Capitol Update
January 4, 2013
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Happy New Year! On January 14, I will begin my third term representing House District 38 in the Legislature. This newsletter includes some updates on my legislative work; more will come as the session progresses.
Upcoming Town Halls
I will be co-hosting two town hall meetings in January to hear your comments, ideas, and concerns as the new legislative session begins.
- Tuesday, January 8, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., I will join Senator Richard Devlin at the West End Building, 4101 Kruse Way, in Lake Oswego.
- Tuesday, January 29, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., I will join my fellow Southwest Portland Representatives Margaret Doherty and Jennifer Williamson at the Multnomah Arts Center, 7688 SW Capitol Highway.
2013 Committee Assignments
Speaker-Elect Tina Kotek announced committee appointments in December. I will serve as Chair of the Rules Committee and Vice Chair of the Judiciary Committee. I have experience on both committees and look forward to my leadership roles.
In addition, I am especially excited to serve as co-chair of a joint House-Senate Committee on Public Safety, which is tasked with considering proposals for criminal justice reform that were recently issued by the Governor’s Commission on Public Safety.
Governor’s Commission on Public Safety
It was a privilege to serve on the Governor’s Commission on Public Safety for the past year and a half. The prison system is one of the fastest growing parts of Oregon’s budget, and unsustainable growth is projected to continue even as crime rates are at a 40-year low.
The Commission’s work gave me the opportunity to study in detail how Oregon’s public safety system is working and to help formulate recommendations -- with the support of national experts and based on successful experiences of other states -- to make Oregon safer at a lower cost. Now it falls to the Legislature and Governor to make these proposals a reality.
The final report of the Commission, dated December 17, 2012, is worth reading. That report, and numerous other materials, can be found at the Commission’s web site.
Staff and Contact Information
I am pleased to welcome Bridget Budbill as my chief of staff. Bridget is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law. Russ Casler and Rosie Stephens will continue as legislative assistants during the 2013 session.
Please note our new office contact information.
Mail:
State Capitol H-283
900 Court St NE
Salem, OR 97301
Thank you for taking the time to read my update, and please contact me with questions at any time.
Sincerely,
Chris Garrett
State Representative, House District 38
