It’s just about the end of the year, so everyone is handing out grades as if it’s school. The American Conservative Union Foundation (ACUF), a nonprofit that organizes the Conservative Political Action Conference, just announced its ratings for the Oregon Legislature. Oregon’s average “conservative score” fell from its 2017 rating of 40.6 percent to 28.08 percent.
Although reports on other states like California have not been released yet, Oregon sucks at being conservative and is on its way to having one of the lowest conservative scores in the U.S.
ACUF’s scores are based on President Ronald Reagan’s “three-legged stool.” The stool consists of fiscal and economic policies, social and cultural issues, and government integrity.
ACUF says it reviewed each piece of legislation from the legislative session with the stool in mind.
In the report, ACUF highlighted mostly bills it opposed that the Oregon Legislature supported. This included a bill that would ensure undocumented immigrants could receive in-state tuition if Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals was repealed, a net neutrality bill and expanding state-run electric vehicle charging stations.
In fact, ACUF only supported one bill passed by the Legislature: HB 4036, which would ensure charter and homeschool students are eligible for all extra-curricular and interscholastic activities just like public school students.
The Oregon Senate received an average conservative rating of 25 percent. Only one Republican state senator received accolades from the organization, Herman Baertschiger, Jr. of Grants Pass.
Oregon’s House of Representatives earned an average rating of 31 percent. In addition, the group commended a greater number of state representatives than it did in the state senate. Four state representatives were recognized for their conservatism: Cedric Hayden of Roseburg, Mike Nearman of Independence, Bill Post of Keizer, Werner Reschke of Klamath Falls.
Hayden does represent portions of Lane County. Hayden’s score actually increased from last year’s report; he now has an 80 percent conservative score. So, Lane County might not be as liberal as Eugene residents think it is.
With a Democratic Party supermajority in Salem getting sworn in next month, it doesn’t take much to imagine Oregon becoming one of the least conservative states according to ACUF.
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
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None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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