Oregon Politics & News
Oregon politics from The Daily Signal, examining progressive policies in Portland, rural county concerns, drug decriminalization debates, and the stark political divisions shaping the state.
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Oregon Man Fined $500 for Challenging Timing on Red-Light Cameras
Mats Jarlstrom’s trouble all began with a red-light camera. In April 2013, Jarlstrom’s wife, Laurie, received a ticket after driving her Volkswagen through an intersection in Beaverton, Oregon, that was equipped with a traffic camera. His wife paid the fine, but the timing of the traffic lights at the intersection piqued Jarlstrom’s interest, so he…Paul Runko -
Oregon Official Who Shut Down Sweet Cakes Loses Election Bid to a Republican
The Oregon official who ordered the former owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa to pay $135,000 in damages for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding lost to a Republican in his bid for Oregon secretary of state. Brad Avakian, commissioner of the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and a staunch Democrat,…Kelsey Bolar -
Oregon Bakers’ Legal Battle Continues, as Same-Sex Couple Speaks Out
Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Oregon bakers who refused to make a cake for the wedding of two women, filed new documents Thursday with the Oregon Court of Appeals in response to the same-sex couple’s arguments that the Kleins had no legal right to refuse them service. “We are hopeful that these judges will understand that…Kelsey Bolar -
Oregon Bakers Continue Legal Fight, Challenging ‘Gag Order’
The Oregon bakers who were ordered to pay $135,000 for refusing to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding filed a brief with the Oregon Court of Appeals on Monday, arguing the ruling against them was biased and violates both the Oregon and U.S. constitutions. “In America, you’re innocent until proven guilty,” said Kelly Shackelford,…Kelsey Bolar -
How Oregon’s $14.50 Minimum Wage Will Hurt Those It’s Supposed to Help
Good intentions can produce terrible results. Recently the Oregon legislature passed an unprecedented minimum wage hike in effort to help workers within their state, but the legislation will hurt the workers it’s supposed to help. By 2022, the state’s minimum wage will rise to $14.50/hour in the Portland area, $12.50/hour in rural areas, and $13.25/hour…James Sherk -
Oregon Bakers Get New Legal Representation From Former H.W. Bush White House Counsel
Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Oregon bakers who were ordered to pay $135,000 for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, have assembled a new legal team to take their case through the appeals process. The Kleins are now being represented by attorneys at First Liberty, a law firm that specializes in…Kelsey Bolar -
Business Leader Predicts Oregon Will Lose 62,700 Jobs Due to Minimum Wage Hike
Oregon state legislators, acting despite the concerns of business groups, have passed a geographically based increase in the minimum wage. Two of the state’s business leaders, speaking to The Daily Signal, say they’re worried about what comes next. Jason Brandt, president and CEO of the Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association, said he expects “significant, unintended consequences,” adding: We are…Leah Jessen -
Conservatives Hoping to Reduce Prison Terms Say Oregon Ranchers Are a Reason Why
Conservatives pushing for easing mandatory minimum prison sentences are using an unlikely selling point to their instinctively tough-on-crime colleagues: the story of Oregon ranchers whose terms of incarceration sparked the armed occupation of a federal wildlife refuge. Federal law required ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond to be given five years in prison for starting fires…Josh Siegel -
Conservatives Agree Standoff in Oregon Elevates Debate on Federal Land Ownership
As protesters continue to engage in a standoff against the government at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, conservatives agree the events have elevated the debate over federal land ownership. But lawmakers stop short of endorsing the actions of the protesters occupying a federal building located south of Burns, Ore. “It’s brought attention to a problem…Melissa Quinn -
22 Tweets About the Occupiers of the Oregon Wildlife Refuge
As armed, anti-government protesters continued to occupy a remote wildlife refuge in Oregon, Twitter had no shortage of commentators assessing the situation. “If you’re occupying with guns, it’s terrorism,” one observer tweeted. “Unless you’re left-wing, then it’s ‘social justice,’” another offered. The group, called Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, said it was protesting to protect land rights and oppose the…Leah Jessen -
Why Federal Law Enforcement Is Taking a ‘Wait and See’ Approach to the Oregon Protesters
Americans remembering the deadly confrontations at Waco, Texas, and Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in the early 1990s are likely to see a different response from law enforcement officers monitoring protesters at a federal building in Oregon, former federal officials say. On Saturday, a group of militants took over an empty building on the Malheur National Wildlife…Melissa Quinn -
Oregon Bakers Pay $135K Fine After Refusing to Bake Cake for Lesbian Wedding
The Oregon bakers who refused to bake a same-sex couple’s wedding cake have paid over $135,000 in fines. Aaron and Melissa Klein, former owners of Portland-area Sweet Cakes by Melissa, paid state-ordered damage fees and interest totaling $136,927.07 to the Bureau of Labor and Industries on Monday, reported KOIN 6 News. The bureau “was attempting…Leah Jessen -
Oregon Bakers Read Mean Tweets
Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Oregon bakers who were ordered to pay $135,000 for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding, are no strangers to online backlash. https://twitter.com/PoliticalRiff/status/632216048536678404 On Twitter, Facebook and other social media, critics comment regularly on the Kleins’ story, calling them “bigots” and “homophobes” for abiding by their biblical belief that marriage is…Kelsey Bolar -
Oregon County Passes Initiative Allowing Sheriff to Void Gun Control Laws If He Thinks They’re Unconstitutional
Nearly a month after a tragic mass shooting shook Umpqua Community College, a rural Oregon county roughly two hours west of the school passed a measure directing the sheriff to bypass state and federal gun laws if he judges them unconstitutional. Coos County residents smoothly approved the Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance on Tuesday with more than…Natalie Johnson -
NY Times Report: Number of Oregon Natives Want Guns After Massacre
The tragedy at Umpqua Community College in Oregon has reignited the national gun debate. Unlike President Barack Obama, who called for stricter gun control, The New York Times reports that many residents of Roseburg, Ore., “want to have a gun.” Passion and tension have gripped the nation as Americans fight for what they believe would be…Sara Jones -
Combat Veteran Stands Up to Oregon Shooter, Survives Seven Bullets
North Carolina native Chris Mintz has emerged as a hero after yesterday’s tragic shooting at Umpqua Community College in Oregon. Mintz, who spent ten years with the U.S. Army including an overseas deployment, reportedly ran toward the gunfire to help other students get to safety. Mintz, 30, then allegedly stood up to shooter Chris Harper Mercer…Leah Jessen -
Oregon Judge Who Won’t Officiate Gay Weddings Fights to Keep His Job
>>> Update adds judge's comments in televised interview. An Oregon judge is fighting an investigative panel’s accusation that by declining to perform same-sex weddings on religious grounds, he violated both the state’s constitution and code of conduct for judges. This and other allegations could result in the judge’s suspension or removal from office. However, a close…Ken McIntyre -
These 10 LGBTQ Organizations Are About to Receive a Special Delivery From the Oregon Bakers
The Oregon bakers who were ordered by the state to pay $135,000 for refusing to make a cake for a same-sex wedding have designed and baked custom cakes to send to a handful of the most powerful LGBTQ advocacy groups along the West Coast, The Daily Signal has exclusively learned. The effort is an attempt…Kelsey Bolar -
Oregon’s War on the Christian Bakers’ Free Speech
My parents immigrated to the United States in 1951, after surviving the tyranny of Nazi Germany and Soviet Communism. It never would have occurred to them that any American, such as Aaron and Melissa Klein of Oregon, would have their freedom to speak, their right to live their lives according to their religious beliefs and…Hans von Spakovsky -
Oregon Becomes First State to Try Taxing Drivers By Miles They Drive
Last week, Oregon became the first state in the U.S. to give drivers the option to be taxed by the mile instead of by the fuel they use. The idea is that as cars become more fuel efficient, drivers spend less money on gas, resulting in less money for the Oregon Department of Transportation to…Chelsea Scism