Page 9 - Alan Kessler News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

by Alex Zielinski • Jul 7, 2021 at 3:33 pm Mayor Wheeler speaking to protesters during a July 2020 rally. NATHAN HOWARD / GETTY IMAGES By now, you've likely seen the neon green buttons affixed to activists' lapels and yard signs popping up in Portland neighborhoods declaring, "Total Recall"—the clever name of the local campaign to recall Mayor Ted Wheeler. While the campaign has been simmering since Wheeler was elected to a second mayoral term in November 2020, the organizers behind the movement were forced to wait until July 1—six months after...

Efforts to remove Mayor Ted Wheeler from office began within weeks of his winning reelection. Ted Wheeler was the first Portland mayor elected to a second term in 20 years, winning reelection last November. But he could be forced back on the ballot in a recall election later this year. If that happens, he will face his toughest opponent — himself. The only question will be whether he should stay in office, not whether he is better than another candidate. Wheeler won with 46% of the vote at the 2020 general election, defeating progressive urban planning advocate Sarah Iannarone, who rec...

Recall petition filed against Portland Mayor Wheeler July 01 2021 Critics have 90 days to collect nearly 50,000 valid signatures of Portland voters to prompt a recall election. The campaign to recall Mayor Ted Wheeler kicked off with the filing of the prospective election petition on Thursday, July 1. "Portland has endured years of crisis. When we needed a leader to solve problems, Ted Wheeler's inaction made our challenges worse," it reads in part. The petition was filed by chief petitioner Melissa Blount, a Portland Public Schools teacher librarian. She referred all questions t...

June 16 2021 Portland Police Bureau Officer Brent Taylor is named as a defendant in the suit filed by protester Hanna Helm A protester with disabilities was trapped inside a car for hours after Portland police slashed its tires near a curb — preventing the woman from fully opening the passenger door or accessing her wheelchair, a new lawsuit claims. The suit accuses Portland Police Bureau Officer Brent Taylor of stabbing the vehicle's tires, leaving protester Hanna Helm stranded and stuck for nearly five hours, despite the best attempts of her boyfriend, who was driving the car. Nei...

“It shouldn’t cost two months’ rent for an activist to see what their government is doing,” said Alan Kessler, an attorney from ACLU of Oregon representing the Peacekeepers. Kessler argues that the city is acting in “bad faith” and is charging the racial justice advocates differently than other requestors. The lawsuit stems from a decision by Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel, who reviewed the case at the Peacekeepers’ request and found the city’s fee was unreasonable. Under Oregon law, parties can appeal public records disputes to county district attorneys. The c...