Riley's Committee Hears Testimony on Oregon Constitution
WWire, Willamette Week - July 1, 2008
Last week, WW reported that there's a move afoot to hold a Constitutional Convention in Oregon for the purpose of updating the 151-year-old state document.
Yesterday, the House Committee on Government Accountability held a hearing on the mechanics of moving forward with such a convention. Here's a statement issued by committee chairman Rep. Chuck Riley (D-Hillsboro).
"The House Committee on Government Accountability held a hearing today on possible legislation to allow a full review of Oregon’s Constitution.
Chair of the committee, State Rep. Chuck Riley (D-Hillsboro) said that with over 300 changes since the Constitution was drafted in 1857, it's time for Oregon to consider whether it wants to review the document.
“As we approach the sesquicentennial celebration of our state, we are looking at whether the most important document in our state’s history still reflects the core values we have as a state,” said Riley.
Riley’s Committee heard from Attorney General Hardy Myers, Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, former Supreme Court Justice Hans Linde, and noted constitutional lawyer Charles Hinkle. While many of the people testifying said Oregon’s Constitution should be reviewed by a special committee established by the Legislature, attorney Jim Westwood called for a full constitutional convention, allowing for many citizens to participate in the crafting of the new document.
No matter which form the revisions take place, if the Oregon Legislature passes Riley’s proposed bill in 2009, voters will have the final say in any changes to their Constitution, said Riley.
But the two-term legislator knows even a vote on constitutional changes is still a long way off. Several of the presenters at Monday’s hearing said it would be difficult to convince voters to approve of sweeping changes to the constitution without a strong effort in support. And with so many partisan issues now contained in the Constitution -- from the death penalty and property tax reform to free speech protections and limits on the ability of law enforcement to seize property – gaining support of a wide coalition might be difficult.
'Just because something is hard, does not mean it should not be pursued,' Riley told his committee members. 'This is an effort worth pursuing, if for no other reason than to educate Oregon voters about their Constitution, the protections it provides and the wide array of non-constitutional issues it now includes after over 300 separate changes.'"
Recordings of legislative hearings are available here. However, yesterday's hearing has not yet been posted.
Riley Will Hold Hillsboro Town Meeting
The Oregonian - June 16, 2008
Oregon State Rep. Chuck Riley, D-Hillsboro, will host a town hall meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, June 23 in rooms B and C of the Hillsboro Civic Center, 150 E. Main St. Riley will discuss and take input from his constituents on the topic of government accountability.
Riley was recently appointed by Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley, D-Portland, to the newly created Committee on Performance Excellence. This committee was formed during the February special legislative session to increase accountability by providing for oversight and review of state agencies.
"I am honored by this opportunity to continue my work on government accountability, which is a top priority of Oregonians," Riley said.
Riley will also be available to meet with constituents at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at BJ's Coffee, 2834 Pacific Ave., Forest Grove.
-- Roger Gregory
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Chuck Riley selected for 2008 Western Legislative Academy
The Hillsboro Argus - May 27, 2008
The Council of State Governments-West, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization serving western state legislators in 13 western region states, has selected Oregon Representative Chuck Riley as a participant in its prestigious training institute for lawmakers in their first four years of service.
The purpose of the Western Legislative Academy is to build excellence and effectiveness in state legislators in the western region.
Admission to the Western Legislative Academy is highly competitive and is based on commitment to public service, desire to improve personal legislative effectiveness and interest in improving the legislative process. Thirty-nine state legislators from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming have been selected as members of the Class of 2008.
The Western Legislative Academy will convene Nov. 17-20 in Colorado Springs, Colo., for three and a half days of intensive training in the following subjects: the legislative institution, ethics, team building, communications, negotiations and time management.
Faculty will include the Eagleton Institute's Alan Rosenthal, a nationally recognized authority on state legislatures; and Washington, D.C., communications expert Arch Lustberg. Experienced western legislative leaders will discuss the legislature as an institution.
Rep. Riley is serving his second term in the Oregon House of Representatives. He represents House District 29, which includes Forest Grove, Cornelius and parts of Hillsboro. Rep. Riley is the chair of the House Committee on Government Accountability and Information Technology and the vice-chair of the House Committee on Workforce and Economic Development.
The Council of State Government-WEST is a region of the national Council of State Governments based in Lexington, Ky. Regional offices of CSG are in Sacramento, Chicago, Atlanta and New York.
Funding for the academy comes from the Colorado Springs-based El Pomar Foundation, which is dedicated to excellence in nonprofit organizations, and from western state legislatures and corporate sponsors. The El Pomar Foundation also donates the campus for the Western Legislative Academy.
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Both Parties' Candidates Unopposed in District 29
Elizabeth Suh, The Oregonian - April 10, 2008
The race for Oregon House District 29 is likely to be competitive again this election year, with three candidates expected to be on the November ballot.
The incumbent, Rep. Chuck Riley, 68, is running as a Democrat in the May 20 primary. Former farmer and business owner Jeff Duyck, 50, a newcomer to politics, is running as a Republican on that ballot.
Former Cornelius mayor Terry Rilling, 51, now a member of the Independent Party, plans to run for the seat in November.
Rilling, a corporal in the jail division of the Washington County Sheriff's Office, ran as a Republican for the District 29 seat in 2006 but lost to Riley. Rilling said he recently switched to the Independent Party because it's more in line with his views.
Rilling will compete only in the November general election because he does not represent one of the two major parties.
For now, the focus is on Riley and Duyck, both of whom list the economy and education as priorities.
The district, which encompasses Forest Grove, Cornelius and the southwest region of Hillsboro, has 24,588 voters. Democrats outnumber Republicans in the district, and that gap has widened since the 2006 election.
The district has 9,177 Democrats, 8,471 Republicans, 6,006 nonaffiliated, 158 in the Independent Party, and 776 in other parties, with the most in the Libertarian and Working Families parties.
Riley, who has served two terms, was first elected in 2004 after an unsuccessful run in 2002. Before that, he ran his own computer consulting business.
While in office, he said he has either advocated or supported a statewide health plan for teachers; creation of a commission that monitors whether agencies are following recommendations from audits; and preserving the kindergarten through 12th-grade education budget.
He also backed two controversial measures on the 2007 ballot -- Measure 50, a cigarette tax that would have financed health insurance for children, and Measure 49, a land-use law that limits the amount of development allowed under Measure 37. Measure 50 failed, and Measure 49 passed.
Duyck is a lifelong Washington County resident whose family has deep roots in farming. The second of 13 children, Duyck worked on his family farm in Cornelius until he was in his 30s. He then moved to Forest Grove and opened two stores in Cornelius selling farming supplies and fertilizer -- Pacific Harvest Supply Co. and Dutch Country Mercantile.
He sold them last year to Wilco, an Oregon farm-supply cooperative and plans to build a Wilco store in Forest Grove.
Riley, who lives in Hillsboro, said he supports extending Forest Grove's enterprise zone, a designation that gives tax incentives to eligible companies, to Cornelius. Hillsboro also has enterprise zones. Riley said he also supports Cornelius' request to add land to its urban-growth boundary to revitalize its struggling economy.
He said it's also important to nurture a skilled work force by funding colleges and apprenticeship programs.
Duyck said he will work to attract more jobs, particularly in technology, to Forest Grove and Cornelius, so that the cities are more competitive in the global economy and more residents can work where they live.
He said he supports tax incentives through enterprise zones, but he has to examine whether more areas in Cornelius should be developed before expanding the urban-growth boundary into farmland.
Neither candidate supports tax increases, saying instead that they want to ensure existing funds are spent more effectively.
Both also said they support a new state law requiring proof of legal residency to get a driver's license. Riley said he originally opposed the requirement but changed his mind after learning how driver's licenses are used extensively in identity theft.
Both candidates said the district's large Latino population enriches the area and supports the agriculture industry.
Duyck didn't want to discuss his opinions on Measure 49 but said he considered it the "better of two evils," compared with its predecessor, Measure 37. He also said he opposed Measure 50 -- as did a majority of voters in the district -- because he doesn't think the tobacco industry should be targeted to fund health care.
Duyck said people know him as a fair and honest person with a solid background in farming and business. "I'm more in touch with what they want."
Riley said he's been active in all three cities during his time on the state Legislature and knows how to get things done.
"As a professional problem-solver, I like to get things done right," he said.
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Should Oregon's Lawmakers Get Together Each Year? Yes.
Rep. Chuck Riley - Editorial
Forest Grove News Times - March 26, 2008
The special session of the Oregon State Legislature, which began on Monday, Feb. 4, and ended on Friday, Feb. 22, was intended to demonstrate to the people of Oregon that the legislature could successfully meet annually, get our work done and get out.
While we were there we passed some important legislation, often with broad bipartisan support.
• Getting recalled toys off the shelves: I was shocked to learn that retailers in Oregon were allowed to continue selling children’s products after they were put on the federal recall list. HB 3631 corrected that by requiring retailers to remove those items from their shelves immediately.
• Making government more accountable: As chair of the House Committee on Government Accountability (GAIT) and Information Technology, I introduced a bill to create the Committee on Performance Excellence (CPE). The CPE committee will advise state agencies on ways to be more effective and will report the results to the Legislature. This is all part of our accountability as legislators to taxpayers, and will result in better use of tax dollars.
• 24/7 State Trooper Coverage: After 16 years of cuts to state troopers, we added 100 new troopers during the 2007 regular session. During this special session we increased the number of troopers by another 39, bringing the number up to that required for 24/7 coverage.
• Plain Language: In the 2007 session I introduced and got passed House Bill 2702, the Plain Talk Oregon Plan, requiring the state to use plain language in it's communications with citizens. During the special session the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS) reported to the GAIT Committee that it has developed a style guide and a class for state employees in the use of Plain Language. Also, every state agency has designated a Plain Language contact person to help agency personnel comply with the plan and six agencies are participating in Phase One by conducting pilot projects. The Oregon State Library has also developed a Plain Language web site, http://plainlanguage.oregon.gov/.
• Public Safety: I sit on the Oregon Interoperability Execu-tive Commission which was formed to oversee the design and installation of a state wide, multiagency radio communication system. The importance of this was made clear when the north coast was completely cut off from the state by high winds and rain this winter. Add the fact that unless they carry multiple radios, the different state, local, and federal public safety agencies cannot talk to each other in an emergency situation and you have the makings for an even greater disaster. During the special session the legislature approved the first phase of the Oregon Wireless Interoperability Network.
• Preserving Family Agriculture: Last session, we passed a law allowing family farms, fisheries, and woodlot owners to pass their land on to future generations by providing an inheritance tax relief. But the law didn't work as intended and needed fixing. Working with all the major agricultural organizations, we found a solution so family-owned natural resources can be passed from generation to generation. We also passed critical legislation to help farmers and ranchers access water by funding studies across the state to store, reuse, and conserve water while still protecting our salmon runs.
All in all it was a very worthwhile session. I am sure, given the good bipartisan work we did, that the voters will agree and will allow us to begin having short annual sessions. Biennial sessions were perfectly adequate 200 years ago when our constitution was written, but things move a lot more quickly now and we cannot afford to go almost two years without meeting to do the people’s business.
Chuck Riley, a Democrat, represents House District 29, which includes Cornelius and Forest Grove.