I’m an educator, a dad, a grandfather, and a former police officer and that is what drives me as a Senator. My wife Jackie and our family live in Gresham after living in Troutdale for 20 years.
I have been teaching geography and law enforcement at Mount Hood Community College since 1996. I also served as a police officer with the Portland Police Bureau for seven years where I patrolled neighborhoods on the east side of Portland.
As a legislator, I'm using the experience I have gained throughout my life to improve, reform and strengthen our communities and district.
My goal in the Oregon Legislature is, and always has been, to make life better for our community in East County. I’m committed to listening to my constituents and delivering the results they need. This is why I’m leading efforts to keep our families and neighborhoods safe and our economy moving with more accessible public transportation and improved roads and bridges. I’m also passionate about getting Oregonians the training and skills they need to support themselves and their families, while making sure essentials like housing and gas are affordable for hardworking people.
I’m really proud of the wins our team brought home, including:
- Updating the Oregon Strategic Investment Program to make sure East County is competitive and growing. East County has since garnered the attention of many new businesses, including expansions at Microchip, a parts hub for Subaru of America and a diamond manufacturing plant operated by the DeBeers consortium.
- Funding for programs like East Metro Outreach, Prevention and Intervention (EMOPI), which the City of Gresham has designed to prevent youth from using drugs and engaging in gang activity.
- Working with various law enforcement organizations to pass laws that pinpoint and stop outbreaks of criminal activity, including car theft, catalytic converter theft, street racing, intersection takeovers, and dangerous counterfeit airbags. As these laws come online we’re seeing dramatic impacts, such as the 80% reduction in catalytic converter thefts.
- Making our Justice System live up to its name by working with the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth to create a first-of-its-kind law prohibiting lying to kids in interrogations and required recordings of youth interviews for felony and misdemeanor offenses. I was also one of the first legislators to mention the public defense crisis on the floor of the Oregon House and I’ve championed funding to ensure the universal right to representation, which is essential for a fair justice system.
Further, in our efforts to increase public and private investment in East County, I worked with our delegation partners to secure funding for road projects, recreational facilities, Mt. Hood Community College, and school-based health centers in the Gresham-Barlow and Reynolds School Districts. With city officials, and community leaders, we coordinate efforts to revitalize East County, provide resources for community parks, increase fresh food options and area food banks, and improve the quality of life for all residents.
As co-chair of the powerful Joint Transportation Committee (JTC), I work on issues ranging from AMTRAK rail to traffic safety and congestion, ensuring the steady export of goods and the importation of necessities and raw materials. Furthermore, as co-chair of the Oregon Legislative Rail Caucus and through my work on the JTC, I am a regional leader on improved passenger and freight transportation, collaborating with neighboring states to invest in exciting new technologies like high-speed and faster conventional rail, essential for our state's prosperity as a net exporter of goods.
I am constantly on the lookout for ways to make our community more safe, more affordable, and more competitive, and I am determined to deliver results.
