Kim Thatcher

Kim Thatcher
Member of the Oregon Senate
from the 13th district
Assumed office
2015
Preceded by Larry George
Member of the Oregon House of Representatives
from the 25th district
In office
2005–2015
Succeeded by Bill Post
Personal details
Born 1964 (age 53–54)
Pocatello, Idaho
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Karl
Residence Salem, Oregon
Alma mater Portland State University

Kim Thatcher (born 1964) is an American politician. She is currently a Republican state senator from Oregon's Senate District 13, having won election in 2014. Prior to becoming a senator, she was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives from House District 25. She is a resident of Keizer.

Early life

Thatcher was born in Pocatello, Idaho in 1964 and attended Portland State University.[1]

Political career

Thatcher was first elected to the Oregon House District 25 in 2004, representing the Keizer area. Early in her career, as the owner of the highway construction firm KT Contracting, she was well known as a critic of the Oregon Department of Transportation.[2] In May 2005, Thatcher successfully sponsored a bill to limit public access to information about concealed handgun license.[3] She was reelected in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2012. In 2014, Thatcher chose to run for Oregon State Senate Seat 13, held by the retiring Larry George, rather than seek reelection to her house seat.[4]

Thatcher's 2014 campaign for State Senator got off to a strong start. She earned the endorsement of The Oregonian on October 9, 2014 and won the election.[5] However, The Oregonian had revoked the endorsement the day after giving it due to newly released reports showing companies she owned had lied about expenses submitted to ODOT for repayment, and then was found destroying evidence when records were requested in court proceedings. The rulings ended with a $60,000 fine, and an assessment stating that while the company had willfully destroyed evidence, the resources needed to successfully prosecute a criminal case would require more than could be justified as an appropriate use. [6].

Thatcher was a delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention, where she cast her vote for Donald Trump as the nominee. While she initially was a Ted Cruz supporter, she came away from the convention supporting Trump for president, stating "I can honestly say I feel less uncomfortable with Trump."[7]

Legislation

Oregon Transparency Web Site

Thatcher serves on the Transparency advisory commission.[8] She also currently sits on the General Government and Accountability Committee.[9] From 2009 all the way to 2017, Senator Thatcher has been a bipartisan leader in passing numerous bills to increase transparency in Oregon.

In 2009, Thatcher was able to establish Oregon's first transparency website by passing HB 2500.[10] The bill allows the public to see how their money was being spent by a number of different agencies.[11]

In 2011, Thatcher was able to pass House Bill 2825,[12] which expanded Oregon's transparency web site to include economic development tax incentives. This included program like the corrupt BETC program.[13][14] The expansion of the website helped to expose the corruption of the program that was spending hundreds of millions beyond its statutory mandate.[15]

In 2013, Thatcher helped pass HB 2370.[16] The bill directed Oregon Department of Administrative Services with link to agency website where minutes or summaries of public meetings or rules of agency to be made available on Oregon's transparency website. It also required the posting of additional of state contracts, and links to websites established by local governments and by special government bodies for purpose of providing transparency in revenues, expenditures and budgets of public bodies. Furthermore, it required the posting of information on tax expenditures under Oregon Low Income Community Jobs Initiative. During the time, Thatcher spoke to the bill, saying:

There are hundreds of public meetings taking place throughout the state… It is difficult to find rules that agencies make, and this bill helps enhance the public's ability to be informed and engaged.[17]

In 2015, Senator Thatcher expanded the transparency web site that allows users to offer suggestions on form and content of Oregon of the website. It also required the posting of economic development information related to Oregon Product Investment Fund, Farmer Loan Program, and the Oregon Innovation Council and strategic investment program. Furthermore, it required the web site to post a description of how the public can request public records from public bodies.[18]

In 2017, Senator Thatcher was able to further Oregon's transparency website and public participation by passing House Bill 3361.[19] She also passed HB 2946 that required quasi-government agencies, such as public universities, OHSU, The Oregon Tourist Commission, The State Insurance Fund Corporation, and many others, to post revenues, expenditures an budgets to the transparency web site.[20]

Rioting and Protecting Free Speech

On February 15, 2017, Thatcher introduced bill SB 540 to the Senate Committee on Education. The bill would "require Oregon's public universities and community colleges to expel students convicted of rioting."[21] Rioting is defined in ORS 166.05. It states:

"A person commits the crime of riot if while participating with five or more other persons the person engages in tumultuous and violent conduct and thereby intentionally or recklessly creates a grave risk of causing public alarm."[22]

Given the tumultuous and violent behavior of Portland rioters in 2016 and 2017,[23][24][25] the bill was given praise by Oregon commentators that want to protect citizen's right to peacefully assemble and protest.[26] Even politicians on the opposite political spectrum of Thatcher agreed that the Portland protests were anything but peaceful.[27] In fact, Senator Thatcher may be the Nostradamus on Oregon's riot problem because she introduced the same bill, HB 3036, in 2011 before the riots had even taken place.[28]

Senator Thatcher was quoted about the purpose of the bill protecting free speech:

"Free speech protects us all and ensures we can exercise the critical right to share our truth. Violence is not free speech. My bill will protect students who are peacefully protesting from bad apples in the crowd who exploit peaceful protests to engineer violent riots."[29]

References

  1. ↑ "Representative Kim Thatcher (OR)". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 2009-10-16.
  2. ↑ Esteve, Harry (April 19, 2009). "Keizer lawmaker says ODOT crosses line into politics". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  3. ↑ "State House OKs bill regulating handgun data". Mail Tribune. Salem, Oregon: Rosebud Media, LLC. May 5, 2009. Retrieved May 25, 2009.
  4. ↑ Gaston, Christian (December 17, 2013). "Rep. Kim Thatcher seeks Senate Seat". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Bruce Starr, Alan Olsen, Kim Thatcher and Chuck Thomsen for Senate: Editorial endorsement". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group. October 9, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2014.
  6. ↑ https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2014/10/oregon_legislators_firm_caught.html
  7. ↑ Bartman, Jake (July 30, 2016). "Republican convention brought unity, state senator says". Portland Tribune. Portland, Oregon: Pamplin Media Group. Retrieved July 31, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Oregon Transparency: Opening State Government to Everyone". www.oregon.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  9. ↑ "Oregon Legislative Information System". olis.leg.state.or.us. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  10. ↑ "Oregon Legislative Information System". olis.leg.state.or.us. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  11. ↑ "Oregon Transparency: Opening State Government to Everyone Home". www.oregon.gov. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  12. ↑ "Oregon Legislative Information System". olis.leg.state.or.us. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  13. ↑ Sickinger, Ted (June 21, 2017). "Oregon state official admits taking bribes: 'I'm dirty'". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Oregonian Media Group. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Oregon dumped $1B on corrupt green energy credits, while cutting higher ed budget – UO Matters". uomatters.com. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  15. ↑ Sickinger, Ted (November 3, 2016). "Report on questionable tax credits names cross-section of Oregon companies". The Oregonian. Oregonian Media Group. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  16. ↑ "Oregon Legislative Information System". olis.leg.state.or.us. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  17. ↑ "House Committee On Consumer Protection and Government Efficiency 2013-02-26 1:00 PM - Feb 26th, 2013". oregon.granicus.com. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  18. ↑ "Oregon Legislative Information System". olis.leg.state.or.us. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  19. ↑ "Oregon Legislative Information System". olis.leg.state.or.us. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  20. ↑ "Oregon Legislative Information System". olis.leg.state.or.us. Retrieved 2017-07-26.
  21. ↑ Campuzano, Eder (15 Feb 2017). "GOP senator introduces bill requiring colleges to expel students convicted of rioting". Oregon Live. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
  22. ↑ "ORS 166.015 - Riot - 2015 Oregon Revised Statutes". www.oregonlaws.org. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  23. ↑ "It's not Trump or Republicans; Portland has a riot problem (Guest opinion)". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  24. ↑ "Portland's anti-Trump protest turns violent, as rioters rampage in Pearl". OregonLive.com. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  25. ↑ Staff, FOX 12. "Downtown Portland businesses left to repair damages after May Day riot". Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  26. ↑ "Should Colleges Expel Students For Rioting? - The Lars Larson Show". The Lars Larson Show. 2017-02-16. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  27. ↑ TEGNA. "25 arrested after Portland May Day march turns into riot". KGW. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  28. ↑ "Oregon Legislative Information System". olis.leg.state.or.us. Retrieved 2017-07-24.
  29. ↑ Allen, Gary. "Thatcher authors bill aimed at riotous campus protestors". Retrieved 2017-07-24.
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