your guns, because you're the criminal now.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, where a 21-month-old child was just shot in a road rage incident last month, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has also decided that not all guns need to be removed from the streets. According to her, the real danger isn't handguns. It's "military-grade weapons" from Indiana:
LIGHTFOOT, APRIL 7: You can go over the border in Indiana and literally buy military-grade weapons at any quantity. ILLINOIS GOVERNOR, CHICAGO MAYOR BOOED AT WHITE SOX HOME OPENER
That statement is a shocking lie, and Chicago's own data proves it. Most violent crimes in Illinois were committed with guns purchased in the state. According to Chicago police, from 2018 to 2019, authorities encountered a grand total of four people armed with rifles. Four. That's it. That's what Lori Lightfoot is focused on.

In that same period, authorities encountered 44 people armed with revolvers, 15 people armed with "chemical weapons" (whatever that is), and 32 people "wielding their feet" in a violent manner. The rest, of course, were semiautomatic handguns That's what all the murders are committed with, and everyone knows it. Rifles are not a real threat in Chicago, and they haven't been for a long time, if ever.

Between 2013 and 2016, just 4.8% of guns recovered by Chicago police were rifles. The most recent murder report from Chicago was from all the way back in 2011 (they're a little slow on the numbers there), but according to that report, just one rifle was used in a homicide in the city of Chicago, one. That's what they want to take away. Why? Because you own it, not the criminals.

In the decade that followed, a George Soros-funded state's attorney named Kim Foxx took over in Chicago. During her tenure, prosecutors started dropping cases for serious gun gun crimes. Not accidentally, but as a matter of policy. Aggravated battery with a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon, reckless discharge of a firearm, serious crimes involving guns. They dropped the charges. They're not worried about gun crime. They're worried about you protecting yourself, and not just in Chicago.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Across the country, criminals who commit violence with guns are going free. Murder rates are hitting record levels. Meanwhile, you haven't hurt anyone. You haven't done anything wrong. But suddenly, Hunter Biden has a fat book contract from Simon & Schuster, and you're a felon for trying to defend your home. You can see what's going on here.

Again, they're not trying to control guns. They're trying to control you.
This article is adapted from Tucker Carlson's opening monologue on the April 8, 2021 edition of "Tucker Carlson Tonight."

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Tucker Carlson: Biden wants to take your guns, but leave criminals with theirs

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Nothing the Democratic Party advocates for is more dishonest than gun control. Everything about that specific issue is false. Most policy debates aren't like that, and we try to be honest about it. No matter how passionate you are about a position, you can still sort of see what the other side is talking about.

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The Joint Office of Homeless Services oversees the delivery of services to people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County.

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Christine Arthur, MD

Dr. Arthur attended Oxford Medical School and graduated in medicine and surgery at the University of Oxford in England. She interned at Waterbury Hospital in Connecticut before moving to the Pacific Northwest to complete her psychiatric residency at OHSU in Portland. She has over 40 years of experience as a psychiatrist in private practice, at Kaiser Permanente NW region, and community mental health clinics around the metro area and the state. She has worked as a psychiatric consultant to primary care clinics in Portland, and has experience treating mental health and substance use disorders using medications, therapy and education. In her free time she enjoys gardening, flower arrangement, reading Scandinavian Noir mysteries, and working on improving environmental health. She is a folk singer and composer of many songs, which celebrate nature, earth centered traditions, the seasons, and support all human rights (especially women's rights).

Holly Fay, DNP, APRN, FNP-C

Holly holds a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Gonzaga University; a Bachelors of Nursing from George Fox University; and an Associates of Science and Arts from Portland Community College. She has experience as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the Native American Rehabilitation Association where she provided culturally competent primary care to Native Americans, Native Alaskans, and other vulnerable populations. Additionally, Holly also has over 12 years of experience as Registered Nurse working in the hospital setting at both Providence Health Systems and Legacy Health Systems; as well as an Oncology Nurse Coordinator at Oregon Health Sciences University providing educational support and health care to patients diagnosed with cancer. In her free time Holly enjoys weekend trips to the beach, camping, cooking and spending time with her family. Holly provides services in our Beaverton Medical Clinic and our Merlo Station School-Based Health Center.

Karla Goodman, ND

Karla holds a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. Karla has experience providing naturopathic medicine in a variety of modalities including general family practice, pediatrics, women's medicine, and endocrinology. She has practiced in assisted living pathways, family and elementary school clinics in Arizona prior to providing Naturopathic Medicine services in Oregon since 2012. Karla provides primary care services in Beaverton Medical Clinic.

Amanda Kruszka, LCSW

Amanda holds a Master of Social Work from Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. She has 10 years of experience supporting emotional and mental health needs of individuals of all ages, including those coping with chronic conditions, domestic violence, sexual assault, and struggling with various life or situational stressors. Amanda is well versed in providing patient-centered behavioral health, one on one therapy, crisis stabilization, advocacy, psycho-education, community referrals, risk management, and mental health maintenance to diverse populations. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her two puppies. Amanda provides Behavioral Health Services in the Beaverton Medical Clinic.

Tyron Tracy, PA-C

Ty holds a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Arcadia University in Christiana, Delaware, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. Ty spent two years in the Peace Corp and has experience in healthcare working with an endocrinologist, as a volunteer EMT, and as a physician assistant in urgent care and family medicine. Most recently, Ty has worked in the Portland area as a family medicine PA caring for patients from 3 days old to those in their 90s. He focuses educating patients on health issues and ways to continue to improve health outcomes. In his personal time Ty enjoys traveling the world, experiencing different cultures and foods and spending time with his two sons. Ty provides primary care services at the Oregon City Medical Clinic

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Our Beaverton Medical Clinic | Neighborhood Health Center

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Dr. Arthur attended Oxford Medical School and graduated in medicine and surgery at the University of Oxford in England. She interned at Waterbury Hospital in Connecticut before moving to the Pacific Northwest to complete her psychiatric residency at OHSU in Portland.

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Annual Women's March in Portland focuses on reproductive rights

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Hundreds of people gathered at Revolution Hall in Portland for a reproductive rights march and rally Saturday. Several community groups collaborated to host speakers and look at the impacts of reproductive laws nationwide. PHOTOS | Women's March to defend reproductive rights takes place in DC.

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Governor: 'Reproductive choices will continue to be protected in Oregon'

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EUGENE, Ore. - As confirmation hearings for President Trump's nominee to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the U. S. Supreme Court continued for a third day, the governor of Oregon shared a message with anyone concerned that Judge Amy Coney Barrett could be part of a future court decision overturning the landmark case Roe v.

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https://womensfoundationoforegon.org/

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​The General Assistance (GA) program is a new program designed to help individuals with severe disabilities who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. This program, inspired by the Housing First model, is administered by DHS's Aging and People with Disabilities Collaborative Disability Determination Unit (CDDU).

To be eligible for the GA program, individuals must meet all of the following criteria:

Be homeless or at risk of homelessness;

Be an adult, age 18-64, with no minor children living with them;

Have a severe disability that meets Social Security disability criteria;

Be receiving Presumptive Medicaid medical assistance;

Meet all eligibility criteria for Supplemental Security Income (SSI);

Apply for SSI and appeal any denials received; and

Sign an Interim Assistance Agreement (IAR), allowing DHS to recover GA funds paid to them once awarded SSA benefits.​

The ​ Oregon Programs Eligibility Notebook (OPEN) provides more information on eligibility.
GA Program Benefits

Benefits include up to $545 per month in housing assistance, $90 in utility assistance per month, $60 in cash assistance per month, and free assistance with the Social Security application and appeals process.

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aging and people with disabilities general assistance program

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​The General Assistance (GA) program is a new program designed to help individuals with severe disabilities who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness. This program, inspired by the Housing First model, is administered by DHS's Aging and People with Disabilities Collaborative Disability Determination Unit (CDDU).

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Health Care Services in Beaverton (OHSU)

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Health Care Services in Beaverton (OHSU)

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https://www.ohsu.edu/health/health-care-services-beaverton

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Just off 158th and Walker in Beaverton, OHSU is bringing an array of world-class experts to a single, convenient community location. From primary care services to specialty care clinics - as well as diagnostic imaging and a pharmacy - the facility is designed to meet most of your health care needs.

Walk-in lab services

Convenient walk-in lab services are available to OHSU patients Monday - Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are not required, however a lab order is needed from your OHSU doctor. Our walk-in lab collects blood, stool and urine samples. We are not able to collect labs that require onsite or urgent results. We only collect labs with normal turnaround/resulting time frames.

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Just off 158th and Walker in Beaverton, OHSU is bringing an array of world-class experts to a single, convenient community location. From primary care services to specialty care clinics - as well as diagnostic imaging and a pharmacy - the facility is designed to meet most of your health care needs.

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https://www.bluegreenalliance.org/work-state/oregon/

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About the Oregon BlueGreen Alliance

The BlueGreen Alliance in Oregon has a local membership of labor, environmental, and community organizations working towards shared goals at the local and state levels. We seek to work together productively and proactively to advance solutions to climate change and other environmental challenges in ways that create and maintain quality jobs and that build a stronger, fairer economy. For more information on our work, contact Ranfis Giannettino Villatoro at rvillatoro@bluegreenalliance.org.
Buy Clean
We are working to expand Buy Clean to Oregon.The first step was to look into the in-state industries and unions that would be affected by Buy Clean legislation. BlueGreen Alliance held a meeting with key stakeholders in the state, including the Oregon Environmental Council, the OR AFL-CIO, the Oregon Sierra Club, and Climate Solutions.

Because the manufacturing sectors in Oregon and Washington exist in a different capacity than in California, the BlueGreen Alliance focused on major employment generators to work on incorporating a homegrown manufacturing benefit in any Buy Clean legislation.

In Oregon, Representative Dan Rayfield (D-16) previously introduced a version of Buy Clean policy in 2017, giving the BlueGreen Alliance an ally in the state as well as a solid place to start working with more state partners. Going forward, we are working to solidify a coalition around Buy Clean in Oregon, build support by working with labor and environmental groups in the state, and continue research to define a Buy Clean policy that works best for the state and the people. Follow our efforts here.

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The BlueGreen Alliance in Oregon has a local membership of labor, environmental, and community organizations working towards shared goals at the local and state levels. We seek to work together productively and proactively to advance solutions to climate change and other environmental challenges in ways that create and maintain quality jobs and that build a stronger, fairer economy.

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Last Updated: January 21, 2021

Overview

Oregon has many renewable energy resources. High annual rainfall in the western part of the state coupled with runoff from the snowpack in mountains across the state make it possible to generate substantial amounts of hydroelectric power. Large dams along the Columbia River generate most of the hydroelectric power not only in Oregon, but throughout the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia River forms much of Oregon's northern border and cuts through both the Cascade Mountain Range and the Coast Ranges, forming the Columbia Gorge, an area of high wind energy potential. The high desert country and uplands of southern and eastern Oregon, as well as the Cascades Mountains in western Oregon, are promising sites for both wind and geothermal energy development. Mild temperatures and abundant rainfall in the western part of the state contribute to rapid tree growth, which, along with agricultural and other waste products, are ample sources of biomass for power generation. Oregon has only minor fossil energy reserves and no nuclear power reactors.

Energy use per capita in Oregon is less than in about three-fourths of the states. The transportation sector accounts for about three-tenths of state end-use energy consumption. The industrial sector is the second-largest energy consumer, followed closely by the residential sector. Each of those sectors accounts for about one-fourth of the state's end-use energy consumption. Although the state's agriculture, food processing, and forestry activities, including the manufacture of forest products, are energy-intensive, most of Oregon's gross domestic product (GDP) comes from non-energy-intensive businesses. Computers and electronic products accounted for almost half of the state's manufacturing GDP in 2019, and Oregon's industrial sector per capita energy consumption is less than in almost two-thirds of the states. In part because most of Oregon's population centers are in mild climate zones in the Willamette Valley and along the Pacific Coast west of the Cascades, the state's residential sector energy use per capita ranks 44th in the nation. The commercial sector accounts for the remaining one-fifth of Oregon's end-use energy consumption.

Electricity

Hydroelectric power typically provides more than half of the electricity generated in Oregon.

Hydroelectric power typically provides more than half of the electricity generated in Oregon. In 2019, Oregon was the fourth-largest producer of hydroelectric power among the states. However, for the first time in at least three decades hydroelectric power supplied slightly less than half of state generation, in part because much of the state experienced abnormally dry weather and drought. Oregon's four largest electricity generating facilities-John Day, The Dalles, Bonneville, and McNary-are all hydroelectric power plants located on the Columbia River. They account for about two-thirds of the generating capacity from the 10 largest power plants in the state. Many smaller hydroelectric plants generate power along several rivers in Oregon.

Natural gas fuels the second-largest share of Oregon's electricity generation. In 2019, natural gas-fired power plants provided one-third of the state's net generation. Two decades ago, coal fueled about one-tenth of Oregon's in-state net generation, but, by 2019, coal's share was only 4%. Coal no longer supplies any in-state generation because Oregon's single coal-fired power plant closed in October 2020. Nonhydroelectric renewable resources, including wind, biomass, solar, and geothermal power, provide almost all the rest of Oregon's generation. There are no commercial nuclear power plants in the state. Oregon's only nuclear power plant, the Trojan plant northwest of Portland, opened in 1976 and was shut down after cracks in the steam tubes were detected in 1992. The plant was decommissioned and demolished.

Oregon's residential sector, where half the households heat with electricity, accounted for two-fifths of state electricity retail sales in 2019. The commercial sector accounted for slightly more than one-third, and the industrial sector accounted for one-fourth. In every year since 2008, Oregonians have used less electricity than the state's power plants generated and the excess was sent to other states by way of the Western Interconnection-one of North America's principal power grids.

Oregon has collaborated with Washington, California, and British Columbia to create the West Coast Electric Highway.

The Western Interconnection reaches from western Canada down to Baja California in Mexico and stretches from the Pacific Ocean eastward across the Rocky Mountains to the Great Plains. Major transmission lines of the Western Interconnection link Oregon's electricity grid to California's grid, allowing for large interstate electricity transfers of power between the Pacific Northwest and the Southwest. The 846-mile Pacific Intertie Direct Current transmission line, which runs from the Oregon-Washington border to Los Angeles, is capable of moving up to 3,220 megawatts of power. Although it was originally designed to transmit electricity south during California's peak summer demand season, the flow has sometimes been reversed at night and in the winter when power demand to meet heating needs increases in the Pacific Northwest.

Oregon has collaborated with Washington, California, and British Columbia, Canada, to create the West Coast Electric Highway corridor, a network of public charging stations for electric vehicles located every 25 to 50 miles along Interstate 5 and other major roads in the Pacific Northwest. It is part of the West Coast Green Highway system that spans more than 1,300 miles from British Columbia to Baja, Mexico. As of December 2020, there were more than 670 public electric charging stations with more than 1800 charging outlets in service across Oregon. Oregon is part of the Multi-State Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) collaborative, and the state had a goal of registering 50,000 zero emission vehicles in the state by 2020. As of August 1, 2020, more than 32,000 zero emission electric vehicles were registered in Oregon.

Renewable energy

In 2019, wind power accounted for more than one-tenth of Oregon's in-state electricity generation.

In 2019, renewable resources, led by hydroelectric power, accounted for more than three-fifths of the electricity generated in Oregon. Although hydroelectric generation typically accounts for three-fourths of the state's renewable generation, utility-scale (1 megawatt or larger) electricity generation from renewable sources other than hydroelectric power doubled in the past decade. Most of the increased generation came from wind. With wind farms along the Columbia Gorge and in eastern Oregon's Blue Mountains, the state has more than 1,900 wind turbines with more than 3,400 megawatts of wind capacity. In 2019, wind power accounted for more than one-tenth of Oregon's total utility-scale generation.

Biomass fuels most of the rest of Oregon's renewable-sourced electricity. It is primarily in the form of wood and wood waste, but there are also several small landfill gas and other biomass-fueled facilities. Forest covers almost half of the state, and many industrial facilities in Oregon use woody biomass to generate electricity. Biomass is widely used as a thermal energy source in Oregon as well. Some commercial facilities, including schools and hospitals, use wood for space heating, and about 6% of Oregon households heat with wood. Oregon also has five operating wood pellet manufacturing facilities with a combined production capacity of more than 250,000 tons per year, or about 2% of the nation's total.

Almost 1.5% of Oregon's in-state electricity generation is from the state's solar resources. Solar potential is greatest east of Oregon's Cascade Mountain Range. All of Oregon's solar powered electricity generation is photovoltaic (PV). Before 2017, the majority of Oregon's solar generation came from rooftop and other small-scale (less than 1 megawatt) solar power installations. However, utility-scale solar generation surpassed small-scale, customer-sited generation in 2017. Even though small-scale generation has increased since 2017, utility-scale projects generated three times as much electricity as small-scale facilities in 2019. Overall, all solar generation in Oregon was almost eight times greater in 2019 than it was in 2015. Several utility-scale solar projects have been active in the state since October 2011, but the largest have come online since 2016. A 56-megawatt solar PV facility came online in October 2017, and the state's first solar PV facility greater than 75 megawatts was approved in 2018. In April 2020, a 303-megawatt solar project was approved, and several other large solar PV projects are under review. Solar energy is also used as a thermal resource in Oregon for water and space heating.

Although geothermal energy accounts for only a small amount of Oregon's net generation, the state's geothermal potential is ranked third in the nation, after Nevada and California. Oregon's Cascade Mountains are an active volcanic region. The Cascade Mountains and other high-temperature geothermal areas in the state have an estimated 2,200 megawatts of generating potential. Oregon's largest geothermal power plant has about 20 megawatts of capacity and has operated in Malheur County since 2012. There are two smaller utility-scale electricity generating geothermal facilities in the state, one of which has been offline since 2017. Some much larger ones are in development. Oregon residents have used low-to-moderate temperature geothermal resources for more than a century in direct heat applications. Almost the entire state east of the Cascade Range has ample low- to mid-temperature geothermal resources. There are more than 2,000 thermal wells and springs that furnish direct heat to buildings, communities, and other facilities in the state.

Oregon is in the early stages of tapping its marine and hydrokinetic energy resources. The U.S. Department of Energy's (U.S. DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory deployed buoys off the Oregon coast during the summer of 2017 to record wave and tidal movements in support of projects designed to convert energy from waves into electricity. A U.S. DOE-funded investigation led by Oregon State University has two marine test sites off the coast of Newport, Oregon. The first, PacWave North is a stand-alone test site for small-scale technologies. A second site, PacWave South, will be the first full-scale grid-connected, wave energy conversion technology test facility in the United States. When complete, it will be the largest grid-connected wave energy testing facility in the world. It is expected to become operational in 2022.

Oregon's renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) requires that the state's largest utilities-those with more than 3% of the state's electricity retail sales-acquire at least 50% of the electricity they sell from renewable-sourced generation by 2040. The RPS counts electricity generated from wind, solar, hydropower, wave, tidal, ocean thermal, geothermal, hydrogen, municipal solid waste, and biomass energy facilities that became operational or were significantly upgraded after January 1, 1995. Smaller utilities have a target of 10% renewable electricity by 2025, and the smallest utilities, those servicing less than 1.5% of the state's power demand, have a target of 5%.

Natural gas

Oregon has the only natural gas field in the Pacific Northwest.

Oregon does not have significant natural gas reserves and produces only small amounts of natural gas, but the state does have the only natural gas field in the Pacific Northwest-the Mist field in northwestern Oregon Numerous reservoirs have been found in the field since its discovery in 1979. Exploration wells continue to be drilled in the Mist field. Although it was only a small fraction of U.S. total production, Mist Field production reached a high of 4.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas per year in the mid-1980s. Annual natural gas production from the field declined to less than 400 million cubic feet by 2018. There are also two natural gas storage projects in the Mist Field. Overall, there are a total of eight underground natural gas storage projects in Oregon with a combined storage capacity of about 35 billion cubic feet. Natural gas typically is put into storage in warmer months when prices and demand are low and removed from storage reservoirs during colder months to meet peak customer demand. Natural gas also is used to meet the needs of electricity suppliers as they balance intermittent generation from renewable energy resources, particularly wind.

Natural gas supplies enter Oregon by way of interstate pipelines, primarily from western Canada through Washington and from domestically produced natural gas that arrives through Nevada and Idaho. Almost all of the natural gas that enters Oregon continues on to California markets. Several liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipping terminals were proposed in Oregon, but, because of changing market conditions, only one proposal remains active. In 2006, developers proposed an LNG import terminal at Coos Bay, but in 2012, they decided to build an export terminal instead. That facility has received federal approvals but is not under construction.

Oregon's per capita natural gas consumption is less than in three-fourths of the states. The electric power sector uses more than half of the natural gas delivered to consumers in Oregon. The industrial sector is the next largest natural gas consumer, but it uses less than half as much as the electric power sector and accounts for about one-fifth of state consumption. The residential sector, where almost two in five Oregon households use natural gas as their primary energy source for home heating, consumes slightly more than one-sixth of natural gas deliveries, and the commercial sector uses most of the rest. Very little natural gas is used as vehicle fuel.

Petroleum

Oregon does not have any crude oil reserves or production and has not had an operating oil refinery since 2008. The Puget Sound refineries in the state of Washington provide about 90% of the refined petroleum products used in Oregon. Those products arrive in the state by way of the Olympic Pipeline and by barge. Refineries in Utah and in British Columbia also provide refined petroleum products to Oregon, and small amounts come by tanker from California and the Pacific Rim countries.

In 2018, the transportation sector used almost 90% of the petroleum consumed in Oregon, and three-fifths of that was as motor gasoline. However, in 2020, historic consumption patterns were altered by the COVID-19 pandemic and motor gasoline consumption declined. The industrial sector and commercial sector accounted for most of the rest of state petroleum consumption in 2018. The residential sector, where about 1 in 30 households use petroleum products for home heating, accounted for less than 2%.

Oregon receives about 90% of its refined petroleum products from Washington's Puget Sound refineries.

Oregon's renewable fuel standard requires that, with few exceptions, motor gasoline sold in the state must be blended with a minimum of 10% fuel ethanol. There is one corn-based fuel ethanol production plant in Oregon that can produce about one-fourth of the state's annual fuel ethanol needs. Additional fuel ethanol supplies are brought in from out of state, primarily by rail from the Midwest. Diesel fuel sold in the state must be blended with at least 5% biodiesel. Oregon has one biodiesel plant, and its production capacity is about one-third the amount used in the state each year.

Coal

Oregon's only coal-fired power plant closed in October 2020.

Oregon has some coal reserves, and coal was mined in southwest Oregon from the mid-19th century until the 1920s and then again, briefly, during the Second World War. However, there are no active commercial coal mines in Oregon today. Limited amounts of coal were shipped by rail from the Powder River Basin in Wyoming to fuel Oregon's coal-fired electricity generation until October 2020, when the state's only coal-fired power plant closed. Small amounts of coal also are shipped from Utah to industrial plants in Oregon.

Endnotes

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² Geology.com, Oregon Map Collection, Oregon Rivers Map, accessed December 2, 2020.
³ Sharp, Justin, and Clifford F. Mass, "Columbia Gorge Gap Winds: Their Climatological Influence and Synoptic Evolution," Weather and Forecasting, Volume 19, Issue 6 (December 2004), p. 970-992.
⁴ U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, WINDExchange, Wind Energy in Oregon, accessed December 2, 2020.
⁵ Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Geologic Provinces, Basin and Range and Owyhee Uplands, accessed December 2, 2020.
⁶ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Geothermal Technologies Program, Oregon, DOE/GO-102004-2036 (February 2005), p. 1.
⁷ Western Regional Climate Center, Climate of Oregon, Climate and the Economy, accessed December 2, 2020.
⁸ Oregon Department of Energy, Energy in Oregon, Bioenergy, accessed December 2, 2020.
⁹ U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Dry Production, 2014-19.
¹⁰ Duncan, Donald C., Geology and Coal Deposits in Part of the Coos Bay Coal Field, Oregon, U.S. Department of the Interior, Geological Survey Bulletin 982-B (Washington, 1953), p. 53.
¹¹ U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Oregon, updated March 19, 2020.
¹² U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Energy Consumption Estimates per Capita by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2018.
¹³ U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C1, Energy Consumption Overview: Estimates by Energy Source and End-Use Sector, 2018.
¹⁴ U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Interactive Data, Regional Data, GDP and Personal Income, Annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by State, GDP in Current Dollars, All statistics in table, Oregon, 2019.
¹⁵ U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Energy Consumption Estimates per Capita by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2018.
¹⁶ U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census: Oregon Profile, Population Density by Census Tract.
¹⁷ Western Regional Climate Center, Climate of Oregon, accessed December 2, 2020.
¹⁸ U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C14, Energy Consumption Estimates per Capita by End-Use Sector, Ranked by State, 2018.
¹⁹ U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C1, Energy Consumption Overview: Estimates by Energy Source and End-Use Sector, 2018.
²⁰ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oregon, All fuels, Conventional hydroelectric, Annual, 2001-19.
²¹ U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (February 2020), Tables 1.3.B, 1.10.B.
²² National Integrated Drought Information System, Pacific Northwest Drought Early Warning System, accessed December 29, 2020.
²³ U.S. EIA, Oregon Electricity Profile 2019, Tables 2A, Ten largest plants by capacity, 2017, and 2B, Ten largest plants by generation, 2019.
²⁴ Oregon Department of Energy, Energy in Oregon, Hydropower, accessed December 3, 2020.
²⁵ Oregon Department of Energy, 2020 Biennial Energy Report (November 2020), Energy by the Numbers, p. 2.
²⁶ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oregon, Fuel Type (Check all), Annual, 2001-19.
²⁷ U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Oregon, updated August 23, 2018.
²⁸ Oregon Department of Energy, Trojan Nuclear Site Spent Fuel Storage, accessed December 29, 2020.
²⁹ U.S. Census Bureau, Oregon, Table B25040, House Heating Fuel, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
³⁰ U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly (February 2020), Table 5.4.B.
³¹ U.S. EIA, Oregon Electricity Profile 2019, Table 10, Supply and disposition of electricity, 1990 through 2019.
³² U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, Learn More About Interconnections, Western Interconnection, accessed December 3, 2020.
³³ Bonneville Power Administration, Factsheet, Celilo Converter Station, DOE/BP-4757 (April 2016).
³⁴ Bonneville Power Administration, "Direct current line still hot after 40 years," Press Release (May 26, 2010).
³⁵ Lundahl, Erika, "The West Coast Electric Highway Enables Zero Emission Road Trips," Yes! (July 20, 2018).
³⁶ West Coast Green Highway, West Coast Electric Highway, accessed December 3, 2020.
³⁷ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Electric Vehicle Charging Station Locations, Oregon Electric, accessed December 3, 2020.
³⁸ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels Data Center, Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Deployment Support, accessed December 3, 2020.
³⁹ Go Electric Oregon, accessed December 3, 2020.
⁴⁰ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oregon, Fuel Type (Check all), Annual, 2019.
⁴¹ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oregon, Fuel Type (Check all), Monthly, October 2009 to September 2020.
⁴² U.S. EIA, Oregon Profile Overview, Wind Power Plant Map Layer, accessed December 4, 2020.
⁴³ American Wind Energy Association, Wind Energy in Oregon, accessed December 4, 2020.
⁴⁴ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oregon, All Fuels, Wind, Annual, 2019.
⁴⁵ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oregon, All Fuels, Annual, 2001-19.
⁴⁶ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, List of plants for other biomass, Oregon, all sectors, 2019.
⁴⁷ Oregon Department of Forestry, About Oregon's Forests, accessed December 10, 2020.
⁴⁸ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, List of plants for wood and wood-derived fuels, Oregon, all sectors, 2019.
⁴⁹ Oregon Department of Energy, Bioenergy, accessed December 10, 2020.
⁵⁰ U.S. Census Bureau, Oregon, Table B25040, House Heating Fuel, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
⁵¹ U.S. EIA, Monthly Densified Biomass Fuel, Table 1, Densified biomass fuel manufacturing facilities in the United States by state, region, and capacity, August 2020.
⁵² University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Laboratory, Northwest Solar Resource Maps, accessed December 11, 2020.
⁵³ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oregon, All Fuels, All solar, Small-scale solar photovoltaic, All utility-scale solar, Utility-scale photovoltaic, Annual, 2010-19.
⁵⁴ U.S. EIA, Electricity, Form EIA-860 detailed data with previous form data (EIA-860A/860B), 2019 Form EIA-860 Data - Schedule 3, 'Generator Data' (Operable Units Only).
⁵⁵ Oregon Department of Energy, Solar, accessed December 11, 2020.
⁵⁶ Oregon Department of Energy, 2020 Biennial Energy Report (November 2020), Energy by the Numbers, p. 23, 29.
⁵⁷ U.S. EIA, Electricity Data Browser, Net generation for all sectors, Oregon, All Fuels, Geothermal, Annual, 2001-19.
⁵⁸ Roberts, Billy J., Geothermal Resources of the United States, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (February 22, 2018).
⁵⁹ U.S. Geological Survey, Volcano Hazards Program, Cascades Volcano Observatory, Why Study Cascade Volcanoes?, updated March 22, 2019.
⁶⁰ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Geothermal Technologies Program, Oregon, DOE/GO-102004-2036 (February 2005), p. 1.
⁶¹ National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Geothermal Resources of the United States (October 13, 2009).
⁶² Oregon Department of Energy, Geothermal, accessed December 11, 2020.
⁶³ Oregon Department of Energy, 2020 Biennial Energy Report (November 2020), Technology & Resource Reviews, p. 38.
⁶⁴ Renewable Northwest, Renewable Energy Projects Map, select Oregon Geothermal, accessed December 11, 2020.
⁶⁵ Roberts, Billy J., Geothermal Resource of the United States, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (February 22, 2018).
⁶⁶ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Geothermal Technologies Program, Oregon, DOE/GO-102004-2036 (February 2005), p. 1.
⁶⁷ National Renewable Energy Laboratory, "NREL Deploys Wave and Tidal Measurement Buoys," Press Release (June 14, 2017).
⁶⁸ U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, PacWave, accessed December 11, 2020.
⁶⁹ Oregon Department of Energy, 2020 Biennial Energy Report (November 2020), Technology & Resource Reviews, p. 96.
⁷⁰ NC Clean Energy Technology Center, DSIRE, Oregon Renewable Portfolio Standard, updated June 6, 2018.
⁷¹ U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Reserves Summary as of Dec. 31, Annual, 2018.
⁷² U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals and Production, Dry Production, 2019.
⁷³ U.S. EIA, Oregon Natural Gas Gross Withdrawals, 1979-2019.
⁷⁴ Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, Mineral Land Regulation & Reclamation, Program Overview, Oil & Gas Program, updated November 3, 2020.
⁷⁵ Oregon Department of Energy, Energy Facilities & Safety, Facilities, Mist Underground Natural Gas Storage Facility, accessed December 13, 2020.
⁷⁶ U.S. EIA, Natural Gas, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity, Total Number of Existing Fields, 2019.
⁷⁷ U.S. EIA, Natural Gas, Underground Natural Gas Storage Capacity, Total Storage Capacity, Annual, 2019.
⁷⁸ Nemec, Rich, "NW Natural Ushering in Unique 'No-Notice' NatGas Storage in Oregon," Natural Gas Intelligence (August 17, 2017).
⁷⁹ U.S. EIA, International and Interstate Movements of Natural Gas by State, Oregon, 2019.
⁸⁰ Williams Company, Northwest Pipeline, accessed December 14, 2020.
⁸¹ Oregon Department of Energy, State of Oregon Biennial Energy Plan 2013-15, p. 20, 37.
⁸² Oregon Department of Energy, 2020 Biennial Energy Report (November 2020), History Timeline, p. 13-14.
⁸³ U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Natural Gas, LNG, North American LNG Export Terminals-Existing, Approved not Yet Built, and Proposed, updated September 17, 2020.
⁸⁴ U.S. Department of Energy, "U.S. Department of Energy Issues LNG Export Approval to Jordan Cove," Press Release (July 6, 2020).
⁸⁵ U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C16, Natural Gas Consumption, Total and per Capita, Ranked by State, 2018.
⁸⁶ U.S. EIA, Natural Gas Consumption by End-Use, Oregon, Annual, 2019.
⁸⁷ U.S. Census Bureau, Oregon, Table B25040, House Heating Fuel, 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
⁸⁸ U.S. EIA, Crude Oil Proved Reserves, Reserves Changes, and Production, as of December 31, 2018.
⁸⁹ U.S. EIA, Crude Oil Production, Annual Thousand Barrels, 2019.
⁹⁰ U.S. EIA, Oregon Number of Operable Refineries as of January 1, 2020.
⁹¹ Oregon Department of Energy, 2020 Biennial Energy Report (November 2020), Energy 101, p. 47.
⁹² Oregon Department of Energy, 2018 Biennial Energy Report (November 2018), Chapter 1, Energy by the Numbers, p.18.
⁹³ U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table C8, Transportation Sector Energy Consumption Estimates, 2018.
⁹⁴ Oregon Department of Energy, 2020 Biennial Energy Report (November 2020), Policy Briefs, p. 211.
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⁹⁹ U.S. EIA, U.S. Nameplate Fuel Ethanol Production Capacity: January 2020, Excel spreadsheet.
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¹⁰² U.S. EIA, State Energy Data System, Table P1, Primary Energy Production Estimates in Physical Units, 2018.
¹⁰³ Oregon Department of Energy, 2018 Biennial Energy Report (November 2018), Chapter 1, Energy by the Numbers, p.18.
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¹¹¹ U.S. EIA, Annual Coal Distribution Report 2019 (October 2020), By Coal Destination State, Oregon Table DS-35, Domestic Coal Distribution, by Destination State, 2019.

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Last Updated: January 21, 2021 Oregon has many renewable energy resources. High annual rainfall in the western part of the state coupled with runoff from the snowpack in mountains across the state make it possible to generate substantial amounts of hydroelectric power.

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Background: At the May 26, 2015 Portland Public Schools (PPS) Board of Education meeting, four Irvington School students and Oregon NOW president Lisa Frack testified on the need to review and revi…

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John Huelskamp's daughter has 52 students in her advanced algebra II class at

, and he wanted folks to know that not only does his daughter sit in huge classes, but so do hundreds of other students at the school.

So, he put up a sign in the back of his pickup saying, "Say yes to our schools! 52 kids in a class is too many!" and parked it in his usual space at Sunset High where he is also the principal.

"I'm speaking as an educator and a parent," he said. "If it helps generate awareness, fantastic."

Huelskamp's timing corresponds with the Beaverton School District seeking a

on the May ballot, but the facts on his 4-foot by 7-foot sign, are true.

Without enough money to pay for two teachers to cover two classes of 26 students, Huelskamp could only offer a single class of 52 kids.

It's not the largest class at Sunset High and it's not the only class of 52 kids, he said.

"Sixty three is our largest class," he said. International Baccalaureate Spanish and marketing are the two classes.

The school has "dozens in the 50s," he said. Core classes, such as language arts, math and science average 41 students.

"Education really breaks down to relevance, relationship and rigor," he said. "When you have class sizes in the 40s, 50s, 60s, teachers' ability to create quality relationships with their students is impacted and that gets in the way of quality education," Huelskamp said.

Beaverton School District reduced its budget by $37 million this school year and eliminated 344 teaching jobs, which resulted in the layoff of nearly 100 educators and especially large class sizes. The district is facing additional reductions between $11 million to $15 million for the 2013-14 school year.

If passed, the levy would cost taxpayers $1.25 per $1,000 of assessed property value and would generate between $11 million and $17 million a year for five years.

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Sunset High School principal and dad protests large class sizes

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John Huelskamp's daughter has 52 students in her advanced algebra II class at , and he wanted folks to know that not only does his daughter sit in huge classes, but so do hundreds of other students at the school. So, he put up a sign in the back of his pickup saying, "Say yes to our schools!

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https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2021/10/as-texas-abortion-ban-proceeds-oregon-congressional-delegation-unites-in-defense-of-womens-reproductive-rights.html

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As Texas abortion ban proceeds, 4 members of Oregon's congressional delegation defend women's reproductive rights

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Members of Oregon's congressional delegation presented a united front in defense of women's reproductive rights during a news conference Saturday at Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette's headquarters in Northeast Portland. One day after a federal appeals court allowed Texas to resume banning most abortions, Democratic U.S.

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Portland City Commissioner Dan Ryan announced a plan to build six managed villages for people experiencing homelessness in the city by the end of this year.

Ryan said $20 million in federal coronavirus relief dollars would be used to set up six outdoor sites and provide basic hygiene and support services: laundry, showers, handwashing stations, portable toilets and food. The city-Multnomah County Joint Office of Homeless Services will provide case management for people living in the villages.

New land for city sanctioned outdoor shelters became available this spring after the council passed a sweeping zoning code change to make it easier for providers to site shelters across Portland. The package also directed city bureaus to detail what land they own that could be made available for shelters. .

Ryan's office said there are still no firm details on where the six campsites will be located or how many people they will serve.

The Oregonian/OregonLive and Willamette Week first reported Ryan's announcement.

Ryan said in a statement Wednesday that the six villages are part of a concept he began discussing in April. The commissioner had expressed interest in a "safe park program" for people experiencing homelessness who live in their cars. He said he wanted to see two locations: one for people who have recently lost their homes and another location for people who have been living out of their cars or RVs for a longer period of time.

Publicly operated parking lots for people living in their cars have been implemented along the West Coast in recent years. Eugene, Beaverton and Los Angeles all have similar programs.

"Our regional initiative to create managed villages while we work to end houselessness - with full support from Chair Kafoury, Commissioner [Sharon] Meieran, and my colleagues on City Council - is progressing quickly, but we still have a number of details to finalize due to our collaborative, multi-jurisdictional approach," Ryan said in an emailed statement. "I am still pursuing safe parking with wraparound services as part of our solution, and my office will have more information to share in the near future."

Ryan's office stated it plans to introduce an ordinance "to codify the City's approach," and would like to start building shelters in September. He added that the plan has a full backing from local leaders, as well Metro, the regional government for the greater Portland area. The county and city have sometimes sparred in recent months over how to best use dollars from Metro's $250 million homeless service measure. But Ryan said that, on this issue, local leaders were walking in lockstep.

Asked about the homeless village plan on a Wednesday call hosted by Rose City Downtown Collective, a new group representing downtown business interests, both Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and Marc Jolin, the head of the Joint Office of Homeless Services, emphasized the plan was in the early stages and details were sparse.

Jolin said the services at the six sites would likely mimic what's offered at other county-run shelters with an emphasis on wraparound support that prioritizes moving people into housing.

"That model is what we've been building for all of our shelters. I don't see why this will be any different with the new sites as we get a better understanding of how they're structured, who they're designed to serve, and what kinds of needs the folks in those spaces will have."

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Portland commissioner announces plans for 6 homeless villages

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Ryan said $20 million in federal coronavirus relief dollars would be used to set up six outdoor sites and provide basic hygiene and support services: laundry, showers, handwashing stations, portable toilets and food. The city-county Joint Office of Homeless Services will provide case management for people within the villages.

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A new law that will enable people in Texas who are 21 or older to carry a handgun without a permit and background check could backfire, says James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern and one of the nation's leading researchers on mass murder.

The rationale that is driving the movement to loosen restrictions is based largely on a misconception about gun violence, Fox adds.

A desire for self-defense during mass shootings is often cited as a reason for allowing people to carry guns. But Fox notes that mass shootings account for fewer than 2 percent of firearm- related casualties in the United States. More than 43,000 people in the U.S. were killed by guns in 2020, of whom 513 were victims of mass shootings.

Fox says that increased gun controls would likely have little effect on mass shootings.

"The mass shooters generally are deliberate, determined, and will find a way to get a gun no matter what we put in their path," Fox says. "Now, should we make it more difficult? Yes. But those policies that are proposed in the wake of mass shootings would have the greatest effect on the type of ordinary gun violence we have every day."

Fox traces the trend in Texas to a 1991 mass shooting at a restaurant in Killeen, Texas, where the 23 murder victims included the parents of Suzanna Gratia Hupp, who was 32 at that time. When the assailant opened fire, she instinctively reached into her purse for her .38-caliber Smith & Wesson, only to realize she had left it in her car out of respect for state law that prohibited her from carrying a gun. Hupp went on to advocate for the right to carry guns during her five terms in the Texas House of Representatives and wrote two books, including, Thank God I Had a Gun: True Accounts of Self-Defense.

Texas will become the 20th-and largest-state to dispense with a license, background check, and training for people who carry handguns. Other states with similar laws tend to be more rural, whereas Texas has three of the nation's 10 largest cities in Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas.

Fox says the easing of gun-carrying laws in densely populated areas creates new concerns.

"The level of crime is quite different in Texas than it is in Wyoming," says Fox, the Lipman Family professor of criminology, law, and public policy at Northeastern. "In states like Wyoming, there are lots of guns for hunting purposes. In Texas, it's a whole different type of mentality: It's person against person, as opposed to person against animal."

Eddie Garcia, the Dallas police chief, leads a group of Texas law enforcement leaders who oppose the elimination of requirements for people who carry a handgun-including a fingerprinted background check, four to six hours of classroom or online training, a written test, and a shooting safety and proficiency test.

More than 1 million people in Texas already have permits to carry handguns.

"A minimum level of training is not asking too much for carrying a firearm and it is consistent with the Second Amendment," Garcia said at a news conference Tuesday at the state capital in Austin.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said he will sign the new provision, which will take effect in September. It is "the strongest bill I've seen in my legislative career regarding the rights of our Second Amendment," said Charles Schwertner, a Texas state senator who sponsored the proposal.

Gun rights activists are driven in part by a philosophy of self-defense, says Fox.

"They want to protect themselves," Fox says. "Not only do they feel the Second Amendment [gives them the] right to do so, but they object to government interference with their ability to protect themselves, not just in their home but also out in the street."

Enabling guns to be carried by people who have not been trained is a safety issue that is bipartisan, said Doug Griffith of the Houston Police Officers' Union.

"It makes our job, the job of our men and women, more dangerous," said Garcia, the Dallas police chief. "Gun owners have a duty to ensure that their firearms are handled safely and a duty to know applicable laws. The licensing process is the best way to make sure this message is conveyed."

Fox says that gun owners cannot be expected to respond appropriately and aim accurately to protect themselves during mass shooting incidents. He points to the ongoing national debate over policing based on judgments made by officers who have been trained to use guns in volatile settings-and who are still accused of making the wrong decisions.

When multiple shooters are involved, says Fox, "it's kind of hard to figure out who the bad guy is versus the good guy. It's not like they wear different colored uniforms."

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Is the new Texas gun law based on a misconception about mass shootings?

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A desire for self-defense during mass shootings is often cited as a reason for loosening restrictions on people carrying handguns. But James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern, says that mass shootings account for fewer than 2 percent of firearm-related casualties in the United States.

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Despite a decline in the number of violent crimes in Portland last year, more women than men were victims of criminal violence in the city for the third year in a row.

In 2020, nearly 1,700 total violent crimes occurred in Portland, compared to just over 1,900 in 2019, a ccording to the Portland Police Department's 2020 Annual Report, released May 20.

Crimes categorized as murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, motor vehicle thefts, larceny, and burglary decreased last year. Arson increased by one.

David Singer, the Police Department media and community liaison, said via email May 20 that 2020 was also the first year in two decades that Portland did not see a single homicide.

Women, however, were victims in 303 of the violent crimes that occurred last year, while men were victims in 258.

The 18-29 age demographic has accounted for the most victims of violent crimes in Portland since 2016.

"With businesses closed, people confined to their homes, and other factors from the pandemic, typical crime incidents dropped," Singer said.

Two disturbing violent crimes against women took place in the city earlier this month.

On May 5 at approximately 9:40 p.m., a woman was walking on Gray Street in the West End and talking on the phone when she was punched several times in the face and head by an unknown male assailant, according to a Police Department press release.

The woman said she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, and when she turned around the man punched her. She fell to the ground, but the perpetrator, described as a slim, white male about 5 feet 5 inches or 5 feet 6 inches tall, continued to punch her before leaving the scene.

The attack took place in the same area where women were approached last fall by a man in a car who attempted to pull them inside his vehicle, according to WMTW .

On May 13 at approximately 10:28 a.m., another assault occurred on Brighton Avenue. The woman who was allegedly attacked claimed transient Marcus Trusty hit her in the face before grabbing her throat, displaying a handgun, and threatening to shoot her, while both of them waited for a bus near Riverside Street.

Trusty was later booked at the Cumberland County Jail on charges of domestic violence assault, terrorizing, criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon, and illegal possession of a firearm by a felon, according to police.

Singer said via email on May 21 the two attacks are not believed to be related.

After the May 5 incident, police advised anyone walking alone in Portland to "take extra care to protect themself," which a press release said should include being alert, monitoring one's surroundings, and staying in "well-lit areas."

The area of the West End where the May 5 attack occurred is largely residential, and despite some street lights, is quite dark after sunset.

When asked May 20 if the Police Department is doing anything to try to prevent similar violent street crimes, Singer said any time there is an incident or an assault, officers give what he called "special attention" to those areas during their patrols.

Singer was unable to respond to a question about trends and data on violent street crime over the past five years. He said that information would require a Freedom of Access Act request.

Finding such street-crime-specific data would require the department's data technician to manually retrieve each report concerning a violent crime and identify where the crime took place, he said.

Singer also said since the May 5 attack, the Police Department's Community Policing Unit has been coordinating with groups in the West End and clubs around the city to set up rape aggression defense training. Visit the city of Portland website to sign up; there is a $30 registration fee that goes to the Amy St. Laurent Foundation, a nonprofit established in honor of Amy St. Laurent, a 25-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted and murdered in 2001.

Although several nonprofits exist to help women leave domestic violence situations or heal after sexual assault, no grassroots organizations seem to exist to help prevent or respond to random street attacks on women in Portland.

Several cities and universities around the country, including the University of Maine , have installed emergency Blue Light towers , which allow people to hit a button and have authorities called immediately if attacked in areas such as parking lots or desolate streets. But Portland officials have never considered implementing such a system.

Rebecca Hobbs, executive director of Through These Doors , a resource center for domestic violence victims in Cumberland County, said her organization is primarily focused on intimate partner violence.

While the Through These Doors helpline is "never a bad resource" for someone who has experienced a random attack and could help them talk through their feelings, Hobbs said, "full-on stranger violence" is not part of her group's mission.

"As a woman in the world taking extra precautions as most of us do, feeling extra vulnerability and exposure because of our gender is something we talk about," Hobbs said. "But it isn't something I'd say 'definitely call us because we'll help you.'"

Singer said people should contact authorities if they feel threatened.

"Call 911 as soon as you feel that you may be in danger, whether that's someone following you or acting suspicious, or issuing threats (to you)" he said. "Our patrol officers' beats are set up so they can respond within minutes to a call from dispatch."

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Women in Portland continue to be targets as overall crime declines

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advertisement Despite a decline in the number of violent crimes in Portland last year, more women than men were victims of criminal violence in the city for the third year in a row. In 2020, nearly 1,700 total violent crimes occurred in Portland, compared to just over 1,900 in 2019, a ccording to the Portland Police Department's 2020 Annual Report, released May 20.

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Today, March 24, is Equal Pay Day, a date that changes each year based on the annual gap in earnings between women and men in the U.S. It "symbolizes how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year," according to National Committee on Pay Equity.

The shortfall is even more striking for Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other women of color, who must work through July to match what white men earned the prior year, according to a report by AAUW.

The most recent data from 2019, shows that Oregon women working full-time wage and salary jobs earned a median of $836 per week, 81.6% of the $1,024 median of Oregon men according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state was right in line with the U.S. overall with a ratio of 81.5% but trails 18 other states and the District of Columbia, which had the highest pay ratio of 90.7%. In neighboring California, the rate was 89% while Washington was below Oregon at 78.2%, likely due to its large number of high-paying tech jobs in which men outnumber women.

Nationally, the women's pay ratio has hovered between 80.2% and 82.5% since 2009 while Oregon's rose from 76.8% in 2009 to 86.5% in 2016 before falling back to the U.S. level. Longer-term, the ratio has improved from the low 70s in the late 1990s to where it stands today. Yet a stubborn gap remains.

One reason is "the sorts of jobs that women and men work are different," noted Amar Mann, branch chief of the BLS in San Francisco. "Generally, men are represented in larger numbers in three higher-paying industries: finance, high tech and oil and gas extraction. So, if we take those three in particular, you're going to find that the percentage of men is higher."

BLS economist Matthew Insco, added that the occupation mix for women includes more lower-paying jobs.

"We can see a higher percentage of women in office and administrative support occupations compared to men, and same with service occupations (that are) typically lower paying, so that will help explain that overall ratio."

Differences such as educational attainment, age, parenting and years in the workforce also influence the pay ratio, as it doesn't compare workers within the same occupation and tenure.

The pandemic had a devastating impact on women in the workforce, as they lost jobs and income at a higher rate and were forced to take on child and elder care much more often than men.

Yet, the effect on the wage gap might be surprising. Many of the layoffs were lower-paid jobs in restaurants, hospitality and schools, leaving higher-paid women in the workforce and raising median pay.

"It's counterintuitive," said Mann, "but the loss of lower-paying jobs could actually lead to this ratio for women's and men's earnings becoming more on a par with each other."

A similar thing happened during the Great Recession when a lot of lower-paid men lost jobs, raising men's median earnings more than women's and pushing down the pay ratio.

That's not to say that the answer to pay equity is by eliminating low-wage jobs. A greater proportion of women entering STEM, high-tech and advanced medical careers is a more promising development, noted Mann.

Rising earnings in general could also improve the situation. Oregon and all but two of the top 20 states for women's pay ratios in 2019 had state minimum wages above the federal level. The BLS economists agreed that, while there isn't a direct correlation, a higher minimum wage could boost women's earnings more than men's given that women make up a majority of many jobs subject to the minimum wage, such as leisure and hospitality, retail and administrative support.

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Data Bank: gender pay gap improves little in Oregon or nationally according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data - Portland Business Journal

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Women in Oregon, like the rest of the nation, continues to earn about 82 cents on the dollar of what men earn, and it's much worse for women of color. Opportunities for women in STEM careers along with rising wages overall might improve parity.

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https://www.aauwpdx.org/websites-of-interest.html

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A list of some of our favorite organization's websites that promote leadership, education, social justice, gender equality, fair pay and public policy that is important to women.

The AAUW (American Association of University Women) branches in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area established this IBC for sharing ideas, interests and activities.mission: To advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy.
AAUW of Oregon website﻿﻿ - news and updates from Oregon AAUW.

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National AAUW website﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿ -
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﻿﻿ - Quickly and easily have your voice heard by Congress on important issues.​

Our strategic plan focuses on three areas: Education & Training, Economic Security, and Leadership.

​ Advance Gender Equity in the Arts - a social justice organization that advances equity for women across the lifespan in theatre through direct incentives, advocacy, and community engagement .

- award-winning women's leadership development program housed at the Center for Women's Leadership at Portland State University.
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League of Women Voters of Portland - mission: encourage informed and active participation in government, and influence public policy through education and advocacy.

Oregon Commission for Women- mission: work for the implementation and establishment of economic, social, legal, and political equality for women and to maintain a continuing assessment of the issues and needs confronting women in Oregon.

Oregon Women in Higher Education (OWHE)​ - facilitate meaningful connection, personal growth, professional advancement, and systemic change for all Oregon women in higher education.

PSU Women's Resource Center - advocates for the best educational and campus experience for all members of our community by advancing social justice and by working towards a safe and healthy campus.

- enriches lives and strengthens our region through support of education at PCC.
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Saturday Academy - Saturday Academy provides wide access to hands-on learning for diverse students in grades 2-12 in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and the Arts. Our Branch is a supporter of Saturday Academy and provides volunteers to help with their classes for young girls as part of our STEM initiative.

Vision 2020 - a national coalition of organizations (including AAUW) and individuals united in the commitment to achieve women's economic and social equality.
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Women's Foundation of Oregon mission: focus the power of women's collective resources to improve the lives of women and girls throughout Oregon.

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A list of some of our favorite organization's websites that promote leadership, education, social justice, gender equality, fair pay and public policy that is important to women. The AAUW (American Association of University Women) branches in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area established this IBC for sharing ideas, interests and activities.mission: To advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy.

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Opinion: Now that guns can kill hundreds in minutes, Supreme Court should rethink the rights question

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This fall, the US Supreme Court will decide New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Kevin Bruen, a case that may result in vastly expanded rights to carry firearms in public. In doing so, the Court will need to grapple with a key question that, until now, has been left unanswered in the Secon…

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https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/business/pension-finance-oregon.html

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Klamath Falls, Ore., which faced a $600,000 increase in its latest bill for the state pension fund, has had to cut back on street and bridge repairs. Credit... Leah Nash for The New York Times

Governments are struggling as mounting pension obligations crowd out the rest of their budgets. Oregon faces a severe, self-inflicted crisis.

Klamath Falls, Ore., which faced a $600,000 increase in its latest bill for the state pension fund, has had to cut back on street and bridge repairs. Credit... Leah Nash for The New York Times

A public university president in Oregon gives new meaning to the idea of a pensioner.

Joseph Robertson, an eye surgeon who retired as head of the Oregon Health & Science University last fall, receives the state's largest government pension.

It is $76,111.

Per month.

That is considerably more than the average Oregon family earns in a year.

Oregon - like many other states and cities, including New Jersey, Kentucky and Connecticut - is caught in a fiscal squeeze of its own making. Its economy is growing, but the cost of its state-run pension system is growing faster. More government workers are retiring, including more than 2,000, like Dr. Robertson, who get pensions exceeding $100,000 a year.

The state is not the most profligate pension payer in America, but its spiraling costs are notable in part because Oregon enjoys a reputation for fiscal discipline. Its experience shows how faulty financial decisions by states can eventually swamp local communities.

Oregon's costs are inflated by the way in which it calculates pension benefits for public employees. Some of the pensions include income that employees earned on the side. Other retirees benefit from long-ago stock market rallies that inflated the current value of their payouts.

For example, the pension for Mike Bellotti, the University of Oregon's head football coach from 1995 to 2008, includes not just his salary but also money from licensing deals and endorsements that the Ducks' athletic program generated. Mr. Bellotti's pension is more than $46,000 a month.

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"You get to the point where you can no longer do more with less - you just have to do less with less," Nathan Cherpeski, the manager of Klamath Falls, said. Credit... Leah Nash for The New York Times

The bill is borne by taxpayers. Oregon's Public Employees Retirement System has told cities, counties, school districts and other local entities to contribute more to keep the system afloat. They can neither negotiate nor raise local taxes fast enough to keep up. As a result, pensions are crowding out other spending. Essential services are slashed.

"You get to the point where you can no longer do more with less - you just have to do less with less," said Nathan Cherpeski, the manager of Klamath Falls, a city of about 21,000 in south-central Oregon.

Klamath Falls's most recent biennial bill from the pension system, known as PERS, was $600,000 more than the one before. PERS has warned that the bills will keep rising. Mr. Cherpeski has had to cut back on repairing streets and bridges.

Even as the American economy is humming, many states and cities are still hurting from the 2008 financial meltdown. The crash hammered their pension funds and tax revenues, but didn't reduce the amounts they owe retirees.

It wasn't until 2016 that average state tax collections returned to pre-2008 levels. In the meantime, states and cities have had to rebuild pension funds to cover the rising numbers of retirees drawing benefits. That has left less money for the police, school sports programs and everything else. Local residents might not know why, but they are paying more taxes and getting scantier services in return.

Costs are rising even in places that previously acted to defuse the problem. Colorado trimmed pensions in 2010, but a new $32 billion shortfall means more pension cuts and tax increases are likely. Detroit sliced its pension obligations in bankruptcy and persuaded philanthropists to chip in, but it is not clear that the city has an affordable plan.

In San Francisco, the school board wants voters to approve a $298 "parcel tax" on real estate, ostensibly to raise $50 million to pay teachers a living wage.

"That's a worthy objective, but it's not the real reason," said David Crane, a former trustee of the California teachers' pension system. He said the school district's retirement costs had grown by $50 million over the last five years, devouring resources that would have gone to teachers.

Oregon is a blue state, but in its restive red hinterlands, tax increases are politically off limits and financial distress has been severe since 1994, when logging was curtailed to save an endangered owl. Lately, things have been getting even worse.

When a man was reported yelling and firing his gun on the property of a school in rural Josephine County, it took two hours for a sheriff's deputy to arrive, said Kate Dwyer, chairwoman of the board for the Three Rivers School District.

The county has cut sheriff patrols, closed its mental health department and kept its jail at less than half capacity because of a lack of guards.

Dave Valenzuela, the Three Rivers school superintendent, traces the latest woes directly to PERS. The system is run at the state level, but it is bankrolled in large part by obligatory contributions from local governments.

This year, Three Rivers was poised to receive its first increase in state education funding in years, a reflection of growing enrollment. But Oregon raised by more than 50 percent the amount that Three Rivers had to contribute to PERS. So Mr. Valenzuela had to lop five days off the school year, ask each school to cut its budget by 10 percent and lay off the district librarian and English specialist.

PERS sets the pension bill for each entity - local government, university system and the like - based on the pay and demographics of its workers. Just about everyone's bills are getting bigger.

Even prosperous communities are being pinched. The Beaverton School District, outside Portland, had to get rid of 75 teachers last year when its mandatory pension contribution rose by $14 million. That was after shedding 340 teachers in 2012.

"I have town hall meetings, and the parents are just confounded by this," said Mark Hass, a Democratic state senator from Beaverton.

Oregon's unusual method for calculating pensions tends to generate lavish payouts.

For decades, PERS calculated pensions two different ways, and retirees could choose whichever produced the bigger numbers.

The first way was similar to what most states do, basing pensions on each worker's final salary and years of service. But Oregon's lawmakers included a golden touch, redefining "salary" to include remuneration from any source.

That was how Mr. Bellotti, the former football coach, came to be the state's third-highest-paid pensioner, at roughly $559,000 a year.

When he retired in 2010 as the university's athletic director, the standard pension formula was applied to his salary, plus a share of the outside licensing fees and product endorsements the football program brings in. (His pension details, along with those of other retirees in the system, were first obtained in 2011 from PERS by two newspapers, The Oregonian and The Statesman Journal.)

Mr. Bellotti said he never asked for a supersize pension. In 1995, he said, the university started to include a percentage of all endorsement and licensing fees in coaches' salaries.

"It was basically to augment the university's ability to pay a competitive salary to its coaching staff," he said.

When Mr. Bellotti retired, he was partway through a five-year, $1.9 million-a-year contract, which he said was still below the league average of about $3 million.

PERS made up for it with a big pension. "It was pay later as opposed to paying now," he said.

Dr. Robertson, the former Oregon Health & Science University president, said he had retired and started drawing his pension last fall, after learning he had multiple sclerosis. He said he agreed to stay on through the end of the academic year, without pay, "for the sake of continuity."

A spokeswoman for the medical center said Dr. Robertson's pension was based on his salary, incentive payments, clinical pay and unused sick or vacation time.

Oregon's second way of calculating pensions dates back to 1946: For decades, every public worker got a simulated tracking account. It was credited with 6 percent of each paycheck, then left to compound at a predetermined rate.

In the early years, a low rate was used because the pension system invested in bonds that didn't yield much.

But in the 1970s, lawmakers started nudging the rate up, eventually to 8 percent. Then, the system's trustees decided 8 percent should be a guaranteed minimum. In years when markets produced higher returns, the accounts compounded at those rates, after money-management fees. During the 1990s bull market, accounts compounded by up to 21 percent a year.

When workers retired, their employers were required to "match" the account balances, doubling them. Then PERS would base the pensions on the total.

Randall Pozdena, an economist who supervised the pension system's investments in the 1990s, gave speeches warning that the situation was unsustainable.

"The only way you're going to get out of this is if the state is hit by a golden asteroid from Planet Tiffany," he recalled saying.

But efforts to change the system, including a 1994 ballot initiative, were blocked by the State Supreme Court, which ruled that accruals could not be reduced during any public worker's career.

So, when lawmakers required government retirees to pay Oregon's 9 percent income tax, as everybody else did, they also increased pensions by 9.89 percent, giving retirees extra money to pay the tax with.

"It's an affront to everybody who pays taxes," said Bruce Dennis, a retired carpenter from outside Portland who earned a $54,000-a-year pension by swinging a hammer for 45 years. No one gives him extra money to cover his taxes.

"At every step of the way, they've made decisions that went against the interests of the public," he said.

Starting in 2003, the tracking accounts were phased out. But workers who already had the accounts were allowed to keep them. New hires got a more modest retirement plan.

"The cost of this pension system is not caused by the people we are hiring today," said Steven Rodeman, executive director of the Public Employees Retirement System. "This is a legacy problem from the 1980s and 1990s."

For workers with the tracking accounts, PERS dialed back the annual returns to 8 percent, then to 7.5 percent in 2016. That is still more than what PERS's investments have generated over the last decade. And so the pension fund's financial hole continues to deepen.

Across Oregon, local officials have been told to brace for 15 to 20 more years of rising pension bills. That's when the current generation of retirees will start dying out.

"All we can do is wait," said Jay Meredith, finance director of Grants Pass, the seat of Josephine County.

In the meantime, mounting pension costs mean that a generation of schoolchildren is growing up in the area with no theater program, no orchestra, no wood shop and minimal sports, chorus and art.

That's if they can get to school.

A county road recently washed out, stranding 300 people. Ms. Dwyer, of the Three Rivers School District, reported the problem to a public-works official.

She recalled his response: "I have trucks, but I can't put gas in them to come to you and dig it out."

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A $76,000 Monthly Pension: Why States and Cities Are Short on Cash

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Governments are struggling as mounting pension obligations crowd out the rest of their budgets. Oregon faces a severe, self-inflicted crisis. Klamath Falls, Ore., which faced a $600,000 increase in its latest bill for the state pension fund, has had to cut back on street and bridge repairs. Credit...