Kotek’s State of the State speech highlights key issues ahead of 2025 legislative session
3 min read
During a State of the State address at a join assembly of the Oregon House and Senate, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek restated her legislative priorities, the same as the ones she set during her first day in office, housing, homelessness and education.
"Today I am renewing a conversation with you about Oregon’s future and how we build shared prosperity over the next two years. We are making progress despite entrenched challenges, but that progress is fragile and requires all of us to be persistent and not get distracted," she said.
Kotek boasted progress on the goals she had previously set to reduce unsheltered homelessness noting however that when it comes to her goal of new housing production more needs to be done and called for patience.
"I would bet that every person in this chamber knows where they will sleep tonight, safely and comfortably. That is what I want for every Oregonian," she said. "I am impatient about the pace of progress and some days just pretty angry that we’re in this predicament at all and that we can’t move faster to get more housing built. So please my friends, let’s do more, let’s be bolder, let’s build more housing."
In a video released to their social media accounts and sent to media, House and Senate Republicans leaders Rep Christine Drazan (R-Canby) and Sen Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) were critical of Kotek’s progress report harping on the lack on new housing production.
"Governor Kotek pledged to build 36 thousand new housing units per year but she has barely reached that goal in her first two years in office combined that is not just falling short that is barely a start and it’s completely unacceptable," Bonham can be heard saying in the video.
Drazan who unsuccessfully ran against Kotek during in the 2021 race for Governor, pointed to Republican’s vision for the future as a contrast to what she called "Kotek’s failed policies."
"Republicans have a vision for the future that is about addressing the challenges that we all care about as Oregonians," she said pointing to Education as one of the areas her party would like to change.
"For far too long the conversation has been about what the system needs what the bureaucracy needs how much money is needed to continue the status quo, it’s not good enough for our kids and it’s not good enough for the families and the future of our state," she said.
Both chambers have new minority leadership.
During the previous long session in 2023, Republican Senators hosted the longest walkout in Oregon’s history denying Democrats the quorum they need to pass bills for weeks on end. The walkout began as the majority party was slated to pass legislation on gun control and abortion rights.
Senate President Rob Wagner (D-Lake Oswego) and House Majority Leader Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) both delivered remarks promising to work across the aisle this session and urging their fellow lawmakers to do the same.
https://katu.com/news/local/koteks-state-of-the-state-speech-highlights-key-issues-ahead-of-2025-legislative-session-salem-oregon-tina-kotek-governor-assembly
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News post in at: January 14, 2025, 3:00 am.
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