When the State Supreme Court ruled giving Kate Brown unlimited emergency powers she has since refused Article 10 special sessions that would limit her powers in responding to the states Covid crisis. The legislature has refused all attempts to rein her in, holding private sessions behind closed doors in secrecy with little or no input from the public. The peoples house is still closed and citizens only avenue to express their grievances is through the states Legislative Information System, OLIS at https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021I1

Senator Brian Boquist of District 12, Dallas, Oregon, https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boquist has been an advocate for the people in his attempts to rein in the Governors iron fist approach. In a recent newsletter, Senator Boquist claims that the Governor ordering all children in public schools to wear a mask for 2021-2022 school year is without scientific evidence. Some children were medically harmed while playing sports last year while wearing masks. Children that refuse to wear the mask will be sent home and not admitted back into school until they comply. Oregon is requiring all teachers, healthcare workers and first responders to be vaccinated or lose their jobs. An Oregon government employee writes about how she will be fired from her job if she doesn’t get the vaccine, and she’s 5 months pregnant. From her point of view: “I am being forced to either contradict what I think is best for myself and my baby or face losing my job, income, and health coverage when I need it most.” excerpts from Sen. Boquist newsletter.

Hospitals across Oregon claim that they have a lack of beds, claiming that covid is the cause when in reality the hospitals are short staffed and have been short staffed for months on end. Last year when the Governor shut down all emergency medical procedures thousands of staff were laid off and many have not returned to work. Staff are currently quitting due to being overwhelmed with long working hours and lack of staff to handle beds, intake procedures, janitorial, food services, mandates to be vaccinated and more. Hospitals, according to Senator Boquist, are requiring women in Labor and Delivery to wear masks causing extreme unhealthy conditions for a woman laboring to bring her baby into the world. Mothers are forced to wear a mask upon intake at local hospitals which raised the concerns of lack of oxygen, raise in blood pressure, etc. during labor. This is inhumane and dangerous.

Some local counties have refused to allow the Governor to rule them insisting that they have full local control of their communities in dealing with their local emergencies. Some have outright refused to comply with the Governors “one size fits all approach” in a commendable attempt to help their counties address their emergencies that best suit their citizens. This is the ideal approach as localities are best situated to “know” the needs of their county intimately rather than roll out a one state approach that may not suit them locally.

You may contact your local Representatives at https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/house/pages/representativesall.aspx