OREGON
Tuesday, June 8, 2021
Legislative committee to take up expulsion of Nearman
East Oregonian
STATE NEWS BRIEFS
By DIRK
VANDERHART
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Police: 4 people
fatally shot in
home in Portland
SALEM
—
House
Speaker Tina Kotek has
introduced a resolution to
expel state Rep. Mike Near-
man, following new evi-
dence that Nearman plot-
ted with supporters before
allowing an incursion of the
state Capitol in December.
But in an atypical move,
Kotek is electing not to run
that resolution through the
House committee that nor-
mally takes up workplace
complaints. Rather, Kotek is
convening a “Special Com-
mittee on Dec. 21, 2020,”
that her offi ce says will meet
later this week to consider
expelling Nearman.
“The severity of Repre-
sentative Nearman’s actions
and last week’s revelation
that they were premedi-
tated require a special com-
mittee to immediately con-
sider expelling him from
the House of Representa-
tives,” Kotek, D-Portland,
said in a statement. “He
knowingly put the physi-
cal safety of everyone in the
Capitol — lawmakers, staff
and law enforcement — in
jeopardy.”
The special committee
Kotek is forming will be
evenly split between Dem-
ocrats and Republicans,
meaning the two parties will
need to fi nd common ground
for anything to pass. Dem-
ocrats on the committee
are Rep. Paul Holvey, who
serves as House Speaker
Pro Tem, House Majority
Leader Barbara Smith War-
ner, and Rep. Andrea Sali-
nas. Republican members
are House Minority Leader
Christine Drazan and Reps.
Daniel Bonham and Duane
Stark.
A vote to expel Nearman
from the Legislature would
ultimately require a mini-
mum of 40 votes in the full
House, a two-thirds super-
majority that would require
at least three Republican to
vote in favor of expulsion.
If that came to pass, Near-
PORTLAND — Police
in Portland said four peo-
ple were fatally shot over
the weekend at a home in
the city.
Offi cers responded to
reports of a shooting at the
home at about 10:25 p.m.
Sunday, June 6, in the
southeastern part of the
city and found the four
people dead from apparent
gunshot wounds, police
said in a statement.
The investigation is
continuing and autopsies
will be performed, accord-
ing to police.
Oregon Capitol Legislative Administration/Contributed Photo, File
This image from Oregon State Capitol surveillance footage show Oregon Rep. Mike Near-
man, R-Independence, opening a door for a group of Trump supporters on Dec. 21, 2020,
where his fellow state lawmakers were gathered for a special legislative session.
man would be the fi rst Ore-
gon lawmaker to be expelled
from the body. Kotek and
Smith Warner both tweeted
Friday, June 4, that Near-
man should resign or be
ejected from the House.
Republicans have been
largely silent about the case
against Nearman. Drazan
did not respond to a request
on June 4 or June 7. She has
said in the past that Near-
man should be “held respon-
sible” if his actions were
deemed criminal, but has
not indicated whether she’d
support expulsion.
Nearman did not respond
June 7 to a request for com-
ment about the possibility of
his expulsion.
The resolution the com-
mittee will be charged with
considering lays out the
facts of Nearman’s involve-
ment in the Capitol breach
that occurred as lawmak-
ers met in special session on
Dec. 21.
On that date, surveil-
lance footage showed Near-
man exiting the Capitol via a
vestibule on the west side of
the building, as right-wing
demonstrators
demand-
ing entrance were gathered
directly outside. Nearman
did not break stride as he
passed two men who held
the door open behind him.
The lawmaker immediately
walked around the Capi-
tol and re-entered from the
other side.
Once inside the Capi-
tol, demonstrators scuffl ed
with police, with one man
allegedly spraying bear
mace at offi cers. Even after
they were coaxed out of the
building, some members in
the crowd vandalized glass
doors and assaulted journal-
ists on the scene.
Nearman has not directly
commented on his motives
for leaving the building
that morning, but footage
that emerged last week sug-
gests it was a premeditated
act designed to allow people
into the Capitol.
In a video that appears to
have been shot on Dec. 16,
fi ve days before the breach,
Nearman can be heard
explaining to supporters
an idea for “Operation Hall
Pass.” In the video Nearman
repeatedly tells an audi-
ence his number — which
he coyly suggests is not his
number.
“And if you say, ‘I’m at
the west entrance’ during
the session and text that
number there ... somebody
might exit that door while
you’re standing there,”
Nearman says in the video.
After a recitation of
the facts, the resolution
concludes Nearman has
“engaged in disorderly
behavior,” the basis in the
state Constitution for expel-
ling a lawmaker.
The use of a special com-
mittee to handle the mat-
ter raises questions about a
hearing of the House Con-
duct Committee scheduled
for June 9.
The committee takes up
workplace complaints in the
Legislature, and had been
scheduled to consider Near-
man’s case after an inves-
tigation determined the
lawmaker likely broke per-
sonnel rules.
But while the Con-
duct Committee meeting
is still scheduled, it’s not
clear what will be at stake
when the larger question
of Nearman’s expulsion is
being pursued by another
committee.
Nearman has already
faced some consequences
for his actions. He has been
charged with two misde-
meanors stemming from
the incident, and has been
stripped of all of his legisla-
tive committee assignments.
In addition, he has forfeited
his badge granting Capi-
tol access and must give 24
hours notice before coming
to the building.
A11
Deputy fatally
shoots suspect
after chase
HAPPY VALLEY —
Authorities say a Clacka-
mas County sheriff ’s dep-
uty shot and killed a person
after a vehicle pursuit and
short foot chase.
KOIN reported the
Clackamas County Sher-
iff ’s Offi ce says a suspect
led a deputy on a vehicle
pursuit shortly after 2 a.m.
Monday, June 7. The chase
ended and the suspect
exited the car.
After getting out, the
suspect tried to run but a
short distance away the
deputy fi red his gun and
struck the suspect. Author-
ities did not clarify if the
suspect fi red any shots.
Deputies
reportedly
recovered a handgun near
the suspect. They also say
the suspect had been driv-
ing a stolen car.
An investigation is
continuing.
Alaska students
gain law
education options
ANCHORAGE, Alaska
— The University of
Alaska Anchorage has
announced a new partner-
ship with a university in
Oregon to expand oppor-
tunities for current and
future students interested
in law degrees.
Qualifi ed students in
Alaska who meet certain
academic
requirements
will be guaranteed admis-
sion to Willamette Uni-
versity’s College of Law’s
juris doctorate program
under the partnership,
Alaska’s News Source
reported Sunday, June 6.
“Our goal is to get our
students where they want
to go, and because Alaska
doesn’t have a law school,
it’s been a bit of a chal-
lenge,” said Denise Runge,
provost and vice chancel-
lor for academic aff airs at
the University of Alaska
Anchorage.
Students admitted into
the program also will
receive $10,000 renew-
able scholarships for every
year they are enrolled and
remain in good academic
standing at Willamette’s
College of Law, university
offi cials said.
The program also is
off ered at the University of
Alaska Southeast, offi cials
said.
Magnitude 3.9
earthquake hits
near Mount Hood
G OV ER N M EN T
CAMP — People in com-
munities near Mount Hood
reported feeling a mod-
erate earthquake Satur-
day night, June 6, the Ore-
gonian/Oregonlive.com
reported.
The magnitude 3.9
earthquake hit just after
8:50 p.m., less than 4 miles
northeast of Government
Camp.
Andy Diaz was work-
ing at the Charlie’s Moun-
tain View restaurant when
he felt the shaking. A
co-worker, Valerie Terg-
erson, was taking orders
when she heard the wood
in the building creak.
Soon after, another
co-worker called Diaz on
the phone to say the same.
— The Associated Press
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