Dan Rayfield began his tenure as Oregon attorney general a week early. Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum stepped down Tuesday and Rayfield was sworn in. His full four-year elected term will begin Jan. 6. Senior U.S. District Judge Marco A. Hernandez administered the oath of office to Rayfield, who 27 years ago had been a youthful defendant in Hernandez’s courtroom. Rosenblum retired after 42 years in public service, including 12-plus as AG.

Former House Speaker Phil Lang, D-Portland, died Sunday at age 95. As speaker in the 1970s, he and Senate President Jason Boe, D-Reedsport, led the Legislature in adding the House and Senate office wings to the State Capitol. The House area is named in his honor, the “Phil Lang Memorial Wing.” Lang later chaired the Oregon Liquor Control Commission under Govs. John Kitzhaber and Ted Kulongoski.

The Senate Majority Office under Sen. Kayse Jama, D-Portland, is hiring several new staff members:

— Communications director: Elizabeth Cronen has been consulting on health communications and social change marketing after working as legislative and communications manager for the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace.

— Policy advisers: Jessica Ventura has been chief of legislative and policy affairs for the Oregon secretary of state after being government relations director at the Department of Education. Kien Truong is Jama’s district director, a Democratic Party of Oregon officer and a Portland Community College board member.

— Outreach coordinator: Lina deMorais has been chief of staff and policy director for Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, D-Corvallis.

— Administrative coordinator: Piper Hutchinson was field director for the reelection campaign of Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Troutdale. During the 2024 session, she was legislative director for Sen. Aaron Woods, D-Wilsonville.

Dylan Sheldon, who previously worked for the Oregon House and Senate Democrats’ PACs and for Rep. Jason Kropf, D-Bend, is chief of staff for incoming Rep. April Dobson, D-Happy Valley.

Sen. Mark Meek, D-Gladstone, hired Michael Vasquez as a legislative aide. He was engagement director for Congresswoman Andrea Salinas, D-6th District, after working for PCUN. 

Senate President Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, and House Speaker Julie Fahey, D-Eugene, made committee assignments for the 2025 Legislature. Here are the legislators who have new roles as chair or vice chair, including some who return to positions they had in the 2024 session but not during the interim. Many House committees have both a Democratic and a Republican vice chair.

Senate committees

— Early Childhood and Behavioral Health, a new committee: Lisa Reynolds, D-Portland, chair; Dick Anderson, R-Lincoln City, vice chair

— Education: Lew Frederick, D-Portland, chair

— Energy and Environment: David Brock Smith, R-Port Orford, vice chair

— Finance and Revenue: Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, vice chair

— Housing and Development: Khanh Pham, D-Portland, chair

— Human Services: Diane Linthicum, R-Beatty, vice chair

— Natural Resources and Wildfire: Todd Nash, R-Enterprise, vice chair

House committees

— Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water: Sarah Finger McDonald, D-Corvallis, vice chair

— Behavioral Health and Health Care: Cyrus Javadi, R-Tillamook, vice chair

— Climate, Energy and Environment: Mark Gamba, D-Milwaukie, vice chair

— Commerce and Consumer Protection: Farrah Chaichi, D-Beaverton, vice chair

— Early Childhood and Human Services: Annessa Hartman, D-Gladstone, chair

— Economic Development, Small Business and Trade: Shannon Jones Isadore, D-Portland, vice chair

— Education: April Dobson, D-Happy Valley, vice chair; Emily McIntire, R-Eagle Point, vice chair

— Higher Education and Workforce Development, a renamed committee: Lisa Fragala, D-Eugene, vice chair; Darin Harbick, R-McKenzie Bridge, vice chair

— Housing and Homelessness: Tom Andersen, D-Salem, vice chair

— Judiciary: Willy Chotzen, D-Portland, vice chair

— Labor and Workplace Standards: Lesly Muñoz, D-Woodburn, vice chair

— Rules: House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, Canby, vice chair; Hai Pham, D-Hillsboro, vice chair 

Joint committees

— Ways & Means: Sen. Kate Lieber, D-Portland, co-chair. New members are Sen. McLane; Sen. Brock Smith; Sen. Anthony Broadman, D-Bend; Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham, The Dalles; Sen. Aaron Woods, D-Wilsonville; House Majority Leader Ben Bowman, D-Tigard; Rep. Drazan; Rep. Jami Cate, R-Lebanon; Rep. Emerson Levy, D-Bend; and Rep. Ricki Ruiz, D-Gresham

— Capital Construction Subcommittee: Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, co-chair

— Education Subcommittee: Sen. Janeen Sollman, D-Hillsboro, co-chair

— General Government Subcommittee: Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Troutdale, co-chair

— National Resources Subcommittee: Sen. Frederick and Rep. Levy, co-chairs

— Public Safety Subcommittee: Sen. Broadman, co-chair

— Legislative Audits: Sen. Lieber, co-chair

— Transportation: Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Dundee, co-vice chair

The Association of Oregon Counties has new officers: president, Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer; first vice president, Tillamook County Commissioner Erin Skaar; second vice president, Sherman County Judge Joe Dabulskis; treasurer, Lake County Commissioner James Williams; and immediate past president, Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell.

Megan Chuinard, owner of MAC Consulting and executive director of the Oregon Seed Council, was appointed to the Keep Oregon Green Association board.

Dallas Hall DeFrees, Baker City, joined the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission. Gov. Tina Kotek appointed her to represent the east region. 

Congress passed legislation naming the Hillsboro post office at 125 South 1st Ave. as the Elizabeth Furse Post Office Building. Furse was the first woman to represent Oregon’s 1st Congressional District, serving 1993-1999. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden sponsored the legislation.