PLSO July/August 2019

11 Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon | www.plso.org Featured Article Death Rocks the Capitol—Twice It is rare for elected officials to die in office. In fact, I don’t recall it ever hap- pening since I started in 1987. In 2019, it happened twice. Legislators, like a fam- ily, can fight like cats and dogs, but they are still a family, and a death in the fam- ily hits everyone hard. Secretary of State Dennis Richardson died in office on February 26, after a long bat- tle with a brain tumor. The Legislature had just started its work when his death brought everything to a respectful halt. The Capitol was nearly paralyzed for days. His body lay in state in the rotunda of the Capitol prior to his funeral. He was a former member of the House of Repre- sentatives and was a decorated Vietnam helicopter pilot. His funeral reflected his life of service. The second death hit harder. Senator Jack- ie Winters (R-Salem) died on May 29 as the Session was winding down. She was the “mother of the Legislature” and the “conscience of the Senate.” A moderate Republican and longtime ally of President Courtney, Winters was often the bridge between conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats. She was the first black Republican elected to the Oregon House, and then to the Oregon Senate. She was a trailblazer. Above: Secretary Richardson’s casket in the Capitol rotunda. Right: Jackie Winters in the Senate Chambers. The Tale of Two Majorities Although both chambers had Democratic supermajorities, the two couldn’t bemore different. The House, led by Kotek, was bold and aggressive. House candidates promised big changes during their cam- paigns. They are generally younger than their Senate colleagues, and they acted with a sense of urgency—from climate change to tax increases—they wanted it all. And they wanted it now. On the other hand, the Senate is led by President Peter Courtney (D-Keizer), who may be seen as a 76-year-old curmud- geon of a politician. He was first elected to the House in 1980. He’s been around a while. His style is marked by gradualism and cooperation between both parties, despite the large Democratic majority. He is a fierce guardian of the Legislative body as an institution. But things were not well in the Senate. It was rocked last year by accusations that a Republican Senator had sexually ha- rassed a number of women, including at least two Senators. Equally as explosive, Courtney was accused of covering it up. These events weakened his influence. Her absence for much of the Session while battling lung cancer made every- thing harder because her voice was both calming and influential. She was an essen- tial element and she was missing. When the news of her passing was announced, the Legislature came to an immediate halt as legislators hugged and cried. Continues on page 12 T