Oregon Governor Tina Kotek said last Friday’s annual gathering of state and federal leaders at the White House got off to a positive start.
She felt that the cabinet secretaries gave some promise that they will address the concerns voiced by a bipartisan group of governors who met with them in small groups. “Constructive conversations,” she said.
Then, according to Kotek, President Donald Trump’s more than hour-long speech changed the mood. Trump and Maine Governor Janet Mills argued over an executive order he issued prohibiting transgender women and girls from participating in women’s sports, which has gone viral. If Maine didn’t cooperate, Trump threatened to reduce its federal funds. In response, Mills said she would see him in court.
Kotek stated, “I was really disappointed.” It disrupted the mood of the day, in my opinion.
Kotek told reporters at a news conference on Monday that she pushed federal leaders to give the federal workforce more clarity and stability on important funding streams and jobs during the National Governors Association event in Washington, D.C. She noted that because rural Oregon is home to numerous federal employees and large tracts of federal land, the issue is especially significant there.
She said Kotek encouraged Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to reinstate wildfire mitigation funding and brought up staffing issues at the Bonneville Power Administration with Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
According to her, Oregon has already engaged contractors to clear fire fuels in anticipation of the wildfire season, but federal firefighting grants must continue. Kotek said she and other western governors were reassured by federal officials that the grants are being reviewed.
Without the federal government’s complete cooperation, we would have a very hard time being prepared for the fire season, Kotek stated. I hope they reassess as soon as possible, based on what I understood from those talks.
When reporters questioned Kotek about her worries about a federal lawsuit that targets Oregon’s immigration sanctuary laws, she remained calm. She stated that Oregon has not yet perceived any particular threat from the Trump administration and that she will discuss it with the state attorney general if and when one materializes.
We are now abiding by the law, and federal immigration officers are taking all necessary actions, Kotek stated.
She said that, contrary to what a Friday New York Times piece implied, she is not aware of any federal intentions to hold undocumented immigrants at a location in Oregon. According to reports, sites in a number of other states are also being considered.
According to Kotek, there aren’t many Department of Defense facilities in Oregon when compared to other states, so I doubt they’d be considering us.
Kotek said she is warning lawmakers and financial planners not to overreact to the dire potential of federal funding cuts that hang over state budget items from health care to education to wildfires.
She stated that Oregon should concentrate on creating a budget that satisfies the state’s needs while also keeping an eye on the federal funding situation.
According to her, it will be a long time before we fully comprehend the effects of any possible limitations on government spending. We are currently only examining what we are witnessing from the Trump administration; I am unable to predict what we believe will occur today.
Sami Edge writes for The Oregonian on politics and higher education. She may be contacted at (503) 260-3430 or [email protected].
Latest local politics stories
-
34 huge victories : 3 months in, Multnomah County drug deflection shows a 16% success rate
-
The war in Ukraine tore them from home; Preschool for All provided a fresh start in Portland
-
Oregon lawmakers agree fighting wildfires requires more money. The hard question: How to pay for it
-
Attorney who helped outlaw non-unanimous jury verdicts gets nod for Oregon Court of Appeals
-
Controversial ex-judge from Oregon appointed to Trump administration
