Archive for the 'Secretary Brown' Category

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Secretary of State Kate Brown on Special Elections in First Congressional District

Published on August 4, 2011 in Elections, Headlines and Secretary Brown. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

I am pleased that the Governor has selected a date for the special general election in the First Congressional District which allows sufficient time for me to conduct a primary election. Giving voters direct say over who replaces Congressman Wu is vitally important to the democracy of Oregon.

I will be coordinating with our partners, the county clerks in the district, as well as the major and minor political parties. Please visit www.oregonvotes.org for information about election timelines.

In the meantime, voters in the First Congressional District should be assured they will participate in a fair, accurate, secure, and efficient election.

For more information, please contact:

Gina Mattioda
Director of Communications
gina.mattioda@state.or.us
503-986-2368

Oregon Secretary of State releases Special Education Design Lab report

Published on August 1, 2011 in Headlines and Secretary Brown. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Secretary of State Kate Brown recently sponsored a Design Lab for Special Education in Oregon, aimed at creating breakthrough ideas for the future of that system.  Over seventy stakeholders met to identify desired outcomes, and then a team of twelve people used those goals to craft proposals to transform Special Education.  The original stakeholders were then given the opportunity to provide input and commentary on the ideas, resulting in the attached report that we hope will be part of the conversation and deliberations of the new Oregon Education Investment Board.  Click here to read the report.

Oregon State Flags are now available for men and women serving overseas

Published on July 1, 2011 in Press Releases and Secretary Brown. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

SALEM – Secretary of State Kate Brown announced today that Oregon flags are now available for Oregon soldiers serving overseas.

“I believe it is important to express our gratitude to our service men and women for their commitment, dedication and sacrifice,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown.  “That is why State Senator Betsy Johnson, State Representative Sal Esquivel and I have revived the Secretary of State’s Flag Fund with the assistance of generous private donations.”

This flag program is near and dear to Representative Esquivel’s heart.  While serving in Vietnam 40 years ago, he wrote a letter to then-Secretary of State Clay Myers requesting an Oregon flag, which was funded by then-State Representative Sam Johnson from Redmond, Oregon, whose daughter State Senator Betsy Johnson now serves in the Oregon Legislature. Senator Johnson is 100 percent committed to the Secretary of State’s Flag Fund, has made a generous contribution and is actively seeking funds.

State Representative Sal Esquivel said he will never forget the day he received that flag that arrived with a letter from Myers thanking him for his service.  This memory will remain with him forever and he would like to give others serving in the armed forces the same unforgettable experience.

Secretary Brown agrees. “At a time when our nation continues to deploy troops overseas, I believe it is important to show support for these men and women in any way we can. Sending them a piece of home is a small token of our appreciation and gratitude.”

In 1969, the Oregon Legislature gave the Secretary of State authority to provide Oregon State flags to Oregonians serving abroad in the armed forces.  Although multiple requests were submitted by soldiers and families between 2007 and 2011, they went unfulfilled because the legislature has not been able to allocate resources to the State Flag Fund program for many years.

The average cost of each flag is approximately $30 dollars.  Donations to the Secretary of State Flag Fund can be sent to Secretary of State’s Office, c/o Flag Fund, Business Services Division, 255 Capitol Street NE, Salem Oregon 97310 or by calling 503-986-2204.

 

For more information, please contact:
Gina Mattioda
Director of Communications
gina.mattioda@state.or.us
503-986-2368

Oregon Secretary of State Announces Public-Private Partnership

Published on June 27, 2011 in Press Releases and Secretary Brown. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Oregon Secretary of State Announces Public-Private Partnership

Aimed at Creating Jobs and Preserving Oregon’s History

SALEM, OR. – Secretary of State Kate Brown and Chaves Consulting, Inc. (CCI) have formed a unique public-private partnership to offer state and local government agencies Oregon’s Electronic Management Solution (ORMS) to save time and money, and create jobs in Eastern Oregon.

ORMS is powered by HP TRIM software, a robust, cost-effective, enterprise records management solution, which can manage the state’s public records whether they are electronic, paper or any other number of formats. ORMS allows the public to more easily access government records using a public interface or web portal.

CCI, headquartered in Baker City, Oregon, will use HP TRIM software to provide an innovative SaaS (Software as a Service) model, which will involve charging a decreasing monthly cost per user with no upfront investment required by users. CCI will supply the hardware, software, and services as part of the SaaS model.  As managing General Partner of the state-of-the-art Synergy Data Center (www.synergydcs.com), CCI will utilize Synergy as the repository for the ORMS data.

“As keeper of Oregon’s history, it is crucial our agency has a reliable system in which to store public records,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “By partnering with Chaves Consulting and using HP TRIM software, we have a win-win for all Oregonians. It allows my office to build a cost-effective way of managing information, increasing transparency, and creating jobs.”

Through this project, all state and local government agencies will have access to a current technology records management solution.  The pilot phase in addition to the Secretary of State’s Office includes: Oregon Department of Energy, Oregon Department of Human Services’ Children, Adult, and Families Division, Public Utility Commission, Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District, and the cities of Beaverton, Milwaukie, and West Linn.

CCI President Richard Chaves said, “The partnership formed between the Secretary of State’s Office, CCI, and the use of HP TRIM software represents a willingness by all parties to work together to develop a solution that will greatly benefit the State of Oregon. It also supports CCI and the Secretary of State’s vision to positively impact economic development in rural Oregon.”

“The State of Oregon is taking an innovative approach with its shared services model, so it can centrally manage state agency records,” said June Manley, worldwide director of product marketing, Information Management, Software, HP. “HP is providing an advanced information management solution that improves transparency, business process efficiency and employee productivity.”

 

For more information, please contact:
Gina Mattioda
Director of Communications
gina.mattioda@state.or.us
503-986-2368

Statement from Secretary of State Brown on the Legislative Redistricting Agreement

Published on June 8, 2011 in Press Releases and Secretary Brown. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Statement from Secretary of State Kate Brown on the Legislative Redistricting Agreement

SALEM – I applaud the work done by the four lead negotiators on the legislative redistricting plan.

I have said from the beginning that the diverse, unique, and knowledgeable perspectives of the 90 legislators, augmented by considerable public input, could produce a sound and reasonable plan. Having these varied voices at the table is better for Oregonians than one person drawing a map, no matter how much public involvement is included.

I will closely watch this proposed agreement play out through the process and continue to encourage the legislature to meet their constitutional obligation to redraw legislative and congressional districts. If the votes are there, this legislature could do what hasn’t been done in decades.

If both chambers pass the bill and the Governor signs it, Oregonians will have been well- served and I offer my congratulations to the countless members of the public who provided testimony and to the legislators who made this potential agreement possible.  This is an accomplishment each legislator should be proud of – a job well done.

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For more information, please contact:
Gina Mattioda
Director of Communications

gina.mattioda@state.or.us
503-986-2368

Resuscitating the Flag Fund

Published on March 28, 2011 in Secretary Brown. 0 Comments Tags: , .

In 1969, the Oregon Legislature gave the Secretary of State authority to provide Oregon State flags to Oregonians serving abroad in the armed forces. However, when the economic crisis hit the State of Oregon, the fund and private donations used to purchase and ship those flags dried up, leaving many service members without.

Secretary of State Kate Brown, along with Senator Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) and Representative Sal Esquivel (R-Medford), are hoping to change that.

“Our goal is to raise money to buy enough flags to fulfill all requests and to keep the fund up and running,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “We must express our gratitude to our fellow Oregonians for their commitment, dedication and sacrifice.”

And as dedicated as Secretary  Brown and Senator Johnson are, for Representative Esquivel, this is deeply personal. In 1969, while serving in Vietnam he sent a flag request to Oregon Secretary of State Clay Myers. He wanted to fly the flag at his quarters. The flag did arrive along with a letter from Myers thanking him for his service.

“For me receiving the flag and the letter was one of the few things I remember about Vietnam that will remain with me forever,” said Rep. Sal Esquivel. “I am sure there are many of our brave men and women that would love to hear from our government and receive an Oregon flag for their quarters.”

This office is in the process of collecting donations for the fund. Each flag costs $50, which is also the recommended donation, however no donation will be turned back! If you would like to donate you can call 503-986-2204 or send checks or money orders made out to Secretary of State Flag Fund to:

Secretary of State’s Office
C/O Flag Fund
Business Services Division
255 Capitol Street NE
Salem Oregon 97310

Let’s make sure that our braved service men and women from Oregon can have the opportunity to receive this wonderful gift. Donate now!

Blue Book News

Published on March 9, 2011 in Archives and Secretary Brown. 0 Comments

Just in case you hadn’t heard yet, the 2011-2012 Oregon Blue Book is now available in print! That’s right, hundreds of pages of pictures, data and fun facts about the State of Oregon are now available to take home. Even if you took home the 2009-2010 edition, you’ll want to take a peek at this years edition as it’s been updated with loads of new content.

You also may have noticed the striking photographic covers of this years edition. The photos came from Oregonians, who participated in our Blue Book photo contest. The winners this year are Tom Porter of Albany and Judi Dickey of McMinnville. The photographers will be recognized by the Oregon House of Representatives as well as Secretary of State Brown on Thursday.

 

Finally, this year we are also releasing a commemorative edition of the Oregon Blue Book, celebrating the 100th anniversary of its publication. You can also reserve a copy of the 1911 commemorative edition of the Blue Book by clicking here.

Secretary of State Brown Makes Her 2011 Session Debut

Published on February 11, 2011 in Elections and Secretary Brown. 0 Comments

On Wednesday, we talked about how this session will be about continuing to implement our agency vision, which is to:

  • Engage;
  • Innovate for the Future; and
  • Deliver even better Results for all Oregonians

    • As part of this effort, Secretary of State Kate Brown is getting involved in the 2011 legislative session in a big way on Monday, testifying on two elections bills before the House Rules Committee. The two bills, House Bill 2258 and House Bill 2259, aren’t really new laws. Rather, they will refine some of the landmark legislation passed during previous sessions.

    In brief, HB 2258 will:

    • Establish a toll free initiative hotline;
    • Institute a requirement for employers to maintain more detailed payroll information; and
    • extend the ban on signature gathering for fraud, forgery or identity theft.

    House Bill 2259 changes reporting requirements in the last 42 days of a campaign. Under the new reporting rules: Any expenditure over $5,000 would have to be reported within 48 hours. Expenditures und $5,000 would have 14 days to be reported. Currently, campaigns have only 7 days

    The Secretary strongly believes that these refinements will help the Secretary of State’s office deliver even better results for Oregonians, by further safeguarding our initiative process and focusing our precious resources on ‘alligators not mosquitoes’ when it comes to reporting.

    To listen to Secretary Brown’s testimony please log onto:

    http://www.leg.state.or.us/listn/listeninfo.htm and click on Capitol Hearing Room Video: 50. The hearing begins at 3 p.m PST.

    The 2011 Session is Here!

    Published on February 9, 2011 in Archives, Audits, Corporation, Elections, Secretary Brown and Uncategorized. 0 Comments

    The time has come and the Oregon State Legislature is convening to discuss some of the most pressing issues in the history of the State of Oregon. The good news is, the Legislature is wasting no time, introducing a bevy of bills, and keeping our staff plenty busy in the process.

    It’s nearly an even split in both chambers of the legislature and while some folks view this as a potential problem, we think it’s an opportunity for the legislature to work together in a truly bipartisan way to get Oregon through these tough economic times.

    As for the Secretary of State’s Office, our goal for this session is to continue the work we’ve started on implementing our agency vision, which is to:

  • Engage;
  • Innovate for the Future; and
  • Deliver even better Results for all Oregonians

    • We will be sharing information on some of the bills we’re working on and we hope you will register to leave comments, so that we can get your feedback on our bills and the session in general.

    Secretary of State Brown at the Portland City Club

    Published on January 7, 2011 in Secretary Brown. 0 Comments

    Secretary of State Kate Brown was at the Portland City Club today to speak at its Friday Forum.

    To listen to the speech, head over to the Portland City Club’s site.

    We’d like to thank the Portland City Club again for allow Secretary Brown to lay out her vision for this agency and talk a bit about the redistricting process.