June updates from the Secretary of State: Election reform, praise for audits, and recognizing the Indian Citizenship Act

Oregon Secretary of State sent this bulletin at 06/24/2024 10:00 AM PDT

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Dear Oregonians,

On June 2^nd, we recognized the 100-year anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act. While this was important legislation that granted United States citizenship to all Indigenous people living in the U.S — along with the right to vote — it was not without its complications.

We tend to think of progress as a steady forward march, but the reality involves quite a bit of stumbling. The best way for us to truly honor this landmark legislation is by recognizing all of the complexity — the good and the bad.

Before 1924, approximately 175,000 Native Americans had already been granted citizenship through various avenues. The Indian Citizenship Act granted U.S. citizenship to the remaining Indigenous people. Ostensibly, this also meant granting Native peoples the right to vote in U.S. elections. However, voting rights for Native Americans remained contested in many areas until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. A full accounting of the complicated history behind the Indian Citizenship Act is available through the White House Historical Association.

In recognizing this anniversary, I want to remind all Oregonians to check their voter registration to make sure they are able to receive a ballot in November. It’s easy to take democracy for granted, but I firmly believe civic engagement through voting is a core part of our national identity.

Sincerely,

LaVonne Griffin-Valade
Oregon Secretary of State

Audits: Hosting a delegation from Laos and being the "superheroes" of state government

Last month, the Audits Division had the honor of hosting a delegation from Laos through the International Visitor Leadership Program. The delegation included government officials from the Laos State Audit Organization, the National Assembly of Laos, and the State Inspection and Anti-Corruption Authority. The delegation met with a number of state officials in Oregon, including Secretary Griffin-Valade and Deputy Secretary Cheryl Myers, who joined Audits Director Kip Memmott and several division staff for a discussion on transparency and accountability in state government.

This month, the division released its annual Keeping Oregon Accountable summary report. The report summarizes the two major financial audits the division conducts each year: the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, and the Statewide Single Audit. This year’s report continued to identify significant control weaknesses at federally funded programs, but also found agencies had successfully taken corrective action to address the adverse opinion from last year’s report.

KGW’s Pat Dooris spoke with Audit Manager Michelle Searfus about the audits in a segment in which he called auditors the superheroes of state government. We agree!

Elections: Legislative board grants $5.4 million in funding to implement campaign finance reform

The Elections Division is already implementing House Bill 4024, otherwise known as campaign finance reform. We went before the legislative emergency funding board at the end of May to share the full details of what it will take to begin implementing the bill, which constitutes Oregon’s most significant election finance reform in decades. Implementation will include:

Revamping ORESTAR, Oregon’s campaign finance reporting system
Creating a team to enforce the new limits on political contributions and other changes to campaign finance rules included in the legislation
Working with stakeholders and the public on a rule writing process to implement the bill
Providing support and public education on the new regulations

Our goal is to put the implementation on solid ground, so the next Secretary of State can successfully complete its implementation.

Executive Office: Statewide tour to connect with Tribal governments begins in Warm Springs, Grand Ronde

The Oregon Secretary of State's Office has launched a statewide tour to connect directly with leadership from all nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon. The initiative kicked off on June 10th with a productive meeting between agency staff and the Tribal Council of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, and on June 12th with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Tribal Council.

This outreach initiative emphasizes the critical role collaboration plays in fostering economic development for Oregon's Tribes. By prioritizing open communication and inclusivity, the Secretary of State's Office aims to become a supportive and reliable partner. Through these meetings, we’ll explore ways to better serve Tribal businesses and highlight resources available through the Office of Small Business Assistance. The Secretary of State's Office is committed to working alongside Oregon's Tribes for a mutually beneficial future.

Corporation: Oregon Corporation Division expands multilingual support for businesses

The Corporation Division is excited to announce the expansion of its Contact Center services to better serve the state's diverse business community! Starting June 17th, a dedicated bilingual queue was made available for both Russian and Spanish speakers. This initiative provides the option for Russian and Spanish speakers to connect directly with a representative in their preferred language by selecting the bilingual queue when calling the Contact Center.

The addition of these languages reflects the growing Russian and Hispanic populations in Oregon and the Corporation Division's commitment to providing equitable access to its services. This enhanced accessibility will undoubtedly improve communication and streamline the overall experience for Oregon's Russian and Spanish-speaking business owners. The division looks forward to offering even more language options in the future.

Constituent Services

The Secretary of State’s Office receives many requests for information or assistance each month. Below are some of the most common topics constituents reached out to us about last month, and helpful information related to those topics. If you need assistance, contact us at oregon.sos@sos.oregon.gov.

1. I need to obtain the title for my vehicle, but I am not able to reach the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. What do I need to do to obtain the title?

If the dealership is no longer in business, you will need to file for a certificate of no record. You can do so on our website.

2. I have a business that buys and sells products purchased out of state. Do I need some sort of license to do so?

If your business is selling goods purchased out of state, you will need to apply for a resale certificate through the Department of Revenue. Oregon doesn’t impose a general sales/use/transaction tax. An Oregon buyer who purchases goods outside Oregon for resale in the ordinary course of business may provide this certificate to an out-of-state seller of property as evidence that the buyer is registered to do business in Oregon. You can find the form on their website.

3. I am having issues with the landlord of the manufactured homes community I live in. Who can I talk to for assistance?

Oregon Housing and Community Services provides services and information to residents of manufactured dwelling parks through the Manufactured & Marina Communities Resource Center. Find more information on their website.