Hello, Oregon Progressive Party members and supporters. Welcome to the latest of our monthly newsletters on what we are up to and other items of interest to the Oregon Progressive community.

Oregon Progressive Party issued this statement regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine.

In part it states: "NATO must lead on creating the path to a cease fire, de-escalation, long term security and peace by publishing a clear, unequivocal written assurance Ukraine will remain a free and neutral nation and that NATO will not absorb Ukraine. Ukraine should not be used as a pawn by NATO and should be free to remain neutral, as Finland and Sweden have." Rest of the statement here."

While this war has been happening, President Biden released his proposed budget for FY 2023. He has budgeted a massive $813 billion, representing a 4% increase over what was just signed into law for FY22. That is $31 billion more than last year's budget, touted by Trump as by far the most military spending in history. For the past several years, Congress has added $25 billion over what the President has requested. And it is highly likely that more will be added to cover costs of military assistance to Ukraine.

More details on the Biden proposed budget in this CNN article:

Biden administration proposed larger defense budget to counter China, Russia.

And the National Priorities Project (of Brown University) issued a statement:

Biden FY 2023 budget puts war before human needs.

Call our Oregon Senators and Representatives

Tell them that their silence on war and the ever-increasing war budget is not OK; they need to support cutting the military budget and move the money to fulfill human needs.

Cut the "defense" budget, don't increase it.

Alliance for Democracy's new issue of Justice Rising tackles the issue of "Disarming Violence and Establishing Peace". AfD will send you a copy of this 24-page issue at no charge. You just need to supply your address and it will be in the mail to you in a couple of weeks. Provide your address here. And take a quick preview peak here of the new edition cover and a sample article.

This past week, we added Adam Prine, one of two Democratic Party candidates for Congress in District 2 (Eastern Oregon) to replace the present Republican in that position.

Oregon voters clearly want effective limits on political campaign contributions and spending in Oregon elections.

Oregon Honest Elections and the OR Progressive Party WILL NEED YOUR HELP getting a initiative petition of limits on the Nov 2024 ballot. Sign up here to help the OR Progressive Party help with the campaign gathering signatures when the time comes.

The OR Secretary of State (SOS), Shemia Fagan, incorrectly declared that our initiatives for November 2022 election do not meet requirements regarding the inclusion of the full text of OR law which would be affected in the initiatives themselves. This has now indeed killed our initiatives for 2022. But we are not giving up!

So we will file new petition(s) soon and work to get them qualified for the November 2024 ballot. Whatever we file will still be based on our principles: No loopholes. No special interest money in the election process. Transparency as to who is giving what to who.

We need to now build a base of signature gatherers for this new effort. We also need to know who might help contribute funds for this new effort. So if you can do either, please sign up as a supporter of the initiatives we have already filed for the 2022 ballot below. You will be added to our growing list of supporters, funders and collectors of signatures.

Expanding freeways with more lanes is an environmental disaster in the making. Yet the State of Oregon continues with their efforts to expand the number of lanes on I-5 in the Portland Rose Quarter area, and proposals for the replacement I-5 crossing bridge are focused on building more lanes. At least this time, it appears that the bridge will include mass transit options, but those are really just window dressing to sell us the larger environmentally damaging package. NO MORE FREEWAYS, a grassroots organization, continues to be a major voice for sanity, calling for no more lanes in either the Rose Quarter or on a new bridge crossing. Here is their latest e-newsletter to learn more on this organizing and on the new coalition formed specifically on the Columbia River Crossing, called Just Crossing Alliance.

Health Care for All Oregon Action recent email calls for citizen lobbying of Sen Wyden: Co-sponsor soon to be introduced bill for Medicare for All into this Congress. Sen. Wyden has not signed on as a co-sponsor yet. It is important that he do because he is Chair of the Senate Revenue Committee, which will likely hold hearings on this important bill. Read the email here for all the details and then contact Sen Wyden.

Several initiative petition campaigns now allow individual supporters to sign their initiative petitions by printing them from their websites, signing them and then mailing them in. No reason to wait to find a signature gatherer at some event or on the street. You can do it yourself.

Three initiative petition campaigns which OR Progressive Party supports for the Nov 2022 ballot are among this group. Two are regarding end gun violence in Oregon and the third would rebate to every Oregon resident approximately $750 annually.

LEARN MORE HERE.

Lift Every Voice Oregon, the initiative campaign to end gun violence in Oregon has a new website and you can endorse their efforts now. Endorse here

People, Not Politicians, the initiative petition effort to remove the Oregon legislature from the redistricting process and replacing the legislature with a non-partisan citizens committee will refile their petition soon with the objective to get on the Nov. 2024 ballot. Endorse here.

Whether that will ultimately protect the right to choose is uncertain. Also likely on the Supreme Court chopping block are rights for gay people, gay marriage, and even interracial marriage. Read about this increased danger in this Common Dreams article, Critics Warn Alito Draft Threatens Much, Much More Than Abortion Rights.

As an Oregon registered voter, you can give a tax refundable donation of up to $50 once a year and then get it all back as a credit on your Oregon income taxes. There is no reason to wait to the end of the year. Do it now.