Want to tour a museum with me?
Oregon State Legislature sent this bulletin at 08/29/2023 11:45 AM PDT
Hello Friends,
Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. Here’s another update from “the interim” – in between legislative sessions. Thanks for staying up to date with my office!
Attending the Future Caucus Summit (and a note about government oversight)
A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Future Caucus Summit in Indianapolis. I came back genuinely energized. The Future Caucus is a national organization that brings together young legislators (Democrats, Republicans, and independents) to work together. A Republican colleague of mine in the Oregon House and I are hopeful that we’ll be able to launch a bipartisan Oregon Future Caucus later this year (stay tuned!). One of the things we have discussed as a potential focus is government oversight–a topic I’ve been thinking about a lot this summer. While in Indianapolis, I met with a leader from The Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy, to discuss how we could work together.
I recently finished a book on this topic called The Watchdog, by Steve Drummond. It’s about the Truman Committee’s oversight of the military buildup and war production effort during World War II. The Truman Committee helped save the United States billions of dollars, prevent many unnecessary deaths of American soldiers, and, ultimately, win the war.
I took a lot away from the book and then-Senator Harry Truman’s leadership of the Committee. Here are three key lessons for me:
- Truman used legislative oversight to advance, not undermine, the war effort. Today, “oversight” is often used as a weapon against programs or people that one party doesn’t like. That’s the opposite of how Truman approached his committee.
- Oversight works best when it's bipartisan and collaborative. The Truman Committee published nearly 2,000 pages of reports–and every single published report was supported unanimously by the bipartisan committee. This was not an accident–it was accomplished with the painstaking collaboration of leaders working together in good faith (in an incredibly high-stakes moment in American history).
- Effective oversight often requires the participation of the public, whistleblowers, and people working in the industry or agency being studied. Oversight is about more than just public hearings, subpoenas, and site visits. Truman received thousands of letters and tips from informants critical to his mission.
This is an issue I care a lot about and directly addresses some of the biggest challenges we are experiencing at the state level. If you have any thoughts or ideas about oversight, please send them my way at rep.benbowman@oregonlegislature.gov.
At the Future Caucus Summit in Indianapolis.
Tour of Art Rutkin Elementary
Touring the brand-new Art Rutkin Elementary School was a highlight from last week. It is truly a gem in the Tigard-Tualatin School District. The building is gorgeous and state-of-the-art, meeting the highest standards for energy efficiency.
Art Rutkin, for whom the elementary school was named, was a wonderful man and member of our community. Rutkin worked for 17 years as principal across the district. Then, he served on the school board for another six years after he retired, resigning due to illness in 2009. My mentor and Art’s former colleague on the school board, Barry Albertson, has shared many stories about what a kind and brilliant man Art was. He’s the perfect person to name an elementary school after. (If you’d like to read more about Art, here’s a link to his obituary in The Oregonian and another about him and the new school.)
Speaking of Barry, a highlight of the tour for me was to see “Barry’s Bench,” named in honor of Barry Albertson. Barry served on the school board for 16 years–he was legendary for wearing a bright yellow sweater to school events.
Sitting on Barry’s Bench at Art Rutkin Elementary with Representative Courtney Neron (Oregon House District 26), Principal Jamie Kingery, and Dr. Sue Rieke-Smith, TTSD’s Superintendent. Photo Credit: Marcella Martinson.
Session Recap with the Tigard City Council
Representative Courtney Neron and I were honored to give a post-session recap to the Tigard City Council, covering all the major budget investments and policy developments that will impact the city moving forward (you can watch the recording here).
The City of Tigard was an incredible partner throughout the session, keeping in frequent communication and responding quickly to information requests. Their help was essential to secure funding for pedestrian safety improvements on Hall Boulevard.
Representative Neron and I presenting to the Tigard City Council. Photo Credit: Mayor Heidi Lueb.
Wyden Town Hall
It’s always a pleasure to host Oregon’s Senior U.S. Senator, Ron Wyden, in the city of Tigard–this time at Broadway Rose Theatre. There were some great questions from the audience, covering everything from the PAC-12 conference to ethics reform in government, to federal funding to cure Alzheimer’s.
At the end, city leaders from Tigard got to say hi to Senator Wyden and take a picture.
Me, Senator Wyden, City Councilor Jeanette Shaw, Tigard Chamber CEO Megan De Salvo, City Council President Yi-Kang Hu, and City Councilor Maureen Wolf.
End of Session Constituent Coffee
Thanks to everyone who came out to my constituent coffee–we had an awesome turnout, and I really enjoyed the conversation. I touched briefly on some key bills and budget investments, and I appreciated the input on Measure 110, public safety funding, investments in housing, and the need to change legislative quorum requirements.
Giving introductions at my constituent coffee event at Symposium Coffee.
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education – Sign up for a constituent tour!
Last Thursday, Dr. Judy Margles gave me a tour of the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education. I first got to know Dr. Margles, the Director of the Museum, from my work at the Oregon Department of Education where we collaborated to develop the Every Student Belongs rule, prohibiting symbols of hate across the state. She was also a key resource as my office developed a resolution to honor legendary Oregon artist Henk Pander (because of timing, we’ll bring back the resolution in a future session). Pander, who painted the official portraits of Governors Tom McCall and John Kitzhaber, died in April. He spent part of his childhood under the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, eventually moving to Portland. His father was a part of the local resistance, hiding Jewish people underneath his floorboards, a scene that Pander later portrayed in a powerful painting (read The Oregonian’s obituary here).
The Oregon Jewish and Holocaust Museum currently has a featured exhibit, including works from Pander and Rembrandt. It ends on September 24th, and I recommend stopping by to learn more about the Jewish experience in occupied Amsterdam. Other exhibits cover the Holocaust, Oregon’s history of discrimination and activism, and ongoing violations of human rights around the world and here at home. The museum is beautifully done; it’s worth the visit.
Next month’s constituent event will be a *free* tour of the museum for HD25 constituents. On September 23 from 1:00-2:00p.m, the Jewish Museum will host up to 20 constituents for a tour and conversation with Dr. Margles. If you are interested in participating, please sign up here.
Note: Because space is limited, we will email you to confirm you’ve secured a slot. Each attendee will be responsible for their transportation and parking.
Dr. Judy Margles and I next to one of Henk Pander’s depictions of Amsterdam.
Thanks for reading,
Ben Bowman
Oregon State Representative
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