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Legislature bids Farewell to Leaders in House and Senate
Since the end of the 2017 legislative session, a number of legislators have stepped down from their seats or announced plans to step down. Below is a list of those legislators who already have left or are planning to leave, as well as the names of the incoming legislators. The Oregon State Bar extends its deepest gratitude to the following legislators for their service to the citizens of Oregon.
House Members Stepping Down
Representative Hack – Jodie Hack, a Republican from Salem, announced that she will step down from the legislature to become the head of the Oregon Home Builders Association. Representative Hack served on the House Committee on Business and Labor, which had oversight of a number of bills that affected the practice of law. The Oregon State Bar wishes Representative Hack well and looks forward to working with her in her new position.
Representative Huffman – John Huffman, a Republican from The Dalles, stepped down from his seat in the legislature to take a position with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Representative Huffman was most recently a member of the Public Safety Subcommittee of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, and he led the rewrite of Oregon’s public-records laws during the 2017 legislative session. Best of luck to Representative Huffman in his new position.
Representative Daniel Bonham replaced Representative Huffman. For more information on the representative, visit his legislative webpage at https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bonham. Welcome to Representative Bonham!
Representative Johnson – Mark Johnson, a Republican from Hood River, stepped down from his seat in the legislature to become the new head of Oregon Business & Industry. The Oregon State Bar wishes Representative Johnson well and looks forward to working with him in his new position.
Representative Jeffrey Helfrich replaced Representative Johnson in the Legislature. For more information on the representative, visit his legislative webpage at https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/helfrich. Welcome to Representative Helfrich!
Representative Lininger – Ann Lininger, a Democrat from Lake Oswego, stepped down from her seat in the legislature to become a circuit court judge in Clackamas County soon after the end of the legislative session. While in the legislature, Judge Lininger co-chaired the Joint Committee on Implementing Measure 91 (legalizing marijuana) and was an active member of the Judiciary Committee. Best of luck to Judge Lininger in Clackamas County Circuit Court.
Representative Andrea Salinas has replaced Judge Lininger in the legislature. For more information on the representative, visit her legislative webpage at https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/salinas. Welcome to Representative Salinas!
Senate Members Stepping Down
Senator Devlin – Richard Devlin, a Democrat from Tualatin, announced that he will step down from the legislature to join the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Senator Devlin was the Senate Majority Leader from 2007 to 2010 and the Senate co-chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means beginning in 2010. As the Senate co-chair, Senator Devlin, along with his House counterpart, created the state’s biennial budget. During his tenure, Senator Devlin oversaw and approved the funding for courthouse improvements and replacements, Oregon eCourt, and justice reinvestment. Best of luck to Senator Devlin in his new position.
Senator Ferroli – Ted Ferroili, a Republican from John Day, announced that he will step down from the legislature to join the Northwest Power and Conservation Council after twenty years of service. Senator Ferroli has been the Senate Republican Leader from 2011 to 2017 and has served on a variety of committees during his tenure in the Capitol. Best of luck to Senator Ferroli in his new position.
Oregon eCourt Survey
The Oregon State Bar is conducting a survey of its members’ experiences using Oregon eCourt. The Bar would appreciate feedback in order to gauge overall satisfaction with the system and determine possible areas of improvement.
Access the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2017OReCourt
Results of the survey will be shared with the Oregon Judicial Department, which administers the system. Your individual responses will be kept confidential. If you have any questions or concerns about the survey or about Oregon eCourt in general, please contact us at [email protected].
Senator Jackie Winters is the New Senate Republican Leader
In response to Senator Ferroli’s announcement that he would resign from the legislature, the Senate Republicans voted for Senator Jackie Winters (R, Salem) as the new Senate Republican Leader.
Over the years Senator Winters has been actively engaged in a number of issues concerning public safety. As the Senate co-chair of the Joint Ways and Means Public Safety subcommittee, Senator Winters has been actively engaged in the discussions surrounding Oregon eCourt, justice reinvestment, and corrections reform.
Senator Winters joined the legislature in 1998 and served in the House of Representatives for four years. In 2002, she ran for her current seat, representing Salem in the Oregon Senate, and has been the Senator for District 10 for fifteen years. Congratulations to Senator Winters on her new position.
Measure 101 Heads for a Special Election on January 28
During the 2017 session, the legislature passed House Bill (HB) 2391 (2017), commonly referred to as the provider tax. Among other things, the bill provided funding for Oregon’s Medicaid program—approximately $500 million for the 2017 to 2019 biennium—by creating assessments on health insurers, the Public Employer’s Benefit Board, and managed-care organizations. Although the final vote in both chambers was bipartisan, the issue was vigorously debated.
After the close of the legislative session, three legislators—Representative Sal Esquival (R, Medford), Representative Cedric Hayden (R, Roseburg), and Representative Julie Parrish (R, West Linn)—submitted a sufficient number of signatures to refer specific sections of the bill to the ballot. If voters reject the referred sections of the bill, now known as Measure 101, the total revenue raised from HB 2391 will decrease, leaving a $210 to $320 million gap in the 2017 to 2019 budget.
Measure 101 is scheduled for a special election to be held on January 23, 2018. The voter registration deadline is January 2, 2018. To update your voter registration information, go to the Oregon Secretary of State’s website.
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2017 Public Affairs Committee Members
Kathleen Rastetter, Chair
John Mansfield, Vice Chair
Guy Greco
John Bachofner
Chris Costantino
Rob Gratchner
Eric Foster
Liani Reeves
Public Affairs Department
Susan Grabe, Public Affairs Director
Amy Zubko, Public Affairs Legislative Attorney
Matt Shields, Public Affairs Staff Attorney
Kellie Baumann, Public Affairs Assistant