OREGON
A8 — THE OBSERVER
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2022
State Capitol to start bag searches, use of metal detectors
It’s the first time
such stringent
security measures
have been used
Courtney
reopened to the public on
July 12, 2021, after the close
of the regular session. It had
been closed for 16 months
after the onset of the coro-
navirus pandemic.
By PETER WONG
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — Oregon
will join 33 other states in
requiring visitors, elected
offi cials and staff to pass
through metal detectors and
submit to bag checks when
they enter the Capitol.
The enhanced security in
Salem will start Thursday,
Jan. 27. Senate President
Peter Courtney and House
Speaker Tina Kotek, the
Legislature’s presiding offi -
cers, said in a statement that
it will be similar to the pro-
cedure for entry into court
buildings. State employees
staff trial courts, but Ore-
gon’s 36 counties provide
the courtrooms and main-
tain security.
The Legislature is
responsible for management
Kotek
Kristyna Wentz-Graff /Oregon Public Broadcasting
In order to gain access to Oregon’s Capitol, visitors and staff will soon
have to pass through new security checkpoints.
of the Capitol under a 1969
law. The secretary of state
was the previous legal cus-
todian of the Capitol and its
grounds.
The enhanced security
will apply at the two public
entrances currently open
and two other entrances for
employees and others with
special identifi cation cards.
The State Street entry,
facing Willamette Univer-
sity to the south, and the
main entry with its iconic
revolving doors are closed
because of construction.
The Capitol, the third in
Oregon history, opened in
October 1938.
The Capitol’s offi ce
wings, opened in 1977
and renovated in 2008, are
undergoing seismic rein-
forcement as part of a
larger building improve-
ment project. The wings
house offi ces for individual
legislators.
The Capitol was
Firearms ban
The added security fol-
lows a recent law (Senate
Bill 554) barring fi re-
arms, even those car-
ried by people with con-
cealed-handgun licenses,
from the Capitol.
During the 2021 session,
lawmakers barred fi rearms
from the Capitol and the
passenger terminal at Port-
land International Airport
as part of broader legisla-
tion to require safe storage
of fi rearms by their owners.
Schools, community col-
leges and universities have
the option to do so by action
of their governing boards.
Opponents failed to submit
signatures for an attempt
to refer the legislation to a
statewide election, so the
new law took eff ect Sept.
25. Signs are posted at the
public entrances.
Lawmakers acted after
anti-lockdown demon-
strators, some of them
armed, attempted to force
their way into the Cap-
itol during a special ses-
sion on Dec. 21, 2020,
when the Capitol was still
closed to the public. Some
of them got into a vestibule
before police ejected them;
police blocked their second
attempt at a diff erent entry
later in the day.
Anti-lockdown, pro-
Donald Trump demonstra-
tors also appeared at the
Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 —
the same day as the insur-
rection at the U.S. Capitol
in Washington — but were
confi ned to the Capitol Mall
across from the Capitol.
The Oregon Capitol was
closed to all employees, and
ground-level windows in
the offi ce wings and main
building were covered with
plywood. The boards were
removed a couple of months
later.
On June 10, 2021, the
House expelled Rep. Mike
Nearman, a four-term
Republican from Polk
County, after Capitol sur-
veillance video showed
that he opened the ves-
tibule door and allowed
demonstrators to enter the
building. He re-entered
through another door on
the other side. A cellphone
video surfaced later during
which Nearman told a
pre-session audience that if
he received a text message,
they might gain access
to the Capitol. Once that
video was disclosed, the 22
other Republicans joined all
37 Democrats in the 59-1
expulsion vote.
Nearman pleaded guilty
July 27 to one count of
fi rst-degree offi cial mis-
conduct, but expressed no
regret for his action during
his appearance in Marion
County Circuit Court.
Oregon House Democrats nominate Corvallis lawyer to be speaker
By HILLARY BORRUD
The Oregonian
SALEM — Oregon
House Democrats nomi-
nated Rep. Dan Rayfi eld,
of Corvallis, to be the
next speaker of the House
in a private vote Sunday,
Jan. 16.
Rep. Janelle Bynum, of
Happy Valley, also vied for
the top leadership position
in the preliminary vote, but
a majority of the 34 Dem-
ocrats who participated in
the meeting backed Ray-
fi eld, who is co-chair of the
powerful Ways and Means
Committee and known as a
skilled fundraiser.
All 60 members of
the House, including 23
Republicans, will partici-
pate in a fl oor vote to select
the next speaker when
they meet at the Capitol in
The Oregonian, File
Rep. Dan Rayfi eld, D-Corvallis, shown during a swearing-in
ceremony in January 2021, was nominated by the House Democratic
caucus on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, to serve as Oregon’s next speaker
of the House.
February.
It’s unclear how
many Democrats sup-
ported Bynum and Ray-
fi eld because the tally and
caucus members’ indi-
vidual votes were kept
secret, two Democrats
told The Oregonian. Law-
makers requested ano-
nymity to describe caucus
developments before they
were publicly announced.
Democratic and Repub-
lican leaders generally
expect their caucuses
to coalesce behind the
speaker candidates that
each caucus selected pri-
vately, but that result is not
assured.
Oregon Democrats’
leadership is all from the
party’s strongholds in the
Willamette Valley — Port-
land, Salem, Corvallis and
Eugene.
Republicans have
chosen leaders from
east of the Cascades in
Senate Minority Leader
Tim Knopp, R-Bend, and
House Minority Leader
Vikki Breese Iverson,
R-Prineville.
Current Speaker Tina
Kotek, of Portland, is step-
ping down Jan. 21 to focus
on running for governor in
the May Democratic pri-
mary. Speaker Pro Tem
Paul Holvey, D-Eugene,
will temporarily become
speaker until the House
meets again at the Capitol.
House Democrats also
voted to select Rep. Julie
Fahey, D-Eugene, as their
majority leader. The pre-
vious majority leader, Bar-
bara Smith Warner, of Port-
land, announced to fellow
Democrats earlier this
month that she was step-
ping down, in yet another
example of broad turnover
in legislative leaders and
rank-and-fi le members.
Rayfi eld, who is a
lawyer, said in a statement
that he is running to be
speaker ”to help guide the
House as we collectively
work to build a recovery
that reaches all Orego-
nians. Our economy has
picked up steam in recent
months and I have tremen-
dous optimism about our
state’s future. But after
years of living in a global
pandemic, I know many
are still hurting.”
La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR
975-2000
www.lagrandeautorepair.com
MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
AVAILABLE
ACDelcoTSS
Joe Horst
Kristof lawyers argue denying his candidacy could
set precedent of limiting Oregon voter choice
By LAUREN DAKE
Oregon Public Broadcasting
SALEM — Lawyers
representing former New
York Times columnist
Nick Kristof plan to argue
that not only does Kristof
meet the state’s residency
requirements to run for
Oregon governor, but
denying him the chance
to run could lead to voter
suppression in future
Oregon elections.
Secretary of State
Shemia Fagan recently
rejected Kristof’s guber-
natorial bid, arguing he
does not meet the con-
stitutional requirement
that the governor must be
a resident of Oregon for
three years preceding the
election. Fagan based that
decision on Kristof’s his-
tory of owning property
in New York and voting
in that state as recently as
2020.
Kristof is hoping the
Oregon Supreme Court
will overturn Fagan’s
ruling well before the
March 17 deadline for
candidates to qualify for
the May primary ballot.
Kristof’s lawyers fi led
their fi rst brief Friday, Jan.
14, to the court revealing
their legal arguments.
In the brief,
Kristof’s law-
yers note an
Oregon court
has never
addressed
Kristof
what it means
to be a resi-
dent of the state.
Kristof’s lawyers
argue that he was raised
in Yamhill and has main-
tained a home in Yam-
hill for his entire life, and
that Kristof has described
Oregon as his home for
decades in both his pro-
fessional writing and in
his personal life. They
add that the historical
point of having a resi-
dency requirement in
the Oregon constitution
was to exclude those who
were unfamiliar with the
state, and that Fagan gave
“no weight to forty years
of published writings in
which Kristof” claimed
Yamhill was his home.
The brief says this
decision violates the con-
stitution because it is
overly broad and does
not serve to advance the
state’s interest in “lim-
iting public offi ce to those
who are familiar with the
state.” This interpreta-
tion by the state’s elec-
tion offi ce could prove
to deprive voters of their
choice of candidate now
and in future elections,
they argue.
“There are many peri-
patetic Oregonians who,
for various reasons, live in
more than one place and
may prefer candidates who
understand the experience
of living in multiple places
or changing residences
often,” the legal document
states. “Such Oregonians
come from all walks of
life: houseless and hous-
ing-insecure persons; uni-
versity students; seasonal
migrant workers; service-
members; snowbirds; the
list goes on. These groups
are disserved by the Sec-
retary’s interpretation,
contravening the spirit of
free and equal elections.”
The court will not hear
oral arguments. Docu-
ments from both the sec-
retary of state’s offi ce
and Kristof are due to the
court by Jan. 26.
Oregon election offi -
cials have stated that to
meet the three-year res-
idency requirement for
this year’s gubernatorial
race, a person must be a
resident in Oregon for the
entire three-year period
starting in November
2019.
Charles & Eileen
Stewart
10304 A 1st St.
Island City, OR
cstewartpc@gmail.com
541.910.5435
Pay cash or
Rent to own
Authorized Dealer
“But the objective
facts, including your deci-
sion to vote in New York,
convincingly suggest that
you resided in New York
at least from November
2019 to December 2020,”
Oregon elections director
Deborah Scroggin wrote
in a letter to Kristof.
Kristof suggested
Fagan based her decision
on “politics, not prece-
dent,” and that Fagan has
long ties to the state’s
Democratic establishment.
Kristof has reported
raising far more campaign
funds than his highest
profi le Democratic rivals,
House Speaker Tina Kotek
and state Treasurer Tobias
Read.
While he’s able to
continue fundraising as
he mounts a challenge,
Kristof argues in the legal
fi lings that he was a front-
runner in the race prior
to Fagan’s decision, but
that the secretary “may
have predetermined the
outcome of the primary
election — or at least put
a thumb fi rmly on the
scale — even if this Court
reverses her decision.”
Prepare for unexpected
power outages with a
Generac home standby
generator
SCHEDULE YOUR FREE IN-HOME
ASSESSMENT TODAY!
877-557-1912
FREE
7-Year Extended Warranty*
A $695 Value!
Off er valid March 16, 2020 - June 30, 2020
Special Financing Available
*Terms & Conditions Apply
Subject to Credit Approval
Blazing Fast
Internet!
ADD TO YOUR PACKAGE FOR ONLY
19 . 99
$
/mo.
where available
2-YEAR
TV PRICE
GUARANTEE
69
$
99 190 CHANNELS
MO.
Local Channels!
for 12 Mos.
America’s Top 120 Package
Including
CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100
1-866-373-9175
Offer ends 4/13/22.
All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more.
Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.
Careers that make a difference
Work with people with disabilities!
www.ImpactOregon.careers