March 22, 2021 3:20 a.m.

Oregon House Republicans say Democrats in the House Committee on Judiciary voted to move forward with a bill that would open the door to convicted criminals working and volunteering in K-12 educational settings.

A release from the Oregon House Republican Caucus said HB 2942 would create a pathway for individuals charged and convicted of crimes such as manufacturing and/or delivering hard drugs like cocaine, heroin and meth, or prostitution. The release said that would include crimes targeting children within 1,000 feet of a school, to be eligible to work in school settings.

House Republican Leader Christine Drazen said, “It’s completely unacceptable that the Salem supermajority is intentionally putting felons inside the classroom and on the playground with our kids, even when their crimes included making and selling hard drugs next door to a school”. Drazen said keeping children safe means keeping convicted criminals out of the classroom.

The release said HB 2942 would let the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission, the state agency in charge of licensing teachers, allows individuals convicted of certain crimes to work in a classroom setting.

The release said HR 2942 is sponsored by a trio of House Democrats and a Democratic State Senator.