Murmurs: Kotek Makes Statement With Lottery Pick

KOTEK MAKES STATEMENT WITH LOTTERY PICK: Amid the dozens of names on the list of appointments to state boards and commissions Gov. Tina Kotek released last week, one stood out: state Rep. Charlie Conrad (I-Dexter). In 2023, Conrad, then a rookie Republican lawmaker from rural Lane County, voted with Democrats on House Bill 2002, a highly contentious law that codified abortion protections after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, and also expanded coverage for gender affirmation treatment. The Oregon Republican Party went ballistic after Conrad’s vote, declaring it would never support him again. Challenger Darin Harbick defeated Conrad (now the sole member of the House independent caucus) in the May primary, 83% to 17%. Last week, Kotek appointed Conrad to a vacancy on the Oregon Lottery Commission, considered a plum assignment for volunteers because of the lottery’s visibility and revenue generation. Conrad says Kotek’s office reached out about the opening, and after discussing it with her staff and lottery officials, he agreed to serve, telling WW, “I’m excited about helping the lottery meet its goals.”

LEADING DENTIST REPRIMANDED BY STATE BOARD: Dr. Manu Chaudhry, president of a major provider of dental care to Oregonians on Medicaid, has been reprimanded by the state dentistry board for repeated instances of unprofessional conduct and poor care. Chaudhry was a California dentist who moved to Oregon in 2020 to lead Capitol Dental Care, which he says serves a third of Oregon Health Plan members. In addition to lobbying the Oregon Legislature to address staffing shortages in the dental industry, he serves on various state advisory committees, including the Health Information Technology Oversight Council and the Office of Health Analytics’ Metrics and Scoring Committee, which evaluates Medicaid insurer performance. But a series of actions in 2021 now threatens his standing as one of the state’s leading dentists. According to a July 18 “notice of proposed disciplinary action,” he stands accused of 11 instances of “unacceptable patient care” for, among other things, failing to accurately diagnose tooth conditions. He also faces allegations of “unprofessional conduct” for failing to document treatment plans. On July 30, Chaudhry agreed to be reprimanded by the board and pay a $4,000 fine. Chaudhry did not respond to requests for comment.

JUDGES GREENLIGHTS LAWSUIT OVER SUBURBAN 911 RESPONSE: A magistrate judge is recommending Disability Rights Oregon’s lawsuit against Washington County move forward. DRO is accusing the county of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act by sending police instead of health care workers to 911 calls involving mental health crises. Washington County is trying to convince a federal judge in Portland to throw the case out, arguing that DRO is stretching the purpose of the anti-discrimination law by requiring it to create new services. (The county says that’s the Legislature’s role.) On Aug. 30, U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacie Beckerman recommended that federal District Judge Adrienne Nelson deny the county’s motion to throw the case out. “Defendants have chosen to provide a service to all residents of Washington County that, in practice, is allegedly denied to mentally disabled residents. Plaintiffs do not seek a new service but instead seek meaningful access to Defendants’ existing service,” Beckerman wrote. DRO heralds the move: “We spent a year investigating how the county’s emergency response system violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and look forward to presenting our findings in court,” says managing attorney Dave Boyer.

PORTLAND’S LONGEST-SERVING LAWMAKER TO RETIRE: State Sen. Michael Dembrow (D-Portland), who represents the inner eastside and Maywood Park, announced last week he will resign before his term ends in January. Dembrow, a retired Portland Community College writing and film instructor, first won a seat in the House in 2008, which makes him the city’s longest currently serving lawmaker. A former PCC faculty union president, he worked on numerous issues important to labor, including increasing the minimum wage and providing paid sick days. He also played leadership roles in higher education as lawmakers granted the state’s universities more independence, and led the Senate Committee on Energy and Environment through battles over carbon emission reduction policies. Dembrow, known for producing perhaps the most comprehensive, fact-filled newsletter of any lawmaker, will hold one final bike town hall (he and constituents ride through the district, with many stops) and leave office at the end of September so his successor—state Rep. Khanh Pham, who is running unopposed—can get an early start on the 2025 session. “I’ll miss this work terribly, as I still miss teaching, but it’s time,” Dembrow says. “I’ll be turning 73 in October, and it’s time for me to join my wife in retirement!”