loljustput FEBRUARY 20, 2009
northwest
Kroger Bullish on Civil Rights
Oregon's new attorney general proposes enforcement unit;
queer community signals approval
by Stephen Marc Beaudoin
t seems that newly installed Oregon Attorney
General John Kroger is starting to make gixxJ
on some of his campaign promises to the sex
ual minorities community.
In addition to spearheading the ongoing
investigation into the conduct of Portland Mayor
Sam Adams, Kroger’s office has announced a
new area of work especially of interest to queer
Oregonians: It has proposed the creation of a civil
rights enforcement unit designed to address dis
crimination cases based on race, age, gender and
sexual orientation, which may he the first civil
rights enforcement unit of its kind in state history.
The news of Kroger’s proposed civil rights
enforcement unit is halm to the ears of queer
equality leaders and lawyers. Basic Rights Oregon
executive director Jeana Erazzini said she’s “very
excited about the attorney general’s commitment
to seeing the laws fully enforced,” and longtime
lesbian civil rights attorney Beth Allen called the
proposed unit “a great way to shake things up and
get things done” in cases across the state.
As to exactly what sort of cases this new unit
could take on, rhe dixirs are wide open, according
to Tony Green, a spokesman for Kroger’s office.
Allen pointed out a few hot-button civil rights
issues she thinks could be fixlder for the office’s
muscle: “Housing is still a huge one, whether
that’s dealing with discrimination based on race
or sexual orientation or gender identity,” she says,
adding that “employment is still a big issue."
Green says Kroger has proposed creating the
unit in order to exercise “crystal clear authority on
civil rights cases. John wants to put rhe power of
the state behind enforcing civil rights cases when
tex) often the burden falls on the person who’s be
ing discriminated against.”
Although the concept seems sturdy and queer
support for the proposed unit is stalwart, Kroger will
have to clear one major hurdle before he can move
forward: approval from the Oregon Legislature.
Green says the proposed unit, as part of the
attorney general office’s general ways and means
budget request to the Legislature, includes fund
ing for three full-time employees to staff it: two
lawyers and one investigator. Hearings on that
budget have already begun in Salem and will con
tinue through the winter and spring.
If approved, the unit would still have to work
to carve out its unique place and work both
work in that arena.
within and without
“We’re a small firm;
the Oregon Justice
we couldn’t take on big
Department and its
companies that have
partnerships with pri
multiple [civil rights
vate lawyers and other
laws] violations.”
state agencies.
Whether Kroger’s
Green took pains
proposed unit actually
to note, for example,
comes to life later this
that the state Bureau
year may all come down
of Labor and Industries
Attorney General John Kroger speaks last year
to one simple matter:
already handles many
at a dinner benefit for Basic Rights Oregon.
the state budget. “Is it
civil rights discrimi
nation issues, although it does not have author going to be hard to get the Legislature to let go
of any money” in this belt-tightening economy,
ity to bring court cases. Implementing the civil
Allen asks? “Yes,” she says, adding that the “task
rights enforcement unit, he says, would give the
Justice Department “the authority to go to court
force could end up being self-supporting” in terms
on any of these cases. It will make these cases of high-dollar settlements from winning cases.
easier to win.”
It’s this prospect of putting beefed-up state
Allen, who often handles discrimination and
legal muscle behind civil rights violations that
civil rights cases in her private firm, says that
Green argues is critical in moving the state’s civil
“putting the fear of G<xj” into businesses that vio
rights protections forward. “Let’s face it," he says.
late any of the state’s civil rights laws—especially
“When defendants are somewhat culpable, and
the recently enacted Oregon Equality Act, which
they see us on the opposite side, that ought to
bans bias based on sexual orientation and gender help us settle cases that ought to be settled and
identity—is a “great complement" to her own
win cases that ought to be won.
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