‘No Veto’ campaign update: Governor expected to make decision today

Pressure on Oregon Governor Kate Brown to reverse a threatened veto on the SW Capitol Highway Project has increased significantly over the past week.

As we await word on her final decision, here’s a recap of what’s happened since we first reported the story six days ago:

➤ Stats from an email we sent to BikePortland supporters (paid subscribers and donors) show that over 60 people have clicked over to Governor Brown’s feedback page so far. That’s in addition to many people who’ve told us — via Facebook, Twitter, and on the BP blog — that they took action and made their voice heard. Thank you for all your support!

➤ Respected nonprofit organizations like Oregon Walks, The Street Trust, and the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association have all boosted our campaign by linking to our action alert and stories.

➤ Stories about Brown’s veto threat — and subsequent backlash — have been published by The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and KATU .

➤ Major politicians have spoken out: Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and all four other city commissioners have written a letter to Governor Brown urging her to reconsider. So has U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer. On Friday, we published these letters along with pointed comments from the project’s main champion, Oregon Senator Richard Devlin.

Suffice it to say, Governor Brown is feeling the heat. Probably a lot more heat than she expected.

Keep your fingers crossed. And stay tuned.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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