January 23, 2019
The
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INSIDE
Week in Review
C ALENDAR
This page
Sponsored by:
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M ETRO
photo by D anny p eterson /t he p ortlanD o bserver
Rev. Mark Knutson of Augustana Lutheran Church in northeast Portland is again leading an effort to
strengthen gun control laws in Oregon as part of the Lift Every Voice campaign of interfaith leaders
and other supporters, including representatives from the Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for
Justice and Police Reform.
New Effort at Gun Control
Faith leaders draft legislation for current session
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D anny p eterson
t he p ortlanD o bserver
Local faith leaders and advo-
cates from around the state in
support of stronger gun control
measures are planning on intro-
ducing two bills to the legislature
this year.
The Lift Every Voice Oregon
campaign is an interfaith group
spear-headed by multiple denom-
inations of religious leaders in the
Arts &
by
ENTERTAINMENT
Portland area, and statewide, as
well as non-religious supporters.
A ban on ammunition maga-
zines greater than 10 rounds and
phasing out availability of assault
rifles will be in the proposed bills.
Dr. Leroy Haynes, pastor of Al-
len Temple CME Church in north-
east Portland and representing the
Albina Ministerial Alliance Coali-
tion for Justice and Police Reform
said the push is in response to the
“massive repercussions of gun vi-
olence in our community and na-
tion.”
After unsuccessfully petition-
ing for a ballot initiative of sim-
ilar measures last year, in the
wake of the deadly shooting at a
high school in Parkland, Fla., Lift
Every Voice organizers say they
have continued gaining traction
C ontinueD on p age 4
Charged in Lawyer’s Murder
O PINION
C LASSIFIEDS
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A UTO
R EVIEW
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Authorities have arrested a
man in the decade-old murder of a
Portland public defender.
The Portland Police Bureau
said Christopher Alexander Wil-
liamson, 28, was taken into custo-
dy on Friday for the death of Nan-
cy Bergeson, a prominent lawyer.
It’s unknown if Williamson,
who would have been 19 years old
at the time, knew Bergeson, who
was a long-time assistance federal
public defender, authorities said.
She was found dead at the age
of 57 in her southwest Portland
home in November 2009. It was
eventually determined that she
was strangled to death. But at
the time she was discovered, her
body was removed from the crime
Christopher Alexander Williamson
Nancy Bergeson
scene because authorities initially mystery for years.
believed she died of natural caus-
Police say they tracked down
es. That hampered the investiga- Williamson after a number of
tion and the cold case remained a leads.