Prison Sentencing and Politics

If you want to understand some of the political issues around prison sentencing reform, look no further than House Bill 3508, which passed in the 2009 legislature.

The legislation is still making waves in current political campaigns, including the East Multnomah County race between Democratic incumbent Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson and her Republican challenger, Scott Hansen.

Some prognosticators believe the Monnes Anderson/Hansen race could go either way and, if it turns Republican, it could change the balance of power in the Senate where Democrats currently hold a 16-14 edge.

If you go back and read HB 3508, its 29 pages are hard to decipher. But it passed by clear majorities in both the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Ted Kulongoski. In general, the bill revised a number of statutes with the effect of reducing the time some prisoners serve in state prison. And that has become fodder for political ads aimed at Monnes Anderson for supporting increased "good time" provisions for certain offenders, which meant they got out of prison earlier.

The Leadership Fund, run by Senate Republicans, sent out a mailer to voters in East Multnomah County, describing Monnes Anderson as friendly to violent criminals.  "Would you have voted to let violent criminals out of jail early?  Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson did …" reads one side of the mailer, which features corrections bars. The flip side explains in some detail how she voted to give "crimina

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Oregon's Virtual Presidential Campaign

Oregon isn't a presidential battleground state, which means it has been reduced, in the phrasing of The Oregonian's David Sarasohn, to the role of "campaign ATM."

President Obama made a pit stop in Portland today to appear at a pair of fundraisers. His plane's vapor trail lingered longer than he did. The national press corps was here long enough, though, to scarf down some VooDoo donuts.

Obama followed in the footsteps of Republican challenger Mitt Romney, who has visited Oregon twice to collect campaign cash. Romney stayed longer because he scheduled more fundraising events. 

Neither candidate has staged a public event or submitted to an interview with local reporters to comment on issues of interest to Oregonians. Obama's visit was originally to include a grassroots event, but the shooting in Theater 9 in Colorado led to a schedule disruption. He did make a short stop at a breakfast place and visited with some veterans.

In previous election cycles, Oregon has been a state in play, attracting candidates from both major parties and often those from minor parties, such as the Green Party’s Ralph Nader. But the 2012 presidential election, so entertaining and unexpected in the GOP primary season, has turned into a predictable trench war targeting a shrinking number of undecided voters in a handful of battleground states. 

The election may be a foregone conclusion before the major party nominating conventions officially select the candidates in late August and early September. Naturally, both nominating conventions are on the other side of the continent.

So far, Oregonians haven't complained much about the presidential political slight. One reason is they have been spared the annoyance and anger sparked by endless attack ads, many funded by shadowy groups with unknown donors.

It is true, the absence of presidential attention has meant our job-producing manufacturing sector has gone largely unnoticed at press conferences and photo opportunities, which could produce memory-making pictures for their company walls.

Political operatives are quick to assure Oregonians they haven't been forgotten or, for that matter, taken for granted. Our votes count, even if the political assumption is that they already have been cast.

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Kitzhaber Brings Home Bacon

The big news last week revolved around Governor Kitzhaber's successful, last-minute trip to Washington, D.C. where he negotiated final terms of a deal that will bring Oregon almost $2 billion in federal money over the next four years to finance health care reform. The first installment — $620 million — is expected to arrive in Oregon by July 1.

As The Oregonian put it in its lead story on the successful trip: "Kitzhaber saves Oregon budget and his reputation in health care deal with Obama Administration." Both points are true. Oregon needs the money to fund reform. And, Kitzhaber, a former emergency room doctor who thinks, lives and breaths health care policy, had almost no choice but to succeed in D.C.

What remains is a question about whether the new federal money can be used to fill budget holes or must be devoted to new health care reforms. But that question, as important as it may be to budget analysts, ignores the basic policy point — the money will go to reform and that will mean that the reforms have a better chance for success here.

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Contrasting Views on Jobs Legislation

The Oregonian headline tells the story: "Congratulations and complaints."  Congratulations for handling the big issues of health, education and early learning reform. Complaints about the failure of a number of jobs bills.

Issues directly related to Oregon's economy tended to take a back seat during the short session in Salem, notwithstanding claims to the contrary in various post-session communications by legislators to their constituents.

In floor speeches on the Health Insurance Exchange (House Bill 4164), achievement compacts for school districts (Senate Bill 1581) and health care transformation (Senate Bill 1580), Democrats painted a picture of those major reforms mattering to small businesses in Oregon. Major business associations supported all of the reforms, but it is not clear that any of the bills will create jobs on their own. 

Democratic leaders said as health care costs go down, businesses will have more money to invest in creating jobs. Legislators on both sides of the political aisle and Governor Kitzhaber deserve credit for taking on big issues such as health and education reform.  

House Democratic Leader Tina Kotek, D-Portland, continued that theme in a piece in the Statesman-Journal, "We promised to give businesses the tools they need to grow and hire, stand up for middle-class Oregonians and prioritize the essential services Oregonians need most. Now that the dust has settled after last week's adjournment, I am happy to report that we delivered on those promises."

Republicans pointed out what was left on the cutting room floor during the legislative session and pointed the finger at Democratic opposition.

“With 190,000 unemployed Oregonians, the legislature’s inaction on jobs and the economy is inexcusable,” said House Republican Leader Kevin Cameron, R-Salem. “Nonetheless, House Republicans continued to work with the Governor and legislative Democrats to find common ground on other issues. We’ll continue to provide lea

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