Donate by Midnight Tomorrow & Double Your Impact
Indivisible National’s match program ends at midnight tomorrow, May 31. If you’ve been meaning to make a donation to A4D, now is the time to do it. Donate here and the amount you give will be doubled. With your contribution, we’ll be able to do more and double our activism!
It’s Time the GOP Gets Back to Work
Oregon’s Republican senators are still AWOL, and more than 100 bills as well as the state budget are dying a slow death in Salem. The legislative session ends June 25, with GOP legislators not planning to return to work until then, according to the latest report.
That means there won’t be enough time to pass laws to address water and wildfire management, reproductive rights, universal health care, ghost guns, broadband funding, and more (check COIN-supported legislation in suspense here). It also means that the current crop of GOP senators won’t be able to run for re-election.
COIN’s next COINversation on Tuesday, June 6, will feature several legislators. Further details in next week’s newsletter.
Campaign Finance Reform
Yet again, it appears, the Oregon legislature will fail to enact campaign finance reform (CFR), despite overwhelming support among Oregon voters.
Consequently, a coalition of good government groups led by Honest Elections Oregon, the League of Women Voters of Oregon, OSPIRG, and Common Cause has developed two ballot measures to take to the voters in 2024:
Initiative Petition 8 proposes a constitutional amendment that stipulates the legislature can only change voter-approved CFR laws if the changes are approved by a 3/4 majority in both chambers. This prevents the legislature from ignoring voter-approved ballot measures by a simple majority vote, as is currently the case.
Initiative Petition 9 would impose limits on campaign contributions and tighten current requirements related to the disclosure of the contributions. A more detailed summary may be found here.
The process of gathering signatures for the two petitions is beginning now. A minimum of 120,000 valid signatures is needed for each petition to get it on the ballot. If you’d like to help with the effort, please contact A4D and COIN’s Bill Vollmer at cyclinguybill@gmail.com. Bill will follow up with more information on how the process works and how to receive training.
Getting a handle on CFR is a crucial first step in electing a legislature that is more responsive to the wishes of voters rather than to monied special interests.
Tell the Truth, Cliff & Lori!
The Bentz Accountability Team (BAT) and the DeRemer Accountability Team (DRAT) hold Oregon’s MAGA representatives accountable. This week the BAT/DRAT message addresses why the two representatives should support the budget deal proposed by President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Though details of the deal are still emerging, it seems President Biden was able to protect Democrats’ core priorities.
Post the message on Twitter by using the hashtags #TellTheThruthLori and #Unrepresentative. On Facebook, go to Tell The Truth Lori. You can also sign up to receive the week’s message directly in your inbox.
Join A4D's Steering Committee
A4D’s Steering Committee is looking for new team members to assume the roles of treasurer, social media manager, and event coordinator. Expect to spend between five to nine hours per month, with the nine-hour maximum occurring at most twice a year.
If you join the convivial leadership team, you will find yourself supported by a group of dedicated activists who are unified and inspired by the potential of consolidated effort.
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