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Bruce Starr for Oregon Senate [2]
Hillsboro, OR – Senator Bruce Starr (R-Hillsboro) filed paperwork this week to run for another term representing Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Cornelius, North Plains and much of rural Washington County in the State Senate.
“It is an honor to serve my community and state in the Oregon legislature,” said Starr. “I want to continue to be a voice for Washington County as a consensus-oriented leader who gets results.”
During last year’s session, Starr fought to increase support for local classrooms, enacted key protections for online privacy and continued to be an effective advocate for job creation and family prosperity in Oregon.
“I’m proud of what we have been able to accomplish over the past four years, much of it collaborating with other members across the aisle,” said Starr. “A bi-partisan approach to legislating is both most effective and produces the best product.”
Starr spent much of the session advocating for local schools, both to receive increased funding and new tools to train teachers. Though schools ended up with a budget of $6.75 billion, Starr fought to increase their funding to $7 billion. Starr’s leadership on PERS reform was part of the reason why schools received the funding increase they did. Starr also voted for innovative teacher training and support programs backed by the Chalkboard Project.
“The plight of our classrooms is well documented,” said Starr. “They are chronically underfunded, and teachers are sent into giant classes without the support they need to succeed. I believe we must make visionary new investments and give our students the resources and classroom environment they need to excel.”
Starr also successfully passed the Social Networking Privacy Act. The legislation prohibits employers and state universities from requiring an employee, job applicant or student to give access to their social media accounts.
“The new frontier of social media should have the same right to privacy that has been a hallmark of our nation from its founding,” said Starr. “The legislation we were able to pass this session makes it clear that one’s online life and records are protected just like any other private correspondence.”
Starr continued to be an outspoken advocate for job creation, pushing legislation that would fast track the potential siting of a billion dollar company to Hillsboro and leading a long-term vision for transportation infrastructure in the state of Oregon. Starr also supported proposed tax certainty for small business owners and successfully passed the state’s largest ever small business tax reduction. Starr secured funding for projects on Highway 26 and a Washington County Westside Transportation Solutions Study.
Starr has served in the Oregon state legislature since 1999, as a member of both the House and Senate. His priorities have reflected the needs of a rapidly growing region including education reform, transportation investments, and economic development incentives. He has been a leader on issues impacting the state’s economy and has focused on ways to make it easier for small businesses to grow and thrive.
Bruce is married to Rebecca and they live in Hillsboro with their two children.