September 21, 2021 4:30 a.m. 

GOP members in the Oregon State Senate are opposing a Democratic redistricting plan.

A release from the Oregon Senate Republicans said the proposal will rig elections for the next decade, giving Democrats control of 86 percent of Oregon’s congressional delegation.

Senator Tim Knopp, vice-chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee said he believes the plan that was passed violated the law by not following the criteria. Knopp said, “They must do logical and legal gymnastics to justify pairing the rural and urban communities they lumped together”. He said no matter how they try to spin it, the only reason to spread downtown Portland into three districts is to silence the voices of rural communities.

Senate Republican Leader Fred Girod said “Fifty percent of Oregon’s congressional representatives will serve the City of Portland, but only 15% of Oregon’s population live in Portland”. Girod said the urban-rural divide will continue to grow wider under this plan. He said, “This partisan process proves that the legislature cannot be trusted to draw these lines in the future”.

The redistricting plan will next be considered by the Oregon House.