The COVID-19 pandemic has been a roller-coaster ride of emotion for many across the country. From business closures and mask-wearing to remote learning and more, people from California to New York have had their lives flipped upside down. Fortunately, we’re beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We have a handful of effective vaccines and therapies and many states, cities, and towns have begun to roll back restrictions that have been in place for over a year. However, Oregon’s governor, Kate Brown, recently issued Extreme Risk restrictions in dozens of Oregon counties, and now those restrictions are being met with litigation.

Governor Kate Brown; image courtesy of the Oregon National Guard via Wikimedia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/

Earlier this month, a coalition of business owners and the Oregon Moms Union filed a lawsuit against Governor Kate Brown. The suit is seeking a temporary restraining order. When announcing the suit, Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam said:“There is no scientific evidence that's yet to be presented on why we continue to be in such an emergency order of lockdowns, and they must come to an end…We are filing in federal court an order to restrain Governor Brown's emergency order.”There are four plaintiffs in the suit, including The Heart of Main Street, Oregon Moms Union, Melissa Adams, the owner of Spud Monkey's and her corporation. Adams said:“I can't pay my rent. I come in here seven days a week for the last 14 months, trying to make this work…I did everything that Kate Brown asked me to do. I can't do this anymore.”When commenting on the criticism she has received for wanting to keep her business open, Adams said:“In the last 14 months, I have lost one bar during COVID. I have lost one bar because of COVID. I have lost a marriage. I have lost a business partner. And sadly July 9, I lost my son to suicide during COVID. Suicide is huge. It's stronger now than it's ever been…So don't tell me that I didn't lose a life to COVID because I lost a huge part of life my during COVID.”In addition to joining this recent lawsuit, the Oregon Moms Union is demanding that students be allowed to attend school in person, five days a week. So far, that has not been allowed, and many students are still on a hybrid learning model or engaged in remote learning full-time. Oregon Moms Union Co-Founder MacKensey Pulliam said, “Kate Brown has made it clear that she will not put our kids first.”

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Local business owners, moms group file lawsuit against Governor Kate BrownOregon business owners file lawsuit against Gov. Brown