Government Relations Office of the President Portland State University www.pdx.edu/gov-relations NOV/DEC 2012 GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE As Mayor-elect Charlie Hales prepares for his inauguration, he is LOCAL RELATIONS busy hiring his staff to transition into the Mayor’s office in January. He announced in early December that he hired Gail Shibley as his Chief of Staff. Shibley, a native Oregonian, is a former Oregon State Representative, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of the US Department of Labor, and most recently the Public Health Administrator for the Oregon Health Authority. In the coming weeks we will see more staffing announcements as Hales and Shibley build their team. We are losing two strong advocates for PSU on the Portland City Council, Mayor Sam Adams and Commissioner Randy Leonard. Commissioner Leonard was not only a PSU alumnus, but a champion for PSU on the council. Although Mayor Adams was not an alumnus, he definitely was a strong ally of PSU and worked hard to make sure the city of Portland was supporting the university. We encourage everyone in the PSU community to reach out and thank these two individuals for all their support and service to the City of Portland. In addition to Mayor-Elect Hales (above right), we welcome Commissioner-Elect Steve Novick (bottom right) to the council. PSU will continue to work closely with all the members of the City Council and look forward to significant collaboration in the future. PSU, city offer grants to support communities, environment MARK YOUR The Community Watershed Stewardship Program (CWSP) - a partnership CALENDARS! between Portland State and the city of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services - provides grants of up to $10,000 for community projects that manage stormwater, restore natural habitat, remove invasive species, and create more open Dec 22, 2012 - Jan 2, 2013 spaces in neighborhoods across the city. PSU Winter Break Closure This is one of the many ways the university partners with the City of Portland. January 14 Specifically, this program is looking for ways to connect more directly with Swearing-in Day @ Capitol city residents. To find out more about this great partnership and amazing opportunity go here. January 15 - 17 Organizational Days for the City Commissioner Dan Saltzman (right) is the 2013 Session @ Capitol head of the Portland Bureau of Environmental January 26 Services. More information on Commissioner PSU Legislative session training Saltzman and his work can be found here. and preview day February 4 Legislative Committees Begin March 6 PSU Day @ Capitol Go Viks! GOVERNMENTRELATIONSUPDATE NOV/DEC 2012 STATE RELATIONS Portland State students visit Capitol, meet legislators and seek opportunities Professor Richard Clucas of the Political Science Government Relations would like to thank all of the Department of PSU is conducting a senior capstone students, legislators, legislative staff, and others at the project this year entitled Engaging Democracy. As Capitol for an incredibly exciting and entertaining day! Professor Clucas sees it, “One of the most pressing problems in American politics today is that the public feels increasingly distant from elected leaders. To many reformers, the health of the nation’s democracy can only improve by getting more young people involved in politics.” The Engaging Democracy capstone will seek to address this problem by having students assist Oregon legislators during the 2013 legislative session in Salem, where they will help handle the broad range of responsibilities placed on legislative staff. During classroom times, students will learn about the position of legislatures in American politics and the character of Oregon politics. The substantive work will come from the student’s experiences as an intern this upcoming legislative session. On December 12th, the Government Relations office Directly above: Director of State Government Relations Debbie Koreski speaks with PSU students during part of their hosted those students interested in the capstone on a tour of the Capitol building. Top of page and directly below: visit to the Capitol. For most of these students, it was Representative Margaret Doherty sits down for a discussion their first time in the Capitol, and the day provided with the students about her political experiences, and potential them with a lot of new information and some exciting internship opportunities in the session. opportunities. The students were able to tour the Capitol and learn some interesting historical facts about the building itself, as well as the legislature in general. The day included visiting the Governor’s office and staff, watching a Senate floor session, and speaking with legislators and legislative staff who have close ties to PSU about their experiences in politics and upcoming internship opportunities. The afternoon concluded with watching a portion of a Joint House and Senate Higher Education Committee hearing. Representative Margaret Doherty (D - Tigard, District 35), PSU alum, was especially engaging as she sat down with our students and answered their questions and shared stories about her experiences prior to and at the Capitol. | www.pdx.edu/gov-relations | 2 GOVERNMENTRELATIONSUPDATE NOV/DEC 2012 Vikings in the Legislature Following the November elections, Oregon’s state legislature saw a shift in the partisan split within the House of Representatives, as the Democrats gained four seats and a majority with 34 representatives to the 26 Republicans, breaking the even split of the 2011 session. The Senate, on the other hand, maintained its 16-14 split, continuing the Democratic majority. Another constant in Salem was the presence of Portland State University Vikings holding elected office. Below you will find a list of legislative leadership in the Senate and House, as well as the senators and representatives who share PSU connections and were either re-elected or newly elected on November 4th. For more information on our Vikings in the legislature, or to find your representative and senator, go here. PSU in the Oregon Senate Senate Leadership: President Designate – Peter Courtney (D - Salem) President Pro Tempore Designate – Ginny Burdick (D - SW Portland) Majority Leader – Diane Rosenbaum (D - SE Portland) Republican Leader – Ted Ferrioli (R - Eastern Oregon) Senate President Pro Tempore Ginny Burdick Senator Rod Monroe D - Portland, District 18 D - Portland, District 24 PSU Home District BS History, 1966 BS Elementary Education, 1968 MS Teaching, History 1969 Senator Richard Devlin Senator Chip Shields D - Tualatin, District 19 D - Portland, District 22 BS Administration of Justice, 1976 MSW Social Work, 2003 Senator Jackie Dingfelder Senator Bruce Starr D - Portland, District 23 R - Hillsboro, District 15 PhD Candidate, Public Policy and Administration BS Political Science, 1991 Senators serve 4 year terms 15 seats were up for election 2013 Session = 16 Democrats/14 Republicans 2011 Session = 16 Democrats/14 Republicans | www.pdx.edu/gov-relations | 3 GOVERNMENTRELATIONSUPDATE NOV/DEC 2012 PSU in the Oregon House of Representatives House Leadership: Speaker Designate – Tina Kotek (D - NE Portland) Speaker Pro Tempore Designate – Chris Garrett (D - Lake Oswego) Majority Leader – Val Hoyle (D - Eugene) Republican Leader – Mike McLane (R - Central Oregon) Representative Jeff Barker Representative Mitch Greenlick D - Aloha, District 28 D - Portland, District 33 BS History, 1969 Adjunct Professor, Sociology and Social Work Representative Deborah Boone Representative Alissa Keny-Guyer D - Cannon Beach, District 32 D - Portland, District 46 BS Psychology, 1979 Former Oregon Solutions Program Manager BS Art and Painting, 1979 Representative Margaret Doherty Representative Betty Komp D - Tigard, District 35 D - Woodburn, District 22 BS Speech Communication, 1973 EdD Candidate, Continuing Administrator License Representative Lew Frederick Representative Carolyn Tomei D - Portland, District 43 D - Milwaukie, District 41 PhD Candidate, Urban Affairs and Communication BS Psychology, 1971 MSW Social Work, 1973 Representative-Elect Joe Gallegos Representative-Elect Jennifer Williamson D - Hillsboro, District 30 D - Portland, District 36 BS and MSW Social Work, 1972 and 1973 PSU Home District Former PSU Staff member Representative-Elect Chris Gorsek Representatives serve 2 year terms D - East Multnomah County, District 49 All 60 seats up for election each cycle PhD Urban & Public Affairs, 2004 2013 Session = 34 Democrats/26 Republicans 2011 Session = 30 Democrats/30 Republicans | www.pdx.edu/gov-relations | 4 GOVERNMENTRELATIONSUPDATE NOV/DEC 2012 FEDERAL RELATIONS A message to Congress on the fiscal cliff: Don’t stall Oregon’s economic recovery* Oregonians are frustrated. While we’re moving out direction -- less opportunity for students to go to college, of the recession, albeit slowly, there’s now another ax fewer degrees and reduced numbers of jobs going to hanging over our economic prospects: the “fiscal cliff.” Oregonians. These radical, across-the-board cuts have very serious consequences that directly affect Oregonians. We need Oregon’s public universities are proud that our faculty Congress to act now. With only weeks until these rank in the top 10 nationally of colleges and universities draconian cuts take effect, Oregon and the nation require awarded federal research grants. OUS and OHSU faculty immediate action. and physicians are using federal science, health and other grants to make discoveries that are saving lives, driving Oregon’s congressional