House Speaker Tina Kotek faces a leadership challenge, the Oregon Elections director quits in protest and lawmakers gear up for a continuation of virtual sessions next year. The 2020 general election is last week’s news.
Rep. Janelle Bynum, D-Clackamas, is calling fellow House Democrats to explore a challenge to Kotek, who has served as Speaker since the 2013 legislative session. Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, confirmed the calls in an interview with Willamette Week.
Bynum’s challenge could be bolstered by the one-seat net loss of House Democrat’s majority. Another factor is alleged intra-caucus unrest of how the Speaker addressed misconduct charges against Rep. Diego Hernandez. Kotek urged Hernandez to resign before the investigation into his conduct is finished. Bynum, who chairs the BIPOC Caucus, and other House Democrats contributed to Hernandez’ successful re-election campaign.
Kotek is actively seeking to retain the speakership. “I never take that nomination for granted, and I look forward to earning my colleagues’ support,” Kotek said. “Our state is facing multiple, major crises. We have a huge amount of work to do on behalf of Oregonians, and I am ready to bring my experience to bear and get things done.”
Digital legislating worked in special sessions that have limited agendas and few actual bills. A regular legislative session poses a more significant challenge, with hundreds of bills and a relentless line of advocates and opponents who want to talk about them.
Bynum’s arguments may sway some lawmakers. However, caucus members loyal to the Speaker could argue that Kotek’s leadership over the past several cycles coincided with Democrats securing a super-majority and has shepherded in major progressive victories like the Student Success Act, housing investments, affordable health care protections and many others.
Despite a problem-free general election, Oregon Elections Director Steve Trout abruptly left his job last week before final results are certified. It was unclear whether he resigned or was fired after raising concerns about leadership in the secretary of state’s office and antiquated election technology.
“Some of our election systems are running on Windows Server 2008,” Trout wrote in letter to Secretary of State Bev Clarno. “End-of-life mainstream support from Microsoft ended back on January 13, 2015, and all support ended on January 14, 2020. Our public facing websites are single-threaded through one power supply on the Capitol Mall and one internet connection. There is no redundancy or resiliency or plan to provide either.”
Trout expressed hope his technology concerns would be heeded by Shemia Fagan, who won election as secretary of state and will assume office in January. Oregon’s universal mail-in elections have served as a model for other states who shifted to vote-by-mail because of the coronavirus pandemic. Fagan signaled she will look into Trout’s warnings.
Legislative leaders have advised lawmakers to prepare for the 2021 session to open virtually, with the hope of an in-person session starting in the spring, assuming the pandemic is under control by then. Under this scenario, lawmakers would hold virtual hearings and individual meetings, as they did in special sessions earlier this year, then hold off floor votes until the spring when lawmakers can safely assemble on the House and Senate floors.
Digital legislating worked in special sessions that have limited agendas and few actual bills. A regular legislative session poses a more significant challenge, with hundreds of bills and a relentless line of advocates and opponents who want to talk about them.
Zoom meetings can work, but they may not be a totally satisfying replacement for face-to-face meetings, where the body language of a lawmaker and the firmness of a handshake can be revealing. Professional lobbyists are resigned to virtual advocacy, both in the near future and possibly for much longer. Average citizens, especially those without the technology, may not be happy and feel shut out of the legislative process.
Even a temporary continuation of virtual legislating will place a higher premium on grassroots awareness and engagement campaigns conducted online.
CFM State Affairs Team has compiled an Oregon 2020 election report for clients that offers comprehensive coverage of federal, state, local and ballot measure results. It includes an in-depth look at some of the key 2020 legislative races and new faces who will sit in the 2021 legislature.
One race the report didn’t cover was the mayoral contest in Gresham, which remains in dispute and may be headed to an automatic recount. The race is between Travis Stovall, who leads by 104 votes, and City Councilman Eddy Morales. The winner could be decided when Multnomah County finishes counting 704 challenge ballots, which are ballots being double-checked by elections officials for issues such as a signature that may not perfectly match the one on record. Stovall and Morales are seeking to replace Shane Bemis, the longtime mayor who stepped down earlier this year.
