Legislature To Introduce Small Donor Bill
Lawmakers will introduce a bill next month that aims to empower small donors in Oregon elections. Under House Bill 4076, known as the Small Donor Elections bill, state legislative candidates would agree only to accept donations of 250-dollars or less. In exchange, the donations would be matched six-to-one through limited public funds. That means a 10-dollar donation would be worth 70 dollars. Kate Titus, who heads the government accountability group Common Cause of Oregon, says candidates could shift their focus away from big political donors with this bill. But she notes cost is a hurdle.
“The cost, I think, has kept us from putting this reform in place in more places. But really it’s a bargain to use small amounts of public funds strategically in this way, so that we can own the election system ourselves and not let it be bought and paid for by special interests.”
Cities around the country have adopted small-donor public-financing systems for elections, including Portland in 2016. In Oregon, the bill has gained support from groups that represent people of color, women, and the L-G-B-T-Q community, among others. Jenny Lee with the Coalition of Communities of Color says Oregon is becoming more diverse, yet that isn’t reflected in the composition of the Legislature. She says candidates of color often struggle from their lack of connections with wealthy donors, and thinks this bill is a way for candidates to bridge the wealth gap
“This is a way to mitigate the impact of income inequality and racial inequities in our economic system, in our democracy. Someone’s voice should not receive less attention simply because they don’t benefit from this wealth.”
Titus says an astronomical amount of money has flowed into recent elections, in large part because of the Citizen’s United decision. The trend also comes as economic inequality grows across the country. Titus says this bill attempts to put electoral power back into the hands of ordinary citizens. Oregon’s legislative session begins February 5th.
Crash Closes 126
A three vehicle crash closed down highway 126 on Friday evening. The wreck occurred around 7:45 pm and caused a rerouting of traffic and about a 2 hour delay. There are also reports of a fatality in the crash. The wreck occurred at milepost 19 west of the tunnel. There have been no official reports on the cause of the accident, the vehicles involved or names of and victims.
Scammers At It Again
Scammers are trying new ways to get your personal information according to the Lane County Sheriff’s office. Callers posing as cable providers or your insurance carrier are claiming an issue with your bill and then ask for your personal information to help to clear it up. They will often ask for full name, maiden name, banking information, social security number and even names and numbers of family members. The Lane County Sheriff’s department says it is important to talk openly in the community about such calls and try to inform as many people as possible. If you have given any information to any of these callers you are asked to call local law enforcement and report it.
Underwater Bridge Work
Crew are continuing to install the underwater cable system for the Siuslaw River Bridge. ODOT says headway is being made daily but boaters on the river should be alert and stay clear of the work area. The work is expected to continue through mid February. In addition there may also be short delays on the bridge as crews continue to work on railings.
Parks Advisory Vacancy
The Lane County Board of Commissioners is looking to fill a vacancy in the Parks Advisory Committee. Applications can be submitted up to February 25th. The committee advises the board on issues involving county parks as it pertains to residents and visitors and current and future park plans and needs. Applications and more information can be found at Lane County dot org.