Nov. 6: Midterm elections conclude in Oregon
Gov. Kate Brown was re-elected to the governor’s office at the close of 2018 midterm elections in what the Associated Press called the “most expensive race in Oregon gubernatorial history.” Brown’s re-election solidifies Oregon’s Democratic majority, as Democrats also won a supermajority in the state legislature and sent all five Democratic representatives back to Congress for another term.
Voters also rejected a number of ballot measures: Measure 103, which would have amended the Oregon Constitution to prohibit new taxes on groceries anywhere in the state; Measure 104, which would have required a legislative supermajority for new revenues; Measure 105, which sought to repeal Oregon’s sanctuary state law; and Measure 106, which would have imposed restrictions on public funding for abortions all failed by significant margins.
Nov. 8: Massive wildfires sweep Southern California
The latest in a series of climate catastrophes, dubbed the Woolsey Fire, has swept through Southern California, forcing hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles and Ventura County residents to evacuate their homes. The fire has destroyed over 70,000 acres of land as of Saturday, Curbed LA reported. The Woolsey Fire is not the only wildfire raging in California—The Washington Post reported the Camp Fire, raging near Sacramento, is responsible for at least 23 deaths and “is now the most destructive individual wildfire in California’s history.”
Nov. 10: Oregon daycares fail to prove drinking water is lead-free
State data shows one-third of Oregon daycare centers have failed to prove their drinking water is free of lead, a neurotoxin linked to learning disabilities and nervous system damage that is considered particularly dangerous for children under six. A new state law requires water tests for child care facilities, which must submit their results by Sept. 30. However, more than a month later, the state lacks information from more than 1,000 centers. Of the centers that did submit test results, about 1.6 percent had drinking water containing lead levels above state standards.
