Past Forums
Live/Livestream
Building “Silicon Shire”: The Tech Economy of the Southern Willamette Valley
November 1, 2024
Lane County is home to over 500 technology companies, which employ nearly 4,000 people, bringing over $284 million dollars in wages. These companies run the gamut – from spinoffs emerging from the University of Oregon and its investment in cutting edge biotechnology at the Knight Campus, to more mature companies …
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Ghosts of Oregon History Worth Meeting – and a Few to Avoid!
October 25, 2024
As Halloween approaches, those familiar with Oregon history might harbor an eerie yen to meet the specters of certain remarkable people. For example, Eliza Young, a Kalapuya woman who was displaced from the Mohawk area in the 1850’s is reported to haunt her grave in Brownsville—her story would surely be …
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Measure 117: Ranked Choice Voting
October 18, 2024
Last May Eugene voters considered adopting Star Voting, a new form of balloting for City offices. They defeated it nearly 2 to 1. Now all Oregonians are being asked to adopt a similar but different form of voting in primary and general elections for federal and state executive offices: Ranked …
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Candidate Forum, Congressional District 4
October 11, 2024
In the upcoming election, voters in Congressional District 4 will have the choice of four candidates for representative. Running against incumbent Democrat Val Hoyle are Dan Bahlen, Monique DeSpain, and Justin Filip. In this forum, all questions will be asked by the KLCC moderator, Rebecca Hansen-White.
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Measure 118: Corporate Tax Revenue Rebate for Residents
October 4, 2024
By November 5, 2024, Oregon voters will have their say regarding an universal income proposal included in this year’s ballot as Measure 118: Corporate Tax Revenue Rebate for Residents Initiative. If successful, Measure 118 would result in an increase of the corporate minimum tax on sales exceeding $25 million by …
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Who Will Be Oregon’s Next Attorney General? 9.27 Program at the WOW Hall
September 27, 2024
In Oregon, the Attorney General holds a statutory office within the executive branch of the state. The attorney general serves as the chief legal officer of the state and heads the state’s department of justice. The AG is elected in presidential election years and does not have term limits. The Department of Justice …
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Should Lane County Revise Its Charter? (9.20 Program at the WOW Hall)
September 20, 2024
Lane County government operates under a home rule charter approved by voters in 1962. In 2010, Lane County voters approved an amendment to the Charter directing the Board of Commissioners to convene a Charter Review Committee (CRC) for the purpose of reviewing and recommending changes or updates to the existing …
In-Person
An Evening on Mount Everest
September 19, 2024
At the height of Covid lockdowns, middle-aged working dad and weekend warrior Eric Gran accepted a last-minute invitation to climb Mount Everest, despite having less than three months to prepare and no experience at such altitudes. His kids begged him not to go, afraid he could die for no reason. …
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Oregon’s Timber Economy (9.13 Program at the WOW Hall)
September 13, 2024
Photo by Mark Logan, https://mark-logan.smugmug.com/browse Since the introduction of rail lines in the 1870s and 1880s, the forested valleys of the western Cascades and the ponderosa pine stands of eastern Oregon have been national – and indeed global – centers of wood production. Oregon has been the largest softwood lumber …
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Threats to Democracy: Should You Be Concerned? (9.6 Program at the WOW Hall)
September 6, 2024
There are anti-democratic trends around the world, and the United States is not exempt. Recent waves of voter suppression laws across the country put minorities and other vulnerable populations at particular risk. In addition, the online ecosystem, rife with misinformation and disinformation, continues to sow distrust among our citizenry and …