AG Sessions gets a Portland welcome
Attorney General Jeff Sessions visited Portland to talk sanctuary cities and was greeted with a few dozen furious protesters. Meanwhile, Sessions used his speech to provide a rundown of the sort of arguments he intends to use against cities like Portland in future lawsuits, from crime to cost. After the speech was over, Sessions made a hasty retreat.
Cassidy-Graham to punish Oregon the most
The latest Affordable Care Act repeal attempt, the so-called “Cassidy-Graham” bill offered by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R–La.) and Sen. Lindsay Graham (R–S.C.), would be a punitive measure against some states and hit Oregon the hardest. With an estimated loss in healthcare funding per person of over $2,000, according to the New York Times, Oregon seems to be the nation’s piggy bank. Sen. John McCain (R–Ariz.) and Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.) have stated they will vote no on the bill, and Sen. Susan Collins (R–ME) has suggested she may not support the bill.
ICE gets the wrong guy?
Immigration and Customs Enforcement allegedly tapped the wrong guy before fleeing the scene this week in Washington County, according to the Oregonian and ACLU observers. After Isidro Andrade-Tafolla was tailed by plainclothes ICE officers from a court hearing for his wife, an ACLU observer taped the ensuing interaction. In this filmed confrontation, in spite of the observer’s efforts to demand the existence of a warrant, the ICE officers held Andrade-Tafolla and checked their records until they determined he was not who they were looking for. Rep. Susan Bonamici (OR–1) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (OR–3) have demanded answers from ICE.
Portland’s arts tax is legit
A ruling by the Oregon Supreme Court has affirmed Portland’s Arts Tax, batting back an attempt to sink a tax that would direct a modest annual payment toward art education for kids. The 2012 voter-backed measure was attacked on the rhetorical premise of, “Well, it’s nice and all, and I like kids, but…”
Ted Wheels out highway proposal support
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler came out swinging for a major I-5 expansion in the Rose Quarter, raising the ire of residents, activists, and anyone aware of the fact that we have HOV lanes that only serve Washington residents. Wheeler stands opposite environmentalists, civil rights activists, and other assorted social justice activists on the issue. Don’t expect this to go away any time soon.
THIS WEEK AT PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL
Post Office site plans start to grow up, 3 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 28.
City Council is set to debate a height increase for the Pearl District Post Office site, which would move the maximum height from 250 feet to 400 feet on one portion of the parcel. The Post Office is set to move out of its current location, and a potential mega development will move in. The height increase will assist in this development.
