Oregon | October 31, 2021
Portland first in nation to offer bereavement leave for employees who get an abortion
Oregon | October 31, 2021
Pro-choice activists are celebrating an amendment to Portland’s bereavement leave policy that has made it the first local government in the United States to give paid time off to public employees after an abortion. One pro-life group is calling it an unwitting acknowledgment of the loss of life.
The new policy allows public employees to take up to three days of bereavement leave for an abortion or a miscarriage, stillbirth or any other type of pregnancy loss, “irrespective of whether deemed medically necessary,” Oregon Public Broadcasting reported…. (Excerpts from the Christian Post)
Oregon | October 20, 2021
Portland legalized rioting, and you’ll never guess what happened next
Oregon | October 20, 2021
As the city of Portland has seen frequent violent riots, Oregon state legislators have identified a solution: Let them riot.
That solution was put into practice in the city recently as police officers stood by and watched rioters cause more than $500,000 worth of damages to banks, stores, coffee shops, and government buildings. Police officers weren’t caught off guard either. The riot was organized by the mother of an “Antifa anarchist” who had been struck and killed by a car in 2019. She proudly declared on Twitter that it would be a “night of rage and anger” and “not a peaceful event.”
But no amount of forewarning mattered. That’s because the Oregon Legislature passed a law that restricts the use of pepper spray, tear gas, and incapacitating projectiles. Because officers don’t have clarity on the law, they are adhering to the most restrictive interpretation. That means that officers stood by and watched as the mob of rioters tore through the city, with the most resistance coming when officers urged the rioters to disperse over a loudspeaker.
Again, this is what Portland has asked for. This bill was passed by a Democrat-run Legislature, with meager Republican opposition in the state Senate. It was passed because Democratic officials in both the city and the state care more about protecting rioters than they do about preventing riots….. (Excerpts from the Washington Examiner)
Oregon | October 6, 2021
Breaking: OR Senators Filed Grand Jury Petition into CDC’s Willful Misconduct to Hyperinflate COVID-19 Data
Oregon | October 6, 2021
Oregon State Senators Kim Thatcher and Dennis Linthicum jointly filed a formal petition for a federal grand jury investigation into both the CDC and FDA on August 16th in the city of Medford, Oregon, Jackson County. The official letter included eight exhibits and 20 references for evidentiary materials showing a clear need to formally investigate the agencies for willful misconduct.
In March 2020, according to a paper published in the journal Science, Public Health Policy, and The Law, the CDC abruptly changed how death certificates were recorded for only one type of death—COVID-19—and circumvented multiple federal laws to do so. This hyperinflation of death certificate reporting kicked off an avalanche of data degradation and destructive public health policies.
Now, two Oregon Senators have broken their silence in an exclusive briefing about their letter and the petition calling for a thorough investigation. The project has been a months-in-the-making combined effort between scientific, legal and public policy experts.
The letter, submitted exactly one month prior to public release to protect those involved, was addressed to the Honorable Scott E. Asphaug, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, which stated:
“What we have learned is worthy of independent State and/or Special Federal Grand Jury Investigation from our vantage point as elected state policy makers. Pursuant to 18 U.S. Code § 3332 – Powers and Duties and the case law cited within the Formal Grand Jury Petition, we respectfully request that the petition and preliminary supportive documentation be presented to the members of the grand jury we are petitioning for immediate deliberation. Public trust in elected officials, the Oregon Health Authority, and our ability to lead the resilient people of Oregon through this crisis has been eroded to an all-time low. The peoples’ trust in their ability to participate in their own governance and be heard by their elected officials is perhaps the most essential element for a thriving free and healthy society. As elected officials it is our sworn duty to uphold the Constitution of the United States, the Constitution of Oregon, the tenets of Informed Consent, and honor our legal obligation to comply with 18 U.S. Code § 4 – Misprision of felony. We are fulfilling our duty by calling for a Special Federal Grand Jury Investigation, or at the very least an independent state district-led grand jury investigation convened by a judge, into the issues and evidentiary materials presented.”…(Excerpts from Stand for Health Reform)
Oregon | September 13, 2021
5 Minute Plus Wait-Time for 911 Calls in Portland Amid Staff Shortages, Efforts to Defund Police
Oregon | September 13, 2021
Portland residents calling 911 to report emergencies are facing a “dramatic increase” in hold times, with officials saying that the system has become “unmanageable” and is “broken.”
According to The Oregonian, people dialing 911 are often left waiting over two minutes for their call to be answered, far longer than the national standard of 15 to 20 seconds.
People calling 911 to report a Sept. 4 shootout at a Pearl District restaurant and other emergencies in the following half-hour waited an average of more than 7.5 minutes before a dispatcher answered, The Oregonian reported, adding that this was just “the latest example of serious problems plaguing the city’s emergency dispatch system.”… (Excerpts from the Epoch Times)
Oregon | August 26, 2021
Refund the police: Cities backtrack on 2020 clarion call amid crime spikes
Oregon | August 26, 2021
Some cities that came under pressure to slash law enforcement funding last year are quietly adding money back to their police department budgets as crime increases nationwide.
“Defund the police” became a rallying cry among activists in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd — but in 2021, the movement has become politically toxic, with polls revealing low public support for the idea and violence growing in most U.S. cities.
City leaders who once embraced the idea of reducing law enforcement budgets are now considering padding them with more resources next fiscal year to address concerns such as officer shortfalls, crime statistics, and shifting public opinion.
In Portland, Oregon, Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler said last week that he would work with Portland Police Bureau leadership on a plan to put resources behind attracting more officers to its shrinking force.
AT LEAST 44 SHOT AND SEVEN KILLED IN WEEKEND VIOLENCE ACROSS CHICAGO
The bureau was operating with 67 fewer sworn police personnel than authorized in 2020, according to a report police leaders presented to the city council last week. Portland’s police chief told city officials his force needs to hire hundreds of additional officers to meet the demands of a city with rising crime.
City councilors moved to slash $15 million from the police bureau’s budget last year.
In Seattle, violence has proliferated in the months since the city council voted to cut funding from its police department in 2020… (Excerpts from the Washington Examiner)
Oregon | August 16, 2021
Oregon Progressives Lower Academic Expectations for Minority Students in Name of ‘Equity’
Oregon | August 16, 2021
Last month, Democratic Gov. Kate Brown quietly signed a bill suspending high school graduation proficiency standards in reading, writing, and math.
Oregon’s high school graduation rate is on the rise. But maybe not for the right reasons.
The onset of the coronavirus pandemic prompted state guidelines that essentially mandated a no-fail policy for high school seniors whose course work became remote during the latter half of the 2020 school year. Now, state graduation rates will likely remain artificially inflated, thanks to a new law that will allow Oregon students to get their diplomas without proving proficiency in core academic skills.
Last month, Democratic Gov. Kate Brown quietly signed Senate Bill 744 into law, suspending proficiency requirements in reading, writing, and math for high school students on track to graduate for at least the next five years.
A spokesperson for the governor said suspending the standards will allow the state to develop new criteria for graduation that will benefit “Oregon’s Black, Latino, Latina, Latinx, Indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, Tribal, and students of color.”.. (Excerpts from Virginia Star)