Opinion
4A
Thursday, April 8, 2021
Other Views
Redistricting
is at the heart
of democracy
t’s not a bad thing that we’re talking about election
systems in the spring of an off-election year, even if
the tenor of the discussion is (unsurprisingly) decid-
edly partisan.
The calmer times between elections are a good oppor-
tunity for a status check to review the most recent voting
season and pre-
pare for the
next. It’s also
DANIEL
a time for any
WATTENBURGER investigation
HERMISTON
into election
fraud, which
to date has been used as a bogeyman and rallying cry
without the backing of credible evidence.
If any proof arises that elections were tampered with
or our systems are vulnerable, we should all demand a
response. But we should also be wary of those who con-
tinually float conspiracy theories about widespread fraud
and hacked systems without being able to offer up more
than suggestions of malfeasance.
The reason we’re talking more generally about elec-
tions now is because of recent legislation passed in
Georgia and the redistricting process here in Oregon. In
Georgia, where Republicans control the state Legislature
and secretary of state’s office, Democrats are concerned
about allowing the Legislature to have stronger influence
on election systems.
The new Georgia election law comes with a host of
measures with the purpose of protecting against fraud
and expanding voter access. It’s hard to take that descrip-
tion at face value, as most of the provisions make the act
of voting more complicated and include strange provi-
sions such as prohibiting giving food and water to people
standing in line to vote. It also takes some power of elec-
tion oversight from the secretary of state and gives it to
the Legislature.
In Oregon, where Democrats control the state Leg-
islature and secretary of state’s office, Republicans are
concerned about the redistricting process that will deter-
mine the layout of the Legislature and congressional rep-
resentation for the next decade.
To be fair, in Oregon everyone is concerned about
redistricting — or should be. The delays in census
returns mean the decennial process will be abbreviated,
potentially skipping the Legislature entirely and moving
directly to the secretary of state.
Election integrity and voter access are fundamental
principles that create a framework for democracy. If we
can’t agree on the rules, and extend some trust to one
another, we won’t have faith in the outcomes.
It starts with a level playing field. That means giving
each voter a voice in the process and ensuring their
ability to exercise that voice.
Voting districts are intended to group citizens into
areas of common interest. This doesn’t mean by political
affiliation, and the prime examples of gerrymandering
have been created by drawing lines around partisan
voting blocks. There are a few fun simulators online that
show how easy it is to turn a slim political advantage
into a secure majority or spread influence across multiple
districts to dilute a party’s strength.
Because Oregon is poised to receive a sixth congres-
sional seat, how that influence is distributed among indi-
vidual voters is highly important. And how that influ-
ence is distributed among individual voters is highly
important. This is on top of the 60 House and 30 Senate
districts in the Oregon Legislature that will be redrawn.
As it stands, legislators won’t be able to fulfill their
duty of drawing these new district maps by July 1
because they won’t have the updated U.S. Census data by
then. Legislative leaders are working to find a compro-
mise that allows their input before the process is consti-
tutionally passed to the secretary of state. But regardless
of the outcome, the development of new districts will be
hurried ahead of the 2022 election cycle.
There’s only so much we can do now, awaiting new
population tallies and dealing with pressing matters like
COVID-19 and wildfire recovery. But this is a good time
to again reevaluate the balance of power between our
elected legislators and our electorate in general.
We all benefit by clean and clear district maps.
Allowing partisan politics to skew the creation of those
maps erodes faith in the process and stifles voter turnout.
Oregon is a blue state, but it hasn’t always been and
likely won’t always be. The only way to make sure Ore-
gonians — not political parties — are the ones setting
the direction is to protect the redistricting process.
———
Daniel Wattenburger is the former managing editor
of the East Oregonian. He lives in Hermiston with his
wife and children and is an account manager for
Pac/West Lobby Group. Contact him at
danielwattenburger@gmail.com.
I
Our View
Voters need to remain
engaged in legislative activity
he Oregon Legislature
is poised to approve yet
another gun mandate, and
while the battle lines over such
issues are clearly drawn, the real
lesson for voters is they must
remain involved and watchful
of the actions of their elected
lawmakers.
Late last month, the Oregon
Senate voted to approve a bill to
ban guns in the Capitol and other
state buildings. Senate Bill 554
also would end the exemption that
now allows concealed handgun
license holders to carry their fire-
arms in those buildings. It also
would allow local governments to
enact their own bans and increase
the cost of a CHL.
A new bill — House Bill 2510
— will require the storage of fire-
arms with triggers of cable locks
inside a locked container or gun
room.
Input on the bill is, as
expected, evenly divided. That
may be the only positive element
T
to this piece of legislation —
there is no ambiguity about how
people feel about it.
It is difficult to see how such a
bill — which essentially reaches
into a resident’s private home —
will withstand a court challenge
on at least two specific constitu-
tional pillars, but chances are it
will gain approval.
Anti-gun bills and other pieces
of legislation that tackle cultural
flashpoint issues are going to be
the norm going into the future,
and that means every voter must
do all they can to stay appraised
of the ambitions and workings of
their elected leaders.
In this day and age that is no
easy task. Especially with the
COVID-19 pandemic.
In the past there was a robust
system — including the media
and other watchdog groups —
that kept citizens informed about
legislative action. The media
landscape, though, has changed.
The number of reporters that
Letters
Union County needs a bottle drop
I would like to propose Union County get a BottleDrop, Bot-
tleDrop Express or bottle return center. There are a number of
them in Oregon already, mostly on the west side of the state.
I was able to see a BottleDrop Express and how it works,
and was amazed at how easy it is to return cans and bottles.
It seems to be a win-win situation for everyone. It removes
the responsibility of bottle return areas from store owners,
including the expense of hiring employees to maintain and
clean those areas, and allows customers to easily return their
cans and bottles.
I’ve observed local grocery stores and retail stores bottle
return areas and shared the frustration of store owners having
to purchase return machines, then trying to maintain the
machines at their own expense, and also shared the frustration
as a customer trying to return bottles in areas that aren’t main-
tained or kept clean at no fault of the owner or customer; it’s the
obvious issue of a return center.
Diane Deal
Elgin
cover the Oregon Capitol isn’t
as large as it once was and that
can be traced to economics. That
means it is up to every voter to
ensure they are following what is
going on at the Legislature.
Thankfully, there are ways
to keep tabs on our lawmakers.
The internet is probably the eas-
iest way to do so, and the Oregon
Legislature’s website is infor-
mative and offers a list of bills
viewers can easily access.
The world is a bigger place
now. Stories, events, are occur-
ring all the time and often take
center stage over what can be
viewed as boring news out of a
legislative session.
But it isn’t boring. At least not
when it comes to certain pieces
of legislation that can impact us
all. That is why it is so important
for voters to stay informed and
remain focused on what is going
on at the Legislature.
That is the obligation every
voter has.
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