Opinion: Facing Potential Legal Challenges Clackamas Commissioners Propose Repeal Of Emergency Regulations

Testimony to Clackamas County Commissioners Feb. 16^th, 2023-1st Public Hearing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELDrbV5G9mw

Mar. 2, 2023-2^nd public hearing 10am Business meeting

I opposed Emergency Regulations Ordinance 6.03 related to elected officials at the August 11^th hearing because:

It was unlawful and misrepresented the intention of Emergency State Law Chapter 401. It crafted a threatening and contentious procedure that created the potential for a lawsuit challenge.
It weaponized a County-ordinance by giving majority authority to the commission as if they were judges and juries to:

identify, define, investigate and determine criminal malfeasance
which if found allowed them to step in and take over another elected official’s office procedures.
targeting first an election official as the reason, it created unethical partisan meddling, aiding in the biggest smear campaign against a 20-year elected clerk that I have ever seen in Clackamas County, thus influencing election results.

This undermines public faith in our system of government and makes it difficult to trust their leadership and questions their personal agenda. It disrespected and insulted other elected officials and overstepped my authority as a voter.

If there is criminal malfeasance, then I expect enforcement agencies would be contacted for investigation, but I do not presume an ordinance that would threaten and issue takeover orders of other elected official office procedures.

I consider all my commissioners equal with other elected officials and respect the work that they all do.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg once asked Supreme Court Justice Scalia how they could be friends, given their disagreement on lots of things,

Justice Scalia answered: “I attack ideas. I don’t attack people. Some very good people have some very bad ideas. And if you can’t separate the two, you gotta get another day job, You don’t want to be a judge.”

I disagreed with the ethics and legalities of the 3 commissioners, Chair Tootie Smith, Commissioner Martha Schrader, and former Sonya Fischer who was voted out of office, who voted for this ordinance and I agree with Justice Scalia that this power grab, was a very bad idea and I support an immediate repeal.

Timeframe 21:12

Feb. 16, 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELDrbV5G9mw

https://dochub.clackamas.us/documents/drupal/b6fd25c2-481e-4232-b5a4-bcb0ae66a08f

Shirley Morgan

Welches

REFERENCE INFORMATION

Shirley Morgan lives in Welches. She has a BA in Human Communications from Marylhurst University in West Linn, OR (1999), with a Master of Arts in Whole System Design/Organizational System Renewal from Antioch University in Seattle, WA (2003). She holds Master of Science in Community and Economic development from Southern New Hampshire University-Manchester, NH (2008) and an associate’s degree of church leadership from Portland Bible College, OR (2015).

REFERENCE MEETING INFORMATION

June 15, 2022 Clackamas County Board Policy Meeting-8:30am

At time frame 34.28

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCAwVY23mt8

15 days

July 7, 2022 Clackamas County Business Meeting -1st hearing-10am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nu-Bo0Yfk_U

10 days

July 21, 2022 Clackamas County Business Meeting-2^nd hearing-extended

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=564ZD5CF4TA

13 days

Aug. 9^th 2022 Clackamas County Administrative Update Meeting-10am