Jobs and Economy

• Supported the Oregon Low Income Community Jobs Initiative to promote private-sector investment where economic development is needed the most.
• Supported legislation to ensure counties to spend dedicated lottery revenues on economic development and job creation, not pet political projects.
• Supported legislation ensuring that businesses and citizens can benefit from federal job-creation tax benefits in 2011.
• Supported extending Oregon’s Enterprise Zone program so that it will continue to help create jobs in hard-hit communities.
• Supported legislation that will streamline approval of certain industrial projects and help Oregonians get back to work in manufacturing, energy and other key industries.

Education

• Supported providing more funding to schools to supplement the 2011-13 K-12 budget.
• Supported legislation to expand access to innovative public charter schools.
• Supported legislation allowing parents to enroll their children in the school district of their choice.
• Supported legislation allowing local school districts to eliminate unnecessary administrative overhead and redirect savings to classroom instruction.
• Supported a new grant program to help school districts improve student achievement.
• Supported the creation of the Educator Preparation Improvement Fund to improve the preparation of teachers and administrators.
• Voted to eliminate unfunded state mandates that takes dollars away from the classroom.
• Co-sponsored and passed legislation to allow taxpayers to directly deposit their income tax refunds into a Oregon 529 College Savings Network account.

Health Care

• Supported reforms to the Oregon Health Plan that will improve the efficiency and delivery of health care services to vulnerable Oregonians.
• Supported the creation of pilot programs to provide dental care to underserved Oregonians.

Public Safety

• Co-sponsored and passed legislation to protect the privacy of victims of domestic and sexual violence.
• Co-sponsored and passed legislation to require all Oregon counties to organize sexual assault response teams.
• Sponsored and passed a bill that could extend protections for children who’ve reached 18 years and fear further abuse by family members.
• Sponsored and passed a bill to strengthen penalties against strangulation.
• Supported implementation of voter-approved sentencing measures that keep career criminals and chronic drunk drivers behind bars.
• Supported closing a loophole that allowed sex offenders to escape tougher sentences, and voted to crack down on sex trafficking of minors.
• Voted to expand protections for crime victims and approved additional policies to support victims of domestic violence.

Government Spending

• Supported a balanced budget that does not raise taxes on Oregonian.
• Supported measures to cut wasteful spending and redirect savings to essential services.
• Co-sponsored and passed legislation that prevents agencies from extending certain fees without legislative approval.