Welcome

The Legislature is NOW IN SESSION!   Thank you for the opportunity to serve and represent you.

For about the next 6 months I will be working full-time here in Salem on your behalf.  If you want to reach us, our phone number is 503-986-1439 and the email is Rep.billkennemer@state.or.us.  Your thoughts and concerns are important and help guide my work; don’t be bashful.

Speaking of work, I make my best effort to be available for your calls, return calls, and visits.  But there is a complication.  This Session I serve on three committees: Business and Labor (the 2^nd busiest committee in the House); Health Care Committee (targeting a statewide health care plan); and Human Resources subcommittee of Ways of and Means (the area the Governor shortchanged with the expectation pressure and new taxes and fees will backfill the needs).

These committees are big challenges and time consuming.  I will be literally in committee meetings, not counting meeting with staff and reading and prep time, over 24 hours per week.  Then there is initially 4-6 hours on the House floor per week going to nearly triple that over time.  We have 6 hours/week scheduled for caucus.  Then I meet and work with citizens, staff and professional advocates, and you can see my days and weeks get pretty busy and long.

That’s the reason that many of your calls and emails will be handled by staff.  Of course, part of their staff time is to review your contacts.  I will be in touch personally where possible.  My staff consists of Cherie McGinnis, my assistant (and also my wife – meaning we work on the commute, at home and on the weekends).   Cherie will have two college interns helping her part time, and we’ll get their names to you as soon as we finalize their schedule.

From the Governor’s State of the State speech and following all the chatter, it looks like there will be a lot financial pressure.  The Recession is reducing revenue and increasing need; yep, those dynamics make matters worse.  There will be lots of fee and tax increases under consideration.  My view is that each needs to be evaluated individually for benefit vs harm.  Some increases likely will be necessary, but what I hear from the majority of you constituents is that buying our way out of the recession with fee and tax increases is not the right strategy nor an affordable one for many.  We need to hold the line, just like most of us our doing at home

You are always welcome to come and visit or bring a group.  Please work with Cherie so that we can schedule your visit and help you make the most of your valuable time.

Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve and represent you.  Please be in touch.  I’ll be working my hardest and best for you.