Peter Threlkel, Director of Secretary of State Corporation Division, speaks with KATU about the scam

Thank you to KATU news for helping us get the word out about a possible Business Registration scam in the Salem area.

Our Corporations office received more than 600 calls in the last week. Corporation Director Peter Threlkel spoke with reporter Kerry Tomlinson on Friday about our efforts to educate  the public and our cooperation with the Department of Justice to help shut the down the scam.

For more information about the scam, read about the Corporate Regulatory Committee Annual Report scam and also Business Alert – Possible Deceptive Business Annual Report Notice Mailing on the Oregon Secretary of State site.

SALEM – Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown recently unveiled a new online Civics Tool Kit. The civic education curriculum was developed through a collaboration of efforts by local professors, teachers and Oregon elections staff. The goal is to provide a beginners guide to civics with an Oregon centric view that anyone can access and use.

Secretary Brown talks civics with McNary High School students

According to the most recent national civics examination, fewer than half of American eighth graders know the purpose of the Bill of Rights. In addition, only one in 10 demonstrated acceptable knowledge of the checks and balances among the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

“Democracies can only be sustained by citizens who have the basic knowledge, skills and dispositions – I think our online Civic Toolkit can help,” said Secretary of State Kate Brown. “As your Secretary of State and Oregon’s chief elections officer, it is my duty to engage Oregonians in the political process.”

The toolkit is made up of 10 lessons that cover everything from your rights and responsibilities as a good citizen, the history of voting in Oregon and what you need to know before you register to vote in our great state.

You can find the online Civics Toolkit by logging onto Oregon’s Secretary of State website (Elections Division), clicking on Voter Resources then Civics Toolkit or go directly to: http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/pages/voterresources/civics-toolkit/index.html.

Secretary Brown rolls out the new online Civics Toolkit

After more than two weeks off for the holidays, students welcomed Secretary Brown to their Government classes to talk civics. The secretary unveiled the online Civics Toolkit developed by her staff, local teachers and professors. Students got a first look at the 10 online lessons which cover everything from how to be a good citizen to how to register to vote. Secretary Brown encouraged students to get involved in the political process and reminded the teens that here in Oregon you can register to vote when you are 17 years old.

Reflecting on the day, Brown observed: “These students were sharp. Many had a great knowledge of Oregon and its government. We hope they find the Civics Toolkit online, learn it and share it. Special thanks to teachers Jason Whiteley and Doug Parker for opening up their classroom. These guys do an excellent job!”

You don’t need to be a teacher or student to take advantage of it. The Civics Toolkit is on the Secretary of State website at http://www.sos.state.or.us/elections/pages/voterresources/civics-toolkit/index.html. Everyone is welcome to download these free resources and bone up on elections civics.

Secretary Brown visits McNary High School to talk civics

Secretary Brown shared her optimism about the pilot and explained that the second phase will kick off in January with the General Election. After the General election, officials will gather information from those who used the iPad - disability groups and county elections crews - to decide if the technology will be implemented statewide.

Watch the video: Oregon tests voting by iPad

Secretary Brown addressing the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce

Secretary of State Kate Brown traveled down to the beautiful Rogue Valley to address the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce on Monday, November 14, 2011. Secretary Brown spoke during the lunch hour about why she is optimistic for Oregon’s future. She also explained the small but important ways her office is putting Oregonians back to work. By streamlining bureaucracy, auditing community colleges for future labor market needs, and creative private-public partnerships Secretary Brown is contributing to the growth of Oregon’s economy.

County Clerk Maeve Grimes exploring voting assistive device with Secretary Brown

On Tuesday, Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown concluded her tour of all five Oregon counties taking part in the November 8 special primary election. These five counties are part of a pilot project lead by the Secretary of State’s Elections Division. With a goal of making voting more accessible to those with disabilities, each of the counties were given a portable computer or iPad. The applications available on the iPad can assist Oregon voters with limited visibility or other issues causing them difficulty filling out their mail-in ballots.

In Washington County, Deborah Houghton a resident at an assisted living facility found the iPad helpful because she couldn’t read the fine print on her ballot. Members of Washington County’s Voter Assistance Team brought the iPad to Deborah. Using the screen to make the print larger Deborah was able to read the voter’s guide and the ballot for herself and vote. “This is so much better,” said Deborah. “I’ll be back in January to use the iPad again.”

If the pilot proves successful, the state elections office will make iPad’s available to all 36 counties. “I won my first race for the Oregon House of Representatives by seven votes,” said Secretary Brown. “I know how important every vote is and as your Secretary of State I am working hard to make voting more accessible to all eligible Oregonians

Andrea Cantu-Schomus
Communications Director
Oregon Secretary of State
andrea.l.cantu-schomus@state.or.us
503-986-2368
503-507-0082

Secretary of State Kate Brown spoke today to The Bus Project’s PolitiCorps Year of Service Fellows about her ideas for the future of Oregon.

The Bus Project’s PolitiCorps Fellowship attracts some of the smartest and most effective young organizers from across the country for a ten-week intensive leadership training. PolitiCorps Fellows are college seniors or recent graduates who have demonstrated a commitment to progressive values and a deep interest in forward-thinking public policy and the political process. They come from every state in the nation, and from a wide variety of experiential and cultural backgrounds. The Year of Service Fellows dedicate at least one year to work for the public interest in Oregon.

Secretary of State Kate Brown was honored to present the Legend Award at this year’s Bus Project Wheelies Award show. Secretary Brown has been affiliated with the Bus Project for years in no small part because their grassroots work registering young Oregonians to vote is crucial to democracy in this great state.  

The Wheelies Awards recognize leaders, volunteers, organizations and businesses which are changing Oregon for the better. This year the Legend Award went to all living former Secretaries of State for their efforts to make Oregonians some of the most active and engaged citizens in the nation. According to Secretary Brown, “Oregon has been blessed with Secretaries of State who believe democracy should be for everybody, voting should be accessible and every vote must be counted.”

This year Secretary Brown and Joe Smith, former Umatilla County District Attorney, presented the Legend Award to Norma Paulus, Barbara Roberts, Phil Kiesling, and Bill Bradbury.

Norma Paulus, who served from 1977 to 1985, was the first woman in Oregon to win election to statewide office and protect the security of Oregon’s voting by stopping the followers of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh from stealing a local election.

Barbara Roberts, who served from 1985 to 1991, passed election reforms and worked closely with county clerks throughout Oregon to create ADA-accessible polling places.

Phil Kiesling, who served from 1991 to 1999, was Oregon’s knight in shining armor for vote by mail.

And Bill Bradbury, who served 1999-2009, increased elections transparency by hosting ORESTAR reporting for campaign spending and contributions.

Most of the $300,000 is going to projects that relate to sports or physical fitness. However, significant grants also go to long-term investment in the environment and the health and well-being of children and families. “These 27 organizations and their programs embody the kind of community-building efforts that are vital for creating a strong, healthy Oregon,” said Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown. The foundation has provided more than $500,000 in support since its start in 2010.

Speaking at the event, Secretary of State Kate Brown quoted Studs Terkel: “Heroes are not giant statues framed against a red sky. They are people who say:  This is my community, and it is my responsibility to make it better.”