“If the levy fails, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will face a roughly $90 million budget shortfall, forcing major layoffs and service cuts . . . At a time when families are struggling to afford the basics, the city’s natural areas and neighborhood parks are an essential, free asset.” Vote YES!

Portland voters! The Portland Parks Levy is on the ballot, and this is a major issue for our city! Join @pnwpolicyangel.bsky.social and vote YES on Measure 26-260! Let’s keep our parks clean, green, and thriving! Vote YES by November 4!

Charlie Kirk's murder is horrific and wrong. No one is safe when murder is regarded as an acceptable way of expressing disagreement.

Today is International Overdose Awareness Day. Drug overdoses cause extensive loss and suffering, and I urge everyone to remember that every overdose is preventable. Through good policymaking, and ensuring that our public and behavioral health systems are properly resourced, we can #EndOverdose

Some personal news: I'm excited to share that I'm the new Portlanders for Parks Campaign Manager! Our parks help us stay connected to our natural surroundings and each other, and the livability of our city is tied directly to the health and vibrancy of our parks and community spaces.

❗️❗️❗️

Zohran Mamdani’s victory is understandably receiving lots of attention. But as for assessing the future of Democratic politics, I would also observe that moderates Mikie Sherrill & Abigail Spanberger both recently secured the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Jersey & Virginia, respectively.

Today on Loving Day, we honor Mildred and Richard Loving — a Virginia couple whose courage and determination changed the country. Their Supreme Court victory ended bans on interracial marriage, and their legacy lives on in every fight for equality and justice we pursue today.

Victory

The Oregonian is a strong YES for the PPS School Bond: Measure 26-259! “Rejecting the measure will most likely mean higher costs and lower buying power when it comes back before voters. Ballots are due May 20. Portland voters should make sure their ballot includes a ‘yes’ for the bond.”

The Portland Mercury says vote YES on the PPS School Bond: Measure 26-259. Vote yes for Portland Schools and get your ballot in by May 20th!

Teachers and workers keep our schools running for Portland students and families. Let’s give them the support they need: Vote YES on the PPS School Bond by May 20th! #orpol #portland #portlandschools

Thank you for your support, Councilor! Measure 26-259 delivers critical repairs including seismic safety upgrades to aging schools across Portland, and completes the modernization of our high schools WITHOUT increasing tax rates. Great cities need great schools. Vote YES by May 20!

Rallying with the SUPER CLEVELAND PARENTS…Vote YES 👍 on the PPS BOND….Safe, healthy, and modernized schools for Portland’s students. Say Measure 26-259, by May 20th!

Thank you @pnwpolicyangel.bsky.social for reminding everyone to vote YES on the PPS school bond! Measure 26-259 is a generational investment in our schools that delivers critical repairs & ensures every PPS student has access to a modern high school WITHOUT increasing tax rates! Vote by May 20!

Rallying today for Our Schools w/the amazing team from CLEVELAND and Eastside parents…vote to Renew, Repair and Modernize Our Schools! @tonymorsepdx.bsky.social

Portland!! Stop by and get your lawn sign!!!

Happy Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet Filing Day! Campaign folks know this feeling. 😃 #orpol

We cannot confuse our allies for our adversaries. We must be clear-eyed about this. We must stand with the people of Ukraine against the barbarism of Vladimir Putin.

Happy birthday Oregon!

The stubbornly persistent narrative that US foreign aid spending simply entails sending bags of money around the world is wildly inaccurate. Billions in duly appropriated foreign aid $ buys things from American farms & businesses. Foreign aid spending absolutely helps Americans & the US economy.

Cook Political Report’s first 2026 U.S. House ratings move Oregon’s competitive-on-paper seats to the left. Rating gives-term Rep. Janelle Bynum the edge in the “lean Democrat” #OR05; Hoyle and Salinas join Dexter and Bonamici as holders of safe D seats. #orpol www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/hous...

PDX voters could potentially now see two significant tax questions on their November ballots: 1) SHS modifications including a possible extension 2) Future of the Parks Levy including a possible rate increase Meanwhile, the $1.83 billion PPS bond will appear on May ballots. #orpol #portland

Growing our housing supply and adding more affordable options is a good thing. “The report says the new middle-housing units on average sell for about $250,000 less than a new single-detached home.” $250K makes a huge difference on a typical monthly mortgage payment. #orpol #portland #housing

Great news & an excellent use of opioid settlement funds. Expanding pathways to addiction recovery saves lives, & is an essential part of solving PDX’s homelessness crisis. Bybee Lakes is a big opportunity for PDX & Multnomah County to collaborate on addiction solutions. Well done, Mayor Wilson!

As a general proposition, this market saturation suppresses prices and delays revenue for cannabis growers & retailers. Downstream, this limits cannabis tax revenue, which constrains availability of funds for Measure 110 programs. M110 is a key component of funding vital addiction services. #orpol

As expected

Today on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we honor the millions who were murdered in the Holocaust. With antisemitism on the rise, we must do more to educate our kids about the horrors that unfolded. #NeverAgain

On this International Holocaust Remembrance Day, @jfederations.bsky.social remember the six million Jews who were taken from us, and we pledge to honor and support the survivors. holocaustsurvivorcare.jewishfederations.org/internationa... #WeRemember

Our firefighters put their lives on the line to keep us safe - we are seeing that in real-time in LA right now. I’m working to pass bipartisan legislation to make sure that the families of firefighters who die from cancer linked to their service get the support they deserve.

New housing production is not keeping up with market needs. If we want to deliver some impactful relief to home buyers, we need to start building a lot more housing.

Metro voters won’t see an SHS measure in May, but a referral to the November ballot remains possible. #orpol

President Trump’s decision to grant legal clemency to January 6 rioters who assaulted police officers is outrageous. Police officers keep our communities safe, and those who violently attack them must be held accountable. Public safety professionals deserve leaders who support their critical work.

“How strongly do you approve or disapprove of the law passed that would ban TikTok in America unless it sells to a U.S. buyer?” All: Support: 61% Oppose: 39% Harvard-Harris Poll / Jan 15 - 16, 2025 / n=2650 (Registered Voters) / MoE: 1.9 pts w 95% confidence

Criminal attacks on our democratic institutions undermine our democracy. These acts deserve unequivocal condemnation.

This is the way.

LA is a tragic reminder of how bad urban wildfires can be This 2021 article from @sophiegreenleaf.bsky.social addressed fire risks for Forest Park. Unsanctioned camping & electrical infrastructure are important considerations I’ll keep saying we need a fully funded Fire Bureau #orpol #portland

Per curiam decision without dissents

The opportunity to stabilize before treatment begins can help people more fully engage in their treatment, and housing is a cornerstone of stabilization. #orpol #orleg

Today I’m celebrating 8 years of continuous recovery. January 14 is always a day of reflection for me, both in terms of gratitude as well as acknowledging passage of time.

Fully funding the Fire Bureau is part of climate resilience. Pass it on. #orpol #Portland

Revitalizing downtown Portland will require wise and sustained investment in public safety. “Afuri CEO Taichi Ishizuki cited the lingering negative perception of downtown Portland’s safety post-pandemic, a decline in tourism, and high office vacancy rates as contributing factors to the closure.”

Higher borrowing costs make housing less affordable. So how might our new national political environment factor in? Some things to consider: 1/5

Sending very positive vibes to the 13 Portland Firefighters headed to Los Angeles. As Portland City Council considers the public safety budget, I would urge them to prioritize a fully funded Fire Bureau. Our communities are safer when our Firefighters get the resources and support they need.

The new law is the result of SB 1553, which last year passed both chambers of the Oregon Legislature by wide margins and with bipartisan support. TriMet Riders deserve safe public transportation, and TriMet Operators have a right to safe workplaces.

Firefighters, teachers, postal workers, VA nurses and all public service workers will now get a dignified retirement with the FULL benefits they earned. Thank you, President Biden, for signing the Social Security Fairness Act into law. abcnews.go.com/Politics/bid...

Very big deal for Firefighters and Police Officers. Thank you @abigailspanberger.com for championing this legislation! “By signing this bill, we're extending Social Security benefits for millions of teachers, nurses and other public employees and their spouses and survivors,” Biden said Sunday.

If you stop and think of it, if Ukraine had joined NATO, it wouldn't be occupying part of Russia right now. I remain a master strategist.

🚨TODAY: President Biden will sign my Social Security Security Fairness Act into law. With the stroke of a pen, America’s retired public servants will finally receive the benefits they earned. Millions of Americans, including thousands of Virginians, have waited 40+ years for this day.