A Note About Contributions

Representative Buckley does not accept campaign contributions during the legislative session, which convened on Monday, January 12th, 2009. If you wish to make a donation, please check back following the adjournment of the 2009 regular session of the 75th Legislative Assembly. Thank you for your interest.

Looking Ahead to the 2009 Regular Session

For the past two years, I've had the good fortune to serve as Chair of the House Education Committee as we've worked to rebuild education in our state, and as a member of House leadership, most recently in the Majority Whip position. I assumed that my role in my third term, beginning this month, would be similar--a focus on developing policy and moving legislation through the process.

But soon after the election in November, House Speaker Designee Dave Hunt called to ask me to consider a different role--to take on the challenge of leading the House in the Ways & Means process, the budget writing process, for 2009-11.

I was on I-5 on the cell phone when Rep. Hunt made the request, and I almost drove off the road.

As you well know, we are looking at what could very well be the most challenging financial year for Oregon and for our country since the 1930s. We're facing a steep decline in state revenues and a huge increase in demand for state services. We're not anywhere near where we need to be in education, health care, care for our seniors, our disabled and for kids in foster care. And not only is our safety net wearing painfully thin, we've also fallen years behind in funding vital transportation projects for our state's economy and quality of life.

The budget we are bound to produce this year will be one with far less than what is needed for Oregon, promising a process that will be filled with tension, disappointment and even anger.

There were jokes going around between my colleagues that no one in their right mind would want to lead the budget process this year.

They may very well be right.

But through several lengthy phone calls, Rep. Hunt hit the bottom line with me. He asked me why exactly I want to be in the legislature, why I am asking my family and my district to support me being in Salem in the first place. The bottom line for me is that I want to try to make things better. I want our kids to thrive, our families to thrive, our schools to thrive, our communities to thrive, our state to thrive.

At the moment, we've been dealt a very bad hand. The incoming Speaker asked me to take on the task of playing that hand as well as it can possibly be played. At this point, with the extremely serious challenges we face, there is no other place in the legislative process where I can do more to try to make things better.

So I have agreed to serve as House Chair of the Joint Committee on Ways & Means. Please wish me, and all of us, luck as we take on the challenges for 2009. I will do my best to keep you posted on the work as it evolves over the coming months. I look forward to your questions, concerns and ideas for progress.

Now let's get to it!

Thanks & Onward,

Rep. Peter Buckley
Co-Chair, Joint Committee on Ways & Means