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As of this writing, the end of the legislative session may still be weeks away and many hotly contested bills—most notably a proposed gas tax increase—hang in the balance. Yet it's not too early to offer up a report card on the Legislature, one of the few in the nation that saw Democrats increase their numbers in 2014.
Among Democrats' early-session victories: a voter registration bill that could add 300,000 new voters, and a law that will align Oregon with other states in retaining unclaimed class action lawsuit proceeds. The successes also include environmentalists' top priority, an extension of the low-carbon fuel standard.
Of course, 2015 was a historic legislative session because former Gov. John Kitzhaber resigned abruptly Feb. 18.
After his replacement, Gov. Kate Brown, took over, Democrats finally passed a gun-control bill they've wanted for years and proceeded toward the implementation of legal marijuana, a process still taking shape as the July 1 date for legalization looms.
In the wake of the Kitzhaber resignation, Brown and lawmakers made lots of noise about ethics reforms but little progress. And Brown is now working to repeal the low-carbon fuel standard she recently signed into law, in exchange for a transportation funding package that includes increased gas taxes and motor vehicle fees.
Some lawmakers are gliding through the 2015 session like jewel thieves, leaving barely a fingerprint on this state; others are workhorses, worth multiples of the $22,260 annual salary (not counting per diem payments) legislators pull down.
So how have your lawmakers fared amid the blizzard of bills and avalanche of advocacy?
We surveyed Capitol lobbyists, staffers and journalists, asking them to numerically rate legislators on a scale of zero to 10 in the categories of integrity, brains and effectiveness. We received 34 responses from across the political spectrum, and a legislator's overall rating is an average of those replies.
As always, we grant respondents anonymity. Historically, some lawmakers and readers hate that practice, claiming respondents engage in score-settling or partisan attacks, and that the survey is anything but scientific.
We acknowledge the survey is unscientific. But the ideological range of respondents makes skewing the numbers difficult, even in the face of tactics such as the Senate Democrats' plan to stuff the ballot box this year. (They didn't end up doing so.)
Readers also say the ratings simply reflect WW's own views. Except we don't get a say. It's true our election endorsements often praise the legislators who end up at the top of the survey. But the survey also beats up on legislators we have praised. Rep. Julie Parrish (R-West Linn), for example, usually ends up at or near the bottom of the ratings. (She just missed being rated "awful" this year.) Democrats knock Parrish because she's a Republican, and Republicans dislike her because she's pro-choice, pro-gay marriage and self-promotional. We think her independence makes her a fine legislator.
Despite these caveats, the Good Bad & Awful issue for nearly 40 years has provided one of the best assessments of how your legislators perform in Salem.
One finding in this year's survey is stark: The House overall looks more effective in the eyes of the survey respondents, while the Senate is increasingly ossified and adrift. On average, the scores for the Senate are well below those of the House—the first time in memory that's happened. And all the legislators rated "awful" are in the Senate.
WW intern Anthony Macuk contributed reporting and research for this story.
The Excellent
SEN. RICHARD DEVLIN
D-Tualatin
Overall rating: 8.67
Integrity: 8.13
Brains: 8.97
Effectiveness: 8.90
The retired legal investigator with a snowy Abe Lincoln beard is Salem’s acknowledged numbers man. He’s co-chairman of the Joint Ways and Means Committee, widely respected and has been rated excellent in our survey for the past four sessions. This year marks the second survey in a row he’s logged the highest rating. ”Smart, savvy and a great guy,” says one business lobbyist. “No one knows budgets better,” says another lobbyist. Devlin, 62, a lawmaker since 1996, pushed through the earliest K-12 budget in decades. His rating reflects his studiousness, his Lilliputian ego, and his willingness to do the hard but vital work on Ways and Means. Devlin will probably run for secretary of state next year. Whether the humility that makes him Salem’s top team player works in an individual race remains to be seen.
REP. JENNIFER WILLIAMSON
D-Portland
Overall rating: 8.06
Integrity: 7.50
Brains: 8.44
Effectiveness: 8.24
Williamson, 41, is a former lobbyist and recovering lawyer who has become a star in her second term. She scored a big victory early in the session when she provided much of the energy behind a bill to distribute the unclaimed proceeds of class action lawsuits. Until now, the malefactor got to keep damages that didn’t get paid out. She also sponsored a bill that will put body cameras on cops, but was less successful with another bill to make grand jury transcripts public. Lobbyists think she’s destined for bigger things. “Bright, hard-working, cheerful, diplomatic, dogged and effective,” says one respondent. “She works circles around her colleagues.”
REP. TINA KOTEK
D-Portland
Overall rating: 7.97
Integrity: 7.13
Brains: 8.37
Effectiveness: 8.41
Kotek, 48, is in her second term as House Speaker, and she’s learned to rein in her habit of overpromising, as in 2013, when she pledged to her public employee union allies she would limit PERS cuts to $800 million, and then watched then-Gov. John Kitzhaber ram through cuts worth $5 billion. “She learned a great deal last session and is far more effective this time around,” says an observer. Kotek impressed observers with the way she cajoled her fractious caucus into line on tough sells such as the low-carbon fuel standard and the expansion of gun background checks. “Wicked smart and intensely strategic,” says another lobbyist. “I wouldnât want to play Risk with her.”
REP. JEFF BARKER
D-Aloha
Overall rating: 7.67
Integrity: 8.27
Brains: 7.15
Effectiveness: 7.58
A flinty retired Portland police detective serving in his seventh session, Barker, 72, is the quiet leader of his caucus’ moderate wing. “One of the only legislators who actually understands the word compromise,” says a lobbyist. Barker nearly retired after the 2011 session, when the House was evenly split 30-30. But he hung in and, with House Democrats holding a wide majority, Barker spends much of his energy playing traffic cop as the leader of the House Judiciary Committee. “Wise, kind and tough,” says one lobbyist.
The Good
SEN. MICHAEL DEMBROW
D-Portland
Overall rating: 7.45
Integrity: 7.94
Brains: 7.63
Effectiveness: 6.78
Dembrow, 63, is a toothy film studies instructor at Portland Community College who is serving his rookie year in the Senate after three terms in the House. He’s not flashy but has continued to move up in the rankings. He chairs the Senate Workforce Committee and was a leader in the push for statewide sick leave. “The nicest and maybe the smartest man in the building,” says one admirer. “Giving his calming influence, he must be a darn good teacher.” “Might be the gentlest soul in the legislature,” says one lobbyist. “He’s incredibly effective.”
SEN. ELIZABETH STEINER HAYWARD
D-Portland
Overall rating: 7.07
Integrity: 7.18
Brains: 7.96
Effectiveness: 6.07
Nobody doubts this family doctor’s smarts or passion. “She’s willing to take on hard fights,” says one lobbyist. Co-chairwoman of the Joint Ways and Means subcommittee on general government, Steiner Hayward, 52, pushed hard but unsuccessfully for mandatory vaccinations. She did pass a bill that will give women access to a year’s worth of contraception. Several commenters noted Steiner Hayward’s smartest-person-in-the-room persona and her need to keep reminding people of her medical credentials. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a family physician. We know,” says one lobbyist. Says another: “Please quit talking and listen.”
SEN. MARK HASS
D-Beaverton
Overall rating: 7.06
Integrity: 6.93
Brains: 7.46
Effectiveness: 6.79
Thanks to robust tax revenues, lawmakers finally funded a crucial K-12 mandate: full-day kindergarten. Hass, 58, now in his fourth Senate session after serving three in the House, has for years been that issue’s champion. Now the former TV newsman-turned-PR consultant can devote his full energy to his other passion: tax reform. So far he is tinkering around the edges: passing a complex bill revising the way computer server farms are taxed and pushing for tuition-free community college. Hass’ steady demeanor wears well in Salem. “Closest thing we have to a statesman in the Senate,” says one GOP lobbyist. Adds another: “Good lawmaker who picks excellent issues, though this dive into tax reform will test his considerable skill set.”
Rookie of the Year
REP. ROB NOSSE
D-Portland
Integrity: 8.40
Brains: 7.15
Effectiveness: 6.73
Outside the Capitol, Nosse, 47, a former nurse’s union lobbyist, is known for wearing a lot of hats—mostly fedoras. As a new legislator, he showed an equal ability to wear a lot of metaphorical hats. Observers found him likable and a quick study. Nosse worked to pass a bill to ban conversion therapy that advocates claim turn gays straight. He showed a veteran’s understanding of how to work bills and communicate effectively. “Very strong first term,” says one lobbyist. Adds another, who’s been around many years: “Writes a handwritten note to everyone and I mean everyone he meets with.”
REP. JOHN DAVIS
R-Wilsonville
Overall rating: 7.41
Integrity: 7.46
Brains: 8.27
Effectiveness: 6.50
The metro area’s youngest member, Davis, 32, a business lawyer from Wilsonville, leaped into the No. 2 spot in his caucus in only his second session when Republicans dumped Rep. Julie Parrish (R-West Linn). Davis earns high marks for collegiality. He voted with Democrats, for instance, to ban conversion therapy. Like most Republicans, Davis had little luck passing his own legislation. He is low-key, though not to everyone’s taste. “Smartest dude in the room, just ask him,” says one skeptic. “A very bright, straight arrow who hasn’t a clue how to lead his caucus of unherdable cats,” says an observer. “Clone this guy and bring back the Republican Party,” says a business lobbyist.
REP. JESSICA VEGA PEDERSON
D-East Portland
Overall rating: 7.41
Integrity: 7.65
Brains: 7.54
Effectiveness: 7.04
The low-key Vega Pederson, 40, is one of the few Hispanic lawmakers in Salem. In her second session, she’s shown an ability to punch above her weight. She’s energized Democrats’ successful push for expanding sick leave statewide and increasing the minimum wage to $13 an hour. “Predictably left, 100 percent of the time,” says one lobbyist. An East Portland resident, she’s rumored to be looking at the Multnomah County Commission seat Judy Shiprack must give up next year because of term limits. “Underrated,” says one respondent. “Very smart, and her star is shining this session.” Another observer calls her “thoughtful and a political realist.”
REP. ALISSA KENY-GUYER
D-Portland
Overall rating: 7.19
Integrity: 8.12
Brains: 7.08
Effectiveness: 6.36
For three sessions now, Keny-Guyer, 56, one of the most liberal members of her caucus, has patiently pushed legislation that would require the labeling of toxic compounds. “A bit of a rarity in Salem,” says one lobbyist. “Someone who will determinedly dig into an issue and really let the information gathered through good questions drive her to conclusions.” The toxics bill remains one of the Democratic priority bills whose passage is up in the air, despite Keny-Guyer’s party holding solid majorities. She moved up strongly in this year’s ratings. “More focused,” says one lobbyist. “Knows how the sausage is made.”
REP. KEN HELM
D-Beaverton
Overall rating: 7.10
Integrity: 7.48
Brains: 7.78
Effectiveness: 6.05
Helm is a rookie whose experience as a land-use lawyer prepared him well for the fractious atmosphere of the Capitol. “Knows his issues,” says one lobbyist. Helm, 50, helped pass a bill aimed at moving road-hog drivers out of the left lane. He struggled to find support for a proposed fracking ban dear to the hearts of the enviros who recruited him for office. His precise manner also rubbed some people the wrong way. âHe knows more than you do about what’s good for your client,” wrote one lobbyist.
REP. MITCH GREENLICK
D-Portland
Overall rating: 7.09
Integrity: 7.14
Brains: 7.69
Effectiveness: 6.43
The Legislature’s oldest member is a medical marvel: Greenlick powered through two hip replacements and a battle with a rare and pernicious cancer. He brings a mixture of toughness and 30 years as a medical researcher to his chairmanship of the House Health Care Committee, which is continuing to wrestle with the implications of the massive expansion of the Oregon Health Plan, the creation of coordinated care organizations and cleanup after the collapse of Cover Oregon. “At the age of 80, the sharpest, most insightful mind on the whole committee,” says one lobbyist. “How refreshing to see political courage to vote one’s true beliefs without concern for political reprisal.” Greenlick is often irascible but never in doubt. “One of the most ferocious chairmen,” says one observer. “Does not suffer fools.”
Average
SEN. GINNY BURDICK
D-Portland
Overall rating: 6.77
Integrity: 7.07
Brains: 6.60
Effectiveness: 6.66
In her 18 years in the Senate, Burdick, 67, a public relations consultant, has been ranked ”bad” for the past two sessions and “awful” before that. Her dramatic improvement this session is almost certainly because her careerlong campaign for gun control finally delivered. She pushed through a bill that expands background checks for private gun transactions. Burdick also scored the high-profile assignment of co-chairing the House-Senate committee on marijuana. “Been fun watching her corral the pot crazies,” says an observer. “Occasional flashes of courage,” says another.
SEN. CHUCK THOMSEN
R-Hood River
Overall rating: 6.22
Integrity: 7.58
Brains: 5.85
Effectiveness: 5.23
This laconic pear grower in his third session plays the part of the country hayseed well, but many in Salem think he’s playing possum. “Folksy but actually smart,” says one. Thomsen, 58, worked hard (and unsuccessfully) to block the low carbon fuel standard and paid sick leave, always with a smile on his face. “He’s either Zen or on Quaaludes,” says one close watcher. “Or knows that being in the minority isn’t worth being all stressed out.”
REP. BARBARA SMITH WARNER
D-Portland
Overall rating: 6.96
Integrity: 7.33
Brains: 7.08
Effectiveness: 6.48
A longtime political insider, Smith Warner, 48, hit the ground running in Salem after being appointed to fill a vacancy in 2013 and elected in her own right last fall. She sponsored House Bill 2600, which continues insurance coverage when a worker takes family leave. “Smart, energetic and relatable,” says one observer. “Knows the tricks, where the dead bodies are buried and generally who buried them,” says a lobbyist. “Hard to get much past her.”
REP. SHEMIA FAGAN
D-Clackamas
Overall rating: 6.92
Integrity: 6.71
Brains: 7.62
Effectiveness: 6.43
Fagan, 33, a business lawyer with big political ambitions, is a polarizing and sometimes fierce figure. “Wouldn’t surprise me if she’s a cage fighter on the side,” says one female lobbyist. “She’s just downright intense and scary.” Fagan now chairs the Consumer Protection and Government Effectiveness Committee. She’s worked hard to fund sidewalks in East Multnomah County and passed a bill that allows people to block robocalls. Many have expected more from her. “Crafty, smart and politically skilled,” says one lobbyist. “Has taken a hard left in second term,” says another.
REP. TOBIAS READ
D-Beaverton
Overall rating: 6.76
Integrity: 6.43
Brains: 7.33
Effectiveness: 6.53
Read, 39, is tall, ambitious and wonky. This session, he co-sponsored a successful class action lawsuit reform bill and helped push through a retirement security bill. Read’s known for tilting at windmills, and this session, he aggressively advocated keeping the tax kicker payments to be credited back to taxpayers. He never had a prayer. He’s spent this session gearing up to run for state treasurer. “He really wants to be popular. Really. Which is why he has been either unwilling or unable to lead on any significant issue,” says one lobbyist. Adds another, “Zzz.”
REP. MARGARET DOHERTY
D-Tigard
Overall rating: 6.62
Integrity: 7.05
Brains: 6.32
Effectiveness: 6.48
The former high-school teacher and Oregon Education Association staffer is now in her fourth term, and this session Doherty, 64, won a victory for low-income students, getting the state to cover the full cost of their reduced-price meals. Doherty will never surprise anybody with her position on any issue: It’s always unions first. She made sure the OEA won one of its top priorities, a bill that stops school districts from using standardized test results to assess teachers. “Too ideological for her own good,” says a business lobbyist. A left-leaning advocate disagrees: “It’s nice to have someone not ashamed to be a labor goon.”
REP. CARLA PILUSO
D-Gresham
Overall rating: 6.57
Integrity: 7.75
Brains: 6.60
Effectiveness: 5.35
The former Gresham police chief, 59, traded one combat zone for another when she replaced former Rep. Greg Matthews. Respondents’ comments suggest Salem expects her to play a bigger role in the future. “Refreshing and honest approach,” says one lobbyist. “Big improvement for Gresham.” Piluso used her law enforcement know-how to help pass a bill to take guns away from domestic abusers. “Her career experience is showing well,” says one lobbyist. “She is open to input and quietly exerts her influence rather than pounding podiums.”
REP. SUSAN MCLAIN
D-Hillsboro
Overall rating: 6.35
Integrity: 7.09
Brains: 6.43
Effectiveness: 5.52
McLain, 66, a former teacher, also served four terms on the Metro Council before effectively being handed her House seat by former Rep. Ben Unger, so she ought to know how politics works. But this rookie went all but unnoticed. “Doesn’t seem to have a single creative idea in her head,” says one observer. Adds another, “Hillsboro is a thriving successful community with Ph.D.s and entrepreneurs. And they send us McLain?”
Most Improved
REP. BRENT BARTON
Gladstone and Oregon City
Integrity: 6.75
Brains: 8.04
Effectiveness: 6.13
Still baby-faced at 35, this Harvard-educated lawyer crossed caucus leadership in 2014, voting against a bill Democrats supported that would have rewritten the ballot title for a measure aimed at helping undocumented immigrants obtain driver’s licenses. That cost him a committee chairmanship and the clout that goes with it. But his work this year has earned him the biggest improvement among all the legislators in this survey. He’s worked to secure funding for the redevelopment of a bankrupt paper mill at Willamette Falls and insurance reform that provides greater coverage for injured motorists. “Seems to like being in the Legislature more this session,” says one lobbyist. “Unbelievably bright, a bit of a wasted talent,” says another.
REP. MARK JOHNSON
R-Hood River
Overall rating: 6.34
Integrity: 6.05
Brains: 6.61
Effectiveness: 6.35
A residential contractor and Hood River School Board member, whose mustache and jeans remind some people of a certain former governor, Johnson, 58, brings a useful set of tools to a building short of effective Republicans. “One of a sadly very few bright, genuinely moderate legislators,” says one lobbyist. Johnson worked across the aisle to help pass a couple of bills: one that beefs up charter school standards, and another aimed at providing lower cost college degrees. “Being in the minority sucks,” says one respondent, “and he doesn’t hide that. “
REP. BILL KENNEMER
R-Oregon City
Overall rating: 6.25
Integrity: 6.46
Brains: 6.54
Effectiveness: 5.75
Kennemer, 68, is serving his fourth term after a dozen years on the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners and time in the Senate before that. He was the only Republican chief sponsor of a new law that prohibits the sale of vaping devices to minors. The retired psychologist also co-sponsored bipartisan legislation to straighten out the mess around the annexation of Damascus. “The most moderate Republican,” says one lobbyist. “Absolutely ineffective now,” says another.
REP. ANN LININGER
D-Lake Oswego
Overall rating: 6.20
Integrity: 6.22
Brains: 6.93
Effectiveness: 5.46
Lininger, 47, a lawyer and former Clackamas County commissioner, came to Salem as a bright prospect and a got a big assignment for a rookie: She co-chairs the joint committee charged with implementing marijuana legalization. The consensus is, she’s greener than expected. “Could use a little more polish if she wants to be taken seriously,” says one observer. “Claimed to be a moderate pragmatist prior to session,” says a business lobbyist, “but she is easily one of the two or three most liberal members of her caucus.” Adds another observer, “In a hurry to be somebody.”
REP. LEW FREDERICK
D-Portland
Overall rating: 6.13
Integrity: 7.22
Brains: 6.22
Effectiveness: 4.96
As the only African-American in the House, Frederick, 63, a former Portland Public Schools spokesman and TV reporter, carries a heavy burden, and insiders say he’s doing better than in past years. “Starting to wake up,” says a lobbyist. In his fourth session, he’s pushed for an anti-profiling bill and legislation to expunge marijuana convictions, which disproportionately affect African-Americans. “Would accomplish more if he wasn’t obsessed with self-promotion,” says one observer.
REP. JOE GALLEGOS
D-Hillsboro
Overall rating: 6.10
Integrity: 7.45
Brains: 6.10
Effectiveness: 4.74
If the Legislature put up missing persons posters, Gallegos’ face would be everywhere. As it is, this grandfatherly retired college professor is coasting through his second term and is all but invisible. He moved legislation on English language learners that prevents ELL funds from being spent on unrelated programs. “Other than having a pulse and a D by his name, how on earth did this guy become a legislator?” asks one lobbyist. “I’ve met more engaging, and engaged, potted plants.”
Bad
SEN. LAURIE MONNES ANDERSON
D-Gresham
Overall rating: 5.80
Integrity: 6.74
Brains: 5.00
Effectiveness: 5.67
Monnes Anderson, 69, is a pleasant, if often puzzled, former nurse who long ago hit the low ceiling of her legislative abilities. She’s serving her sixth session in the Senate after two in the House. “Nice lady, an embarrassment as a senator,” one observer writes. Although Monnes Anderson is the longtime chair of the Senate Committee on Health Care, she hasn’t gained respect for her grasp of the topic. “Totally clueless even on the issues she champions,” one respondent says. “East County needs a strong voice,” another says, “and she ain’t it.”
SEN. CHIP SHIELDS
D-Portland
Overall rating: 5.73
Integrity: 5.16
Brains: 6.65
Effectiveness: 5.39
A veteran of three House sessions and now in his fourth as a senator, Shields, 47, is known for a couple of pet issues—advocating for prison inmates and against insurance companies. His session, however, was marked by his loss of the chairmanship of the Senate general government committee that he held in 2014. Shields was further marred by the exposure of an ethical oil slick. After taking a job with his family’s lubricant-manufacturing business, Shields had state Rep. Lew Frederick (D-Portland) introduce a bill that would require the state to use products such as those sold by the Shields family company. Although the Senate Special Committee on Conduct cleared Shields of ethical wrongdoing, it will take a while to sop up the mess to his reputation. “Should bring his dog to work,” says one observer, “so he has a friend in the building.”
SEN. ROD MONROE
D-East Portland
Overall rating: 5.71
Integrity: 6.96
Brains: 5.38
Effectiveness: 4.79
Monroe, 72, first won elected office in 1976, when there were more beavers than people in Oregon. The former teacher has served a total of 16 years in the Legislature in addition to time on the David Douglas School Board, the Mt. Hood Community College board and three terms on the Metro Council. For at least a decade, observers have commented that Monroe was way past his sell-by date. This session, Monroe worked on legislation to keep e-cigarettes out of the hands of minors, but many observers wish Monroe, a fitness buff and lay minister, had not run for re-election in 2014. “Past his prime,” a typical commenter says. “Time to retire.”
Biggest Decline
SEN. DIANE ROSENBAUM
D-Portland/Milwaukie
Overall rating: 5.98
Integrity: 6.13
Brains: 6.26
Effectiveness: 5.55
Rosenbaum, 65, a retired communications workers union official in her fourth Senate session after five in the House, has struggled to make herself heard in a caucus led by voluble Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem). “Courtney smothers her,” one respondent says. She’s hurt by an inability to lead on issues that are squarely in her wheelhouse, such as statewide sick leave and raising the minimum wage. “Even the unions are embarrassed by her leadership,” a business lobbyist says. Rosenbaum is one of several legislators eyeing a run at secretary of state in 2016 and worked hard to pass the “motor voter” bill, a longtime priority of Gov. Kate Brown that could add 300,000 voters to the rolls. Not many are impressed. “So much to get done and so little energy to do it,” says a lobbyist. Another calls her a “lettuce sandwich.”
REP. JEFF REARDON
D-Happy Valley
Overall rating: 5.67
Integrity: 6.79
Brains: 5.54
Effectiveness: 4.67
In his second term, this 68-year-old retired shop teacher struggled to distinguish himself from a piece of lumber like those on which his students used to hammer. “Kind and good-hearted,” says one business lobbyist. “Not loud enough for anyone to hear.”
REP. KATHLEEN TAYLOR
D-Southeast Portland/Milwaukie
Overall rating: 5.56
Integrity: 6.63
Brains: 5.84
Effectiveness: 4.21
A rookie lawmaker, Taylor, 48, looked promising on paper: She’s a former government auditor and court-appointed special advocate. As an elected official, however, she seemed lost and focused on a narrow agenda—keeping e-cigs out of the hands of children. Many respondents didn’t bother commenting on her at all. Those who did were dismissive. “What a disappointment,” says one observer. “Batshit,” says another.
REP. CHRIS GORSEK
D-Troutdale
Overall rating: 5.47
Integrity: 6.41
Brains: 5.32
Effectiveness: 4.68
Gorsek, a second-termer, teaches geography at Mt. Hood Community College but couldnât find relevance in Salem with a map. “Thereâs no there there,” says one lobbyist. The stocky former Portland cop passed a bill that will shift economic development subsidies more toward east Multnomah County and rural areas, but survey respondents say he’s mostly taking up space. Says one lobbyist, “Squirrels on water skis have more of an impact on the state of Oregon than this guy.”
REP. JULIE PARRISH
R-West Linn
Overall rating: 5.35
Integrity: 5.26
Brains: 6.15
Effectiveness: 4.65
There are few more polarizing or consistently misunderstood figures in Salem than Parrish. A third-termer, Parrish, 41, is a pro-choice Republican who wins in a Democratic majority district. She in effect runs a printing press in her office: Parrish was the chief sponsor on 80 bills this session, which her caucus says is the most in the building. Many addressed ethics and campaign finance and promptly got recycled. Parrish got kicked out of caucus leadership because of her independence and her attention-getting efforts. “Her endless quest for self-promotion limits her ability to be effective,” writes a lobbyist. “Always accessible,” adds another, “because no one wants to talk to her.”
Awful
SEN. ALAN OLSEN
R-Canby
Overall rating: 4.63
Integrity: 5.57
Brains: 4.43
Effectiveness: 3.89
A genial contractor, Olsen is a consistent laggard in this survey, but he gives a consistent floor speech. “His Tuesday jobs spiel is just legendary at this point,” says one lobbyist. Notably, Olsen, 62, cast the key vote against a bill that would have allowed development of the Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora into a massive warehousing and distribution facility. That project, on the drawing board for more than a decade, enjoys hefty financial support and backing from Olsen’s fellow Republicans. It turns out Olsen opposed the bill because he says he wants to stop industrial development from creeping south of the Willamette. “Not well-suited for the minority,” says one observer. “I worry this session has taken a toll on his blood pressure.” Observers appreciate Olsen’s diligence, which outstrips his effectiveness. Says one GOP observer: “Certainly reads every word of every report he gets, and is still clueless.”
SEN. KIM THATCHER
R-Keizer
Overall rating: 4.20
Integrity: 5.80
Brains: 3.53
Effectiveness: 3.27
The retirement of Larry George, a savvy Republican hazelnut processor from Newberg, created an opening for Thatcher, 50, the co-owner of a road contracting company who served five terms in the House. This session, she pushed for less regulation for business and reciprocity for concealed handgun licensees from other states. But as she did as a representative, Thatcher focused mostly on transportation minutiae. “If it doesn’t involve traffic cones and flags, she’s probably not interested,” says an observer. “Moving her up to the Senate was a sage way for the House to get rid of an incompetent train wreck,” says another respondent.
SEN. CHUCK RILEY
D-Hillsboro
Overall rating: 4.08
Integrity: 5.46
Brains: 3.75
Effectiveness: 3.04
Last year, the Democratic Party machine convinced Washington County voters they should throw out respected incumbent Sen. Bruce Starr (R-Hillsboro) in favor of Riley. “I think he is even a little shocked he won,” says one Democratic lobbyist. A retired IT consultant, Riley, 76, previously served three terms in the House and routinely finished in the basement of this survey. He’s back, and in his first Senate session earned notice only for the recall attempt against him launched by gun owners because he voted for background checks for private gun purchases. “How do you light up Riley’s eyes?” asks one veteran lobbyist. “Shine a flashlight in his ear.”
Willamette Week