[5] Associated Oregon Industries [6]
Oregon’s largest business advocate
2013-2014 Biennium
AOI records legislator’s votes (floor and committee) on a selection of bills on which AOI took clear positions and reports the resultant scores to its 1,400 members throughout the state.
Votes are tabulated as Opposed or Supportive of AOI policy. As a member driven organization, AOI policies are the product of the 55-member AOI Board of Directors and hundreds of AOI members participating in various AOI policy committees.
AOI positions are clearly communicated to legislators. AOI Policies [7] are reviewed by the AOI Board of Directors annually, published and distributed to each legislator. AOI positions are also published in the AOI’s Leading Issues newsletter which is sent to every legislator along with 5,000 AOI member readers. AOI staff and members testify before committees, conduct personal visits with legislators, and develop informational materials throughout the session.
Examples of Issues Scored that AOI Supported
New tax cuts for small business;
Including apprenticeship certification in state education goals to provide a more capable workforce;
Shifting oversight of community colleges and workforce development to Higher Education Coordinating Commission to improve efficiency;
Allowing institutional governing boards at regional state universities to be developed more quickly;
PERS Reforms to ensure schools and local government gets the most out of every tax dollar;
Helping protect local businesses by broadening scope of notification for agreements on brownfield clean-ups;
Additional funding to support 911 emergency programs;
Reinstating workers’ compensation exclusive remedy liability protections for LLCs;
State preemption to avoid scattered regulation of genetically modified organisms;
Increased funding for Connect Oregon – non-roadway transportation improvements that help businesses such as short line RR, local airports, etc.
Examples of Issues Scored that AOI Opposed
$275 million in additional income taxes on Measure 66 & 67 taxpayers;
Establishing state-run retirement plan for private sector;
Imposing new restrictions in excess of federal and state air permitting;
Balancing the state budget by deferring $350 million in PERS payments which would create larger PERS costs in future budgets;
Expanding the state’s unlawful trade practices act;
Government mandated health insurance rate review;
Requiring independent physician assistants and nurse practitioners paid same rate as MDs;
Imposing arbitrary bans on materials in common retail products;
Discretionary expansion of scope of class actions lawsuit classes and damage awards.
The above are only a sampling of issues of importance to the business community. Many more issues detrimental to business and job growth were successfully blocked before coming to a vote and therefore never scored.
Biennial Composite Scores
Oregon Legislative Assemblies are established in the state constitution as lasting two years, commencing each odd year and running through the following even year. The 77th Oregon Legislative Assembly (2013-2014) consisted of a three sessions:
2013 Regular (long) Session
2013 Special Session
2014 Regular (short) Session
The composite scores for the Legislative Biennium are calculated as the weighted average score of each of the three sessions. Legislators serving only a single session are designated with a “N/A.” Legislators who served in both the Senate and the House are listed in both bodies and include scores for each session, regardless of body. Links to Score Cards showing individual votes for discrete sessions are posted at the end of this article. To find who your legislators are, click here [8].
Although voting scores are important, they afford only a partial picture of a legislator’s performance. They do not assess how a legislator may have been of critical help in ways other than a vote. The decision to hold a bill in committee or allow a vote, a legislator’s enthusiasm and help in championing a bill, or his or her willingness to speak to colleagues about the benefits or drawbacks of a specific measure are actions that, literally, cannot be quantified. Still, the Score Card provides as objective as possible insight on the only really quantifiable action every legislator must take – the vote.
HOUSE
The Oregon House consists of 60 members, 34 Democrats and 26 Republicans, serving 2-year terms. Average Biennial Score for House was 67%.
| Legislator |
2013 Reg Session |
2013 Special Session |
2014 Reg Session |
Biennial Score |
| Olson, Andy (R – Albany) |
100% |
80% |
100% |
96% |
| Huffman, John (R – The Dalles) |
90% |
100% |
100% |
93% |
| McLane, Mike (R – Powell Butte) |
88% |
100% |
100% |
92% |
| Davis, John (R – Wilsonville) |
94% |
100% |
75% |
92% |
| Kennemer, Bill (R – Oregon City) |
94% |
80% |
100% |
92% |
| Johnson, Mark (R – Hood River) |
93% |
100% |
80% |
92% |
| Weidner, Jim (R – McMinnville) |
92% |
80% |
100% |
91% |
| Esquivel, Sal (R – Medford) |
85% |
100% |
100% |
90% |
| Whitsett, Gail (R – Klamath Falls) |
85% |
80% |
100% |
86% |
| Bentz, Cliff (R – Ontario) |
88% |
80% |
83% |
85% |
| Conger, Jason (R – Bend) |
83% |
80% |
100% |
85% |
| Smith, Greg (R – Heppner) |
81% |
80% |
100% |
83% |
| Krieger, Wayne (R – Gold Beach) |
85% |
60% |
100% |
83% |
| Whisnant, Gene (R – Sunriver) |
85% |
60% |
100% |
83% |
| Thatcher, Kim (R – Keizer) |
77% |
– |
100% |
82% |
| Freeman, Tim (R – Roseburg) |
84% |
60% |
100% |
82% |
| Gilliam, Vic (R – Silverton) |
69% |
100% |
100% |
82% |
| Sprenger, Sherrie (R – Scio) |
85% |
60% |
100% |
82% |
| Berger, Vicki (R – Salem) |
80% |
60% |
100% |
80% |
| Parrish, Julie (R – West Linn) |
79% |
100% |
60% |
79% |
| Richardson, Dennis (R – Central Point) |
75% |
80% |
100% |
79% |
| Hanna, Bruce (R – Roseburg) |
78% |
60% |
100% |
78% |
| Cameron, Kevin (R – Salem) |
87% |
– |
50% |
76% |
| Jenson, Bob (R – Pendleton) |
75% |
60% |
75% |
72% |
| McKeown, Caddy (D – Coos Bay) |
57% |
100% |
80% |
71% |
| Matthews, Greg (D – Gresham) |
64% |
80% |
75% |
70% |
| Garrett, Chris (D – Lake Oswego) |
57% |
100% |
– |
68% |
| Hicks, Wally (R – Grants Pass) |
77% |
60% |
50% |
68% |
| Thompson, Jim (R – Dallas) |
53% |
80% |
100% |
65% |
| Witt, Brad (D – Clatskanie) |
50% |
100% |
75% |
65% |
| Hoyle, Val (D – Eugene) |
46% |
100% |
75% |
64% |
| Komp, Betty (D – Woodburn) |
50% |
100% |
75% |
62% |
| Boone, Deborah (D – Cannon Beach) |
42% |
80% |
100% |
62% |
| Barker, Jeff (D – Aloha) |
57% |
80% |
60% |
61% |
| Dembrow, Michael* (D – Portland) |
50% |
80% |
60% |
59% |
| Kotek, Tina (D – Portland) |
38% |
100% |
75% |
59% |
| Reardon, Jeff (D – Portland) |
46% |
80% |
75% |
59% |
| Doherty, Margaret (D – Tigard) |
50% |
60% |
80% |
58% |
| Gorsek, Chris (D – Troutdale) |
50% |
40% |
83% |
56% |
| Read, Tobias (D – Beaverton) |
43% |
80% |
83% |
56% |
| Nathanson, Nancy (D – Eugene) |
48% |
60% |
80% |
55% |
| Harker, Chris (D – Portland) |
38% |
80% |
80% |
54% |
| Lively, John (D – Springfield) |
39% |
80% |
80% |
54% |
| Fagan, Shemia (D – Clackamas) |
50% |
40% |
75% |
52% |
| Gallegos, Joe (D – Hillsboro) |
46% |
60% |
60% |
52% |
| Keny-Guyer, Alissa (D – Portland) |
38% |
80% |
75% |
52% |
| Buckley, Peter (D – Ashland) |
42% |
80% |
67% |
52% |
| Williamson, Jennifer (D – Portland) |
48% |
60% |
60% |
52% |
| Tomei, Carolyn (D – Milwaukie) |
43% |
80% |
50% |
50% |
| Vega Pederson, J. (D – Portland) |
38% |
60% |
80% |
50% |
| Bailey, Jules (D – Portland) |
43% |
40% |
80% |
50% |
| Gelser, Sara (D – Corvallis) |
36% |
60% |
80% |
50% |
| Gomberg, David (D – Lincoln City) |
38% |
60% |
75% |
50% |
| Barnhart, Phil (D – Eugene) |
40% |
60% |
60% |
48% |
| Unger, Ben (D – Hillsboro) |
50% |
– |
33% |
47% |
| Barton, Brent (D – Oregon City) |
50% |
40% |
40% |
46% |
| Clem, Brian (D – Salem) |
38% |
– |
75% |
45% |
| Frederick, Lew (D – Portland) |
40% |
40% |
75% |
45% |
| Greenlick, Mitch (D – Portland) |
31% |
75% |
60% |
44% |
| Holvey, Paul (D – Eugene) |
40% |
– |
50% |
42% |
| Smith Warner, B. (D – Portland) |
– |
– |
80% |
N/A |
| Lininger, Ann (D – Lake Oswego) |
– |
– |
60% |
N/A |
*Moved to Senate in 2014
SENATE
The Oregon Senate consists of 30 members, 16 Democrats and 14 Republicans, serving 4-year terms. Average Biennial Score for the Senate was 70%.
|
Legislator |
2013 Reg Session Score |
2013 Special Session Score |
2014 Reg Session Score |
Biennial |
| Starr, Bruce (R – Hillsboro) |
92% |
100% |
100% |
95% |
| Olsen, Alan (R – Canby) |
92% |
80% |
100% |
90% |
| Hansell, Bill (R – Athena) |
84% |
100% |
100% |
89% |
| Winters, Jackie (R – Salem) |
82% |
100% |
100% |
88% |
| Baertschiger, H. (R – Grants Pass) |
89% |
80% |
100% |
88% |
| Knopp, Tim (R – Bend) |
83% |
60% |
100% |
83% |
| Ferrioli, Ted (R – John Day) |
67% |
100% |
100% |
81% |
| George, Larry (R – Hillsboro) |
67% |
80% |
100% |
79% |
| Thomsen, Chuck (R – Hood River) |
72% |
80% |
100% |
78% |
| Johnson, Betsy (D – Scappoose) |
69% |
80% |
100% |
77% |
| Boquist, Brian (R – Dallas) |
50% |
100% |
100% |
74% |
| Roblan, Arnie (D – Coos Bay) |
64% |
100% |
67% |
73% |
| Girod, Fred (R – Stayton) |
60% |
100% |
100% |
72% |
| Hass, Mark (D – Portland) |
62% |
80% |
83% |
71% |
| Close, Betsy (R – Albany) |
60% |
60% |
100% |
70% |
| Beyer, Lee (D – Springfield) |
63% |
80% |
80% |
69% |
| Monroe, Rod (D – Portland) |
65% |
80% |
75% |
69% |
| Whitsett, Doug (R – Klamath Falls) |
56% |
80% |
100% |
68% |
| Courtney, Peter (D – Salem) |
50% |
100% |
75% |
67% |
| M Anderson, Laurie (D – Gresham) |
64% |
80% |
60% |
67% |
| Edwards, Chris (D – Eugene) |
60% |
80% |
75% |
66% |
| Kruse, Jeff (R – Roseburg) |
50% |
60% |
100% |
65% |
| Burdick, Ginny (D – Portland) |
50% |
80% |
80% |
64% |
| Devlin, Richard (D – Tualatin) |
53% |
80% |
75% |
62% |
| Steiner Hayward, E. (D – Portland) |
56% |
80% |
60% |
61% |
| Dembrow, Michael* (D – Portland) |
50% |
80% |
60% |
59% |
| Rosenbaum, Diane (D – Portland) |
50% |
40% |
80% |
55% |
| Bates, Alan (D – Medford) |
47% |
60% |
75% |
54% |
| Prozanski, Floyd (D – Eugene) |
50% |
– |
60% |
53% |
| Shields, Chip (D – Portland) |
45% |
0% |
60% |
42% |
| Dingfelder, Jackie (D – Portland) |
50% |
20% |
– |
41% |
*Moved from House in 2014