I’m no fan of Rep. Paul Holvey and I’m virtually certain the feeling is mutual.

Holvey’s was the lone “No” vote in the Oregon House against my House Bill 2938 (2015) to bring additional fairness to Oregon annexation law. The bill would have passed had Lee Beyer not sabotaged it in the Senate — but that’s a sordid tale all its own.

Holvey and every other Lane County Democrat in the Legislature voted to violate the voter mandates of Measures 88 and 97 (2019). He also apparently thought it would be good policy to punish Oregon businesses that have significantly reduced their emissions by nearly doubling their emission fees with his HB 3229 this year.

He voted for HB 2002, the most radical, contentious and hyper-partisan bill in the 2023 session.

Holvey has supported the use of bogus “emergency” clauses that prevent referenda. He has ignored massive opposition testimony to bills he supports. These are just some of the items on my Holvey grievance list.

Given the foregoing, I could never support Holvey. But given political reality, this recall launched against him seems to me to be a misguided waste of time and effort.  His constituents love him as demonstrated by their long-running strong support for his re-elections. 

As a staunch liberal in a deep blue district, he’s ironclad.  He can pursue his agenda without fear of losing his seat. He’s not going to lose it to this recall effort.

Jerry Ritter
Springfield

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