Street roots
5
Feb. 1, 2013
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BONAM ICI, from page 1
S.B.: Yes, I am on two committees. I am
on the Science, Space, and Technology
Committee and Education and Workforce.
Each of these committees has
subcommittees. So in Science, Space, and
Technology I am the ranking member on
the Environment subcommittee. We will be
looking at the science of climate change,
marine research and a lot of environmental
issues. I’m very excited to dig in on these
issues.
Then there is Education and the
Workforce Committee. I am on two
subcommittees there. One is Higher
Education and the other is Workforce
Protections. So in Higher Education, I hope
we will be looking at ways we can expand
access to higher education for all
Americans. Especially things like supporting
Pell Grants, which really is a key to quality
of life in our community and crucual in
rebuilding the economy.
The Workforce Protections subcommittee
has jurisdiction over things like worker
safety, the Fair Labor Standards Act, Family
Medical Leave Act and a lot of protections
for workers. There are some migrant worker
protections that are covered in that
subcommittee as well. So I hope to continue
my record of supporting worker’s rights
through that subcommittee work.
Also, in the education committee, I am
very interested in K-12 education and
making some changes to No Child Left
Behind.
I.B.: Gun violence?
S.B.: Just before I came back to Oregon,
a hearing on gun violence prevention that
was one of the more moving hearings I’ve
ever sat through. The superintendent of
Newtown, Conn, was there, along with the
mother of Gabe Zimmerman, who was the
staff of Representative Gabby Gifford, who
was killed in Tuscon, a chief of police from
Minnesota and the Mayor of Philadelphia,
who chairs the National Conference of
Mayors.
They discussed the need for gun violence
prevention, which I support. It’s
comprehensive and complex, but I support
more access to mental health care and
universal background checks.
In Oregon, we passed background checks
at gun shows through an initiative, but most
states don’t have that. And so, somebody
who can’t pass a background check at a
store can just go to a gun show or online
and buy a gun. So we need a universal
housing as it is essential to rebuilding our
bring these different communities together
background check.
economy.
towards a shared vision?
That seems like a pretty likely thing, and
I hope, we can pass it. That will be the first
I.B.: Portland and M ultnomah County
S.B.: It’s a good thing to have such a
step in keeping guns out of the hands of
have complained for years that the rest o f the
diverse district because it really inspires me
people who shouldn’t have them.
region, specifically Washington County, has
to learn about not only urban and suburban
One thing to keep in mind is that all of
not been doing enough to fu n d homeless and
communities, but also about rural,
these proposals are going forward. So the
housing services and capital projects for
agricultural and coastal issues. I have a
ban on high-capacity magazine clips is on
affordable housing. How does the region move
really broad perspective about how these
those magazines that are sold in the future;
forward with a more coordinated plan to tackle
policies impact different areas.
it’s not like the government is going to
these issues?
I was in a small town in Yamhill County
come and take them (guns) away from
last night. Here I am in Portland today. It
people.
S.B.: I know that there are advocates
really gives me the opportunity to think
Representative Mike Thompson (CA), a
working together effectively. I think we have
about how these policies will impact my
Democrat, who is heading a task force, is a
an excellent community of advocates for low- entire district.
hunter. He goes duck hunting and is
income housing. There is homelessness
I think that the divide is smaller than a
forbidden by law from having more than
throughout our state and we need to make
lot of people think. Wherever I am in the
three bullets in his magazine. He is hunting
sure that we are having a conversation and
district, the number one issue is, how do we
ducks, but someone can walk into a theatre
creating resources for housing and
rebuild the economy and what policies will
in Aurora with a hundred rounds in a
homelessness.
best do that, whether it be better education
magazine. It doesn’t
or housing or getting
make sense.
more capital to
One
thing
to
keep
in
mind
Is
that
all
of
these
proposals
I am hopeful about
businesses and
are
going
forward.
So
the
ban
on
high-capacity
magazine
many of the measures,
streamlining
but particularly the
clips is on those magazines that are sold in the future; it's regulations. Those
background checks.
things don’t have rural-
not
like
the
government
Is
going
to
come
and
take
them
That being said, we
urban divide.
(guns)
away
from
people.
can’t ignore the need
There are a lot of
for access to mental
things in common,
health care and
policies and interests,
de-stigmatizing mental health.
That’s why state and federal policy is
for those communities. I really enjoy going
important. I hope that the state legislature
out to talk with my constituents and hearing
I.B.: That's my next question. Part o f the
does what it can. I will work at the federal
from them. And I do hear a lot of common
conversation coming out o f the Newtown and
level to make housing a priority. We need to
themes.
other shootings is the lack o f mental health
make sure that housing is part of the
stability in the US. Oregon has long had an
conversation. It’s a good investment. We
I.B.: What can we expect in Oregon over the
underfunded mental health system — what’s
spend a lot of time responding to crisis, let’s next decade?
the answer?
work on preventing those crisis situations
by investing in education and housing.
S.B.: I am really proud to be from Oregon
S.B.: We have to make sure that mental
and I constantly talk about Oregon as an
health care is accessible, available and that
I.B.: Should Oregon move forward with
example. We are ahead of a lot of other
we de-stigmatize it. It’s critical that we fund
legalizing marijuana?
states. A couple of examples are health care
mental health programs. We have a lot of
reform and the Coordinated Care
work to do moving forward.
S.B.: I think we should be looking at how
Organizations that are really expanding
Washington and Colorado are implementing
access to health care with the goal of
driving down costs. We are ahead of the
policy. It’s illegal at the federal level, but not
I.B.: How do we solve the federal
government’s lack o f housing resources for
curve on this.
at the state level in those states. There is a
local communities?
conflict there. I think we should be watching
We are ahead in our appreciation of
those two states as examples to see what
creativity and innovation. We have lots of
S.B.: We need to keep having a
they do right and what they do wrong. When really creative people here who have lots of
we put it in front of the voters, which I
conversation about the importance of
innovative ideas that are going to be a big
housing. I used to work at Legal Aid in
assume will happen, we will have a lot more
part of our future.
information to go on. We will see how they
Eugene. You realize that people don’t
We have a beautiful state with our
do, especially with Washington being so
choose to be struggling or fall into an
transportation and land-use planning. We
close.
have done a lot here to make this a very
unfortunate set of circumstances.
livable state. I think Oregonians can look
Housing is an essential part of stable life
forward to a decade of continuing to tackle
I.B.: Your district covers a lot of ground,
and getting people transitioned back to the
important issues and encouraging creativity,
from Astoria to Portland and Beaverton and
workforce. I’ve always been an advocate for
while expanding on our economy. It’s going
then south into Yamhill County. Much o f the
affordable housing and will continue to do
to continue to be a great place to live and
conversation around the country seems to focus
so. We need to continue to have the
work and raise a family.
on an urban and rural divide. How do we
conversation about the importance of
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