Senate Democrats welcome new members and new staff.
(SALEM, Ore.) - As a gesture of bipartisanship, the Oregon Senate was called to order yesterday at 9:00 AM by Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli.
After the adoption of chamber rules, the Senate unanimously reelected Senator Peter Courtney as Senate President and Senator Rick Metsger as Senate President Pro Tempore.
After his reelection to a fourth consecutive term as Senate President, Senator Courtney urged the Senate to once again work together to find compromise on the challenges facing the state.
"Each of us has lived long enough to know something about life, about politics, about the Legislature," said Courtney in his address to the chamber.
"In the last few sessions we had our bad fights, our fierce debates…but we got along. I hope we can this session. Each of us must and will work very hard to get our people, our Oregon through this."
Senate Majority Leader Richard Devlin also recognized the challenges facing the state and reiterated the priorities of the Senate Democratic Caucus as they work to find solutions that work for all Oregonians.
"Just as Oregonians across the state are faced with tough decisions about their budgets, the legislature has a lot of difficult decisions to make," said Devlin.
"That said, our priorities are resolute. We are focused on the education and health of our children, taking care of the most vulnerable Oregonians, the safety of our communities, and economic security for Oregon families. These priorities will be foremost on our mind as Senate Democrats begin their work in the 2009 session."
To see the Oregon Senate Democrats' complete 2009 agenda, click here.
New Senate Democrats
Newly sworn in, from left: Sen. Jackie Dingfelder,Sen. Diane Rosenbaum, & Sen. Martha Schrader.Senator Diane Rosenbaum was elected to serve SenateDistrict 21, which includes Southeast Portland and aportion of Milwaukie, Oregon.
Senator Rosenbaum served five terms in the House. In 2007, she served as House Speaker Pro Tempore and Chair of the House Elections, Ethics & Rules Committee. In 2009, she will chair the Senate Commerce & Workforce Development Committee and serve as Assistant Majority Leader.
Senator Jackie Dingfelder was elected to serve the people of Senate District 23, made up of communities in Northeast and Southeast Portland. Senator Dingfelder was appointed to the House in 2001 and chaired the House Energy and Environment Committee. This session, she will continue her leadership on environmental issues by chairing the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
Senator Martha Schrader was appointed Friday to serve in Senate District 20 which includes the communities of Canby, Gladstone, Oregon City, Milwaukie and surrounding areas. Senator Schrader comes to the Senate after serving five years on the Clackamas County Commission. Senator Schrader is no stranger to the state capitol, having served a seven year stint as the Chief Legislative Analyst to then-Representative Kurt Schrader.
Other Senate Democrats sworn in yesterday include Senator Suzanne Bonamici, Senator Ginny Burdick, Senator Margaret Carter, Senator Mark Hass, Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson, and Senator Joanne Verger.
"Our new members exemplify leadership and are the best ambassadors of the needs of their districts," said Senator Devlin. "Senators Rosenbaum, Dingfelder, and Schrader are not only a welcome addition to our caucus, but are proven leaders who know how to deliver results to the people of Oregon."
Senate Majority Staffing Update
With the start of the 2009 Legislative Session, the Senate Majority Office is now fully staffed. New staff include:
Autumn Wilburn, who joined the Senate Majority Office as a policy advisor in November. Autumn is an Oregon native who earned her bachelor’s and master's degree at Idaho State University. She began her career as a lobbyist for her student government association, and then went to work for the Idaho State Controller. She has also worked on various local, statewide and national political campaigns in Idaho and Oregon.
Most recently, Autumn was Deputy Political Director for the Barack Obama Campaign for Change in Oregon. Previously, she served as the Oregon Field Director for the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Party of Oregon.
Autumn's major policy areas in the Senate Majority Office include: natural resources/energy/environment, public safety, judiciary, pre-k through higher education, and elections.
Josh Lustig joined the Senate Majority Office as an Outreach Coordinator in January 2009. Josh comes to this position with experience in both political field work and communications.
After earning degrees in Political Science and Journalism from the University of Maryland, Josh worked as a news reporter for several publications. Following his journalism work, Josh led civic education programs in Washington, D.C., and ran marketing campaigns for environmental firms. He settled in Oregon to work as a Field Organizer for Senator Jeff Merkley’s campaign in Jackson County.
Josh is responsible for the Senate Democratic Caucus’ outreach efforts across the state. This includes planning town hall meetings, constituent communications and legislative research.
Adam Meyer is working in the office this session as the assistant to the Senate Majority Office. Adam is a student at Willamette University studying American Politics and working on his senior thesis. A native of Portland, Adam has also worked for Earl Blumenauer in Washington, D.C. Adam is interested in continuing his education in the area of law and public policy.
With the arrival of Autumn, Josh, and Adam, the office is now fully staffed. Here's the entire team:
Abby Tibbs, Caucus Administrator/Chief of Staff
Amy Fauver, Policy Advisor
Autumn Wilburn, Policy Advisor
Molly Woon, Communications Director
Carol Suzuki, Operations Director
Anna Haley, Legislative Assistant to Senator Devlin
Josh Lustig, Outreach Coordinator
Adam Meyer, Assistant to the Senate Majority Office
Oregon Session Begins: Commencement of the 75th Legislative AssemblySalem-News.com