This Election is Too Important to Sit Out

by
Oregon Capitol / Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Samuel John Klein

The importance of our Oregon elections system becomes clearer to me every time I set foot in Salem. This was especially true when I was at the Capitol last month for a series of legislative committee meetings.

As I share with you a bit about what’s been happening behind the scenes, I’d like you to consider what you can do to help between now and Nov. 5, Election Day.

Last month during legislative days, committees met to discuss state agency reports and consider suggestions for the upcoming 2025 legislative session.

During my Health Care Committee meeting, I heard testimony that ranged from ridiculous to downright dangerous. I’ll return to this in a moment – but first let’s discuss the Sept. 25 Rules Committee meeting about the DMV’s voter registration debacle.

It’s important to note that the Rules meeting was scheduled back in August. Yet after news broke of noncitizens being registered to vote and voting, the meeting was abruptly canceled. The Rules Committee, among other things, has legislative oversight responsibility for our elections system.

It’s also important to note that because Democrats hold the majority in the legislature, they chair every single committee and control every committee meeting agenda. After we Republicans raised hell, the Rules Committee meeting was restored.

During the meeting, I heard testimony that confirmed what anyone with a modicum of common sense already knew. Motor-voter registration is a recipe for fraud. We have no proof the problem is fixed, and to add insult to injury, the Democrat committee chair praised the DMV and even demanded apology letters be issued to the noncitizens who had been registered to vote! You can’t make it up.

After the meeting, I sent a letter expressing my outrage to Secretary of State Griffin-Valade. In my letter, I offered her the following suggestion: “Rather than attempting to sweep noncitizen voting under the rug with letters, I urge you instead to refer these matters to the Oregon Department of Justice for investigation. In addition, I request you immediately commence a full and complete audit of Oregon’s voter rolls and remove all ineligible voters. You should also prepare to be investigated for violating federal elections law under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993.”

Griffin-Valade responded a week later through a staffer with the following: “We have initiated an investigation.”

Finally, on Oct. 7, Gov. Tina Kotek and Griffin-Valade called for an independent external audit after the DMV found another 302 non-citizens on the voter rolls. I agree with House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich who said in response, “By agreeing to an external audit, Democrats have conceded that something is systemically wrong with Oregon’s automatic voter registration system. House Republicans welcome this audit, as we have called for it since the onset of this scandal. Every effort must be made to complete it and remove all ineligible voters from the rolls before the November election. Oregonians deserve safe, secure elections.”

Unfortunately, we won’t be able to solve all this before the election. Although it pains me to say it, the truth is that the quickest way to fix the elections process is through the elections process.

I’ll explain what I mean in a moment. But first let’s return to the Health Care committee meeting for a sneak peek at the prescription for disaster in store for Oregonians if Democrat one-party rule isn’t interrupted.

Most people just want to live their lives and not have to think about politics. And rightly so. But when Democrats’ dumb ideas turn into discriminatory health care policies that have the power to threaten the lives of Oregonians, everyone should sit up and take notice.

During the Sept. 24 committee meeting, I heard testimony about the hundreds of millions of dollars in “quality incentive” bonuses being paid to the Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs) who manage our Medicaid Oregon Health Plan.

It turns out the CCOs aren’t being incentivized to improve quality, but rather to make health care “equitable.”

I asked the researcher the health authority hired to study the incentive program what “equitable” means in English. Her response: “It’s equitable redistribution of resources and power. Supporting that redistribution of power so that it is equitable across all groups. And recognizing, reconciling, and rectifying historical and contemporary injustices.”

Whatever this is, it doesn’t sound healthy. If I’m sick, I want to be able to see my doctor, not get rationed to the back of the line when my life is on the line just because so-called “marginalized groups” want power.

But the worst part of the meeting was when the Democrat committee chair rolled out the red carpet at the Capitol for the biggest baby killers in the country, Portland’s Lilith abortion clinic. These ghouls testified about the OHSU medical school faculty doing taxpayer-funded late-term abortions over at Lilith.

It may be one thing to legalize abortion. But then to pay for it, and then promote it, and then put these people at the top of the legislature’s VIP list? What a disgrace.

Winnable House Seats

It’s time to reign in this radicalism. That’s why this election is so important. While we don’t have the luxury of waiting until our elections system is cleaned up before we act, we do have Republicans running in close but winnable House seats that can really make a difference.

Challengers like Jason Fields, Ben Edtl, Michael Newgard, John Masterman and Paul Drechsler and open-seat candidate Aimee Reiner are fighting in purple districts for the chance to bring some much-needed balance back to our state legislature. Incumbents like Kevin Mannix, Tracy Cramer, Cyrus Javadi, and Jeff Helfrich are running in purple districts and need our support to keep up the fight.

Challengers:

Open seat candidate:

Incumbents:

Here’s how you can help. First, make sure your ballot is filled out and returned as soon as possible. Second, get involved. Support these House candidates who are fighting in challenging districts. And support statewide candidates Dennis Linthicum for secretary of state and Will Lathrop for attorney general.

Donate, volunteer to knock on doors, make phone calls – anything you can do to help spread the word. You can also join your local county party to help get out the vote.

Looking ahead, we must clean up Oregon’s voter registration and rolls to make sure every legal vote counts. Lawsuits, federal investigations, legislation – I have six different elections-reform legislative options teed up for 2025 – whatever it takes.

This election is too important to sit out. Join us.

Rep. Dwayne Yunker is a Republican from Grants Pass who represents Oregon House District 3, Josephine County. Visit his website at electdwayneyunker.info to learn more and to donate to his campaign.

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