SB 618 Increases sentence for wearing body armor

VOTE:NO
Signed into law by Gov. Kotek

WHEN THE POLICE GO AWAY, THE CRIMINALS WILL PLAY

Portland is on its way to having more than three shootings per day. Last year amid nationwide protests, Portlanders were among some of the loudest voices shouting, “Defund the Police.” Last summer, Mayor Ted Wheeler disbanded the city’s Gun Violence Reduction team, claiming that the team excessively targeted black people. What do we have to show for it? As expected,…

Read More→

Out-of-state lawmakers come to Oregon, criticize Portland’s handling of violence

Two U.S. lawmakers called out local leaders for not doing enough to stop the violence in Portland. U.S. Reps. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Southwest Washington, and John Katko, R-New York, held a joint news conference Thursday to highlight the rising crime in the Portland area. They say defunding the police is a big part of the problem. “When you take money…

Read More→

BILL PASSES LIMITING TOOLS POLICE CAN USE IN RIOT

Among the final bills to pass in the final hours of the 2021 Session was HB 2928-B which restricts what law enforcement can use during a riot. The summary reads, “Regulates use of chemical incapacitants, kinetic impact projectiles, and sound devices by law enforcement. Prohibits the use of chemical incapacitants and kinetic impact projectiles for purposes of crowd control unless use of force…

Read More→

Sen. Boquist: Vaccine data, crime excuses, campaign finance, more

Highlights, excerpts from Sen. Boquist newsletter  The establishment legislature is racing to pass higher budgets along with end run bills against citizens then flee the closed Oregon State Capitol.  Follow bills on OLIS, and in Joint Ways and Means – a 5000 series bill is a budge bill.  This past week, I voted against most of the state budget bills, some containing…

Read More→

Legislature Passes Bill That Makes It Harder for Police to Hide Their Identities During Protests

Portland police officers who cover their name badges during protests will now be more easily identifiable, following the Oregon Legislature’s June 7 passage of House Bill 3355. The bill, sponsored by the Judiciary Committee at the request of Sen. James Manning (D-Eugene), dictates identification requirements for law enforcement assigned to “crowd management” events in cities with a population over 60,000….

Read More→

Oregon legislators consider tear gas ban against protest crowds

Tear gas, pepper spray and impact munitions have been deployed by police for months against protesters in Portland, Oregon, enveloping neighborhoods and even a school yard in clouds of stinging, choking chemical agents. Now, Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum, a Portland-area Democrat, is seeking to ban their use against crowds in one of the most sweeping measures in the country…

Read More→

Oregon legislative panel starts hearing policing bills

Five lawmakers on a House subcommittee will focus on Oregon’s policing practices and the people who carry them out. They have already started public hearings on more than a dozen bills, some of them overlapping, that propose various changes to Oregon laws in the aftermath of last year’s death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer…

Read More→