EDITORIAL: Busch, Laity for state Legislature

Oct. 15—Voters on the North Coast have the task of choosing new representatives in the state Legislature in the November election.

State Senate District 16 extends west from Portland and covers the northwest portion of the state. House District 32, redrawn after the census, now covers Clatskanie to the east and more of Tillamook County to the south.

Betsy Johnson was the dominant political force in the region for two decades. Her decision to resign from the state Senate, leave the Democratic Party and run for governor as an independent has left a leadership vacuum.

We prefer our representatives to follow Johnson's model in Salem. Whether you agree or disagree with her on policy questions, Johnson figured out how to build power and influence and use it to advocate for individual constituents and regional interests.

That approach takes time, diligence, pragmatism and — above all — a willingness to resist partisan political pressure and be an independent voice that puts our region first.

Rural areas like the North Coast only get one state senator and one state representative, so we believe they carry a higher burden to advocate for their districts over their political parties.

We have tried over the past few years to base our endorsements for the Legislature on local and regional priorities and to tune out the noise of national politics. But national politics are bleeding into the states in increasingly dangerous ways.

This term, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Moore v. Harper, a test of the independent state legislature theory, which holds that legislatures, not state courts or state constitutions, have controlling authority over federal elections. As far-fetched as this sounds, allies of former President Donald Trump tried to convince several states to overturn the results of the 2020 election after Trump lost.

In June, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 ruling that recognized a constitutional right to abortion. Reproductive rights now depend on what state you live in.

State Senate District 16

We endorse Melissa Busch, a home health nurse in Warren, for state Senate.

The Democrat has prioritized housing, health care, education, child care and elder care in her campaign. As a nurse who meets with people at their homes or in care settings, and as a parent of school-age children, we believe she is closer to the pocketbook issues many are facing.

Busch is also a strong advocate for reproductive rights and supports gun control to counter what she describes as an "epidemic of gun violence in our country."

"The experiences that I have with people that live in this district and, in general, my work as a nurse is really what has propelled me to run," she told The Astorian. "Specifically, I serve a lot of families and people that are struggling to access health care, struggling to meet their basic, daily needs — the things that help people be healthy and thriving and safe in our communities every day.

"I feel like those voices and those experiences really need to be represented in Salem."

We are concerned about Busch's lack of political experience. Her ties to the Oregon Nurses Association might make it difficult for her to break with labor unions that have a disproportionate influence on Democratic politics. We also worry about her grasp of the infrastructure challenges in our region and her ability to prioritize competing needs. The Port of Astoria, for example, has done the work to repair its finances and compete for state and federal money. We expect our state and federal representatives to recognize that and nudge the Port higher on the priority list.

State Rep. Suzanne Weber, a retired elementary school teacher who helped run a cake and catering business and a retail store in Tillamook, chose to give up her House District 32 seat to campaign for Senate. Weber was the first Republican to win in the North Coast district for nearly two decades when she was elected in 2020.

Her priorities are education, health care, public safety and the economy. She explained that she is seeking a four-year term in the Senate — rather than another two-year term in the House — because she believes it will give her the time to be a more effective advocate for regional interests.

"I try and tell people that I'm one of them. And I've been one of them for 52 years," she said of her time in the region. " ... I've been here. I know the conditions that we are all working under. I know many of the people that we are working with in order to continue to keep our way of life."

We endorsed Weber in 2020, primarily because of her longtime public service as mayor of Tillamook and on the City Council. We thought her experience in those nonpartisan roles would make her more likely to see opportunities to work with both political parties in Salem.

We still believe that.

We noted in 2020 that we disagreed with Weber on her opposition to cap-and-trade legislation to combat climate change and the corporate activity tax that financed the Student Success Act to improve public schools. The list of disagreements has grown longer and more pressing.

Weber opposes Measure 114, which would require a permit from law enforcement, safety training and a background check before a gun purchase. The measure would also ban ammunition magazines more than 10 rounds.

Weber describes herself as "pro-life" on abortion.

We respect that people have deeply held philosophical and religious objections. In years past, we were willing to view this issue as an honest difference of opinion, knowing that the Supreme Court recognized a constitutional right to abortion.

The Supreme Court has taken that right away.

In Oregon, abortion is protected under state law. But as The Astorian reported earlier this year, the lack of access in rural areas like Clatsop County creates barriers for women that complicate their health care choices. Access could be strained even further if women from nearby states with restrictive abortion laws, like Idaho, travel to Oregon for care.

Polls show Republicans have a chance to take back control of Congress after the midterm elections. If that happens, a national abortion ban will be on the table.

Conservative Republicans fought for nearly 50 years to overturn Roe v. Wade. Now that they have succeeded, more moderate and reasonable Republicans want us to look away as zealots in their party try to dismantle reproductive rights.

We cannot look away.

State House District 32

We endorse Logan Laity, a small-business consultant and community organizer in Tillamook.

The Democrat, a graduate of Tillamook Bay Community College, serves on the board of the Tillamook Urban Renewal Agency. He has emphasized housing, education, health care and safe communities during his campaign. He has also stressed the protection of reproductive rights and equality.

"I'm of, by and for the community. And I'm really looking to serve all of us," he said. "And I think I've put in the work to make sure we can get going on day one."

Our endorsement comes with reservations.

In our view, Laity lacks the life experiences that would better prepare him for this leadership role. We wonder what will happen when he is pushed off talking points and position papers. Without more grounding, it is easy to get drawn into the political drama of the moment and buckle to party demands.

Cyrus Javadi is a Tillamook dentist who used to practice in Astoria.

The Republican has campaigned on workforce, housing and economic themes. He has praised Johnson's model as an example of an effective legislator.

Javadi has made clear he is not comfortable with the direction of the Republican Party under Trump.

He is also the most realistic among the candidates about the time it will likely take to be in position to get results in Salem, especially if Republicans remain in the minority.

"It's just gotten to the point where it seems like party before common sense, which is getting thrown around a lot now," Javadi said. "But, really, just commonsense solutions to problems that we have on the coast."

Like with Weber, we disagree with Javadi on gun control and abortion rights. Unlike with Weber two years ago, Javadi does not have a track record of serving in local government that might act as a counterweight to these policy differences.