Message from the Chair! 06-23-26
Just when we believed that COVID issues might be in our review mirror..........
For Immediate Release
Date: Wednesday, June 24th, 2026
KOTEK’S UNPRECEDENTED SETTLEMENT OPENS FLOODGATES FOR COVID LAWSUITS
Canby, Ore. – Today, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek announced an unprecedented $49 million settlement to the 2022 class actions in Maney v. State of Oregon. This settlement contributes to a growing liability crisis that threatens the solvency of the state’s self-insurance fund. Senator Christine Drazan (R-Canby), candidate for governor, released the following statement in response to the announcement:
“Oregonians can't afford Governor Tina Kotek's unprecedented COVID cash settlement that puts criminals ahead of victims and leaves taxpayers on the hook for a bad deal.
“Governor Kotek isn't fighting for us, she is working against us. She is choosing to pay adults in custody who were serving criminal sentences instead of holding the line and defending Oregon taxpayers in court from a weak lawsuit.
“This shortsighted, overly generous settlement exposes the state to more lawsuits and taxpayer-funded payouts that threaten the solvency of our state’s insurance fund and resources that should be used for public safety, our classrooms and services for Oregon's most vulnerable.
“COVID affected every single Oregonian. Our children were shut out of schools, businesses were forced to close and families suffered with many losing their loved ones. Oregonians deserve a governor who fights for taxpayers, protects the state's financial future and defends the public interest.”
While some states settled COVID prison lawsuits, those settlements generally involved policy changes and releases rather than large-scale monetary payouts to adults in custody.
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Why we need to elect Christine Drazan for Oregon Governor.
Each day when we think our State Government can't put our citizens in a situation that makes our daily lives worse, we get more bad news.
We need to change the direction our great State is headed.
Keith Rockow, Deschutes County Republican Party Chair
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What do Republicans Believe?
The last few years the Deschutes Republicans have experienced a historic record increase of Precinct Committee People and volunteers joining us!
We are happy to work with our neighbors to help spread compassionate and common sense policies and support conservative leaders in our community. Increasingly, people understand that the Republican Party represents everyday families and working-class Americans.
Extremism has taken hold of the Democrat party in which many "center" individuals now find themselves aligning with Republican values. In fact, many have joined the Republican Party who converted from previously being Democrat or Non-Affiliated/Independent. The following tweet from Elon Musk portrays this dynamic...
And people who were previously "non-partisan" have joined the Deschutes Republicans because they realize that in order to affect positive change in our community and state, we must change the leadership.
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