Oregon’s three gubernatorial candidates will debate about the environment tonight from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Portland State University, but anyone who’s interested can watch the debate stream live online.
Republican candidate Allen Alley and Democratic candidates Bill Bradbury and John Kitzhaber will be asked to detail their plans for addressing the challenges in Oregon’s
environmental future.
The debate, hosted by the Oregon Environmental Council, Oregon Wild, Environment Oregon, Oregon League of Conservation Voters and the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, will cover a number of environmental issues, including climate change and clean energy, toxics and public health, and the management of the state’s natural resources and protected lands.
The four-person questioning panel comprises Andrea Durbin, executive director at Oregon Environmental Council; Steve Law, Portland Tribune reporter and editor of Sustainable Life; Catherine Thomasson, chair of the Oregon Medical Association Environmental Work Group; and Bob Van Dyk, professor of politics and government at Pacific University and forest policy advisor for the Wild Salmon Center.
Former Oregon Secretary of State Bradbury and former Gov. Kitzhaber are the only two Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls. Republican candidates Chris Dudley, John Lim and Bill Sizemore are competing with Alley in the May 18 primary election, but will not participate in tonight’s debate.
The debate, which will take place in PSU’s Smith Memorial Student Union ballroom, is free and open to the public. The Oregon Environmental Council will stream the event at
www.oeconline.org/debate.