Tag Archive for '2012'

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Oregon State Archives Opens New Women’s Suffrage Exhibit

Published on October 1, 2012 in Archives and Press Releases. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

SALEM – The exhibit commemorates the 100th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage in Oregon and highlights the efforts of women to secure the vote. Panels on display produced by the Century of Action Committee focus on the movement in Oregon while the panels created by the Archives Division showcases the progress of women in Oregon, starting with the territorial period and continuing thru the 1970’s women’s movement, including the creation of Oregon’s Commission for Women. In addition, the Archives created a series of panels dedicated to the women who first held elected positions in Oregon, such as Senator, Secretary of State, Governor and Attorney General.

Finally, the exhibit will include original documents from the Archives holdings, including the original proclamation declaring the passage of women’s suffrage written by Abigail Scott Duniway and her 1913, voter’s registration card.

The exhibit will be on display in the gallery of the State Archives Building through the end of the year. The Archives Building is located at 800 Summer Street NE, in Salem and visitors are welcome during regular business hours 8:00am to 4:45pm Monday thru Friday. Archives will also be open on Saturday, October 13th from 10:00am until 3:00pm, during a special open house celebrating Archives Month.

Secretary Brown to announce legislation creating a new corporate entity for sustainable businesses

Published on September 28, 2012 in Headlines, Press Releases, Road Trips and Secretary Brown. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , .

SALEM – On Monday, October 1, Secretary of State Kate Brown will be at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland to discuss Benefit Company legislation, at the first annual Oregon Social Business Challenge sponsored by the Oregon University System.

“Together with a group of Oregon Business Leaders we have created legislation that gives Oregon businesses the freedom and legal protection to pursue more than just profit,” said Secretary Brown. “We hope to join the 11 other states that have already passed similar laws meeting the growing needs of entrepreneurs and investors who want to use their business as a tool to solve social and environmental problems.”

Secretary Brown will join more than 1,000 Oregonians at the sell-out event next Monday featuring Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize recipient and leading thinker on micro-lending, in a bid to show average Oregonians that state higher education is making the world a better place.

Secretary Brown will be available to media after the opening ceremony.

When:              Monday, October 1st, at 12:00 PM

Where:             Oregon Convention Center

777 Northeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard

Portland, OR 97232

Nearly 200 high schools join Secretary of State Kate Brown in celebrating National Voter Registration Day

Published on September 21, 2012 in Elections, Headlines, Press Releases, Road Trips, Secretary Brown, Social Media and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

SALEM – On Tuesday, September 25, 2012, volunteers, civic groups and organizations from all over the country will hit the streets for the first National Voter Registration Day. Here in Oregon, Secretary of State Kate Brown is hosting a massive voter registration drive in high schools, inviting those 17 and older to participate. Nearly 200 high schools across the state from Joseph to Brookings have signed up. A video called Voting in Oregon, voter registration cards and a survey was provided to make it as easy as possible for educators and students to participate.

“I chose to reach out to students because a lot of these kids don’t know how or when to register to vote and I want to help change, that encouraging a life time of voting,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “It is my mission to engage all Oregonians in the political process, and that is what we are doing on September 25. I truly believe your vote is your voice and every voice matters.”

Secretary Brown will visit Lincoln, McKay and Sheldon High Schools on September 25.

8 a.m. Lincoln High School, 1600 SW Salmon, Portland
10:15 a.m. McKay High School, 2450 Lancaster Dr. NE, Salem
2 p.m. Sheldon High School, 2455 Willakenzie Road, Eugene

Follow the link, for a list and map of all Oregon high schools participating in National Voter Registration Day.

Brown also invites students and the public to join her by posting updates and sharing their National Voter Registration Day stories and photos on Facebook and Twitter using hashtag #KateBrownNVRD.

Workshops on Digital Preservation to be offered by State Archives

Published on September 19, 2012 in Archives, Headlines, Press Releases and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The third in a series of workshops on basic digital preservation is scheduled for Wednesday September 26th from 9 A.M. to noon at the State Archives, 800 Summer Street NE, in Salem.

This third workshop, Protect/Manage/Provide, covers the basics of protecting, managing and providing access to digital content selected for long term preservation. The Protect portion of the workshop will provide instruction on steps that attendees can take to protect their digital content from problems such as corruption, obsolescence, inappropriate access and disasters.

The Manage part of this workshop will address the provisions needed for the long-term management of digital content that participants or their organizations have selected to preserve. We will discuss some basic risk management techniques like creating a written preservation policy and assessing what resources are needed to manage the digital content selected for preservation.

The final section of this workshop, Provide, will give instruction to attendees on how digital content should be made available over time given individual and organizational policies, technology and the needs of the end users.

Austin Schulz of the State Archives staff will lead this workshop. Austin attended the Digital Preservation Outreach and Education training at the Library of Congress as part of a national effort to encourage individuals and organizations to actively preserve their digital content. The training he provides consists of six modules geared toward individuals seeking a basic introduction to digital content preservation and is open to the public. Although the workshops are free, pre-registration is required.

To register simply e-mail the Archives at: reference.archives@state.or.us and put “Digital Preservation Workshop” in the subject line. If you have any questions or would like to register by phone, please contact Austin Schulz at (503) 378-5161.

Oregon Recognized by National Military Voter Protection Project as All-Star State

Published on August 16, 2012 in Elections and Press Releases. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Oregon was recognized as an All-Star state today by the Military Voter Protection (MVP) Project for taking significant efforts to promote and protect the voting rights of America’s military service members and their families.

“Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown has long demonstrated her commitment to the voting rights of our men and women in uniform, especially through the use of technology including iPads and internet tools,” said Eric Eversole, founder and executive director of the Military Voter Protection Project. “These efforts will help ensure that our service members can vote, regardless of where duty takes them.”

In analyzing these states, the MVP Project looked at a number of factors, including:

  • The state’s efforts to work with and reach out to local military installations and National Guard units on a proactive basis to provide on-base voter assistance;
  • Its use of electronic and web-based services to send election materials;
  • Its willingness to create specialized communications to military voters either through public service announcements or web-based announcements;
  • The state’s legislative efforts to eliminate barriers to military voter participation; and
  • Its track record of making sure that absentee military ballots are sent out no later than 45-days before the election and, when they are not, a high degree of accountability to resolve any violations.

You can view the Oregon All-Star page here.

“It truly is an honor to be recognized for our extraordinary efforts in protecting the voting rights of Oregon’s service members and their families,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown.

All-Star states list include: Oregon, Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

For more information about the Military Voter Protection Project’s Heroes Vote Initiative or to view details about the MVP Project All-Star states, please visit http://www.herosvote.org/.

Audit: Computer Controls at Oregon Employment Need Attention

Published on August 15, 2012 in Audits and Press Releases. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Better collection of unemployment overpayments needed

The Secretary of State Audits Division released a report today that found Oregon Employment Department computer systems reasonably ensured accurate and timely payment of unemployment benefit, but the department could improve handling of unusual or complicated claims.

For example, auditors found about $23 million of identified overpayments, about one percent of total payments, were not processed for more than six months, delaying collection efforts. In addition, auditors identified $6 million of overpayments that likely would never be assigned for collection. The department also handled some overpayments by paying claims again without considering the amount that was already overpaid, increasing overpayment totals for these claims from about $4.1 million to $9.6 million.

“During this great recession, unemployment benefits have been a lifeline to so many Oregonians. Still, it’s important for the Employment Department to minimize overpayments and to set up sound procedures for collecting that money to protect taxpayers and businesses,” Secretary of State Kate Brown said.

Auditors also noted improvements the department could make to better manage changes to computer code, define how the system would be recovered in the event of a disaster, and improve security over the system and its data.

The report, including the agency response, can be found at www.sos.state.or.us/audits.

Photo Contest Open for 2013-14 Oregon Blue Book

Published on August 8, 2012 in Archives and Press Releases. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Amateur photographers may submit photos for the front and back cover

SALEM — Oregon’s amateur photographers are once again invited to submit photographs for the Oregon Blue Book Cover Photo Contest. The State Archives, which publishes the Oregon Blue Book, is seeking color photos that represent some aspect of Oregon to grace the front and back covers of the 2013-2014 editions.

The contest is open to amateur photographers who are residents of Oregon. Photographs must be taken in the state, and must have a vertical (portrait) orientation.

A state icon at over 100 years old, the Blue Book, published every other year, is the state’s official fact book and almanac with listings and descriptions of government agencies and educational institutions. It includes an almanac, maps, state history and election history as well as information about the arts, media, and other Oregon cultural institutions.

Previous front covers have displayed south-central Oregon’s “Diamond Lake at Sunrise” Oregon, fireworks lighting the night sky over downtown Portland, Oregon’s south coast “Shore Acres at Sunset”, and the Rocking OK Ranch north of Joseph on a stormy morning.

Previous back covers include Pinot noir wine grapes in a spider web, a great blue heron at Summer Lake in Tigard, a young bobcat in a Malheur County tree, and driftwood at Cape Kiwanda.

Entries must be original prints and must not have been previously published. All entries become part of the Archives permanent collection of Oregon photographs, and those not selected for the cover may be used elsewhere in the on-line Blue Book with full credit to the photographer. Entries must be postmarked by October 4, 2012. A committee chosen by Secretary of State Kate Brown will select the winner by Dec. 31, 2012.

Entry forms and rules are available online at http://bluebook.state.or.us/misc/cover/front.htm.  Questions should be directed to Blue Book Editor at 503-378-5199 or

bluebook.changes@state.or.us The web version of the Blue Book is updated regularly. The 2013-14 print edition Oregon Blue Book will be released in March 2013.

State Archives Dedicates Room to Long-Time Volunteer

Published on August 1, 2012 in Archives, Press Releases, Secretary Brown and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

SALEM – The second floor volunteer room in the State Archives building located in Salem is now known as the Daraleen Wade room. Wade started volunteering at the State Archives in 1992, and contributed thousands of hours during nearly 20 years of volunteer service. Even after her health prevented her from traveling to the Archives building, she worked from her home on countless projects. Daraleen passed away in April after a long illness.

“It is truly an honor to dedicate such a wonderful space to Daraleen and her remarkable contributions,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “Her knowledge, warmth and eager attitude will be missed and her work treasured for years to come.”

Not only did Daraleen help take care of our past, she helped preserve our future by mentoring and supporting countless student interns. Many maintained contact with Daraleen after moving on in their professional careers.

Darleen enjoyed life in Keizer and is survived by her children Barbara Rowe, Patty Dela and David Wade; five grandchildren and her Archives family. She will be truly missed by all who knew her.
For more information, please contact

Andrea Cantu-Schomus
Communications Director
Oregon Secretary of State
503-986-2368
503-507-0082

Secretary of State Kate Brown Announces Measure Numbers for 2012 General Election

Published on July 31, 2012 in Ballot Initiatives, Elections, general election, Headlines, Secretary Brown and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

SALEM – Measure numbers have been assigned to the two legislative referrals from the 76th Legislative Assembly and the initiative petitions that have qualified for the November 6, 2012 General Election ballot. They are the following:

Measure #77 Amends Constitution: Governor may declare “catastrophic disaster” (defined); requires legislative session; authorizes suspending specified constitutional spending restrictions

Measure #78 Amends Constitution: Changes constitutional language describing governmental system of separation of powers; makes grammatical and spelling changes

Measure #79 Amends Constitution: Prohibits real estate transfer taxes, fees, other assessments, except those operative on December 31, 2009

Measure #80 Allows personal marijuana, hemp cultivation/use without license; commission to regulate commercial marijuana cultivation/sale

Measure #81 Prohibits commercial non-tribal fishing with gillnets in Oregon “inland waters,” allows use of seine nets

Measure #82 Amends Constitution: Authorizes Establishment of Privately-Owned Casinos; Mandates Percentage Of Revenues Payable To Dedicated State Fund

Measure #83 Authorizes Privately-Owned Wood Village Casino; Mandates Percentage Of Revenues Payable To Dedicated State Fund

Measure #84 Phases out existing inheritance taxes on large estates, and all taxes on intra-family property transfers

Measure #85 Amends Constitution: Allocates Corporate Income/Excise Tax “Kicker” Refund To Additionally Fund K Through 12 Public Education

For additional information, please visit our website at www.oregonvotes.gov or follow Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown on Twitter or Facebook.

For more information, please contact

Andrea Cantu-Schomus
Communications Director
Oregon Secretary of State
503-986-2368
503-507-0082

Audit Finds Prison Staffing is Generally Well Managed

Published on July 26, 2012 in Audits, Press Releases, Secretary Brown and Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

Department of Corrections scheduling and overtime minimizes state costs

The Secretary of State Audits Division released a report today that found overtime and personnel costs at two state prisons were generally well managed. The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) spent about $540 million during the 2009-2011 biennium for security personnel who directly supervise offenders. The 30-page audit analyzed security personnel costs at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility and Two Rivers Correctional Institution, considering payroll, budgeting, staffing, scheduling, and accounting functions.

Auditors noted some areas where improvements may be possible, but did not identify substantial savings or inefficiencies in the management of overtime or personnel costs at the two correctional facilities.

“The Department of Corrections has done a good job of containing the costs to run these two prisons,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “The auditors went through several years of scheduling decisions with special attention to all the places where savings might be found.”

Auditors analyzed past payroll data to assess facility staffing and concluded the approved staffing factor was reasonable. Auditors also noted that furloughs may not achieve savings in a correctional environment and add administrative burdens. The audit also illustrates how overtime can reduce costs, if used effectively, since the cost of maintaining a higher overall staffing level can be more expensive than inconsistent overtime.

The report, including the agency response, can be found at www.sos.state.or.us/audits.

For more information, please contact

Andrea Cantu-Schomus
Communications Director
Oregon Secretary of State
503-986-2368
503-507-0082