May Newsletter

 

Representative Brian L. Clem
D-Salem, District 21

Phone: 503-986-1421    900 Court St. NE, H-284 Salem Oregon 97301
Email: rep.brianclem@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/clem
E-Newsletter                              May 5, 2013

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We are nearing the home stretch in this Legislative Session, and I want to update you on some of the bills I’ve been working on.  These are just a few of my priorities and I look forward to working with my colleagues to represent the best interests of our state.

Recently, much attention has been paid to the Legislature’s attempt to raise revenue and reduce costs.  Our public employee retirement system has been caught in the crosshairs and politicians from around the State have pushed for deep cuts in the system.  In my mind, a contract made must be a contract honored.  Many PERS retirees are our teachers, state agency workers, public safety officers, and our firefighters.  They put it all on the line when we asked, and we owe them much.  When faced with a vote to cut PERS, I proudly voted no.  We cannot and should not balance the budget on the backs of our retirees.

I have also had the privilege of working with House Majority Leader Val Hoyle and Senator Ted Ferrioli on a bi-partisan effort to urge the United States Congress to support the Postal Service Protection Act, in House Joint Memorial 15.  My father was a letter carrier in Coos Bay for 42 years, and I saw first-hand the importance of the work that he did.  We didn’t have a lot, but through his years of dedicated service, my brother and I had everything we needed.  The Salem mail processing center provides hundreds of local jobs and an invaluable service to our community. Why should a letter mailed in Salem be routed to Portland for sorting before it is delivered to a Salem address?  We need to fight to preserve local jobs and timely service!  To that end, I am pleased to announce that HJM 15 has both the House and the Senate and is now on its way to the Governor for his signature!

Lastly, my “Buy Oregon” bill (HB 3400) passed through the Senate Committee on General Government after passing through the House unanimously; it is now on its way to the Senate for a general floor vote.  This bill will encourage greater transparency by directing state agencies to publish the percentage of expenditures made in Oregon. By doing so, we can better evaluate how state government spends money and ensure that our tax dollars (to the extent possible) are spent supporting instate business, and not out of state corporations.  I will continue to advocate for the bill’s passage in the Senate.

On March 30, Salem lost a true friend and advocate with the passing of former Salem Chamber of Commerce Chair Mike McLaran.  He worked tirelessly on behalf of our community and his presence will be sorely missed.  I am proud to join with the other Salem elected officials in sponsoring Senate Concurrent Resolution 17, honoring Mr. McLaran’s legacy of service to our city.

It is a privilege to represent you in the Oregon Legislature. As always please do not hesitate to contact my office with questions or concerns.  I want to hear from you!