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(Hillsboro, Ore.) – State Senator Bruce Starr today announced his candidacy for Oregon Labor Commissioner, with a commitment to focus on ways to use the office to help ignite the Oregon economy and create new jobs for Oregonians.
“Too many of our friends, neighbors and family members have been out of work for too long,” said Starr, “We need leaders who will change the way we regulate business so we can ensure that Oregonians have the most important employment right: a job.”
Starr, first elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in 1998, and the Oregon Senate in 2002, has been a leader on economic issues in Salem, serving as Vice Chairman of the Senate Business and Transportation Committee and serving on the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development. His experience as a businessman and policy-maker give him a unique insight into the challenges facing small business as they fight to grow and create new jobs.
“Government and small business must together to find ways to be more efficient and streamline the way we do business,” said Starr. “As Labor Commissioner, I will work with entrepreneurs and labor to both protect employees, and reduce the impact of government regulations on employers’ ability to grow and put Oregonians back to work.”
Bruce is a native of Hillsboro, Oregon and a graduate of Portland State University. After graduating, Bruce started his own construction company focused on residential and commercial roofing and repair. His experience as a small business owner gave him a first-hand look at the challenges of growing a business and creating jobs. In 2002, Bruce joined the Portland Business Alliance, Portland’s chamber of commerce. He focused on business development with an emphasis on international trade and from there started a new company, Cutting Edge NW, representing companies navigating the complex regulatory and tax codes at the state and federal level.
Starr will be available for an announcement conference call on Friday, December 16th at 11:00 am. Please contact at 800-916-1770 ext. 8 or [email protected] [2] for call-in details.
For more information on Bruce Starr, visit www.brucestarr.org [3].