Salem's Lot
MAKING THE STATE SAFE FOR DEMOCRACY

Eating Away at Portland
When JoAnn Bowman abandoned her District 19 House seat for a Multnomah County Board bid, she may have left Northeast Portlanders vulnerable to the vultures out west.

While official 2000 U.S. Census numbers won't be out until next week, early estimates show that Multnomah County grew by about 19 percent during the past decade, slightly below the state average. Washington County, however, exploded. It has grown 37 percent since the last census. That means the 'burbs will probably gain a House seat.

What is less certain is where that seat will come from. Traditionally, lawmakers fight like Bosnians to preserve their current seats. Without an incumbent lawmaker to defend it, District 19 seems a probable candidate to be "collapsed" into neighboring districts.

"It's entirely possible that a large portion of that district would either be reduced or disappear," says House Democratic leader Dan Gardner.

Under redistricting rules, the state's population has to be equally represented in Salem; that pencils out to just over 57,000 people in each House district. If Bowman's turf gets divvied up, it will be bad news for Gardner and his fellow Democrats. District 19 has been a Democratic stronghold since 1976. West suburban districts tend to favor Republicans. In fact, the fastest-growing districts in the state belong to Bill Witt of Beaverton and Jerry Krummel of Wilsonville. Both are Republicans.

Public hearings on redistricting begin April 13 in Portland.

--Patty Wentz

gossip
* Bill "Me, Too" Sizemore doesn't want to be left out of the game this election season. His group, Oregon Taxpayers United, conducted an automated phone poll last week to ask Oregonians if they would vote for him for governor. You have to admire his chutzpah. In 1998 he lost to John Kitzhaber by a 2-to-1 margin.

* A mysterious Oregon government employee has launched a Legislature Survivor website on which viewers can vote for their least favorite lawmakers. The site, www.oregonsurvivor.com, has been up for a little more than a week. It may be a good thing Rep. JoAnn Bowman gave up her House seat (see Buzz section): She was voted off the island in the first round. Also booted were state Reps. Vicki Walker (D-Eugene) and Betsy Close (R-Albany) and Sens. Gene Derfler (R-Salem) and Roger Beyer (R-Molalla).

* Dems looking to fill Bowman's seat are kicking around several names. Among them: Bob Durst, aide to City Commish Erik Sten; Jacqueline Dingfelder of Save Our Wild Salmon; and Joe Smith, a retired lawyer.

what are you working on?
Once again, state lawmakers are up to their collective armpits in vexing policy issues: system development charges, pollution-control tax credits and, of course, The King. House Joint Resolution 38 would declare Jan. 8, 2002, "Elvis Day" in Oregon. The sponsors, Rep. Al King (D-Springfield) and Rep. Jeff Kropf (R-Halsey) submitted the resolution as a joke, but after the overwhelming response (both pro and con), they've decided to turn it into a charitable fund-raiser. WW caught up with Kropf Monday afternoon.

Willamette Week: Let's not mince words. Clearly you chose your co-sponsor strictly for his surname.

Jeff Kropf: No, not at all. Al King and I were at a legislative gig and there was an Elvis impersonator. We got to talking and came up with this idea.

You mean if there was a Rep. Pelvis in the Legislature, you wouldn't have signed him on?

OK. I see your point. Perhaps I would.

We noticed you're backing the repeal of the cougar-hunting law. Is it fair to say you ain't nothing but a hound dog lover?

No comment.

Seriously, are most people being too serious about all this? We've read some of the criticism.

Look, we deal with serious issues every day. This started as something to get a few laughs, but it's taken on a life of its own. I've got letters saying I should be thrown out of office. I've got letters saying, "How dare you give public employees another holiday"--which the bill doesn't do.

How have you responded?

Well, we're now trying to organize a signing party in Salem, where we get some Elvis impersonators, sign on some evil corporate sponsors, charge admission and donate the money to a good cause. We didn't intend any of this originally but now figure, "Why not use this as something to do something good?"

quotable
"The part I'm getting most frustrated with is listening to the speaker and the majority leader going out on the Capitol steps every time there's a rally, promising more money. There is a day that comes due."

--House Minority Leader Dan Gardner, hinting that the bipartisan love fest in Salem may be ending

give a damn
* Schools: Come hear House Speaker Mark Simmons and Senate President Gene Derfler explain what they're doing to save the state's education system. It's a Town Hall meeting sponsored by Portland Reps. Deborah Kafoury and JoAnn Bowman. Jefferson High School Cafeteria, 7-9 pm Thursday, March 15. Treats provided!

* Large predators: Rural lawmakers and hunting groups are again trying to reverse 1994's Ballot Measure 18, which curbed the use of dogs to hunt cougars and black bears (and also bans the baiting of bears). SB716 got its first hearing last week in the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

* Genetic privacy: SB114, which regulates genetic privacy in research, remains stuck in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Meanwhile, HB2917, which prohibits insurance companies from using genetic blueprints against their customers, isn't scheduled for a hearing until April 9--late in the legislative game. Sponsor Jeff Merkley is hoping House Judiciary Committee chair Max Williams will move up the date.

* Black helicopters: The Oregon Cattleman's Association proposed two intriguing bills last week. SB3344 defines "science" once and for all for the purposes of state law. (No more pesky environmental science reports!) SB3343, meanwhile, prohibits the federal government and United Nations from controlling water rights on state land.