Grassroots Democracy - Pacific Green Party of Oregon

Undocumented face unjust deportations without universal representation.

Feb 22, 2021

Pacific Greens support proposed legislation to put a check on Federal authority.

The Pacific Green Party of Oregon supports a legislative idea, advanced by Pueblo Unido PDX, that would provide a framework for establishing a universal representation system to protect undocumented immigrants from unjust state authority, currently under review in Legislative Council.

Undocumented immigrants face a constant threat of unjust deportations from Immigration, Customs Enforcement. For this reason, immigrant rights proponents associated with the Fair Shot initiative want legislation that will ensure a fair hearing by requiring representation for the undocumented.
Without ‘fair hearing’ legislation, the Federal immigration authorities are able to act with impunity against those seeking asylum, and deny a fair hearing by denying process and opportunity to make their case.

Biden follows Trump in pursuing Assange extradition; continues relentless attack on press freedom

Feb 16, 2021

Pacific Greens call on President to suspend extradition and issue pardon.

The Pacific Green Party stands in solidarity with Amnesty International and an array of press freedom and human rights organizations, including Reporters Without Borders and Human Rights Watch, in urging the Biden administration to drop the extradition demand in Great Britain and the specious US espionage case against Julian Assange.

At stake in Assange’s prosecution are freedom of the press and whistle blower protections.

Assange, founder of Wikileaks, which published revelations of torture techniques used by the US military in Guantanamo, video footage of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Iraq that killed journalists, and secret drone strikes conducted by the US in Yemen, has long been a target of the US Department of State and US military.

"The prosecution of Assange for publishing embarrassing information about US government actions is a threat to every publisher and journalist, a dangerous precedent that would void freedom of the press. If Assange can be imprisoned, so can any publisher,” said Charles Newlin, PGPOR Media contact.

Pacific Green Party of Oregon Endorses Campaign to Decriminalize Sex Work

Feb 12, 2021

Pacific Green Party of Oregon endorses campaign to decriminalize sex work, supporting HB 3088 which repeals crimes of prostitution

In line with their platform, Pacific Greens endorse the Urban Justice Center’s Sex Workers Project (https://swp.urbanjustice.org/) to end criminal prosecution of sex work. In Oregon, it is expressed in House Bill 3088: repeals crimes of prostitution, commercial sexual solicitation and promotion of prostitution, recently introduced by Representative Nosse.

The Green Movement stands on the principles of non-violence and social justice, and from this perspective, Pacific Greens recognize that sex work without legal protections can enable violence against workers and patrons, as well as maximizing harm and interfering in adults' sexual decisions.

Oregon Greens condemn Clackamas County Commissioner for racist, bigoted media posts

Jan 25, 2021

The Pacific Green Party calls for the immediate resignation of Clackamas County Commissioner Mark Shull for his remarks on social media demeaning Muslims, Trans people, and recklessly repeating misinformation.

In a news story run by the Pamplin Group, Shull is revealed to be a bigot, which calls into question his ability to serve the public. The PGP stands in solidarity with the call from the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Oregon for Shull’s resignation. The Council calls out the dangerous rhetoric employed by Shull. Their statement says: "At a time of heightened violence against Black and brown community members and our Muslim community, this rhetoric is reckless and dangerous, as shown by the extremist actions in our nation's Capitol last week."

Pacific Green Party supports Ranked Choice Voting legislation

Jan 24, 2021

The Pacific Green Party of Oregon endorsed Ranked Choice Voting legislation; three House Bills sponsored by Representative Dan Rayfield would implement Ranked Choice Voting at the state, county and municipal levels. A Senate Bill sponsored by Senator Golden formally allows counties to use Ranked Choice Voting.

Ranked Choice Voting is a proven electoral reform that enhances voter choice, eliminates the third party spoiler effect, and saves on the cost of staging run-off elections. In addition, with secure off-grid electronic counting, and Oregon’s paper ballot, elections can be authenticated for accuracy very efficiently.

The Pacific Greens are making a full court press to get the word out about the House and Senate Bills:

-- HB 2678 which creates RCV for nonpartisan offices & major party primaries
-- HB 2685 which creates RCV for use in military & overseas ballots
-- HB 2686 which requires that all future voting tabulator purchases include capability for RCV
-- SB 343, sponsored by Senator Golden, allows counties to use RCV.

PGP Demands Impeachment for the President's Role in Insurrection

Jan 08, 2021

And Calls for an Investigation of Double Standards in Policing

The Pacific Green Party of Oregon today called for the immediate initiation of impeachment proceedings following the president's incitement of an armed insurrection which resulted in the invasion and vandalism of the United States Capitol during a joint session of Congress convened for the purpose of certifying the votes of the Electoral College.

“There is no excuse for what the President has done; he must be held to account,” said Charles Newlin, PGP media contact. “The President’s speech, and that of Rudi Giuliani and Don Jr., was intended to incite his followers to act. The evidence is clear and straightforward; there is a video of the president asking his followers to march on the Capitol, and to interrupt the certification process.”

The contrast of how the police force was deployed during a Black Lives Matter demonstration in the summer, compared to the deference that was afforded yesterday's right-wing mob, is the ultimate expression of white privilege.

"Both the president and the treasonous mob he incited must be held accountable," said Nathalie Paravicini, PGP former Co-Chair. "Having two different standards of justice which are dependent on skin color, privilege or political views is simply unacceptable in America and elsewhere."

“Congress must pass articles of impeachment to hold the president accountable for his role in the armed insurrection, to make the historical record clear, and to safeguard future elections.”

No to cutting Old Growth Forests

Nov 28, 2020

Elliott Forest - photo by Tim Giraudier

The Green Party calls for Independent Oversight, Ecological Research and an End to Clearcutting and the Logging of Old Growth Trees in the Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF)

Contact the Land Board NOW, links below

Oregon State University (OSU) is proposing to have the Elliot State Forest put under their full control under a proposal (the Elliott State Research Forest (ESRF) Proposal) which the Oregon Land Board will vote on Dec. 8^th, 2020. While compromises have been made (thanks to allies on the Commission), simply put, OSU's plan is proposing to continue clearcutting on a significant portion of the ESRF (approx. 14,000 acres) and cut thousands of acres of older trees (mostly aged 100-152 years) in the "extensive" zones. This is unacceptable for several key reasons:

1. It fails to view utilizing the Elliott State Forest to significantly address climate change and the need for carbon sequestration. The recent fires have made this all the more poignant.

Nov 16, 2020

Gathering of the Allies 2020, Dec 5

The Pacific Green Party has invited a number of key allies to come together and discuss upcoming initiatives and campaigns. The landscape is changing, as the population is ever more polarized. Campaign finance Reform is now a possibility in Oregon after Measure 10-7 and an initiative to institute Ranked Choice Voting has just been launched. The fires last year and the Corona virus have magnified existing environmental and social divides. The Green Party is inviting allies to review and discuss what they plan to do in the coming two years - how can we best support each other. We invite you and/or your organization to take part in one of the roundtables planned for December 5.

Pacific Green Party Candidate Condemns Police Shooting of Michael Reinoehl

Oct 22, 2020

Justice is the first casualty when police shoot first and ask questions later. Questions hang over the September shooting of Michael Forest Reinoehl, a self-declared “anti-fa” activist, by members of a US Marshall Violent Offender Task Force.

Reverend Alex DiBlasi, PGP Candidate for the 3rd Congressional seat in Oregon, strongly condemns the shooting of Reinoehl and others. “From the excessive number of bullets, to conflicting reports that these armed agents did not identify themselves as law enforcement, to Trump's "got him!" response, the death of Michael Reinohl seems less like the state pursuing justice and more like an extrajudicial killing. This puts our law enforcement in the same murderous league as the death squads of Bolsonaro's Brazil or Duterte's Philippines,” said DiBlasi.

Pacific Green Party Calls for Creation of a Public Bank

Sep 10, 2020

The Pacific Green Party of Oregon today called for the creation of a public bank, describing it as "critical for Oregon’s future," and announced plans to push for legislation in the upcoming 2021 session of the Oregon Legislature. "Oregon must be able to provide housing, clean energy, clean air, and healthy food for its citizens. A public bank would empower the public interest in fulfilling these objectives," said Nathalie Paravicini, the PGP’s candidate for Secretary of State, who has been co-nominated by the Progressive Party.

Pacific Greens call for local empowerment and believe a public banking system is critical for empowersing communities to form strong economies built around ecological sustainability and social justice. A public bank can enable the development of more affordable housing, renewable energy systems, community cooperatives, and urban vertically-configured agriculture systems - all critical elements in a sustainable future. The PGP is a signatory to the Oregon Public Bank project and has co-nominated the Progressive Party candidate for Oregon Treasurer, Chris Henry, who is running on a public bank platform. The Treasurer of Oregon is empowered to advance legislation and ultimately facilitate the development of a public banking system for Oregon’s economy. You can find more information about the Public Bank Coalition and sign the petition at https://www.orpublicbank.org/