Think Out Loud

Author Lauren Groff retreated to the middle ages for her latest novel. After her book “Fates and Furies," received wide praise, and in the aftermath of the 2016 election, Groff found solace in writing about the life of nuns cloistered together in 12th century England. We talk to Groff about her latest book, “Matrix,” in front of an audience of students at Leodis V. McDaniel High School in Portland.

Earlier this month, Oregon Rep. Charlie Conrad (R-Eastern Lane County) was the sole Republican on the Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee to vote in favor of HB 2002, which would protect access to abortion and expand insurance coverage for gender-affirming care. It would also allow minors to obtain abortions and teens 15 and older to receive gender-affirming care without parental consent. The bill is one of two cited by Republican state leaders who staged a walkout four weeks ago, effectively grinding legislative votes in the Senate to a halt.

The Capital Chronicle earlier reported on why Conrad shifted his stance from opposing to supporting HB 2002, including by researching medical guidelines on gender-affirming care and talking with the parent of a transgender child. Conrad is a freshman Oregon lawmaker who represents House District 12 which covers Eastern Lane County. He joins us to talk about his support for HB 2002, and being a moderate Republican whose views on abortion and other issues sometimes put him at odds with his party and constituency.

More than 100 bills have been stuck in the Oregon state senate after Republican senators staged a walkout that began May 3. The political tactic is a strategy to block Democratic legislation on abortion rights, transgender care and gun safety. High profile walkouts that grind business to a halt was exactly what Ballot Measure 113 was aimed at preventing. Passed overwhelmingly by voters last fall, the constitutional amendment says legislators with 10 or more unexcused absences may not run for subsequent elective office.

Most of those participating in the walkouts have already hit the 10 or more mark, and Republicans say they will challenge the law in court. While speech and electoral freedom concerns have been raised, it’s not entirely clear on what basis Measure 113 would be challenged or whether the case would be filed in state or federal court. Norman Williams is a professor at Willamette University and teaches both constitutional and election law. He says only one thing seems all but certain: there will be a challenge of some kind. He joins us to walk us through some of the legal issues and questions that could come before judges.

Oregonians passed Measure 114 in November. It would ban the manufacture, purchase or sale of high capacity magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. It would also require people to take a safety course and pass a background check to get a permit allowing them to purchase a firearm. But the law never went into effect due to legal challenges at both the state and federal level. The Department of Justice is preparing to defend Measure 114 in federal court in June, and in state court in September. Michael Kron, special counsel to the state attorney general, joins us to give us the latest.

Earlier this month, Talent residents voted in a special election to determine whether they would fund an urban renewal plan to help rebuild the town after the 2020 Almeda Fire. Almost two-thirds of residents voted against the plan to use tax-increment financing that could have generated almost $19 million over 20 years. Darby Ayers-Flood is the mayor of Talent. She joins us to share what’s next for the town and how they might fund revitalization efforts in the future.

It’s been nearly three years since the Labor Day wildfires of 2020 which burned more than a million acres across Oregon and destroyed more than 5,000 homes and buildings. Nine people died in the fires. Among the places hardest hit was the community of Detroit in Marion County, where roughly 80 percent of the homes and businesses were destroyed. But according to Mayor Jim Trett, Detroit’s recovery is proceeding faster than expected. Detroit Lake, on which the local economy heavily depends for tourism, also reached full capacity earlier this month, thanks to snowpack levels not seen in the state since 2008. We hear from Mayor Trett about his hopes for the summer, the status of rebuilding efforts and lessons learned to help Detroit respond to future wildfires.

In Portland, school fundraising greatly varies from school to school. At Lincoln High School, parent-led fundraising efforts help students go on trips and have access to events. But other schools in the district might only see a fraction of the funds available. Lincoln’s student-run news outlet, The Cardinal Times, recently published an editorial opposing how the current system works and calling for the establishment of a district-wide general fund.

In a response to the piece, Friends of Lincoln, the fundraising arm for the high school, noted that Portland Public Schools requires fundraising organizations to share some of what they raise with the district. Currently, schools can keep the first $10,000 that they raise. But for funds beyond that, a third of their totals must be shared with the district-wide Fund for Portland Public Schools.

The organization wrote, “Friends of Lincoln would love a world where schools receive all the funding students deserve and equity is optimized, but that is not the world as it exists today.” It added, “eliminating foundations like Friends of Lincoln, we believe, would make things worse, not better.”

We hear more from Issac Coltman, an opinions editor for The Cardinal Times and Mary Carney, a managing print editor for the outlet. They’re both juniors at the high school and join to tell us more about what they’d like to see change.

Marlou and Ken Delano weren’t looking to get remarried when they met at Thadd’s Place, a grief counseling center in John Day. They are both in their 80s, and were mourning their spouses of roughly 50 and 60 years, respectively. But their shared grief brought them closer together, and unexpectedly, sparks flew. The couple will celebrate their first anniversary on June 4. The Delanos join us to share their story, as well as their hopes for the future.

Some loggers headed in to cut down trees in the Blue Mountains will be prioritizing habitat over board feet. That’s because Blue Mountain Forest Partners, a group of stakeholders including loggers, environmentalists, ranchers, landowners, timber industry representatives, elected officials and federal land managers, has just finalized what’s called a wildlife habitat zone of agreement. The plan takes a wildlife-centric perspective to forest management, trying to address habitat needs of species when considering which trees to cut. Mark Webb, the executive director of Blue Mountain Forest Project, takes us on a tour of forest lands that have been managed with woodpeckers in mind.

Last month, Grant County Court held the first of three scheduled conversations about the idea of becoming part of Idaho. The conversations are required by a ballot measure passed two years ago with 62% of the vote. Some residents came to the meeting dressed in matching green T-shirts that read “Just Say No to Idaho.” We talk to Shelley Wyllie, who is one of the leaders of a movement members are calling Oregon Together, about why she thinks Grant County should remain a part of Oregon.