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OR House Minority Leader Looks Ahead To 2023 Session

PRINEVILLE, OR -- When the Legislative session kicks off in Salem Monday, a new leadership chapter begins for Oregon politics. The 2023 Legislative session begins with a new Governor and Senate Presiden, and a House Speaker who has been in place less than a year. House Minority Leader Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) is optimistic about the change, "With the new Governor, we can find some places to work together to try to do things that have real impact for the homeless situation in Oregon, and we can have some real impact with the lack of law enforcement that we’ve seen in just the last couple of years." She adds, "I do believe that we will have conversations as we go, and I maybe hesitantly say ‘better conversations’ than previous Republican leaders and Speakers have had in the more recent past. But even in that, we’re going to find some places where we don’t agree with what’s happening."

She believes Republicans will be more able to push what she sees as important priorities, now that Democrats have only a simple majority. "I think there’s real opportunity for us to have a different kind of conversation - a different way to approach the things that we need to take care of in this legislative cycle. Having said that, we do have quite a change on the Senate side." Breese-Iverson is concerned about the loss of Peter Courtney’s institutional knowledge after two decades as Senate President, given that both chambers have a lot of new faces. "Just in the House Republican Caucus, I have 11 new members, and I believe the Democrats have 10," Rep. Breese-Iverson tells KBND News, "That’s a considerable number of new members coming into this cycle." But, she says, there is an upside, "It also brings a new energy, which is the exciting part."

The Prineville Republican says in the session she’s most focused on homelessness, law enforcement, lower taxes and government accountability. 

 

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