The Update: March 10th, 2023
March 10, 2023
What you'll find in this edition:
(Click on a link to jump down in the email)
(outside of the DPCC)
Volunteer Opportunities
Clackamas Dems
Apply or Nominate Someone for the Jill Thorn Grant!
For Women in Clackamas County Running for Office for the First Time
RUN FOR OFFICE!
Special District Elections are upon us!
Did you know that there are over 150 local positions in Clackamas County that will be on the ballot for the Special District Elections held on May 16, 2023? Multiple positions are up including water districts, school boards, fire districts, and parks! Here at the DPCC we can offer support if you would like to serve your community! Please contact us for more information on what positions will be open in your area!
2023 DPO Local Elections Project Candidate Bootcamp Training Webinar
Saturday, March 18, 2023 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM PT
The 2023 DPO Local Election Project Candidate Bootcamp Training Webinar is for any Democratic Candidate for local office. Whether you've filed for the May Special District Election or are thinking of running in the future, this training is for you. They'll cover everything from creating an effective campaign plan and calendar, to tips for fundraising, communications, voter outreach, and more! Please fill out the form below and a link to the training will be emailed to you, along with supplemental training materials. Feel free to share the link to this page with your campaign staff/volunteers/kitchen cabinet, anyone in your campaign that may benefit from the training.
Dpo.org/bootcamp
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is accepting applications to fill four positions on the Local Government Grant Program Advisory Committee.
Interested applicants should submit a Committee Interest Form by March 15, 2023.
Click here to read more!
Updates from our Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley
• March 1, 2023 Wyden, Bennet and Hickenlooper Introduce Legislation to Combat Intensifying Wildfires and Drought Across the American West
• March 2, 2023 Wyden, Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
• March 2, 2023 Wyden Delivers Floor Speech on the Human Cost if Women Lose Access to Mifepristone
• March 6, 2023 Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Introduce PRO Act Legislation to Protect Workers’ Right to Organize
• March 6, 2023 Merkley, Colleagues introduce resolution opposing Republican plan to impose national sales tax
• March 7, 2023 Ahead of two college admissions Supreme Court cases, Merkley and colleagues urge Department of Education to address racial and ethnic gaps in higher education
Updates from Governor Tina Kotek
• February 28, 2023Governor Tina Kotek Urges Legislature to Pass $155 Million to Reduce Homelessness Statewide
• March 06, 2023Governor Tina Kotek announces Housing Production Advisory Council members
Board of Clackamas County Commissioners
Here is a link to meeting schedules, bios, and contact information. Attend meetings, submit testimony, and email the commissioners!
The Clackamas County Commissioners have openings for their Advisory Boards and Commissions
The Clackamas County Commissioners are seeking interested residents to serve on county Advisory Boards and Commissions (ABCs). These ABCs offer residents the opportunity to become very involved in specific activities and the goals of Clackamas County.
Individuals interested in this opportunity can apply online or via a paper form that can be obtained from the Public & Government Affairs Department by calling 503-655-8751.
CCSD#5 Budget Committee - Street Lighting
Application deadline is March 29
To recommend fiscal year and supplemental budgets to the Board of County Commissioners.
Clackamas Workforce Partnership
Application deadline is April 12
To advise the Board of County Commissioners on the administration and implementation of the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act programs and initiatives within Clackamas County. The Act funds adult, youth and dislocated worker training programs.
Developmental Disabilities Council
Application deadline is March 31
To advise the Social Services Division Director and Developmental Disabilities Program Manager in planning and reviewing programs and recommending policy for Developmental Disabilities program areas. To recommend program goals and objectives to the Division Director, Program Manager and the Board of County Commissioners.
Click here for more details!
Housing Authority of Clackamas County
Coordinated Housing Access (CHA) aims to help people find immediate, alternative housing arrangements, which may include rental assistance or other financial help. If this is not possible, CHA will talk with you about any housing waiting lists you may qualify for. Here is a link to their online intake form.
The Oregon Legislature session for 2023 is now in session!
Click here to find their agenda and how YOU can participate!
Articles
• New bill would put a stop to tolls on I-205 and I-5 beyond Columbia bridges
• Oregon is one step closer to easier naloxone access after House passes bill
• Bill focusing on students with disabilities & their right to education passes in Oregon Senate
• Oregon lawmakers consider making it easier to convert office space into homes
Attn: Women in Clackamas County Running for Office for the First Time
Now Accepting Nominations for Jill Thorn Grant
The Jill Thorn Grant is awarded by the Democratic Party of Clackamas County (DPCC) to a woman in Clackamas County who is a Democrat preparing to run for public office for the first time. The recipient may use the $500 award at her discretion for training, preparation for a campaign or any other campaign-related expenses.
This award commemorates the legacy of Jill Thorn’s public service and the example her life provides to other women seeking to serve the community by serving in public office.
Requirements:
Registered female Democrat
Preparing to run for public office for the first time
Resident of Clackamas County or running for an office that includes at least part of Clackamas County
Nomination by a current DPCC Precinct Committee Person (PCP) using the Jill Thorn Grant Nomination Form OR direct application by using the Jill Thorn Grant Application Form.
Submission of either of these completed forms by March 15, as directed on the form, to Jill Thorn Grant Subcommittee Chair,Cornelia Gibson by email or send by mail:
Clackamas County Democrats
ATTN: Jill Thorn Grant Committee
P.O. Box 680
Gladstone, OR 97027
Selection Criteria:
Demonstrated commitment to public service
Need for support in pursuing candidacy for office
Likelihood of success as a candidate for office
Candidate responses provided on the application form by the candidate or person nominating a candidate and responses from a personal interview
In addition to completing the application form, the candidate may attach a one-page resume to the application form.
Nominations and applications will be accepted until March 15, 2023.
From Our Second Vice Chair, Marie Karns:
We’ve come a long way, baby!
If you’re a boomer like me you might remember that slogan from the late 1960s Virginia Slim ads, when Philip Morris tobacco execs successfully marketed their dainty “slimmer than the fat cigarettes men smoke” cig to modern, independent women.
Though having the freedom to smoke is no longer in vogue, nor an aspiration, nor advisable, the slogan, as it pertains to women’s history, still rings true. And, in spite of the recent setback by the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it’s important to remember and celebrate our trajectory of triumphs. Women have come a long way!
Some of our milestones include women’s right to vote, to get a legal divorce from an unhappy marriage, to enjoy equal employment opportunities (still working on the equal pay bit), and to not be fired from a job for becoming pregnant. Though inequities still abound, and we have much more work to do, Black women and women in other marginalized groups (for example, Hispanic, Indigenous, Lesbian, and Trans) now have more equal rights.
DPCC Precinct Committee Person (PCP), Christine Kennedy, remembers in 1974 women were finally granted to right to get their own credit card! She reflects, “The women’s movement meant more choices in life and career. It helped women find their voice and speak up, which was especially important in my chosen profession of nursing.”
I’m continually inspired by the women who have led the way in this movement and who have ignited the torch of passion in younger women. I see that fire in my own two daughters, now ages 11 and 17.
For example, when my oldest was in fourth grade, she researched a woman she admired for a school assignment: then First Lady Michelle Obama. She marveled, “Michelle Obama and I have two things in common: One, we both took piano lessons, and two, we both owned Easy Bake Ovens!” I could see her little brain getting it: wow, we started out being alike, and look where she is now!
Another example: My youngest currently has a cameo playing Rosie the Riveter in her middle school production of the musical Guys And Dolls. When I see her with her hair in victory rolls wrapped with the classic red and white polka dot bandanna, making that strong arm pose for two full beats, I know she is tapping into her own power. While Rosie the Riveter is a somewhat fictionalized persona, she’s an iconic representation for some of the characteristics it takes to get the job done: energy, strength, perseverance, and a hefty dose of moxie.
PCP Suzie McHarness, inspired by an aunt, remembers deciding early in life that, instead of complaining about a situation, she was going to jump in and make a difference. She shared a quote from Portland-born Pat Schroeder, the first female elected to Congress in Colorado, who served from 1973 to 1997: “You can’t wring your hands and roll up your sleeves at the same time.”
McHarness has been involved in local politics for decades, clocking in miles and miles as a neighborhood leader and even spending time on the Bus with Oregon politician Jefferson Smith.
“I’m most inspired by women I know who keep pushing forward and doing important work,” says PCP Amber Tatge, “people like Heidi Prokop who ran for city council even when it was out of her comfort zone.”
Seeing other women get involved can have a ripple effect. PCP Jennifer Rueda says she finds inspiration from foot soldiers like Prokop, too. “Because of Heidi, I ran for House District Leader,” she says.
That’s the movement still moving. That’s us saying setbacks are not going to dull our roar. As Kamala Harris said to Mike Pence on the debate stage, “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking. I’m speaking.”
We’re lit. We have found our voice. We are speaking. We are still speaking. Thanks for listening.
Marie Karns
American Women in Politics (Articles)
Meet Some of the Women Who Helped Shape Oregon as We Know It From PDX Monthly
Milestones for Women in American Politics From The Center for American Women and Politics
Visit theLeague of Women Voters - Clackamas County
The League of Women Voters (LWV) is a nonpartisan, grassroots nonprofit dedicated to empowering everyone to fully participate in our democracy. With active Leagues in all 50 states and more than 750 Leagues across the country, we engage in advocacy, education, litigation, and organizing to protect every American’s freedom to vote.
Founded in 1920, the League was a merger of the National Council of Women Voters and the National American Women’s Suffrage Association. Referred to as a “mighty political experiment,” it aimed to help newly enfranchised women exercise their right to vote. Learn more about their history.
CURRENTLY A HIGH NEED!
You can help grow the grassroots of the Democratic Party by joining our Neighborhood Leader Program. We will give you a list of 35 or so of your neighbors who are registered Democratic voters. You’ll also receive training, slate cards, candidate literature and similar materials to pass out to your list of voters. Won’t you join us and help promote our Democratic values and candidates in YOUR neighborhood? Apply here using our Website Contact Form.
Are you able to assist current Neighborhood Leaders in your district during the election season (by distributing materials, cutting turf, and fielding questions from other Neighborhood Leaders)? We are currently looking for House District Leaders for districts 41, 48, and 52!Contact us!
The Platform and Resolutions Committee of the DPCC is the aspirational soul of our county party. One of its primary functions is to identify important social, economic, or political issues that need attention or action and then propose specific solutions to a targeted audience with the power or authority to take the recommended action. If you are bothered by an ill or injustice in our society (and who isn’t?) and have ideas about how to correct or address that issue, feel free to contact chair Scott Hays (scotthays63@gmail.com) with your thoughts. If you want to speak your mind at one of our monthly meetings … the third Wednesday at 6:30 PM … He can provide you with a Zoom link.
Are you in House District 40 or are willing to drive to Oregon City? Consider spending some time in the DPCC Office in downtown Oregon City!
Second Vice-Chair Marie Karns is looking for members who can take on a monthly 4-hour shift there. In general, shifts are in the 9am to 6pm range, most any day but Sunday. If you can help out, email Marie at mkarns54@gmail.com.
If you can’t commit to a monthly shift, and you can help out at the office during special events like the Teddy Bear Parade, also email Marie! She’s creating a DPCC Office Pool for special events because we are going to SHOW UP!
Also, as you Spring clean, please think of the office as one of your go-to donation locations! In-kind contributions we can use include printer paper and labels, coffee/tea, drinkable water, usable postcards, toilet tissue, paper towels, and green cleaning supplies.
Our office is located at 609 Main Street in Oregon City. Get directions here!
Click here for a list of frequently updated current office hours!
Now Forming! ENG (electronic news gathering) video team for Clackamas County Democrats.
Are you a motion graphics person? Do you edit? Do you have time to share your media skills? Are you interested in learning more about producing media?
Clackamas Dems is seeking an audio person for on-location sound recording, a production assistant and a motion graphics editor for our new ENG (electronic news gathering) video team!
PURPOSE
Upgrade social media to include moving images, get beyond still photos and graphics.
Exploit moving image story function on Facebook and Tiktok
Produce "under a minute" clips for social media and blog posts to further our message.
Interview candidates for short sound bytes and interview voters for opinion pieces.
Cover special events, on call and where most needed.
NEEDS:
Do you have a camera with ON BOARD as well as MIC inputs for syncing lavaliers, external hand held and/or shotgun mics We will use external hand held "news" mic, clip on lavaliers, and/or a "shotgun" mic.
Opportunity to learn video/shooting/editing skills if you have no experience. An experienced producer will help you.
Producer/director to edit in iMovie. Nothing fancy. Content over bells and whistles.
Contact Hester Schell (Please include CLACK DEMS MEDIA TEAM in subject line).
A Precinct Committee Person is a voting member of the County Democratic Central Committee and represents his/her precinct in the Democratic Party. An elected PCP is eligible to participate in electing county officers and selecting county representatives to the congressional district and state level.
Apply here using our online PCP Application.
We are currently looking for regular volunteers to help with the following committees:
Email volunteer-team@clackamasdems.org to apply for any of these committees or fill out our Website Contact Form.
Candidate Portal Are you knowledgeable about elections and what candidates need to succeed? Or are you good at research and information-gathering? We are putting together a Candidate Portal on our website that will provide information to prospective candidates. This is a short-term assignment and you’d be working with people from several of our committees.
PCP Handbook Revision Do you have experience as a Precinct Committee Person? Do you have good writing skills? We need a couple of people to help update our PCP Handbook, last revised in 2018. This is a short-term assignment that should only require a few hours time commitment.
Neighborhood Leader Committee Have you been a Neighborhood Leader and enjoyed it? Would you like to spread the word to others? Or are you a data wonk who wants to learn more about the intricacies of VAN and turf cutting? The Neighborhood Leader Committee promotes and trains Neighborhood Leaders and tracks the effectiveness of the program with data. This committee meets monthly.
Finance/Fundraising Committee Do you like to plan events? Do you enjoy working with donors and speakers? Or do you have an aptitude for all things budgetary? Then this committee could use you! The Finance/Fundraising Committee proposes and reviews budgets and conducts fundraising events. This committee meets monthly.
Campaign Committee Do you want to help Democrats get elected? Do you like researching? Or are you a people person who likes to talk with others? Then maybe the Campaign Committee is right for you. This committee determines and executes strategies for getting Democrats elected in Clackamas County. This committee meets monthly and may have extra assignments near elections.
Technical Operations: Light computer skills required. There are a variety of technology-related tasks that we need help with, including helping administer surveys and organizing Google Drive files.
Communications: Graphic design, social media.
Platform and Resolutions: Help researching and drafting proposed party resolutions in coordination with other committees.
Justice: Help research and draft resolutions with an eye towards social justice.
Volunteer and Recruitment: Volunteer Committee: Composing and publishing this newsletter, leading efforts to recruit and retain volunteers and PCPs.
Young Democrats: Reaching out the youth of Clackamas County in order to give voice to the next generation and generations after us. Providing agency over the future they will inheret. Anyone that is committed to helping increase youth involvement in the Democratic Party is welcome!
Veterans: Advocating for Veterans in Clackamas County. We are always looking for volunteers and anyone interested in Oregon legislations that affect Veterans.
LGBTQ: Are you LGBTQ or an ally and interested in joining a LGBTQ caucus in Clackamas County? This group will be working toward educational exchange, networking and advocate for equal rights. If you are interested in helping with bylaw creation, and volunteering please contact us!
Email volunteer-team@clackamasdems.orgto apply for any of these committees or fill out our Website Contact Form.
Representative Annessa Hartman (HD-40) Town Hall
Date: Saturday, March 11, 2023
Time: 11 am - 12 pm
Address:
McLoughlin Hall
Clackamas Community College
19600 Mollala Ave, Oregon City, OR
RSVP here (for zoom or in person)
Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) from Clackamas County
Do you live with a chronic condition or care for someone who is? Clackamas County offers this free six-session workshop to help you improve your health and outlook on life. Join them Thursdays, April 13 - May 18, 2 to 4:30 p.m., at Milwaukie Center. Info and registration:https://bit.ly/3IAi7bh
Todos Juntos - PDX Diaper Bank - Clackamas County Public Health
Do you need diapers? Do you live in rural Clackamas county? Sign up for a free bundle of 25 diapers. You will be contacted for pick up in Canby or Sandy.https://forms.gle/eQLC398gAMwgoRPh6
Necesitas pañales? ¿Vives en el condado rural de Clackamas? Regístrese para obtener un paquete gratis de 25 pañales. Se le contactará para que lo recoja en Canby o Sandy.
Clackamas County Children's Commission
Home-Based Program Manager, Tiffany, needs YOU to join their Healthy Families Advisory Committee! Check out their blog post to read more about her position and find out more about the committee.
Clackamas County is offering free housing mediation services
Clackamas County is offering housing mediation services to help community members resolve conflicts and prevent evictions.
Housing mediation services are offered at no cost to participants through June 30.
Click here for more information on housing mediation services.
Clackamas Workforce Partnership
Clean Slate Clackamas Clinic - Oregon City
Clean Slate Clackamas clinic is located at Children, Family & Community Connections (CFCC) on the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month, offering free legal services to people in the Clackamas County area seeing criminal record expungements.
The clinic aims to help all our community members reduce barriers to employment, housing, and education that keep our community from enjoying the benefit of full participation and a clean slate forward.
Contact expungement@clackamasworkforce.org for more information
Clean Slate Clackamas Clinic - Estacada
Join Clackamas Workforce Partnership on Saturday, March 11, 2023, open anytime between 12pm and 6pm located at AntFarm in Estacada (350 SW Zobrist St. Estacada) for an expungement clinic - DACA renewals, eviction expungement, name/gender marker changes and criminal expungement.
Application is available in English and Spanish: For more information, emailexpungement@clackamasworkforce.org
Oregon Food Bank
Oregon Food Bank Ending Hunger Power Nights (EHPN)
Phone Banks Wednesdays, from 5:15-7:15 pm PST
Hosted by Oregon Food Bank https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/543279/
Virtual Zoom Event! Join the Oregon Food Bank and their Efforts To Build An Inclusive Democracy In Oregon By Signing Up For One (Or More!) Of Our Virtual Phonebanks for Ending Hunger Power Nights.
Only together can we eradicate the root causes of hunger 🌱
For any questions or comments please feel encouraged to contact Juell Towns via email at jtowns@gmail.com.
Oregon AFSCME
Oregon AFSCME's 2023 legislative agenda includes worker safety, equitable workplaces, and lobbies for a better place to live and work for all Oregonians.
Read Oregon AFSCME's 2023 Legislative Agenda
Track the status of pro-worker bills as they pass through Oregon Legislature
Oregon AFL-CIO
The Oregon AFL-CIO is the statewide federation of labor unions representing over 300,000 working Oregonians. They build power for workers through political campaigns during elections, legislative advocacy, and beyond.
The Oregon Labor Dispatch is a weekly email and blog series designed to keep Oregon’s workers informed of the latest news about unions, worker power, and much more. Click here to read the latest edition, or click here to subscribe!
Oregon Trail Democrats
The Oregon Trail Democrats live in the Sandy/ Hoodland/ Estacada/ Boring region of House Districts 18, 51 and 52.
Their purpose is to work to organize and elect Democratic candidates. They come together to learn how to be more effective in both influencing the voters AND influencing our elected officials about issues that are important to us. They welcome your presence, your ideas, your experience- together we can move mountains!
Click here to find out more information.
Stable Homes for Oregon Families
Write representatives in Salem to say no to high rent increases and stop fast track evictions.
Click here for more information on what Stable Homes for Oregon Families are working on.
Healthcare for All Oregon (HCAO)
HCAO educates about and advocates for an equitable, affordable, comprehensive, high-quality publicly funded universal healthcare system that will improve the lives of individuals, families and communities across Oregon and throughout the United States. Click here for more information.
Sign up for newsletters, attend townhalls,
write letters, and view legislation!
Sign up up to get newsletters and townhall notices from Oregon House and Senate legislators of your choice by clicking here.
Donate to our “Yes We Can Sustaining Fund”
There is no more urgent time to give than now! The Clackamas Democrats urge your supporting contributions to the Yes We Can Sustaining Fund. This fund maintains operations and programs that support our ability to assist Democratic candidates and build a stronger, progressive Oregon. Make a one-time or monthly donation of as little as $5.
Officers for the Democratic Party of Clackamas County
Chair: Cris Waller
chair@clackamasdems.org
First Vice-Chair: Nicholas Walden Poublon
first-vice-chair@clackamasdems.org
Second Vice-Chair: Marie Karns
second-vice-chair@clackamasdems.org
Secretary: Morgan Buck
secretary@clackamasdems.org
Digital Secretary: Jason Rambo
digital-secretary@clackamasdems.org
Treasurer: Eric Carlson
treasurer@clackamasdems.org
Paid for by the Clackamas County Democratic Central Committee PAC, ID #293. The top donor was the Ken Humberston for Clackamas County Commission
PAC.
If this email was forwarded to you and you like to subscribe, click here and fill out our website contact form.
Copyright © 2023 Democratic Party of Clackamas County, All rights reserved.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.