[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6122538,"mediaKeyId","2694675-2dbb87bd9d5fdc3d822aa278442eecc7","parentId",2694675,"title","Lawmakers debate unified primary bill as supporters press open-primary changes","audioSeconds",3498,"startMs",1071000,"endMs",4569000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2694675-2dbb87bd9d5fdc3d822aa278442eecc7&start=1071&end=4569","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2694675-2dbb87bd9d5fdc3d822aa278442eecc7/thumbnail_1071000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6122538/Oregon/Lawmakers-debate-unified-primary-bill-as-supporters-press-open-primary-changes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122538-9dfa9aa357fc1bdb1f301452a75590b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770578878&Signature=AvsEvuUsIPOqxOdEZ~DDh872xavKBCMas7pLUKyVWVl~ZDmga1JPk8tPZTs4AHDGALrMl3il5JgYmZ9SxegwbAkN7PVegfTOkVru8359F~JQfMHQ~2wmJOz0w1YT26rJ30a0g-lWasOhEGoS3o-Rw4Bb9wqE9X~wuvqgqlAXmgQB7fQByxqEOcsKMdcoI8J1rdN5ooTm7JhJdG8V00flsaZhppX2ZcKDStd5KY42ogucojSQcwVL2M5r7lwXq~kz8fa5oBQcpD-3o03YvHNZLTTEmUkxErgEycN-A5k~OYDGjbAeCcJ0sxcJJUnx01i2dep74S2OtjhPR3iJEpppmg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Oregon State Legislature","date","2025-03-19T00:00:00Z","article","The House Committee on Rules opened a lengthy public hearing March 19 on House Bill 3,166, the \"Unified Primary Act,\" which would place all candidates for partisan offices on a single primary ballot and advance the top finishers to the general election. Melissa, the committee clerk, summarized the base bill and a posted dash-2 amendment before witnesses offered testimony.

Representative John Lively, who testified in support, said the reform would let the large and growing number of nonaffiliated voters take part in primaries. \"I believe it's time that we do something with our election system that allows more people to participate more fully,\" Lively said. Lively and other backers said the dash-2 amendment narrows earlier proposals (which had included ranked voting and top-five advancement) to a simpler model they say county clerks and voters prefer.

Supporters testified the change would include long-term nonaffiliated voters and younger voters who register as nonaffiliated, arguing that adding them to primary ballots will increase participation and produce nominees with broader support. Arnie Roblin, a former state senator, framed it as a fairness and engagement issue: allowing one ballot to all registered voters, supporters said, would encourage candidates to court a wider coalition.

Proponents also said the dash-2 amendment reduces implementation burdens by removing ranked- or rated-voting requirements and by keeping other technical changes out of the immediate proposal. Lani Block Wilker, an attorney with the Oregon Election Reform Coalition, said the amendment was crafted to respect county clerks and voter preferences and to preserve party endorsement roles while letting all registered voters cast a primary ballot.

Opponents urged caution. Phil Eizon, who said he led repeal efforts of ranked-choice systems elsewhere, called jungle or top-two primaries \"very expensive\" and pointed to Alaska and other states as examples where proponents saw unintended consequences, including reduced turnout or consolidation of incumbents. Anna Munson, who ran for county clerk in Marion County, told the committee that party labels give voters a cue about candidates' basic positions and worried open primaries would discourage party development.

Neutral and technical witnesses flagged implementation details. Preston Mann, political director for Oregon Business and Industry, said his organization was neutral but warned the dash-2 amendment could increase the importance of party endorsements. He cautioned that party leaders, not rank-and-file members, might control endorsements and that voters could misinterpret an \"endorsed\" label on the single ballot.

Advocates for alternative voting methods asked the committee to be explicit about vote-counting rules if the bill advances. Annie Kalin and Sarah Wolk of Equal Vote Coalition urged either clearer statutory direction or a mandated task force so the state does not leave the choice of ranked or rated voting solely to executive branch rulemaking. Supporters and several academic and civic witnesses suggested a range of alternatives from top-two to top-four or top-five advancement paired with ranked or rated general-election methods.

Committee members pressed a range of policy and practical questions: whether county clerks support the dash-2 amendment, how the bill would affect party organization and minor parties, possible costs to the Secretary of State and election administrators, and how the approach compares to open-primary models used elsewhere. Representative Bossard Davis asked whether county clerks or the Secretary of State had registered to testify; committee staff said clerks had not formally registered in favor or opposition but that sponsors had consulted some county clerks.

Committee members also raised demographic figures cited by witnesses: one witness said nearly 1.3 million Oregonians (about 43 percent of registered voters) are nonaffiliated, and supporters argued that excluding those voters from primaries means a small fraction of voters can determine nominees for many offices.

The committee closed the public hearing on HB 3,166 after hearing dozens of pro, con and neutral witnesses; no committee vote was taken and sponsors said they intend further conversations and potential work sessions to address technical and fiscal questions.

Ending: The committee adjourned the HB 3,166 hearing and moved to the next agenda item without taking action on the bill.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee On Rules 03/19/2025 8:00 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The House Committee on Rules on March 19 heard extended testimony on House Bill 3,166, a bill to place all candidates for partisan offices on a single primary ballot so that nonaffiliated and party-affiliated voters alike can participate; sponsors and opponents disputed the bill's structure and implementation details.","taxTitle","Rules, House of Representatives, Committees, Legislative, Oregon","taxId",18187,"location","Oregon","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6122541,"Committee reviews bill to count incarcerated Oregonians at home addresses for redistricting",1023,41000,1064000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2694675-2dbb87bd9d5fdc3d822aa278442eecc7&start=41&end=1064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2694675-2dbb87bd9d5fdc3d822aa278442eecc7/thumbnail_41000.jpg","/articles/6122541/Oregon/Committee-reviews-bill-to-count-incarcerated-Oregonians-at-home-addresses-for-redistricting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122541-6466df0ebefa26906ba945a9a521b5f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770578878&Signature=kTuP64J6h3sPOY7jrA~lP7ndGUXKtQ0-M9vJUciZmRAY3wnXwzfax-lZd7Z0vExvlI9rbttP3daXW9yvcOFuN3Xe9WTeHUI2XBl7WpyDaRla-B66Sj9ttDa0sVIZOCGoSFS-eSPlWBEr9W0MWqXe8Ld5YVmLk6ZmX957igVcPFnbKINaEF5jiJ6C8z7CyWpiVXb5ScaOdXL5P1mv1d~8TMZdovX8lyROhRl6XDxGmG-5gAhVECj4LlnyC1cyp1sXCCrVtbYhCJmCkWDl4N~Ua9ROri98sp8XN0X0VVn7DSTygrNUvwXmktgIj92wFr1rj5c-CLThWMjP7exXs1nP1Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","House Committee on Rules Chair Bowman opened a public hearing March 19 on House Bill 2,250, which would direct the Department of Corrections to record pre-incarceration residence information for adults in custody and share that data with the Portland State University Population Research Center to help adjust census counts used in redistricting.

Representative Lisa Bridal, a sponsor of the bill, told the committee the change is meant to correct what she described as a distortion in redistricting data when people incarcerated in Oregon are counted at the location of the prison rather than at their home communities. \"A basic principle of democracy is that representation is distributed equally on the population,\" Bridal said, arguing the bill would better align redistricting with the Oregon Constitution.

The bill would direct the Department of Corrections to record demographic information for each adult in custody, including the county of residence before incarceration, and share that information with Portland State University's Population Research Center. That center would then adjust population data reported from the decennial census to reflect a person's known resident status for use by the Legislative Assembly in drawing congressional and legislative districts.

Senator James Ivory Manning Jr., listed as a chief sponsor, said the measure seeks equal representation and noted most incarcerated people return to the communities where they came from. \"If they don't have a legal residence or something like that then that's a little bit of difference,\" Manning said, adding the intent is to count people where they are connected to a community if that can be identified.

Committee members asked practical and legal questions. Vice Chair Drazen noted Census Bureau guidelines on point-in-time counting and pressed staff and sponsors on how the bill would treat populations the Census counts where they live on Census Day, such as college students or people in care facilities. The sponsors said the bill is intended to relocate counts only for incarcerated people where a prior residence can be identified, and they emphasized the bill would not change the way federal funding formulas are calculated.

Members also asked about edge cases: Representative Elmer asked whether people serving life sentences or Oregonians convicted in Oregon but who listed out-of-state residence would be handled differently. Sponsors said the bill intends to leave counts at the place of incarceration when a prior, identifiable community cannot be determined. Committee members asked whether the proposal would conflict with federal law; sponsors said they were not aware of a federal conflict and noted that 19 states have adopted similar approaches.

Committee members noted the Secretary of State's office had not yet testified and that the bill would be further examined with additional witnesses, including elections officials, to resolve technical questions before any decision. The committee closed the public hearing on HB 2,250 without taking a vote.

Ending: The committee moved on to the next public hearing on HB 3,166 after closing testimony on HB 2,250.","The House Committee on Rules opened a March 19 public hearing on House Bill 2,250, which would require the Department of Corrections to record the pre-incarceration county of residence for adults in custody and share that information with the Portland State University Population Research Center to produce adjusted counts for redistricting.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6122535,"House panel hears bill to require annual tribal sovereignty and consultation training for legislators and staff",526,4568000,5094000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2694675-2dbb87bd9d5fdc3d822aa278442eecc7&start=4568&end=5094","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2694675-2dbb87bd9d5fdc3d822aa278442eecc7/thumbnail_4568000.jpg","/articles/6122535/Oregon/House-panel-hears-bill-to-require-annual-tribal-sovereignty-and-consultation-training-for-legislators-and-staff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6122535-1fb343ca1a0a71442ae96a568f78f396/orig.mp4?Expires=1770578878&Signature=nJTARxoJQyYxqw8t9MIt3bB13-7S2nUsr8RS~TqVau6Rp15dnjFOJfDsmNQ0SsxBdtl6OgH1ywJeItcHxyAeMN6ePpHzMOHxu45swqDefqUVtNIbM5Tt2o574BncColDLsj4-1whSqNJ5yqfngimHnFNDnmYS5lM4E2h~~qFVAdr9CIXKTLLZEwQDj86a0idDB3H726PcftNERpcBeubLxuR7g6g~I9dkdy~QTXBGeP5B175ijN7ISlPzbunrldPBtSJ~wIMUnw78NiEVdOTYb5tUVv2-kezFYDOauyE6L~Ns-6McO9diirTRXNT2~XrIWF5aCkGHMu4T4tcTWn3Zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Anessa Harmon introduced House Bill 35 29 at the March 19 House Committee on Rules hearing, asking the committee to require annual training on tribal sovereignty, consultation and tribal customs for legislators and legislative branch staff.

Harmon, who identified as Haudenosaunee, said the training is intended to make consultation with Oregon's nine federally recognized tribes a routine step in drafting and reviewing policy, not an afterthought. \"My dream is that everyone in their crafting of policy will think, how will this impact the tribes?\" Harmon said, adding that many issues brought to tribes for input have been resolved more quickly when tribes were included early in the process.

Patrick Flanagan, executive director of the Legislative Commission on Indian Services (LCIS), told the committee that the bill would restate and extend training obligations already reflected in ORS 182.166, which requires annual training for state employees and envisions DAS and LCIS involvement. Flanagan said ORS 182.166's definition of \"state agency\" is broad and encompasses legislative, executive and judicial branches, and he described existing LCIS materials, a recent video series and prior briefings as a foundation for quarterly training sessions focused on the legislature.

Flanagan and Harmon said the training could be offered from existing LCIS materials and coordinated with ongoing work by a tribal consultation working group; sponsors indicated the bill need not create a major new cost because training materials already exist and LCIS has been asked previously to provide legislative briefings on sovereignty and consultation.

Committee members did not take a vote. The committee closed the public hearing on HB 35 29 and adjourned the meeting.

Ending: The committee adjourned after closing the hearing; sponsors said they would submit written materials and pursue collaboration with LCIS and tribes to refine training content and scheduling.","House Bill 35 29 would require the Legislative Commission on Indian Services to offer quarterly training on tribal sovereignty, tribal relations, tribal consultation and tribal customs, and would require each member of the Legislative Assembly and legislative branch employees to attend training at least once per year. Sponsors said the measure","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Lawmakers debate unified primary bill as supporters press open-primary changes

Committee reviews bill to count incarcerated Oregonians at home addresses for redistricting

House panel hears bill to require annual tribal sovereignty and consultation training for legislators and staff