Oregon's Wild 2022 Election, and its Impact on Climate, Forests, and More
10/24/22 • 29 min
Ballots are out for the 2022 general election, and it is no exaggeration to say that this is the most consequential election for Oregonians in years if not decades.
Three out of six of Oregon’s seats for the US house of representatives are considered tossups where either the Democrat or Republican could win, and the race for Governor is anyone’s game. To put that into perspective, Republicans haven’t held the Governor’s seat since 1986, and our federal delegation to the US House could swing from a 4-1 Democratic majority to a 4-2 Republican majority.
We at the Coast Range Association don’t make candidate endorsements, but I want to help listeners understand the choices we have and the stakes of this election.
Whether we are looking at climate action, forest management, environmental and wildlife protections, women’s rights to control their bodies, investments in our rural communities, or any other issues you care about, the choices we make in this election will have real, tangible impacts.
There is a lot of great reporting and trustworthy organizations out there to help you understand your choices, and though we’ll mainly be talking about the governor’s race today, our local elections are deeply impactful to our lives as well.
However you vote, your choice really matters. That’s true with every election, buy more so this year than in a long time here in Oregon.
So with that in mind, I reached out to Hillary Borrud from The Oregonian to learn more about the Governor’s race, and then I spoke with Sidra Pierson from the Rural Organizing Project about their non-partisan voter guide.
I hope you enjoy the show, and if you know folks that don’t plan to vote or are undecided about who to vote for, talk with them!
As always, I love hearing feedback and show ideas. My email is [email protected].
Official State Voter Pamphlet: https://oregonvotes.gov/voters-guide/english/votersguide.html
Hillary Borrud Articles: https://www.oregonlive.com/staff/hborrud/posts.html
Governor Candidates on Climate Action: https://www.opb.org/article/2022/09/16/oregon-governor-race-candidates-elections-2022-climate-change-crisis/
Rural Organizing Project STAND Election Guide: https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-STAND-election-guide-English.pdf
Republican Money in Statehouse Races: https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/10/republicans-pour-astounding-money-into-races-for-oregon-legislature-hoping-to-flip-state-senate-to-gop-for-1st-time-in-20-years.html
Measure 113: https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Measure_113,_Exclusion_from_Re-election_for_Legislative_Absenteeism_Initiative_(2022)
VoteSmart- Non-partisan website showing candidate funding, positions, endorsements, and more: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/election/20
Ballots are out for the 2022 general election, and it is no exaggeration to say that this is the most consequential election for Oregonians in years if not decades.
Three out of six of Oregon’s seats for the US house of representatives are considered tossups where either the Democrat or Republican could win, and the race for Governor is anyone’s game. To put that into perspective, Republicans haven’t held the Governor’s seat since 1986, and our federal delegation to the US House could swing from a 4-1 Democratic majority to a 4-2 Republican majority.
We at the Coast Range Association don’t make candidate endorsements, but I want to help listeners understand the choices we have and the stakes of this election.
Whether we are looking at climate action, forest management, environmental and wildlife protections, women’s rights to control their bodies, investments in our rural communities, or any other issues you care about, the choices we make in this election will have real, tangible impacts.
There is a lot of great reporting and trustworthy organizations out there to help you understand your choices, and though we’ll mainly be talking about the governor’s race today, our local elections are deeply impactful to our lives as well.
However you vote, your choice really matters. That’s true with every election, buy more so this year than in a long time here in Oregon.
So with that in mind, I reached out to Hillary Borrud from The Oregonian to learn more about the Governor’s race, and then I spoke with Sidra Pierson from the Rural Organizing Project about their non-partisan voter guide.
I hope you enjoy the show, and if you know folks that don’t plan to vote or are undecided about who to vote for, talk with them!
As always, I love hearing feedback and show ideas. My email is [email protected].
Official State Voter Pamphlet: https://oregonvotes.gov/voters-guide/english/votersguide.html
Hillary Borrud Articles: https://www.oregonlive.com/staff/hborrud/posts.html
Governor Candidates on Climate Action: https://www.opb.org/article/2022/09/16/oregon-governor-race-candidates-elections-2022-climate-change-crisis/
Rural Organizing Project STAND Election Guide: https://rop.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-STAND-election-guide-English.pdf
Republican Money in Statehouse Races: https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/2022/10/republicans-pour-astounding-money-into-races-for-oregon-legislature-hoping-to-flip-state-senate-to-gop-for-1st-time-in-20-years.html
Measure 113: https://ballotpedia.org/Oregon_Measure_113,_Exclusion_from_Re-election_for_Legislative_Absenteeism_Initiative_(2022)
VoteSmart- Non-partisan website showing candidate funding, positions, endorsements, and more: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/election/20
Previous Episode
Ron Wyden Goes Big! The River Democracy Act w/ Jamie Dawson
Today’s show is about a topic that is near and dear to my heart - Wild and Scenic rivers! We in Oregon are so fortunate to have not only amazing waterways, but also a history of elected officials who have been willing to fight for them, and for public access.
Without Wild and Scenic protections, many of our most special and important places in Oregon would not exist as we know them. What most folks don’t know is that only about 2% of our waterways are protected with this designation.
Last year, Senator Ron Wyden introduced the River Democracy Act, which would triple the mileage of waterways in Oregon with Wild and Scenic status. The River Democracy Act, which is co-sponsored by Senator Merkley, has drawn widespread praise from conservation groups and public land advocates
If you’re not familiar with river protection lingo, The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in 1968 to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations.
The Act is notable for safeguarding the special character of these rivers, while also recognizing the potential for their appropriate use and development. It encourages river management that crosses political boundaries and promotes public participation in developing goals for river protection
To learn more about the bill, I’m joined today by Oregon Wild’s Public Lands Campaigner, Jamie Dawson.
Show Notes:
Contact Your Elected Official: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Senator Wyden one-pager: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/River%20Democracy%20Act%20of%202021%20One%20Pager.pdf
Oregon Wild RDA webpage: https://oregonwild.org/rivers
Oregon Wild factsheet: https://oregonwild.org/sites/default/files/1-Uploads/Documents/2021/River%20Democracy%20Act%202021%20Factsheet.pdf
Cool Short Video: https://vimeo.com/534234263
Next Episode
Rebroadcast: Oregon Author Robert Leo Heilman on Rural Extremism & Life in Timber Country
We're hard at work on some ambitious new episodes! In the meantime, we're re-visiting one of our most popular episodes:
Andrew interviews award winning and prolific author, essayist, and commentator Robert Leo Heilman from Myrtle Creek, Oregon. Bob is the author of several books including Overstory Zero: Real Life in Timber Country, Children of Death, and The World Pool: A Literary Variety. He has also been a prolific contributor to guest columns in the News Review in Roseburg.
Bob has recently been the target of violence for his recent writings in his local paper that call out rightwing extremism. We discuss the duty Bob feels as a writer to speak openly about the dangers of the extremism and fear he sees in his community. Bob describes the changes he's seen living in Myrtle Creek for over four decades and the impacts of declining material living conditions on rural people and communities.
https://robertheilman.wordpress.com/
Find his book Overstory Zero: Real Life in Timber Country to read his direct experience living in timber country.
Daily Yonder Article: https://dailyyonder.com/commentary-broken-glass-broken-trust/2021/07/22/
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