Oregon

Our faith in democracy is at an all-time low. Can citizen assemblies help?

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Jan. 16, 2025 – Dana Taylor | USA Today Citizen assemblies involve ordinary people participating in crafting policy solutions to community problems and have been around for over fifty years. Is this potentially a solution to restoring faith in our democratic institutions and reinvigorating healthy debate? Linn Davis, a program director at Healthy Democracy, a

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A Model for Democracy in Polarized Times Comes to Life in Fort Collins

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Photo Credit: City of Fort Collins The First Weekend of Fort Collins’ First-Ever Civic Assembly In an effort to strengthen and reimagine local democracy, the City of Fort Collins launched its first-ever Civic Assembly last weekend. This bold initiative brings together 20 residents—selected through a Civic Lottery to reflect the diversity of the city—to tackle

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What Could Citizens’ Assemblies Do for American Politics?

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An Oregon county is looking for solutions to youth homelessness—so it convened a random selection of residents to come up with ideas. December 31, 2024 by Nick Romeo | ast July, an unusual letter arrived at Kathryn Kundmueller’s mobile home, in central Oregon. It invited her to enter a lottery that would select thirty residents of

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A Visitor’s Perspective: Deschutes Civic Assembly on Youth Homelessness

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By Nick Coccoma – A few weeks ago, as Americans hurtled toward yet another turbulent election, I made the journey from lush Portland to dry Bend to witness Healthy Democracy’s Deschutes Civic Assembly. I’d never observed an assembly before, despite advocating on behalf of deliberative democracy for many years. Now was my chance to see

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In Oregon assembly, Americans show another kind of politics is possible

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📺 Watch Deschutes County assembly members describe their experience in their own words As a contentious U.S. presidential election comes down to the wire, a group of citizens from across the political spectrum in Bend, Oregon demonstrated another way to do politics: through group deliberation, analysis, and moving moments of personal connection and excitement. “It’s

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Civic Assembly on Youth Homelessness wraps up its final discussion, preps proposed solutions for leaders to consider

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Kelsey McGee, October 6, 2024 — BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — An innovative new way for Central Oregonians to weigh in on one of the region’s most pressing issues wrapped up its fifth and final day Sunday, preparing proposals for area officials to consider. The Civic Assembly on Youth Homelessness gave a representative sample of 30 Deschutes County

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Selection Event for First Civic Assembly in Central Oregon

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July 30, 2024 — The Central Oregon Civic Action Project (COCAP), Healthy Democracy, and the Central Oregon Youth Action Board are excited to announce a Lottery-Selection event for Central Oregon’s first-ever Civic Assembly. The event will take place on August 1, 2024, at 6pm at the Deschutes Public Library. During this event, 30 delegates will

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More than 12,000 Deschutes County households invited to help launch Civic Assembly on Youth Homelessness

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BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The Central Oregon Civic Action Project and Central Oregon Youth Action Board have mailed 12,500 letters to randomly selected households in Deschutes County to participate in a Civic Assembly focused on solutions for youth homelessness. Here’s their announcement, in full: The Civic Assembly is a democratic innovation in which communities involve

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Asambleas ciudadanas locales comenzarán en el otoño

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La primera asamblea se enfocará en encontrar soluciones para los jóvenes sin hogar Julianna Lafollette | Translated Jéssica Sánchez-Millar, June 26, 2024 — El Ayuntamiento de Bend y la mesa de comisionados del condado de Deschutes aprobaron un Memorando de Entendimiento con el Proyecto de Acción civil del Centro de Oregón (COCAP por sus siglas

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Local Citizen Assemblies to Start in the Fall

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The first assembly will focus on finding potential solutions for youth homelessness JULIANNA LAFOLLETTE, JUNE 25, 2024 — The City of Bend and the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Oregon Civic Action Project, agreeing to receive and potentially implement recommendations that come out of citizen assemblies. In

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Launching a first-of-its-kind Civic Assembly in Deschutes County, Oregon, USA 🇺🇸

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12,750 invitation letters have been mailed to residents in our first project to institutionalise a Citizens’ Assembly in the US July 10, 2024 — Last week, with official support from city and county governments in Central Oregon, more than 12,750 letters were sent to residents inviting them to be in the lottery for a Civic Assembly on

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Editorial: Does Deschutes County need a do over on setting policy?

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May 19, 2024 — When the Bend City Council agreed Wednesday to join an effort by the Central Oregon Civic Action Project to examine solutions to youth homelessness we had questions: Who is this group? Where is the money coming from? The effort will be like jury duty for setting government policy. It’s similar to something from

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Citizen Assemblies Concept Proposed for Central OR

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HEATHER ROBERTS BEND, OR — A concept to engage the public in government policy decisions rarely seen in the U.S. could be coming to our area. City Club of Central Oregon Executive Director Kim Gammond says Citizen Assemblies are more common in Europe, “It’s a way for people to actually impact policy decisions beyond the one or two

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First Virtual Oregon Citizen Assembly Shares COVID-19 Recovery Recommendations August 27

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For Immediate Release August 12, 2020 Media Contact: Robin Teater, Executive Director Ph: 503-841-6865; Email: robin@healthydemocracy.org   WHAT: Oregon Citizen Assembly on COVID-19 Recovery Thirty-six diverse citizens from across Oregon will share results of seven weeks of discussion and deliberations on key questions relevant to the State’s COVID-19 economic recovery. WHEN:  Thursday, Aug. 27, 6-6:30

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First Statewide Online Assembly Will Look at Coronavirus Recovery

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From Portland Tribune: Forty Oregonians, just under half the size of the Legislature, will meet online during the next six weeks to help chart a course for the state’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Chosen at random and reflective of the population, they will take part in a statewide assembly that mirrors Oregon’s decade-long citizen review

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Oregonians to weigh in on COVID-19 recovery issues in ‘virtual citizen assembly’

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From KTVZ News Channel 21: PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Oregonians from all walks of life will participate in the state’s first virtual Citizen Assembly to weigh in on what could be some of the state’s most important policy considerations in a generation. The virtual Citizen Assembly, a pilot project of nonpartisan, nonprofit Healthy Democracy and Oregon’s Kitchen Table, will

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Oregon Citizens to Weigh-In on COVID Recovery: Healthy Democracy & Oregon’s Kitchen Table Convene First Virtual Citizen Assembly

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For Immediate Release June 30, 2020 Media Contact: Robin Teater, Executive Director Ph: 503-381-1196; Email: robin@healthydemocracy.org   PORTLAND, Ore. – June 30, 2020 – Oregonians from all walks of life will participate in the state’s first virtual Citizen Assembly to weigh in on what could be some of the state’s most important policy considerations in

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Citizens’ Initiative Review Needs Legislative Funding

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The Oregon legislature just started their short session on February 1. Senator Arnie Roblan, who sponsored the bill that put the Citizens’ Initiative Review in statute, is proposing that the legislature commit funds to ensure this uniquely Oregon innovation in democracy can be sustained. His OpEd appears below: Oregon was one of the first states

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Podcast // Democracy Nerd: Exploring Oregon-Style Democracy

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From Democracy Nerd: In this episode, Jefferson Smith talks with Linn Davis, Healthy Democracy Program Manager. Linn oversees the Citizens Initiative Review, in which Oregon voters deliberate a ballot initiative and provide a statement for the voters’ pamphlet. The use of citizens’ juries to weigh in on public policy has been exported to other states

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2019 Milwaukie Citizens Jury

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For the Milwaukie Citizens Jury, citizen panelists will consider this question: “Should Milwaukie City Council members be paid more than their current volunteer stipend? If so, how much should Council members be compensated?” Citizens Juries are professionally facilitated and follow a detailed format to ensure fairness, objectivity, and productivity.  Citizen panelists will meet November 9

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