Whether you're a professional snoop or you're just looking for some light reading, the first batch of former Gov. John Kitzhaber's emails should be of interest. Released Tuesday by Gov. Kate Brown's office in response to public records requests, the emails are from the Gmail account Kitzhaber used to conduct official business in lieu of his, well, official email address. This batch only includes emails stored on state servers, which means it includes all emails sent and received after August 2011, and those sent prior to other government officials. To access those files, visit Oregon.gov/gov.
In other gubernatorial news, Gov. Kate Brown and Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum announced Tuesday that the state has reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit pertaining to the employment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In the settlement, the state essentially agrees to extend a 2013 executive order that phases out "sheltered workshops" and instead focuses on integrated people with disabilities into the workforce at large.
"This is a big win for Oregonians. We are already on track to provide integrated employment opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This settlement continues our commitment to ensure that all Oregonians are part of the economic recovery," Gov. Brown said in a release.
Speaking of politics, the Oregon Republican Party kicked off its listening tour recently with a meeting in Oregon City. According to the party, the themes of the first listening session included government transparency and accountability.
"Our state central committee has made government transparency a priority. We will use the information and stories we hear during the tour to help craft legislative solutions," said ORP Chairman Bill Currier in a statement. "The public has a right to timely and complete responses requirement to records requests, and the number of a lot of exemptions should be reduced. We are going to focus on the things we can address."
The tour comes through Bend on October 22, from 7 to 8:30 pm at The Riverhouse. To learn more, visit oregonrepublicanparty.org.
