THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CLACKAMAS COUNTY

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Clackson Voter THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CLACKAMAS COUNTY JANUARY 2016 LWVCC Leaders Executive Committee: 1 st Vice President: Lorie James, Program 2 nd Vice President: Katie Lu, Voter Service

Events Belinda Wilson: Events Off- Board Karen Griffin: Nominating Committee Chair Sonja Kollias: Public Relations Unit Leaders: Betty Barber, Jean Hoffman, June Routson, Belinda Wilson January Unit

1 Clackson Voter THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF CLACKAMAS COUNTY JANUARY 2016 LWVCC Leaders Executive Committee: 1 st Vice President: Lorie James, Program 2 nd Vice President: Katie Lu, Voter Service Secretary: Emily Medley Treasurer: Nancy Murray Directors: Pam Ashland: Observer Corps/Local Action Joan Batten: Unit Organization Marge Easley: Action/State Karan Kuntz: Clackson/Website Judi Umaki: Events Belinda Wilson: Events Off- Board Karen Griffin: Nominating Committee Chair Sonja Kollias: Public Relations Unit Leaders: Betty Barber, Jean Hoffman, June Routson, Belinda Wilson January Unit Meetings Money in Politics Consensus The LWVUS Money in Politics Study will be the topic at our January unit meetings this year, in a departure from our usual yearly program planning discussion. This is not a new study but a review and update of the League s 1974 position on campaign finance. Please attend and lend your voice as we complete the consensus process on this important issue. Why is an update needed? At the 2014 League of Women Voters of the US convention, delegates voted to conduct a review and update of the League s position on campaign finance reform. Adopted in 1974 and revised in 1982, the League s current position focuses on the financing of election campaigns as it relates to the democratic process: The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that the methods of financing political campaigns should ensure the public's right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office and allow maximum citizen participation in the political process. This position is applicable to all federal campaigns for public office presidential and congressional, primaries as well as general elections. It also may be applied to state and local campaigns. In the years since 1974, however, the U.S. Supreme Court has chosen to view campaign financing through a different lens than the one used by the League. It has shown itself to be less concerned with the democratic process and more concerned with the various forms of campaign speech as they relate to the First Amendment. Election campaigns develop messages for publication, from speeches and debates to paid advertising in various media. Money is required to coordinate the messaging and pay for the advertising. (continued on page 2.)

Clackson Voter 2 January 2016 Executive Committee Greeting: Preserving our Democracy: Money in Politics Nancy Murray, Executive Committee The role of money in our political system continues to evolve.

2 Clackson Voter 2 January 2016 Executive Committee Greeting: Preserving our Democracy: Money in Politics Nancy Murray, Executive Committee The role of money in our political system continues to evolve. In just this election cycle the effectiveness of the traditional way of reaching voters through expensive TV ads is even in question. Poll standings, campaign expenditures both by and on behalf of a candidate, and money raised (and from whom) are breaking the previous mold, itself a new model from the one before it. Preserving and strengthening our democracy is the foundation of all that we in League study and advocate. Please read the article about January units and participate with your fellow members on this timely topic. Also on tap in the next couple months is our popular Lunch and Learn series, a possible group outing on Sunday, Feb. 21 to see Broadway Rose s matinee production of The 25 th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and Day at the Legislature on Feb. 22 in Salem. Reach for that new 2016 calendar and mark down dates to meet up with League friends and colleagues for more stimulating conversations. *************************************************************************************************** Money in Politics (continued from page 1.) Under the Court s approach, a system of campaign finance protects the free speech rights of candidates as well as donors and also protects the rights of other political actors who may wish to make election expenditures independent of the candidates or to advocate in support or opposition to particular public policy issues. To the Court, this campaign speech (as opposed to campaign finance) is central to American democracy and is what the First Amendment was designed to protect. The League position, with its more collective approach, does not answer the question of whether all or some political activity constitutes free speech protected under the First Amendment. Because it does not address that question, the position does not balance the First Amendment interests of candidates, donors, independent spenders, and issue advocates against the interest in promoting equitable competition among candidates for office, preventing undue influence, and enhancing voter participation. Thus, an update of the League s position is needed to allow us to adequately address this free speech point of view. Through study and consensus, we are being asked to consider: The rights of individuals and organizations, under the First Amendment, to express their political views through independent expenditures and the finance of election campaign activities; and How those rights, if any, should be protected and reconciled with the interests set out in our current position. It is helpful but not essential to read the LWVUS Money in Politics Review material before coming to units. If you do want to delve deeper into this complex topic, a series of background papers is provided at resources/our- work/money- politics- review. See the consensus questions on pages 5-9.

3 Clackson Voter 3 January 2016 Clackamas County ments/presentation/ cpolic Commissioners Corner y.pdf October 17 - December 15, 2015 New prescription plan: Clackamas Pam Ashland County has teamed up with the National Association of Counties (NACo) to make it easier for residents to stay healthy and save money. Residents are eligible to enroll in a free program to receive discounts on prescriptions. Anyone, insured or not, can participate and be able to save money. y/ The Board voted to start the process for a vehicle registration fee of $25 per vehicle per year to be placed in to consideration ments/presentation/ apolic y.pdf The Board approved the policy for Tualatin River Boat Docks Easement ments/presentation/ bpolic y.pdf Sign up for the Clackamas County newsletter at ml Marijuana: Public hearings were held by the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners. The regulations were approved on December 2, marijuana.html Willamette Falls Legacy Project has received funding and work is under way. The Extension Service was given the go- ahead to build their new building in the wetlands area with the plan that the future Justice Center will be located to the south of it on the County Red Soils property. Applications are being made to the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for funds for improvements to the Sunnyside Overpass and Clackamas County Pedestrian Safety Project. Complete details of the legislative goals of the County regarding the 2016 State Legislature are available on the County website. ments/presentation/ apolic y.pdf The Commissioners voted to evaluate potential changes to Urban and Rural Reserves in the county ments/presentation/ apolic y.pdfthe Commissioners received an update on the Red Soils Master Plan ments/presentation/ cpolic y.pdf The Economic Development Commission presented their annual report More information (audio, videos, and packets) can be found at or contact Pamela Ashland misschattr@aol.com Save the Date Lunch &Learn Friday, January 29 Program and location to be arranged.

Clackson Voter 4 January 2016 Imagination Library in were based on both state and national water resource positions and Wilsonville were a follow- up to a previous letter sent to Oregon Water

4 Clackson Voter 4 January 2016 Imagination Library in were based on both state and national water resource positions and Wilsonville were a follow- up to a previous letter sent to Oregon Water Resources and the Parks and Recreation Commissions during the initial public comment stage. Those of us able to attend League s winter brunch and raffle had the great pleasure to meet Exec. Dir. Jan Rippey and learn about the successful outreach that brings literacy and love of books to our littlest Wilsonville- area residents. Imagination Library delivers a quality book every month for free to each child 0-5 in age enrolled in this extension of Dolly Parton s program. At a nominal cost of $2 per book and run through the Wilsonville Kiwanis Club, donations have purchased and sent over 20,000 books to children since the local program s inception in League attendees generously donated $325 to this worthy effort, providing 160 books to little future readers. Picture by AKARAKINGDOMS Recent LWVCC Advocacy Marge Easley, LWVCC Action Chair Taking action on issues that we care about is one of the most important things that we as League members do. No matter what form it takes, it s always based on positions derived from study and member agreement. Take a look at some examples of recent actions approved by the LWVCC Board: A letter was sent on November 24 to Governor Kate Brown, urging her to grant final approval of the designation of the Upper Molalla River from Table Rock Wilderness to Glen Haven Bridge as an Oregon Scenic Waterway. Our comments A letter was sent on November 30 to Metro Councilors to express our opposition to recent attempts by the Clackamas County Commissioners to bypass long- established processes for the designation of future industrial land in the metropolitan area. Our argument was based on our state land use positions regarding regional and urban growth. Here s an excerpt from our letter: we believe it is not appropriate at this late date to revisit the entire process and bow to the concerted attempt by a single landowner to add an entirely new site, the Maletis parcel, for consideration. In our opinion this exception would violate the urban/reserves concept and would create a ripple effect with far- reaching implications for transportation, water needs, and the preservation of our state s prime farmland. A letter was sent on December 11 to urge Clackamas County mayors and city council members to sign on to the No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure Resolution recently passed by the Portland City Council and supported by a long list of west coast government officials. The resolution opposes expansion of any new infrastructure whose primary purpose is the transporting and storing of fossil fuels. We based our support on LWVUS natural resources and climate change positions.

5 Clackson Voter 5 January 2016 Money in Politics Consensus Questions This update on Money in Politics builds on the League s current position on campaign finance. The consensus questions in Part I address the goals of campaign finance regulation in terms of democratic values. The questions in Part II relate to the extent to which First Amendment protections like free speech and freedom of the press should apply to various speakers and activities in the campaign finance context. Part III asks about methods of campaign finance regulation. You are asked to respond to the questions without regard for the Supreme Court s current views on the First Amendment. In responding to each question, please interpret the words in their most general sense. Keep in mind that the LWV intentionally words positions that are derived from member study in the broadest possible way so that our positions have relevance for many years. Future national Boards will determine when and how to apply our positions. An optional comment section is included at the end of each of the three parts. Please note that while comments will be read and considered, only responses to questions can be tabulated. PART I QUESTIONS: Democratic Values and Interests with Respect to Financing Political Campaigns 1. What should be the goals and purposes of campaign finance regulation? (Please respond to each item in Question 1.) a. Seek political equality for all citizens. b. Protect representative democracy from being distorted by big spending in election campaigns. c. Enable candidates to compete equitably for public office. d. Ensure that candidates have sufficient funds to communicate their messages to the public. e. Ensure that economic and corporate interests are part of election dialogue. f. Provide voters sufficient information about candidates and campaign issues to make informed choices. g. Ensure the public s right to know who is using money to influence elections. h. Combat corruption and undue influence in government.

6 Clackson Voter 6 January Evaluate whether the following activities are types of political corruption: (Please respond to each item in Question 2.) a. A candidate or officeholder agrees to vote or work in favor of a donor s interests in exchange for a campaign contribution. b. An officeholder or her/his staff gives greater access to donors. c. An officeholder votes or works to support policies that reflect the preferences of individuals or organizations in order to attract contributions from them. d. An office holder seeks political contributions implying that there will be retribution unless a donation is given. e. The results of the political process consistently favor the interests of significant campaign contributors. OPTIONAL COMMENTS (250 word limit): PART II QUESTIONS: First Amendment Protections for Speakers and Activities in Political Campaigns This set of questions is designed to determine the extent to which the First Amendment protections of free speech and freedom of the press should apply to different speakers or activities in the regulation of campaign finance. Free speech and free press provide essentially the same protections to speakers, writers, publishers and advertising, whether or not they are part of the institutional press, and largely regardless of the medium. Essentially, these protections extend to any conduct that is expressive. Many of the options below would be found unconstitutional by the current Supreme Court, but we are seeking your League s views, not those of the Court. These are broad, overarching questions about spending to influence an election, including independent spending, contributions to candidates, broadcast news and other communication expenditures. 1. Many different individuals and organizations use a variety of methods to communicate their views to voters in candidate elections. Should spending to influence an election by any of the following be limited? (Please respond to each item in Question 1.)

7 Clackson Voter 7 January 2016 a. Individual citizens, including wealthy individuals like George Soros and the Koch Brothers. b. Political Action Committees, sponsored by an organization, such as the League of Conservation Voters, Chevron, the American Bankers Association, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), whose campaign spending comes from contributions by individuals associated with the sponsoring organization, such as employees, stockholders, members and volunteers. c. For- profit organizations, like Exxon, Ben and Jerry s, General Motors, and Starbucks, from their corporate treasury funds. d. Trade associations, like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Wind Energy Association, and the American Petroleum Institute, from the association s general treasury funds. e. Labor unions, like the United Autoworkers and Service Employees International, from the union s general treasury funds. f. Non- profit organizations, like the Sierra Club, Wisconsin Right to Life, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, American Crossroads, and Priorities USA, from the organization s general treasury funds. g. Non- partisan voter registration and GOTV (get out the vote) organizations and activities, like the LWV and Nonprofit Vote. h. Political parties, like the Republicans, Libertarians, and Democrats.

8 Clackson Voter 8 January 2016 i. Candidates for public office spending money the candidate has raised from contributors. j. Candidates for public office spending their own money. 2. The press plays a major role in candidate elections through editorial endorsements, news coverage, and other communications directly to the public that are often important to the outcome. Should such spending to influence an election by any of the following be limited? (Please respond to each item in Question 2.) a. Newspapers, like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. b. Television and other electronic media, like Fox News, CNN. MSNBC and CBS. c. Internet communications, like Huffington Post, Breitbart, Daily Kos, and individual bloggers. OPTIONAL COMMENTS (250 word limit): PART III QUESTIONS: Methods for Regulating Campaign Finance to Protect the Democratic Process 1 In order to achieve the goals for campaign finance regulation, should the League support? (Please respond to each item in Question 1 a and b.) a. Abolishing SuperPACs and spending coordinated or directed by candidates, other than a candidate s own single campaign committee.

9 Clackson Voter 9 January 2016 b. Restrictions on direct donations and bundling by lobbyists? (Restrictions may include monetary limits as well as other regulations.) c. Public funding for candidates? Should the League support: (You may respond to more than one item in Question 1 c.) i. Voluntary public financing of elections where candidates who choose to participate must also abide by reasonable spending limits? ii. Mandatory public financing of elections where candidates must participate and abide by reasonable spending limits? iii. Public financing without spending limits on candidates? 2 How should campaign finance regulations be administered and enforced? (You may choose more than one response for Question 2.) a. By an even- numbered commission with equal representation by the two major political parties to ensure partisan fairness (current Federal Election Commission [FEC] structure)? b. By an odd- numbered commission with at least one independent or nonpartisan commissioner to ensure decisions can be made in case of partisan deadlock? c. By structural and budget changes to the FEC (e.g., commission appointments, staffing, security, budget, decision making process) that would allow the agency to function effectively and meet its legislative and regulatory mandates. d. No consensus. OPTIONAL COMMENTS (250 word limit)

10 Clackson Voter 10 January 2016 Winter Party Recap With no weather complications, 25 of us enjoyed our Winter Party brunch and raffle Dec. 5. A small but festive group! Good food and friends, lots of interesting raffle items and an excellent speaker from the Wilsonville Imagination Library made for an enjoyable event and added $200+ to our treasury. Many thanks to all of you who made generous. creative contributions to the raffle. If you have ideas about how to make this annual event more appealing, do let me know. Judi Umaki gordonjudiu@msn.com Lake Oswego Ad Hoc Tree Committee Judi Umaki The Lake Oswego Ad Hoc Tree Committee, 31 members strong, continues to work hard on hearing and studying many issues related to trees in Lake Oswego, their benefits, shortcomings. regulations and property rights and how to balance all these factors for the benefit of the entire community. During their next two meetings they will be giving input to city staff re draft tree code amendments. To accomplish this, they will have available a policy options report taken from points on which they have voted up to the present time from which to begin this next stage of their work. It is likely that they will have draft code amendments to recommend to City Council in March or April, at which time other members of the community will have opportunities to weigh in with their opinions on the recommended tweaks to the existing code. The LWVCC Board will look at these suggested amendments in light of our Tree Code Position and testify to the merits of the proposals or raise concerns if necessary. This has been an impressive effort, both on the part of the citizen volunteers and city staff. Portland League January Media Luncheon "Alternative Voices for Portland's News" Tuesday Jan. 12, 2016, 11:30 am 2 pm Eastmoreland Golf Club dining room 2425 SE Bybee Blvd, Portland, OR Ample free parking available Cost: $ Menu includes pasta with meat sauce, fettuccine Alfredo, green salad, dessert bar, coffee or tea. Please reserve by Jan. 5 with League office. info@lwvpdx.org or Save the Date: LWVOR Day at the Legislature Monday, February 22, 2016 Sarah Andrews, LWVOR Office Coordinator This is a preliminary Save the date for our upcoming Day at the Legislature event, to be held on February 22 nd, 2016 at the State Capitol. Please note the date because there has been some confusion about the date of this event. The state League will send more information when more details have been worked out. New Member Marie Daniels 4710B SE 73 rd Ave. Portland, OR meoutloud@gmail.com In Memory of Janet Squier Former MECCA leader and LWVCC board member died on October 29, She was 93 years old and a delightful and energetic person.

11 Clackson Voter 11 January 2016 Calendar Unit Meetings: Monday, January 18: Fireside Room at Oswego Pointe (5065 Foothills Rd in Lake Oswego). Social at 5:30 pm with discussion starting at 6:00 pm. Bring a brown bag meal and a drink. Betty Barber ( ) Wednesday, January 20: 3:00 pm, Provincial House, Mary's Woods (17400 Holy Names Drive, Lake Oswego). Jean Hoffman ( ). Thursday, January 21: 9:15 at the home of Sylvia Smith (5133 SW Timbergrove St., Lake Oswego). Sylvia Smith ( ). Friday, January 22: 9:30, Willamette View, SE River Road, Portland. Call June Routson ( ) or Nancy Pratt ( ). ****** Tuesday, January 26: Board Meeting, 9:30 am Social, 9:45 AM Meeting, Pacific West Bank, West Linn Friday, January 29: Lunch & Learn, TBA Thank you to Our Corporate Affiliates Accessories from the Heart 220 A Avenue, Suite 100 Lake Oswego, heart.com/ Mary s Woods at Marylhurst Holy Names Dr. Lake Oswego, Pacific West Bank 5200 Meadows Rd # 100, Lake Oswego and th Avenue, West Linn

Join the League of Women Voters! Name(s) Address Phone Email q q q q I am a new member. I am renewing my membership. This is a gift membership.

Annual dues: $70 Individual. $105 Household. $35 Full- time student attending an accredited institution or adult under age 35.

12 Join the League of Women Voters! Name(s) Address Phone q q q q I am a new member. I am renewing my membership. This is a gift membership. (Please provide the recipient s contact information above.) I am interested in volunteering for the League. Please contact me. Annual dues: $70 Individual. $105 Household. $35 Full- time student attending an accredited institution or adult under age 35. Membership grants are available. Total Enclosed Please make checks payable to League of Women Voters of Clackamas County. Mail to: LWVCC, PO Box 411, Lake Oswego, OR 97034

1. What should be the goals and purposes of campaign finance regulation? (Please respond to each item in Question 1.)

MONEY IN POLITICS CONSENSUS QUESTIONS PART I QUESTIONS: Democratic Values and Interests with Respect to Financing Political Campaigns 1. What should be the goals and purposes of campaign finance regulation?