House GOP Caucus sends letter to Gov. Kotek

By Oregon Republican Caucus,

SALEM, OR – Today, the Oregon House Republican Caucus sent a letter to Governor Tina Kotek following her inaugural ceremony, making her the 39^th Governor of Oregon.

The lawmakers addressed the deep partisan divide across the State of Oregon, and the hope of working together in a meaningful, bi-partisan way.

“As exemplified by a trying campaign for both the Executive and Legislative branches, it is clear that the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans provides no benefit to the constituents that elected us,” said the House Republican Caucus. “The constituencies that our Caucus represent highlight the best that Oregon has to offer. Indeed, our Caucus provides valuable, real-world insight to a variety of policy debates, and by working together, we can solve the most pressing needs facing our State.”

 In the letter, the Oregon House Republicans highlighted the pressing issues of homelessness, fiscal responsibility, community safety, and the need to support law enforcement. They also highlighted the reality that all laws enacted in Salem reach beyond the metropolitan areas, impacting rural Oregonians.

“Oregon’s rural communities provide vital resources for our state and over-burdensome regulations negatively impact those who provide our state’s most critical commodities,” said the House Republican Caucus.

 The lawmakers stated that in-order-to solve many of Oregon’s most critical issues, taking a hard look at the reallocation of state dollars and government waste will be necessary.

“Oregon must position itself to allocate scarce resources and funding to the greatest benefit. This means continuing to monitor government waste and re-allocating monies for health care, education, agriculture, and housing,” said the House Republican Caucus.

OREGON HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
House Republican Caucus

January 9, 2023

Via Electronic Mail
The Honorable Tina Kotek Office of the Governor
900 Court Street, NE Suite 254
Salem, Oregon 97301

Governor Kotek:

We write today to congratulate you on your swearing-in as the 39th Governor of the State of Oregon, and to express our sincere hope that the Governor’s office and the Legislative Assembly can co-exist for the benefit of all Oregonians.

As exemplified by a trying campaign for both the Executive and Legislative branches, it is clear that the partisan divide between Democrats and Republicans provides no benefit to the constituents that elected us.

The constituencies that our Caucus represent highlight the best that Oregon has to offer. Indeed, our Caucus provides valuable, real-world insight to a variety of policy debates, and by working together, we can solve the most pressing needs facing our State.

To that end, we want to underscore areas of agreement between your previously stated governing outlook and the House Republican perspective.

First, we agree that housing, homelessness, and a lack of economic opportunity continue to plague Oregon. Our goal is to expand housing opportunity by cutting regulatory red tape, promoting small business engagement and job growth, and working towards a sound, economically feasible solution to rising housing costs and affordability.

Second, we firmly believe that responsible fiscal policy can help alleviate the rising costs Oregonians are currently experiencing. At the time of the November 2022 election, Oregon experienced a year- over-year inflation rate of 8.1%. At the same time, private sector wages have continued to decrease. Simply put, Oregonians are facing ever-increasing costs for goods and services which far exceed growth in wages.

We are committed to promoting proposals which reduce the overall economic burden on families, including a temporary reduction in income tax and a coinciding reduction in overall government spending. These incremental changes are a modest, simple way to provide everyday Oregonians with economic aid while larger, structural reforms can be debated by the Assembly.

Third, Oregonians also want to feel safe within their communities. Too often, law enforcement and public safety are used as pawns in political discourse. While we are committed to developing policies which improve policing and community trust, we should also recognize that the men and women in law enforcement provide valuable and necessary protection and are selfless in their pursuit of serving their community.

Fourth, we want to ensure that all branches of government understand and appreciate that the laws enacted in Salem go far beyond the metropolitan areas. Oregon’s rural communities provide vital resources for our state and over-burdensome regulations negatively impact those who provide our state’s most critical commodities.

Lastly, we also are committed to government expenditures which benefit all, not just a chosen few. To do so will require increased accountability to spending proposals and policymaking. Oregon must position itself to allocate scarce resources and funding to the greatest benefit. This means continuing to monitor government waste and re-allocating monies for health care, education, agriculture, and housing.

It also means promoting policies which provide opportunity, including empowering parents to choose which school their children should attend irrespective of location or finances, reducing the regulation and opportunity cost for entrepreneurs to start businesses, and providing sound investment strategies to existing government programs to maximize efficiency and reliability.
From the coast to the high desert, from the Columbia River to Crater Lake, Oregonians want a better, more efficient, and responsible government. In this spirit, the House Republican Caucus wishes to promote a meaningful working relationship with your Office. We look forward, therefore, to working together on these, and other platforms for the benefit of all Oregonians.

Sincerely,

Vikki Breese-Iverson, House Republican Leader

E. Werner Reschke, House Republican Whip

Shelly Boshart Davis, Deputy Republican Leader

David Brock Smith, State Representative, District 1

Virgil Osborne, State Representative, District 2

Lily Morgan, State Representative, District 3

Christine Goodwin, State Representative, District 4

Kim Wallan, State Representative, District 6

Boomer Wright, State Representative, District 9

Jami Cate, State Representative, District 11

Charlie Conrad, State Representative. District 12

Ed Diehl, State Representative, District 17

Rick Lewis, State Representative, District 18

Tracy Cramer, State Representative, District 22

Kevin Mannix, State Representative, District 21

Anna Scharf, State Representative, District 23

Lucetta Elmer, State Representative, District 24

Cyrus Javadi, State Representative, District 32

James Hieb, State Representative, District 51

Jeff Helfrich, State Representative, District 52

Emily McIntire, State Representative, District 56

Greg Smith, State Representative, District 57

Bobby Levy, State Representative, District 58

Mark Owens, State Representative, District 60