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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2022)
SEPTEMBER 21, 2022 Portland and Seattle Volume XLV No. 28 News ...............................3,8,10 A & E .....................................6-7 Opinion ...................................2 Student Loan Forgiveness .. 8 Calendars ........................... 4-5 Bids/Classifieds ....................11 CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO SHAPE A BETTER FUTURE NOW CENTER OPENS FOR BLACK INNOVATORS Proposed law would require permits to purchase, limit magazine rounds. By Saundra Sorenson Of The Skanner News A n interfaith coalition has launched a ballot measure to curb gun violence through two practical safeguards. In November, Oregonians will have the opportunity to vote on Measure 114, which will require law enforce- ment-issued permits to purchase any firearm and which will restrict the purchase and sales of magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. In order to obtain a permit to pur- chase, applicants would be required to pass a background check and to attend and pass both a firearm safety training class and a live-fire training session. Violating the law would be a misde- meanor, upgraded to a felony if the violator has any prior criminal convic- tions. Currently, the group argued, weak Oregon gun laws allow purchasers to See GUNS on page 3 Oregon Historical Society Features Mowtown page 7 PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED Activist and mother Teal experienced gun violence at work, witnessing the shooting and injury of a coworker. Faith Community, Activists Introduce ‘Evidence- Based’ Gun Control Measure 25 CENTS A group of people pose in front of the William Grose Center for Innovation at Africatown after the official ribbon cutting on September 16 in Seattle. The new center, located in the former Fire Station 6 building on 23rd and Yesler is named after Seattle Pioneer and founder of the Central District, William Grose. It will be an economic incubator and a place to develop the next generation of Black innovators and leaders in technology. Oregon’s Tuition-Free Preschool Program Hits Major Delays The Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Thousands of Oregon families who expected their children to start tu- ition-free state-provid- ed preschool this month remain in limbo because of staffing shortages that caused delays getting con- tracts to nearly 250 in- volved preschools. The Early Learning Divi- sion, which has overseen the Preschool Promise pro- gram since its 2016 incep- tion, took over contracting duties from the Oregon De- partment of Education this year and has struggled to get contracts inked. It has yet to send paperwork to most of the 248 preschools in the program that serves families living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, The Oregonian/Ore- gonLive reported Tuesday. Many facilities new to the program or those expand- ing services are hesitant to accept children enrolled in Preschool Promise until they have a signed contract and payment for the care is assured, the newspaper reported. The agency now says the preschools chosen to serve an estimated 6,381 children must open no later than Oct. 30. It could not say when all contracts would be signed. The total number of children marks an expected increase of more than 2,000 slots from last year. “It’s super hard on fami- lies,” said Molly Day, direc- tor of Early Learning Mult- nomah, one of 16 regional hubs that helps coordinate Preschool Promise enroll- ment. “If you’re count- ing on your child to be in school while you’re work- ing, that’s very disruptive.” Northeast Portland par- ent Melissa Laurie applied in March for her 3-year-old daughter, Frankie, to take part in Preschool Prom- ise. Laurie gave up slots at other private preschools, which the state’s Employ- ment-Related Day Care pro- gram would have helped See PRESCHOOL on page 3 Environmental Justice Leader Vernice Miller-Travis on Fighting Racism and Climate Change Vernice Miller-Travis shares her thoughts on the current presidential administration’s handling of the climate crisis. By Saundra Sorenson Of The Skanner News V ernice Miller-Travis wants everyone to show up for en- vironmental justice – both at the polls (or mailboxes, if you’re voting in Oregon) and at their local planning or zoning commission meetings. “We’ve just got to expand the num- ber of Democrats that are in the Unit- ed States Senate, so that we won’t have to get backed into a corner like this again,” she told The Skanner in a nod to U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W. Va.) obstruction of climate action bills. Vernice Miller-Travis And the often-ignored local plan- ning meetings? “That’s where a lot of critical decision-making is being made about zoning, about where new facilities are going to go, transpor- See MILLER-TRAVIS on page 3
