News

Oregon Legislature Considers Bill To Hold Paramilitaries Financially Responsible For Damages

The Oregon state legislature is debating a new bill in order to address extremist political violence, which experts claim could be the most comprehensive state law against paramilitary activity in U.S. history.

The bill would allow the state attorney general the power to enable court action against paramilitary members who conduct illegal actions that interfere or intimidate people who are participating in legal political activities, such as voting. The measure would allow victims to seek financial damages from the groups.

Oregon, while having the 27th largest state population in the country, experiences the sixth most cases of political violence according to a report released by the Oregon secretary of state. This violence is not one-sided, militants on the left and the right are active in the state.

Downtown Portland was the center of the George Floyd protests, where left-wing protestors clashed with right-wing counter-protesters for over 100 days.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter!

A week of political news in your in-box.
We find the news you need to know, so you don't have to.

State Rep. Dacia Grayber (D), the bill’s sponsor, claimed that the proposed reforms “would make it harder for private paramilitaries to operate with impunity throughout Oregon, regardless of their ideology.”

Others, particularly on the right, have expressed concerns with the bill. Namely, they are worried that the bill will only address right-wing violence and leave left-wing groups alone. They suggest that the bill will be used primarily against groups like the Proud Boys while ignoring less organized left-wing movements such as Antifa.

Jakob Mieszkowski-Lapping

Share
Published by
Jakob Mieszkowski-Lapping

Recent Posts

More Top Staff Of Sen. John Fetterman Resign Amid Reports Of ‘Erratic Behavior’

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) has had more top staff departures. Last week, Fetterman’s chief of…

16 hours ago

Attorney General Pam Bondi Says L.A. Is Like ‘A Third-World Country,’ Promises Federal Charges For Violent ICE Protesters

Attorney General Pam Bondi has taken her criticism of Los Angeles protesters to the next…

16 hours ago

Trump Administration Plans To Deport 9,000 Migrants To Guantanamo – Where Habeas Corpus Doesn’t Apply

The Trump Administration has a new plan to change the process of detaining and deporting…

16 hours ago

Congressmen & Their Family Members Made 700 Stock Trades Before Trump Announced ‘Liberation Day’ Tariffs, Sparking Suspicion Among Ethics Experts

Following President Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcement in April, members of Congress were unusually…

16 hours ago

Trump’s Approval Rating Plummets To 38%, Lowest Level In Second Term

President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 38 percent, the lowest mark of his…

17 hours ago

VIDEO: California Sen. Alex Padilla Forcibly Removed & Thrown To Ground During Homeland Security Sec. Kirsti Noem’s Press Conference

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-5miskGO5lo California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a press conference held by the…

1 day ago