Graduate pushes bill
through legislature
btan Pulliam spearheaded
HB 3581, which changes
state wrestling regulations
By Lisa Catto
Freelance Reporter
His cell phone rang at 10:30 a m.
The caller was a fellow legislative aide
at the Oregon State Capitol who told
him a package from World Wrestling
Entertainment had arrived.
Stan Pulliam — a 22-year-old Uni
versity graduate and legislative aide to
Reps. Pat Farr, R- Eugene, and Tootie
Smith, R-Molalla — immediately
jumped in his car and headed to Salem.
Pulliam finally reached die build
ing and ran up the Capitol's steps. I le
arrived at Smith's office and ripped
open the package. His eyes opened
wide and his mouth dropped when
he found a WWE Championship Belt
covered with signatures of WWE su
perstars. He was overjoyed. This was
something he could show his grand
children, Pulliam said.
The belt was a gift from WWE thank
ing Pulliam for his work in passing a
bill to allow professional wrestling
back into Oregon. Among the trials
and tribulations of the 72 nd Legislative
Assembly, Pulliam is proud to have
spearheaded House Bill 3581 before
leaving the Legislature.
"I have wanted to do something
about the regulations for several years,
but 1 did not know how," Pulliam
said. "1 then decided to write a bill for
the Legislature and try to take care of it
myself, so that everyone can enjoy the
local and national promotions."
The bill changed state regulation
that had discouraged WWE from en
tering Oregon, Pulliam said.
For instance, the Commission re
quired wrestlers to be tested for drugs
and blood-borne pathogens by an
Oregon doctor 30 days before an
event, which was not cost-efficient for
WWE, Pulliam said.
"The nature of the current regula
tions is such that WWE faces addi
tional costs of tens of thousands of
dollars to perform in Oregon, costs
I
that it would not incur in any other
state," WWE representative Gary
Davis said in a press release.
Smith also had harsh words for the
regulations.
"1 find it absurd that in the midst of
having one of the highest unemploy
ment rates and the weakest economy
in the nation, the state of Oregon has
decided to turn away business that
will help create jobs and increase rev
enue to the state," she said.
The bill separated "ultimate fight
ing" and from "entertainment
wrestling," stating that becuase the
latter's results are pre determined, it
should be regulated differently than
ultimate fighting.
'This bill is different from the oth
ers because 1 worked to get the sup
port from WWE and local promo
tions, the Commission and the
Trailblazer organization. 1 figured the
best way to secure the success of the
bill would be to get all sides fighting
for it," Pulliam said.
MB 35§1, which Pulliam drafted
and Smith sponsored with more than
20 legislative co-signers, passed the
1 louse unanimously and the Senate
with only three "no" votes. Oregon
Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed the bill
into law in May, and it will take effect
fan. 1, 2004.
"It is an amazing feeling to have
written a bill and followed it all the
way through the Legislature," Pulliam
said. "I got a firsthand look of how
the process works and what it takes to
get a bill through."
The WWE plans to visit Oregon four
times a year with an expected annual
economic stimulus of $ 15 million.
Pulliam has since left his job at the
Capitol and finished his political science
degree at the University.
"This bill has helped me figure out
my career goals," Pulliam said. "I
learned that a person can really make
a difference if they try hard enough. It
is great to know that I helped pump
money into Oregon's economy at its
neediest hour."
Lisa Catto is a freelance reporter
for the Emerald.
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