Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Measures/Overview/HB3310
Committee assigned to bill: https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2019R1/Committees/SRULES/Overview
This bill requires forms used to nominate candidates to board of school district, education service district or community college district give candidate option of providing candidate’s race and ethnicity and elections conducted so protected class has equal opportunity to elect candidates.
Personal Choice and Responsibility
The motive for stating a candidate’s race or ethnicity is a campaign ploy. Nothing prohibits a candidate from stating their race or ethnicity in their individual campaign.
Limited Government
Any rules by the Secretary of State on how to make elections equitable to protected classes only results in an unfair process. To be fair, everyone needs to play under the same rules. Giving the protected class the right to court action when no one else has that right is unfair. Polarized voting is a perception and it will destroy our whole election system discouraging candidates to run. If this were an issue there wouldn’t be so many unopposed positions for the current school board elections.
SAMPLE TESTIMONY TO COPY AND EMAIL to: srules.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov
Senate Committee on Rules
Chair Ginny Burdick and members of the committee
HB 3310 – STRONGLY OPPOSE
This bill requires forms used to nominate candidates to school related boards to provide candidate’s race and ethnicity, and elections conducted so protected class has equal opportunity to elect candidates. The motive for stating a candidate’s race or ethnicity is a campaign ploy. Nothing prohibits a candidate from stating their race or ethnicity in their individual campaign.
Any rules by the Secretary of State on how to make elections equitable to protected classes only results in an unfair process. To be fair, everyone needs to play under the same rules. Giving the protected class the right to court action when no one else has that right is unfair. Polarized voting is a perception and it will destroy our whole election system discouraging candidates to run. If this were an issue there wouldn’t be so many unopposed positions for the current school board elections.
[your name/county]
Lots of dumb ideas, but this takes the cake. Dr Martin Luther King Jr said “content of character” matters, not color of skin. Why play the race card? Vote for the most qualified person!