September 19, 2026 Newsletter

Written By Laura Nash

The Oregonian called me on Wednesday of this week, and this is what I shared:

I’m deeply saddened to see the behavior of County Chair Harrington at yesterday’s board meeting. While I appreciate that she has publicly recognized her mistake and apologized to Commissioner Fai, I encourage her to step down so the County can focus on the very big problems it faces. This incident is an unfortunate distraction from the critical work the County does. I hope Chair Harrington takes the time to put her health and well-being first. Elected office takes a toll, but that is not an excuse for offensive behavior.

Conflict, disagreement, and frustration are common occurrences in local politics, and how we each handle those moments reveals our values. 

My preferred approach: maintaining fundamental decency and respect for one another despite political or philosophical disagreements. Operating with a certain standard of professionalism is what our community members and fellow elected leaders deserve.

Many of us have been in toxic workplaces, and we know it doesn’t produce good work. The emotional, mental, and physical toll it can take on us and others matters and shouldn’t be swept under the rug.

I will continue to stay in touch with Washington County Commissioners and the County Administrator to ensure staff feel supported.

Busy Bee

As I’ve shared, I’m back to working full time, but doing as much as I can to prepare for taking office by maximizing days off and scheduling early morning meetings. A few highlights…

Met with United Way of the Columbia-Willamette and learned more about their early learning efforts in Washington County, as well as their Resilient Family Funds.

Attended the Labor Day Picnic, where I had the opportunity to speak to members of unions across the state and hear their concerns directly. This picture is me, Representative Ben Bowman and Beaverton City Council Candidate Rachel Philip.

Attended Board of Commissioners meetings and learned about Camp Rosenbaum, an amazing camp for youth who live in low-income housing, as well as the impactful work of the County’s Suicide Prevention Team.

I will attend as many meetings and events as I can until the end of the year while I balance my current gig and future gig.

Upcoming Events in District 2 and beyond

9/26: Cedar Mill Cider Festival 

9/22 and 9/30: Noncooperation to Defend Elections and Defeat Authoritarianism Via Protect Oregon

9/23: Media and Information Literacy: Journalist Ethics & Practice

9/30: OPB’s Politics Now live in Beaverton

10/8: Latino Pitch

10/17 and 10/18: Plant a “pocket” forest

SPARC-ing Good Ideas!

You may have been following that the Community Participatory Organizations are evolving, now called SPARC (Strengthening Participation and Reaching Communities). They used to be organized by neighborhood; now there are 4 district-wide. These groups are what YOU make them, so I encourage you to show up and engage. 

I attended the very first one, for District One, and I’m thankful for the folks who showed up to hear directly from County staff, as well as representatives from the Sheriff’s Office, Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District, and Tualatin Valley Water District. 

The next two are fast-approaching: 

  • District Two: October 8 (Second Thursday)

  • District Four: October 22 (Fourth Thursday)

Not sure which district you live in? Learn here. 

September is National Preparedness Month

I recently read the book Tilt by Emma Pattee, about a pregnant woman who survives a massive earthquake in Portland. The descriptions of our region and its residents struggling to weather the disaster really got me thinking about my level of preparedness for an earthquake or other major disaster. 

It turns out I wasn’t very well prepared. I had extra water stored at home, but not much else.

So, I got to shopping. Here’s what’s in my emergency kit now:

  • Solar and battery powered radio

  • Flash lights

  • Heat packs

  • Water purification tablets

  • Toilet paper

  • Wipes to stay clean, cause the showers ain’t going to be working! 

I still have a lot to do, but when things get overwhelming (like the idea of “the big one”), there is no shame in taking baby steps to get to where you want to be. I really like this resource: five-minute projects to get prepared for emergencies. 

Let me know what I’m missing, and what’s in your emergency box!

Basic income Guarantee

Lucky me, the Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) Conference was in Portland this year, I couldn’t attend all the sessions, but those I was able to definitely made an impact. To be fair, I was already team #universalbasicincome, but it was still nice to hear directly from organizers and participants just how impactful providing unrestricted cash to folks can be. And several Oregon projects were highlighted including:

We know providing cash directly allows people to meet their basic needs and those of their families, improving their own lives and setting up future generations for success. The question facing leaders and funders across the country is political will and a reliable funding source. 

Finally, I was out on the doors this morning, the November election is fast approaching. Perhaps I will knock on your door soon!

Laura Nash
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August 23, 2026 Newsletter