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win ¡ íü iv i ^ i mews
rogressives came together Feb. 19 for
a forum organized by a group that’s
hoping to show young voters that
political discussions can he engaging,
sassy and sexy.
During the first hour of the Third Thursday
forum, people of all ages straggled in and milled
about, taking stock of the free refreshments,
including yummy hummus, a keg of respectable
ale and lots of Trader Joe’s bargain red wine. The
free btxize is just one clue that this group is in
touch with youth.
Alter a healthy pericxl of serializing, the politi-
cal discussion got under way, focusing on the
theme “Getting Down and Dirty About Equal
Rights in Oregon.” The panel included representa-
tives from Basic Rights Oregon, Planned Parent-
hixxl, the National Abortion Rights Action
League and the Oregon Assembly for Black Affairs,
Maria Damaris Silva of Northwest
Treeplanters and Farmworkers United spoke
compellingly for the mostly Latino workers in
her union. When asked who has the ear of Ore
gon legislators, she quipped, “Money,” which
played well to the crowd of 60 or so progressives.
When the panelists were asked what their
organizations’ top three priorities were for the
upcoming state legislative session, BRO lobbyist
Maura Rtx:he laid out the agenda for queer
rights: “an omnibus nondiscrimination hill pro
hibiting discrimination in housing, public
accommodation and employment, including
[on the basis of] gender identity; adding gender
identity to the hate crimes statute; and defeating
the Defense of Marriage Act."
The Legislature may consider a Defense of Mar
riage Act during a special session in June. Such leg
islation could take the form of a regular law or an
amendment to the Oregon Constitution. Lin
Mahon and like-minded homophobes would of
course ideally prefer a constitutional amendment,
because it would protect the state-proclaimed supe-
riority of heterosexual relationships from those '
O U t , 2i
tricts— and to knock on doors and tell people
why they should vote for progressive politicians.
Smith said statistics show engaging voters in
person is far more successful than phone bank
Fun forum focuses on fight for fairness
ing or direct mail. He added, “When you talk to
voters about national candidates like the presi
by M ichael B u rdick
dent, most will have already formed opinions
about them...but when you talk about their
[state] representatives, maybe they haven’t even
^
Senate
became
tied,
with
pesky activist courts and their
heard of the candidate.” With the old bus they
crazy ideas about due process
o Republicans still control-
acquired and a force of volunteers, Bus Project
and equal protection,
| ling the House), one Bus
volunteers believe they can make a powerful
a Project volunteer explained
Would-be defenders of
impact without spending much money.
g that right-wingers recently
marriage could get a mea-
The Bus Project is a relatively young organi
^ have united to exclude
sure on the November bal-
middle-of-the-road Repub zation, having had its first major push in the
lot by gathering more than
2002 legislative session, hut Smith presented
licans, to the point that
75,000 signatures for a regu-
hardly any mtxlerates re convincing evidence that it made a big differ
lar law— or more than
ence in the races it focused on that year— and
main in the Legislature.
100,000 for a constitutional
had a good time doing it. He revealed that one
amendment— by July 2,
Conservatives have held
progressive candidate won by less than 30 votes,
onto their power in the
either of which would be
Legislature despite the pres with Bus Project volunteers having knocked on
quite a feat. Alternatively,
hundreds of doors in that district.
ence of liberal Portland.
they could persuade the Leg
It was Smith who, toward the end of the
And with the conservative
islature to vote to refer the
panel
discussion, posed the most pragmatic
talk radio monopoly and
measure to the ballot, an act
question: “What are the most important state
the recent successful efforts
that the governor does not
by national anti-tax groups
have the power to veto.
legislative races facing Oregon.7”
Roche replied: “In terms of the Senate, we’re
to influence Oregon poli
Roche continued: “The
tics toward the right, pro really looking at a key race down in the
[state] Senate is an evenly
gressives face many obsta Ashland/Medford area...that is really impor
divided partisan chamber.
tant, a seat has been resigned by a longtime Sen
cles. But beyond electing
If it becomes more right
ate Republican in a district that has a makeup
leaning, it will he easier for
fair-minded state senators
that would imaginably lend itself to a Democrat
this to he referred to the bal- Maura Roche, Basic Rights Oregon’s and representatives in local
being elected to office there. In addition to that,
lot.” BRO hopes the Legisla- lobbyist at the state Legislature,
districts, it’s hard to see
we have a race that will be hotly contested...in
ture will stop any Defense of hopes to put the brakes on a
what progressive
Port-
Gresham, in East Multnomah County, the seat
Marriage A ct from ever proposed Defense of Marriage Act
landers can do about these
retiring state Sen. John Minnis formerly occu
problems.
making it to the ballot this
pied, again a very evenly divided seat in terms of
That’s where the Bus Project gets interesting.
year or in the future.
the partisan makeup of the voters.”
As lobbyist for BRO, R(x:he will have her After the panel discussion, Jefferson Smith, one
Smith then volunteered two state Senate
work cut out for her in Salem, but Oregonians
of the organization’s founders, gave a fun, low-
races he’ll be watching, one in Beaverton, where
everywhere who support gay rights, and progres key presentation about the Bus Project to those
incumbent Democrat
sive values in general, have the power to make a still assembled.
Ryan
Deckert
is
lasting difference. At least that was the not-so-
Knowing
that
"When you talk to voters
defending his seat, and
some districts like
subtle underlying message of the evening—and
a newly redrawn dis
the defining vision of the host organiza those in Portland can
about national candidates
trict on Oregon’s cen
tion, the Oregon Bus Project.
mostly he counted on
like
the
president,
most
will
have
tral coast, a seat to he
The Bus Project was founded by a few as liberal, while others
vacated by conserva
progressive Oregonians who were frus such as much of East
already
formed
opinions
about
tive Ken Messerle.
trated that the Legislature has been so ern Oregon are tradi
N o doubt the bus
tionally conservative, t h e m . . but when you talk
conservative for so long, despite the fact
the Bus Project’s plan
will be on its merry
that at one time the Beaver State was on
is to try to pick up about their [state] representatives,
the cutting edge. In the 1970s, forward-
way to one of those
thinking legislators passed trailhlazing some new seats for
districts soon. jn
maybe they haven't even heard
land use laws and led the nation toward
progressives, maybe
For more information
of the candidate"
recycling by passing the first bottle hill.
even tip the balance
of power, by focusing
about the O rego n
Now the Legislature guts essential s<x:ial
— Jefferson Smith Bus P r o je c t visit
services such as the Oregon Health Plan on parts of the state
wuw.secretplan. org.
and can’t find stable funding for increas where voters might go
either way. Specifically, the idea was to get a bus
ingly desperate schools.
Political insiders are keeping an eye on legislative
In addition to the fact that there has
MICHAEL B u rd ick is a recent graduate of Reed
and use it to take a hunch of liberal Portlanders
seats being vacated by state Sens. John Minnis (left) been a GOP majority in both chambers
where their efforts could really make the differ College. He can be reached at
ence for a candidate— in swing legislative dis mike@nibblicious .com.
and Ken Messerle
for many years (until 2002, when the
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