Oregon
Oregon bill that challenges book bans in schools passes Senate; Democrats reject Knopp move to wait, discuss in future sessions – KTVZ
SALEM, Ore. (KGW/KTVZ) — A bill that aims to push back against a rise in book bans in Oregon school districts has passed the Senate, KGW reported.
Senate Bill 1583 says that “that a school official cannot prohibit materials because the materials concern a class of people identified in our education anti-discrimination laws. In other words, you cannot ban a book because the book involves folks from marginalized communities,” according to bill sponsor Sen. Lew Frederick, D-Portland.
“If you are not allowing kids to have books, and you are telling them what books they have to read or what books they can’t read, you are basically setting them up for not understanding the world we have around us,” Frederick said.
Earlier this month, several librarians, teachers and parents expressed support for the bill, with one teacher saying, “Students don’t need to be protected from the truth. Rather, they need to learn the truth in order for them to navigate a complex world, and if they understand historical injustices, they’re better prepared to recognize, address and repair injustice they encounter today.”
Meanwhile, opponents claimed that bill would take away power from school boards and parents to determine what’s appropriate for kids.
On Tuesday, Senate Republicans voted as a bloc against the ban, with Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, proposing a minority report that would have given more time to discuss the issue in future sessions, according to a press release. That was voted down by Democrats.
“Democrats framed this bill as an issue of discrimination, but the bigger picture is ensuring Oregon schools provide appropriate reading material to their students to enhance their educational experiences. Our minority report recognized that discrimination is wrong, and so is providing children explicit content harmful to their development,” said Knopp in a statement.
On the Senate floor Tuesday, Republican lawmakers said the state should not try to control the decisions of local school districts, claiming that this may allow inappropriate content to slip through the cracks.
“I don’t think that it is this body’s responsibility to tell a school district what they can and cannot make available,” said Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles. “I want to be clear that books still exist, whether they are not in the schools’ libraries. We are not burning books. We are not banning books. We are just saying this is probably not something that a child should be encouraged to read.”
“Book banning is a widespread tool used to oppress free speech and thought in Oregon and nationwide,” said Frederick in a statement. “All kids deserve the opportunity to see themselves, their families, and members of their community represented in the books they read. Oregonians should get to decide what they personally read, not political agendas.”
Meanwhile, Emily O’Neal, the chair of the Intellectual Freedom Committee with the Oregon Library Association, also expressed support for the bill, citing a 2023 incident where the Canby School District removed all copies of “Lolita,” despite parental protests.
Complaints from two community members had spurred the district’s decision to temporarily remove 35 books in total from school libraries a few months ago, pending review, which Canby students turned out to protest. Members of the Oregon Library Association said proper protocol wasn’t followed in removing “Lolita,” as well as restricting the other 34 books.
The bill moved to the House Rules Committee, where people who are either for, against or neutral had another opportunity to testify in front of lawmakers on Thursday.
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News release Tuesday from Senator Lew Frederick:
Protecting Free Speech, Thought in Oregon Schools
Senate Bill 1583 will protect free speech by prohibiting book bans, keeping appropriate, educational material available for all Oregonians
SALEM, Ore. — Today, Senate Bill 1583 passed the Oregon Senate. This legislation will protect free speech by prohibiting politically-motivated book bans, keeping appropriate, educational material available for all Oregonians.
SB 1583 will prohibit book bans on the basis of race, gender identity, country of origin, sexual orientation, disability and immigrant status, protecting all Oregonians’ right to free speech, and keeping culture wars out of our public schools and libraries. This legislation protects parents’ right to decide what their children read, free from political interference.
“Book banning is a widespread tool used to oppress free speech and thought in Oregon and nationwide,” said Senator Lew Frederick (D- Portland), chief sponsor of this legislation. “All kids deserve the opportunity to see themselves, their families, and members of their community represented in the books they read. Oregonians should get to decide what they personally read, not political agendas.”
The bill now goes to the Oregon House of Representatives for consideration.
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News release Tuesday from Oregon Senate Republican Caucus:
Senate Republicans Defend Age-Appropriate Reading Material in Schools, Urge Democrats to Give This Polarizing Issue More Discussion in Future Sessions
SALEM, Ore. – Today, Senate Republicans voted to support age-appropriate reading materials for K-12 students in the Oregon public education system. Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) made a motion to adopt a minority report in place of SB 1583, which was voted down by all 17 Senate Democrats. It would have given more time to study and discuss this contentious issue in future sessions.
“The topic of what reading materials are available to students in public schools has been politicized across the country in recent years. One only need do a quick Google search to see what has occurred at school board meetings. We’ve seen angry parents, exasperated school board members and administrators, frustrated members of the public, and even the regular presence of law enforcement to stop entire meetings from becoming outright brawls,” said Senator Suzanne Weber (R-Tillamook), a former educator. “I am disappointed in the Democrats’ decision to reject our minority report which gave more time and attention to this issue. Instead, they passed SB 1583 on party lines.”
“We have heard from hundreds and hundreds of Oregonians who are deeply concerned about SB 1583. Instead of rushing into passing a contentious bill during a short session meant to address emergencies, Republicans wanted to give the discussion more time and input from parents and the public in future sessions,” said Leader Knopp. “Democrats framed this bill as an issue of discrimination, but the bigger picture is ensuring Oregon schools provide appropriate reading material to their students to enhance their educational experiences. Our minority report recognized that discrimination is wrong, and so is providing children explicit content harmful to their development.”
The Oregon Ducks are set for one of the biggest timelines of their recruiting cycle, as many top targets are nearing commitments. This time around, the Ducks have a ton of top targets still remaining on their board compared to past seasons, as the Ducks have eight total commitments at this time.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff still need to land a safety commitment, but three-star safety Elijah Butler out of Maryland recently included the Ducks in his final six schools.
Oregon Target Elijah Butler Makes Exciting Recruiting Announcement
Butler announced his top six schools ahead of a crucial part of his recruitment, according to a graphic by Leyton Roberts. The Ducks made the cut alongside the Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The talented prospect would be a great addition for any of these teams, as they could all use a safety prospect at this point in the recruiting timeline.
Butler is from the state of Maryland, which makes the Terrapins one to watch.
It is also worth noting that he has been labeled as one of the best players in the state of Maryland, as he currently ranks as the state’s No. 9 prospect, according to Rivals. This is important as the Terrapins have always made solid attempts to land their in-state stars, including last season when they landed one of the better players in the state’s history, Zion Elee.
As of now, the prospect hasn’t been predicted to land with any of these schools, which means it is likely still a tight race entering the official visit schedule. He has yet to schedule an official visit with all of the schools he has listed in his top six, as he is still missing three key official visits. Butler has scheduled official visits with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, according to 247Sports. This means he still needs to set one with Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Maryland if he wants to take one to each school.
If the Ducks are able to get Butler on a visit, then they would likely be in a more favorable position to land his commitment, as it currently. seems they are one of the trailing teams from this list. It seems highly unlikely that the Ducks will gain his commitment unless they get him on an official visit, which is still possible at this point, as plenty of top prospects across the nation are still scheduling their official visits.
As of now, the Ducks have 27 prospects set to take an official visit, according to 247Sports. Among all of the prospects who have scheduled a visit thus far, only one of the players is listed as a safety. That player is a three-star target, Junior Tu’upo. This leads one to believe that the Ducks could try to get Butler on a visit, or at a minimum, pitch their program to the prospect from St Frances Academy.
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BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
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