VOTE:NO
Died In Committee on 06-26-21
Status (overview) of bill:https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Measures/Overview/SB619
Committee assigned to bill:https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Committees/SJD110/Overview
Sen. Lew Frederick (D, SD-22) was the chief sponsor of this bill.
This bill directs Department of Revenue to establish a program to pay alleged reparations to Black Oregonians who can demonstrate heritage in slavery
Personal Choice and Responsibility
It has been close to 160 years since anyone owned an African Slave. Will create victim-hood where it is not warranted. There were Chinese, and Irish indentured persons, what about them! African Americans owned slaves, American Indians took slaves. This bill is Racist in its concept!
Fiscal Responsibility
Once you go down this path and start paying people that were never slaves from people that never owned slaves, the hole gets deeper! The department shall pay to each eligible applicant the amount of $123,000 in the form of an annuity payable annually for the life of the applicant.
Limited Government
Oregon was never a slave State! If this were an issue it would be done by the Federal Government.
This is not our issue, this was the issue of the people way back when. Our society is not the ones who bought and sold slaves and should not be held accountable to pay for this. We are going backwards and not forwards, we need to learn from history. Once you open this up, it will never end.
There is no reason to pay Blacks anything. None of them are or ever have been slaves. Non blacks are not and never have been slave owners. Skin color does not entitle anyone to anything. This is just another way to tax people. The Constitution says no taxation without representation. Non whites get nothing. It’s Un-Constitutional and a very bad idea.