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395 Chapter 19 Choosing Senators, 1995-96 John Kitzhaber, M.D., age 47, took the oath of office as Oregon’s 35th governor on January 9, 1995. The Kitzhaber-era in Oregon politics had begun in 1978 when the Roseburg emergency-room physician was elected to the Oregon House. After a single term in the House, Kitzhaber won a state Senate seat; he was elected to a second Senate term in 1984. Democrats elected Kitzhaber president in the 1985 session—and reelected him in 1987, 1989, and 1991. Kitzhaber, an avid sportsman and fly fisherman, was keenly interested in environmental issues, particularly those related to fish habitat, hydroelectric power, and forest protection. “An environmentalist who wanted to protect natural resources, and a liberal who opposed a property tax limit and defended a woman’s right to reproductive choices, Kitzhaber didn’t hide his views from the largely conservative constituency.” Voters were drawn to Kitzhaber because of his opinions. The doctor had lots of ideas, focusing on a variety of issues, including the quality and availability of health care and the rising cost of medical insurance. By the time Kitzhaber retired from the legislature in January 1993, he had been instrumental in the passage of legislation including “a bill to establish minimum stream flows; a hydroelectric policy that does not tolerate the loss of salmon and steelhead to development and electricityproducing dams; establishment of a statewide water plan; and a variety of contributions to both forest practices and land-use legislation.”1 Kitzhaber’s most notable legislative achievement was the Oregon Health Plan, which provided insurance coverage to more than 120,000 Oregonians without medical insurance. Senate veteran Clifford Trow, a member of Kitzhaber’s Democratic caucus, observed that he was widely respected for his “fairness, his intelligence, and his knowledge. John Kitzhaber always looked for practical answers to problems. And, he was always willing to work both sides of the aisle to get things done.”2 396 chapter 19 A Republican Legislature John Kitzhaber was the first Democratic governor to serve two full terms since Democrat Sylvester Pennoyer (1887-95). Like Pennoyer, Kitzhaber served for eight years with a Republican legislature. Kitzhaber’s effectiveness came from working collaboratively with Republican caucuses in non-partisan ways. Yet the governor was quick to remind legislators that, as chief executive, he had the power to veto legislation and the 1995 Legislature felt the sting of his vetoes. No governor since Oswald West in 1911 had vetoed so much legislation. The 1995 Legislature was the first Republican-controlled session since 1955. The GOP had regained control of the House in 1990 after 20 years of Democratic rule and recaptured control of the Senate in 1994, ending 40 years of Democratic control. The 1995 Legislature lasted 153 days, January 9-June 10. Over 2,700 bills and resolutions were introduced, 851 passed, and 52 were vetoed by Governor Kitzhaber. Republican Gordon Smith of Pendleton led the Senate. Senator Smith was a millionaire businessman who owned a large food-processing company. He was handsome, photogenic, an effective speaker, and he had his eye on Mark Hatfield’s U.S. Senate seat. Consequently, Smith’s term was marked by a moderatinginfluence ,ashetriedtopositionhimself asamiddle-of-the-roadRepublican who, when appropriate, collaborated with Democrat John Kitzhaber. The Folly of the Rule of Eighteen The 1995 Oregon House was led by Speaker Bev Clarno, a Republican hay and cattle rancher from central Oregon. Clarno was the second woman and first Republican to be House speaker and she oversaw a 34-member Republican caucus . The caucus was deeply divided, with social conservatives often dictating the direction the party took on legislation and policy. At the beginning of the session the caucus adopted a controversial procedural rule, the so-called Rule of Eighteen, intended to keep too much power from concentrating in either the hands of the speaker or those of committee chairs. As applied, the Rule of Eighteen meant that 18 members of the 34-person caucus had to agree on a position before the caucus and House could move forward. The rule caused divisions within the caucus, weakened Clarno’s ability to lead, and slowed down the progress of the House. Most importantly, the Rule of Eighteen put a small minority of House members in control of the body, as it took only 18 Republicans to decide important questions, thus, effectively bypassing the other 16 Republican caucus members (including Speaker Clarno) and the 26 minority Democrats. Eighteen of 60 House...

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