, MBA
OREGON
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2021
THE OBSERVER — A7
Stories that shaped state politics in 2021
By HILLARY BORRUD
The Oregonian
SALEM — Oregon poli-
tics saw another intense year
in 2021, as leaders’ handling
of the ongoing pandemic
continued to shape voters’
opinions and politicians
started to go public with
their electoral aspirations for
2022.
It was an unprecedented
year given the huge state
budget lawmakers approved
thanks to federal stimulus
money, but also because leg-
islators for the fi rst time ever
expelled one of their col-
leagues. New congressional
and legislative districts mean
many voters will get new
representatives in 2022, and
the governor’s race is open
for the fi rst time in more
than a decade.
Here’s a look back at the
biggest Oregon political sto-
ries of 2021 and how they
could continue to have an
impact in the new year.
Lawmakers punt on
political donation limits
Oregon voters registered
strong support for setting
limits on political donations
in 2020, when they over-
whelmingly approved an
amendment to the state Con-
stitution explicitly allowing
such caps.
Yet after giving a big
voice to donors in closed-
door negotiations this year,
lawmakers dropped the
issue. Advocates for limits
and more transparency on
political spending then spent
months negotiating with
labor unions and left-leaning
interest groups, before
deciding in early December
to fi le proposed initiatives
to try to get on the ballot in
2022 without the unions and
other groups’ support.
Lawmakers’ decision
not to rein in Oregon’s
no-limits political money
system means the state is
headed for yet another free-
spending and potentially
record-breaking governor’s
race next year as well as
high-priced legislative races.
In the 2018 governor’s race,
spending topped $37 mil-
lion. Sen. Betsy Johnson’s
decision to run for governor
without a party means there
will be three serious candi-
dates running in the general
election, only adding to the
fundraising pressure.
Redistricting
Oregon became the fi rst
state in the nation to adopt
new congressional districts
on Sept. 27, and under the
new map, independent anal-
yses suggest it’s likely Dem-
ocrats will win fi ve of the
six seats at some point in
the next decade, if not next
year. That would give Dem-
ocrats 83% of the seats,
while President Joe Biden
collected just 56% of Orego-
nians’ votes in his winning
2020 race. Still, the majority
Democratic Legislature
successfully defended the
plan in court, in large part
because experts testifi ed that
the state’s small number of
congressional seats makes it
diffi cult to identify partisan
gerrymandering using sta-
tistical analysis.
Both the congressional
map and the 90 new state
House and Senate districts
that lawmakers drew are
already prompting a shakeup
in many parts of the state.
Meanwhile, a coalition
of good government and
business groups is trying
once again to get an initia-
tive before voters in 2022
to create a new indepen-
dent commission to handle
redistricting.
Portland’s plight
Oregon’s largest city
has seen its national pro-
fi le descend during the pan-
demic from a renowned
culinary hotspot that often
drew attention for hip-
ster curiosities worthy of a
“Portlandia” sketch, to the
site of nightly protests that
provided fodder for former
President Donald Trump and
other Republicans.
The demonstrations have
died down, but problems
remain including garbage
pileups around the city and
large numbers of homeless
camps. Those concerns were
top-of-mind for many Ore-
gonians in 2021 and could
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT:
www.LaGrandeObserver.com
play a role in 2022 elections.
In an October survey by
the fi rm DHM Research
that was paid for by Oregon
Business & Industry, 70%
of respondents said Portland
is having a negative impact
on the rest of the state. This
viewpoint was shared by
a majority of people in the
Portland area. A poll com-
missioned by The Orego-
nian earlier this year sim-
ilarly found that people in
the metro area believed the
city’s downtown core had
become dirty, unsafe and
uninviting.
Lose Weight Now,
in La Grande
Oregon lawmaker
expelled
Oregon lawmakers in
June ejected a sitting leg-
islator for the fi rst time in
the state’s history. Repub-
lican Mike Nearman, who
lives outside Independence,
was expelled for plotting
to let violent demonstrators
into the state Capitol during
a December 2020 special
session. He cast the lone
vote against his own expul-
sion from the state House.
All other members of the
Republican caucus voted
with Democrats to remove
him.
Details of Nearman’s
role in the incursion trickled
out over months, including
videos showing him opening
a door to demonstrators,
including some with fi re-
arms, and coaching people
who wanted to breach the
Capitol to text him when
they needed him to open
the door. Demonstrators
clashed with state troopers
and Salem police, and law-
makers later recounted how
they could hear demonstra-
tors calling them “traitors”
and “enemies of the state”
and shouting “we’re coming
for you.” The willingness
of conservative demonstra-
tors to engage in violence
in order to disrupt govern-
ment business seemed to
presage the Jan. 6 attack on
the U.S. Capitol by Trump
supporters who wanted to
disrupt Congress’ certifi ca-
tion of Biden’s 2020 presi-
dential win.
Doddsy from EOAlive lost 40 pounds so far
, MBA
Scan the code to watch Doddsy on video tell his story
James R. Kopp, MD, MBA
Weight Loss Physician
"If you struggle to lose weight and keep it off, come see
me. Our program helps men, women, and adolescents lose
10 to 150+ pounds safely, rapidly, and healthfully. Scan the
code and watch Doddy's video. Please call my office, and
Kathy will schedule your Free No-obligation Consultation to
learn how we can help you too. Then you decide what you'd
like to do. I look forward to meeting you."
—Dr. Kopp
Call 541-963-9844
Or visit MetTrimMD.com/LaGrandeOR
to Schedule your Free No-obligation Consultation
MetTrimMD La Grande
907 Washington Ave, La Grande, OR 97850
MetTrimMD.com/LaGrandeOR | 541-963-9844
*Personalized plans. Individual results vary.
YEAR END SAVINGS
SAVE
H H H H H
"Very well made, extraordinarily comfortable and it looks great too!"
UP TO
$
200
on BEAUTYREST BLACK and
BEAUTYREST BLACK HYBRID
mattresses.
Special
Financing
Available
CLOSING at 3
New Year’s Eve
•
•
•
•
Free Delivery
In-Store Credit
65 Store Buying Power
Decorating Assistance
1520 ADAMS AVENUE • La GRANDE, OREGON 97850
(541) 963-4144
Toll Free 888-449-2704
HOURS:
Mon. - Fri. 9:30 am-6:30 pm
Sat. 9:30 am-5:30 pm
Sun. Noon - 4:00 pm
CLOSED
Saturday &
Sunday for
New Year’s