From today’s issue of Numlock News by Walt Hickey…

Coffee as a commodity is inherently volatile, but the past ten years have been particularly bad for coffee farmers. Right now, coffee sells at $0.89 per pound, which is down from a peak of $2.20 per pound in 2015, a 60 percent drop that has devastated coffee farmers, who since 2017 have operated at a loss. Guatemala is a major producer of coffee, with 120,000 small-scale coffee farmers facing an increasingly desperate market situation, with the national coffee association estimating production costs per pound to be $1.93. This, in turn, is fueling the surge of migrants leaving Guatemala for better opportunities, so much so that the country is now the single largest source of migrants apprehended at the U.S. border.

Kevin Seiff, The Washington Post

UPDATE! May 23, 2019

Received today from Commissioner Morgan:

“Thank you for bringing this to our attention.  None of us knew this was on our website and could not determine who or when it was added.  The Board discussed and agreed it should be removed and it has been.

Lily Morgan, Commissioner
Board of County Commissioners
Josephine County

*********************

While looking for something else on the Josephine County website, I found this link on the County Commissioner’s page in the left bar: “A lifeline for Oregon’s Rural Forested Communities” . Click it. You will find a video of Greg Walden taking credit for the Secure Rural Schools funding.

Really?

Does this belong on a taxpayer funded website? It provides no information about the bill that provided the funding, which is the 2018 spending bill P.L. 115-141. Connected to it is House bill H.R.1625 – Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 – which Walden did NOT co-sponsor.

Here is also some information from the Forest Service Website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/pts

Do you object to this blatant politicking on your taxpayer funded County government website? Call and write the Commissioners. Ask them to remove that link!

Lily Morgan
Phone: (541) 474-5221
E-mail address: lmorgan@co.josephine.or.us

Darin Fowler
Phone: (541) 474-5221
E-mail address: dfowler@co.josephine.or.us

Dan DeYoung
Phone: (541) 474-5221
E-mail address:  ddeyoung@co.josephine.or.us

What do you think about the latest rounds of the far right anti-abortion tactics across the county? These bills are solely to get a case to the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade. Below is a link to an excellent editorial from the New York Times bringing the issue into focus.

Are you worried about your own access? Do you want to help those impacted? There is a link in this article to the Handbook for a Post-Roe America.

Let’s remember that if the far-right succeeds, after abortion becomes illegal, next up is birth control… have already had instances where businesses have the right to exclude from health insurance offered to employees.

Here are both links:

Editorial

https://postroehandbook.com/2019/05/09/information-about-abortion-practical-support-groups-by-region/

Senate Republicans Walk Off The Job, Refuse To Support Oregon Schools
Statement from Democratic Party of Oregon Chair KC Hanson 

“The only thing standing between Oregon students and a game-changing reinvestment in our schools today is the Senate Republican Caucus.

“Their insistence on blocking a vote on the Student Success Act is petty and disingenuous, and we will not let their disappearing act go unnoticed.

“Oregon voters spoke loud and clear in the most recent election by electing legislators that campaigned on reinvestments in our classrooms. Meanwhile the work of the Joint Committee on Student Success, traveling all over our state for the last year and a half, has ensured that we have a policy and a proposal that will do the greatest amount of good for the greatest number of students across our state.

“There has been plenty of time for input — now is the time for action. Our classrooms are in crisis. It’s time to vote.”

Democrats in Salem are hard at work negotiating a revenue package to fund an extra $2 billion investment to Oregon’s schools. The revenue coalition is asking supporters to contact their legislators to urge them to support the Student Success Act.

Here’s a helpful PDF summarizing the Student Success Act and how the investments will be distributed.

Some educators around the state are currently planning walkouts and actions on Wednesday, May 8th to call on lawmakers to fully fund schools and are watching these proceedings closely.
For more information about May 8th events in your community, go to www.may8forstudents.org

The House of Representatives will soon vote on the Save the Internet Act to restore net neutrality. But telecom lobbyists are trying to gut the bill with bad amendments that would allow ISPs to throttle traffic, censor content, and impose unfair fees. Tell Congress to pass the Save the Internet Act with no bad amendments before the final House vote.

https://www.battleforthenet.com/#watch

Greetings —

Below is the latest update on DPO priorities. A very important deadline looms Tuesday, April 9th — this is the final day for almost all committee to move bills out of committee. If a bill is not moved out of a policy committee in its chamber of origin by this date, the bill is considered “dead” for session.

However, this deadline does not apply to bills in the Rules, Finance and Revenue, Ways and Means and other joint committees (Capitol Culture, Carbon Reduction, Student Success, and Transportation).

ON REVENUE:

It’s being reported that on Thursday, April 4, the Joint Committee on Student Success will release their proposals for how to make new investments in education this year. This is the moment that advocates for new revenue been waiting for all session. We will have updates on these proposals and how you can voice your support in the next legislative update. In the meantime, follow A Better Oregon for updates on Facebook or on Twitter.

There are a number of priority town halls on the horizon. You can RSVP here with the Invest in Oregon Coalition if you plan on attending (although RSVPs are not required):

HILLSBORO: April 5th, 6- 8 pm – Rep Janeen Sollman –  R A Brown Middle School – 1505 SW Cornelius Pass Rd, Hillsboro

EUGENE: April 6th, 2:30- 4 pm – Rep Julie Fahey, Nathanson, Manning, – North Eugene High school Cafeteria – 200 Silver Lane, Eugene

PORTLAND: April 13th, 1-2:30 pm – Ginny Burdick, Rob Wagner – Multnomah Arts Center – Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland

GARIBALDI: April 14th. 2 pm – Rep Tiffiny Mitchell – Garibaldi City Hall – 107 6th St, Garibaldi
There are a number of other priority town halls later in the month listed at this link.

Below are updates on top DPO priorities:

#1 Health Care

Current Status: Health Care for All Oregon is holding a Lobby Day today, MONDAY, April 1 at the State Capitol in Salem. SB 770, legislation that would create the Universal Health Care Commission, is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Committee On Health Care.

Chief Sponsors: Senators Manning Jr, Dembrow, Beyer, Representatives Fahey, Keny-Guyer, Salinas, Williamson

Where to go for more information: Sign up for more information at the top of the page on the DPO’s Health Care caucus website and at the Health Care for All Oregon website.

Events/Actions:
Register here for the April 1 Lobby Day.
Can’t Attend? Contact your legislators and tell them to support universal health care.

#2 Clean Energy Jobs

Current Status:  HB 2020 is in the Joint Committee on Carbon Reduction. Since this is a “joint” committee, it is not subject to posting deadlines.

Where to go for more information: Sign up for more information at https://www.reneworegon.org/

#3 Campaign Finance Reform

Current Status: The Senate Campaign Finance Committee took action on a measure to refer a constitutional amendment to the people to allow campaign limits in Oregon. Oregon is currently one of five states without any campaign finance limits.

Where to go for more information: SJR 18 will be heard next in the Senate Rules committee. You can sign up for updates from the Senate Rules Committee here.

#4 Gun Safety

Current Status: Many bills have been introduced. We are awaiting updates from partner groups.

Events/Actions: Contact your legislators and express your support for common sense gun safety legislation.

#5 Criminal Justice Reform

Updates from the Oregon ACLU:

Youth sentencing reform (SB 966, SB 968, SB 969, SB 1008): Our youth justice system should focus on prevention and rehabilitation, rather than punishment and incarceration. These four bills that will help move Oregon toward a more humane youth justice system. The first hearing on the bills occurred on Thursday, March 28th at 8am in Senate Judiciary. You can view the hearing here. Urge your legislators to support this important legislation by using the ACLU of Oregon’s action alert. If you know of an organization that may be interested in joining the coalition, please email Kimberly McCullough to let her know at kmccullough@aclu-or.org.

Requiring unanimous juries in criminal cases (HB 2615 and HJR 10): Oregon is the only state in the nation that allows a jury to find someone guilty of a felony with only 10 out of 12 votes. The ACLU is supporting two bills that will both need to pass and then be followed by a vote of the people in the 2020 election to eliminate non-unanimous jury convictions in Oregon. These bills are currently in the House Judiciary Committee and will be moved to the Rules Committee before they have their first hearing.

Removing barriers to marijuana expungement (SB 420): The ACLU is supporting legislation to help remove barriers to clearing people’s records of old marijuana convictions. Even though marijuana has been legalized, many people still have old convictions on their record for things that are now legal. This bill will be amended based on recommendations from various stakeholders. As amended, it will reduce the cost of expungement by waiving filing fees, eliminating the need for an applicant to obtain a background check, and creating simple forms to help people avoid the need to hire an attorney to help them through the process. This bill will have its first hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 5th at 8am. You can submit testimony in support of the bill before the hearing (preferably 24 hours in advance) to sjud.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov.

District attorney transparency and accountability (HB 3224 and HB 3419): HB 3224 will increase transparency for district attorney offices in Oregon. More specifically, the bill requires DAs to develop policies on a variety of subjects and make those policies publicly available. HB 3419 (note new bill number from last update) prohibits DAs from requiring defendants to waive crucial procedural and constitutional rights in plea agreements, as well as prohibiting waivers of access to important rehabilitative programs. These bills will have their first hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on April 4th at 1pm. You can submit testimony in support of these bill before the hearing (preferably 24 hours in advance) tohjud.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov.

Public defense funding (HB 3145): This bill will reform Oregon’s public defense funding system. This is a response to a recent report that found that Oregon is not meeting its obligations under the Sixth Amendment. The bill had its first hearing on Tuesday, March 26th in House Judiciary. You can view the hearing here (click on the bill number below the video screen. We expect the bill will be referred to Ways & Means next week.

Where to go for more information: Sign up for the ACLU list at https://www.aclu-or.org.

IN OTHER NEWS:

We anticipate that a hearing will be scheduled soon in the Senate Rules Committee on SB 870, commonly referred to as the National Popular Vote bill. Once it is scheduled, the DPO will submit testimony in support. Support for this concept is outlined in DPO Legislative Action Item #17.

Finally, an update on a couple of process bills that the DPO is supporting: 

HB 2491 is scheduled for a vote on the House Floor tomorrow. It was approved by the House Rules Committee on a unanimous vote. This bill changes the process to write in nominees for Precinct Committee Persons (PCPs) and removes gender specific language from the PCP process. The DPO submitted testimony in support of the bill.

SB 630 was passed by the Senate, on a 24-6 vote. The bill allows party central committees to notify members of upcoming meetings by email. Current law requires the notification be sent by postal mail. We are awaiting a hearing on this bill in the House Rules Committee.