Capital Chatter: All sides waiting for Brown to lead

Sen. Jackie Winters of Salem is a fascinating choice as the new leader of the Oregon Senate Republicans. Here are seven reasons why:

1. Winters had not intended to seek the position until several of her fellow Republican senators urged her to. While others, such as Deputy Republican Leader Tim Knopp of Bend, had long been interested in it, Winters emerged as a candidate just days before Wednesday’s election of a new leader.

2. Winters and Senate President Peter Courtney, a Democrat, represent adjacent Senate districts in Salem. They have such a close working relationship I have described them as political siblings, despite their partisan differences. They care about each other, they can disagree strongly and be peeved with each other, but they also have each other’s back.

When the state Senate was split 15-15 between the two parties in 2003, it was Winters who convinced her fellow Republicans that they could trust Courtney and work with him. In a unique power-sharing arrangement, the Senate elected Courtney as president and Southern Oregon Republican Lenn Hannon as president pro tempore. Courtney has been re-elected as Senate president ever since — the longest tenure in Oregon history.

3. Former Republican Secretary of State Norma Paulus described Winters as “a fiscal conservative with a heart.”

Multiracial, she describes herself as “Heinz 57.” The media often label her as African-American. She is proud of that part of her heritage, as well her Native American and Irish/European heritage. But she dislikes being pigeonholed or labeled — politically or otherwise. Most people, she told Oregon journalists on Wednesday, simply call her “Jackie.”

4. Before running for Republican leader, Winters had to make sure she was physically up to the job and its stresses. She is in remission from a cancerous tumor in her lung, which she revealed in August, and has completed chemotherapy. Last year she had intensive heart surgery, which kept her away from the 2016 legislative session.

5. One of the most experienced budget-writers in the Legislature, Winters will have to relinquish her positions as co-vice chair of the Joint Ways & Means Committee, co-chair of the public safety subcommittee and other plum committee assignments. That was not an easy decision.

6. Women now dominate legislative leadership: House Speaker Tina Kotek, House Majority Leader J ennifer Williamson and Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick — all Portland Democrats — and Winters. The men in top leadership are Courtney and House Republican Leader Mike McLane of Powell Butte.

7. Winters is known as an excellent fund-raiser, which will help Republican Senate candidates in the 2018 election. In addition, choosing a woman as Senate Republican leader might be a smart strategy as Democrats attack Republicans over the sexual harassment allegations surrounding Sen. J eff Kruse, R-Roseburg.

In the interest of full disclosure, let me note that I live in Winters’ Senate district and also was a patron of her Jackie’s Ribs restaurants.

• Speaking of Kruse: A formal investigation into allegations against Kruse conceivably could take several months, lasting past the conclusion of the 2018 legislative session, according to the time limits set out in Senate rules. The Legislature’s top lawyer and human resources official were seen Wednesday afternoon on the Senate wing’s third floor, which houses offices for Kruse and many other Republican senators.

Courtney on Thursday appointed Sens. Mark Hass, D-Beaverton; Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer; and James Manning Jr., D-Eugene, to the Senate Special Committee on Conduct that would recommend discipline.

Despite being stripped of his committee assignments, Kruse was at the Capitol this week for the Legislature’s three days of committee meetings and Wednesday’s Senate floor session.

The chair of the Democratic Party of Oregon, former Secretary of State J eanne Atkins, on Thursday morning called for Kruse to resign immediately. Less than two hours later, Republican gubernatorial candidate Knute Buehler, a state representative from Bend, also called for Kruse’s resignation.

• Quickie hearings: One role of the state Senate is to confirm or deny a governor’s appointments to lead state agencies and serve on state commissions. For the second time in a row, there was no controversy among the scores of appointments submitted by Gov. Kate Brown.

Patrick Allen, the interim director of the Oregon Health Authority, sailed through the confirmation process to be permanent director. The Senate Interim Committee on Rules and Executive Appointments asked him no questions.

The committee, which met with dozens of first-time appointees, asked so few questions that one appointee to a state board ended her testimony by saying she had traveled 400 miles from northeastern Oregon to participate, so would someone please ask her a question. Senators obliged.

Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin, practically dared his colleagues to question him about his appointment to the Northwest Power and Planning Council. Having studied the council’s duties, plans and history, he also said he’d spent the weekend reviewing the Bonneville Power Administration budget. It’s no wonder that Devlin is known, both commendably and teasingly, as a policy wonk.

As with the others, Devlin and his fellow power council appointee, outgoing Senate Republican Leader Ted Ferrioli of John Day, gained the committee’s approval.

• Federal marijuana research: During discussion of an appointment to the Oregon Cannabis Commission, Ferrioli said the federal restrictions on medical marijuana research should be lifted.

Although Ferrioli serves on the Senate rules committee, he officially declared a conflict of interest when it was time for an overall vote on the appointees, including him.

• Master of the phones: I was impressed by the committee staff’s expertise in organizing the appointees so there was no wasted time. Some couldn’t attend in person, and testified by speaker phone from as far away as China. Committee assistant Samantha Koopman had each one on the line when it was that person’s time. She did so quietly and efficiently, without interrupting the flow of the meeting.

• A think tank starts over: Former legislator Jefferson Smith, who founded the Bus Project and ran for Portland mayor, no longer will become the next director of the progressive Oregon Center for Public Policy. Founder Chuck Sheketoff will continue as executive director while OCCP starts a new search.

In a letter to OCCP supporters, board chair Will Neuhauser wrote:

“… At the end of last week we were soundly, publicly criticized by valued community partners for hiring Jefferson, citing issues including his assault two decades ago, the bad judgment demonstrated by contacting the victim during his mayoral campaign, and other concerns.

“Seeing the leadership of the Center in the hands of someone with that history was upsetting to those who wrote us last week and to others.

“The OCPP board had judged that, in recent years, Jefferson had also very positively affected many women’s and men’s lives through various initiatives and was genuinely working to empower women and others who are accorded less influence, authority and opportunity in our society.

“We failed to fully appreciate that others with whom he would have to work in partnership had reached different conclusions and could not do so. …”

• Will Oregon traffic delay Santa? Oregon’s traffic congestion is so bad that it delayed Thursday’s arrival of the “Holiday Grand Tree” at the Oregon Capitol. The roughly 30-foot Nobel fir was cut in the Clatsop State Forest, and having made it to the Capitol Rotunda a bit late, was being decorated with more than 6,000 LED lights.

We hope Oregon traffic doesn’t create similar problems for Santa Claus.

Dick Hughes, who writes the weekly Capital Chatter column, has been covering the Oregon political scene since 1976. Contact him at TheHughesisms@Gmail.com, Hughesisms.com/Facebook, YouTube.com/c/DickHughes or @DickHughes on Twitter