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Entries by Rick Metsger
Legislative Lives of McLane, Starr are Reborn
“You can’t go home again,” observed the famed novelist Thomas Wolfe in his iconic book by the same name. Sens. Bruce Starr (R-Dundee) and Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) are putting that theory to the test as they return to the Oregon Legislature after a prolonged absence.
Jimmy Carter — A River Retrospective
Talking to Carter was like talking to your best friend. There was no sense of superiority or privilege. We would talk about our own fishing adventures.
Rankled Choice Voters
Thump! Thump! Thump! That was the sound heard near election offices around the state as voters soundly whacked a measure put forward by legislative Democrats to bring Ranked Choice Voting to federal and statewide offices. With counting nearly complete, Measure 117 is flaming out by well over 300,000 votes.
Ben “Bone Crusher” Bowman Steps Into the Ring
State Rep. Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, finds himself squarely in the center of the ring as the House Majority Leader. Just like he always dreamed. Well, almost anyway.
Campaign Cash, Like Water, Always Finds a Way
With a citizens’ Initiative Petition (IP-9) to limit campaign contributions in Oregon politics steamrolling towards the November election ballot, legislators suddenly have decided to wrest control of the parade route. Powered by major donors representing both Republican and Democrat interests, HB 4024-5 creates a tangled web of new rules that proponents say solves the campaign spending problem and is a preferred alternative to the citizens’ initiative.
Chance of NCAA stopping the Oregon Legislature — NIL!
Determined not to have their top players pilfered by other schools, states are busy passing laws to enhance the “Name, Image, Likeness” playing field for their state’s schools, while also insulating them from being sanctioned for their efforts by the governing body of college sports, the NCAA.
Legislature cracks open “PERSdora’s Box”
Oregon’s Public Employee Retirement System (PERS) has been gasping for air, trying to stay afloat for years. It took a major dunking again in 2022, swallowing another $8 billion of added debt into its beleaguered balance sheet. The fund currently is about $28 billion short of the funds necessary to pay for its pension obligation to retirees.
Musical Chairs in Congressional District 5
When it comes to musical chairs, political candidates are masters of the game. Only one can claim the prize, the others are left scratching their heads. Oregon Congressional District 5 has attracted four notable entrants including a Republican incumbent and three Democrats jockeying for position in a race with national implications for party control in the next Congress.
Total Recall: Holvey vs. UFCW
In a forest of legislators, the majority of whom hadn’t yet been planted in their seats three years ago, Rep. Paul Holvey (D-Eugene) stands like an obelisk of petrified wood. Serving nearly two decades in the House of Representatives, he is eclipsed only by Rep. Greg Smith (R-Heppner) in seniority in the chamber. This week, Holvey faces a recall election, composed and orchestrated by one of his long-time allies: the United Food & Commercial Workers union.