Program date: Jan. 24
Air date: Jan. 27
From the City Club of Eugene:
The long session of the Oregon Legislature convenes on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Three days later, two legislative leaders will open discussions of the many issues that the legislature will address. Homelessness, taxes, transportation, health care and environmental protections are only a few.
Representative Julie Fahey, the Democratic Speaker of the House, and Representative Lucetta Elmer, Deputy Leader of the Republican Caucus, will each talk about their goals and priorities for the session ahead. Rep. Fahey will present the Democrats’ priorities and Rep. Elmer will lay out the Republicans’ goals.
Speakers:
Rep. Lucetta Elmer represents Oregon House District 24. As of 2021, the boundary for the district includes portions of Polk and Yamhill counties, as well as McMinnville, Yamhill, Carlton, and Sheridan, and the Grand Ronde Community. She grew up on a small farm between Willamina and Sheridan in Yamhill County. It was on the farm that her earnest work ethic was formed, and she does not to shy away from hard labor or difficult tasks. When not working on various business opportunities, Rep. Elmer has held a seat on many civic committees, from the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce to the McMinnville Downtown Association. During her first two Legislative Sessions, she championed workforce housing, certificate of need exemptions, and the removal of senseless business regulations. Far more work lies ahead. In a period of political unrest, she has continuously demonstrated a willingness to reach across the aisle in order to optimize outcomes for all Oregonians.
Rep. Julie Fahey has been the State Representative for Oregon House District 14 (West Eugene, Veneta) since 2016. She was elected by her colleagues to serve as House Majority Leader in 2022 and then as Speaker of the House in 2024. During her time in the legislature, she has focused on three main issues, serving as chair or co-chair of (1) the Committee on Housing and Homelessness; (2) the Committee on Rules, which addresses issues around elections and democracy reforms; and (3) the Conduct Committee, which works to make the Capitol an inclusive and respectful workplace. Over the last seven years, she has worked on major pieces of legislation, including the historic campaign finance reform bill in 2024; the Affordable Housing and Emergency Homelessness Response Package in 2023; the Student Success Act, which made a major investment in our students and our schools; and the Reproductive Health Equity Act, which protected access to abortion, in 2017. Before entering the legislature, she worked as a consultant for businesses and non-profits on workforce issues.
About the City Club of Eugene:
The mission of the City Club of Eugene is to build community vision through open inquiry. The Club explores a wide range of significant local, state, and national issues and helps to formulate new approaches and solutions to problems. Membership is open to all, and Club members have a direct influence on public policy by discussing issues of concern with elected officials and other policy makers. The City Club’s mailing address is PO Box 12084, Eugene, OR 97440, and its website is cityclubofeugene.org.
Video and Broadcast
This program will be live streamed, and the videotape will be made available on the City Club of Eugene’s Facebook page and You Tube Channel, in addition to our website. It will be broadcast on Monday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m., on KLCC 89.7 FM.
Contact: For more information, visit CityClubOfEugene.org.