State Sen. Beyer Leaves Senate for Lobbying
Republican State Senator Roger Beyer, who represents District 9 in Marion County, is joining the exodus of Republicans from the State Legislature and instead will take up lobbying.
From the Appeal Tribune:
State Sen. Roger Beyer of Molalla, a Republican who represented part of the Mid-Valley in the Legislature for more than a decade, resigned abruptly on Friday.Beyer is the first legislator to attribute his departure from office to a new government-ethics law, which requires lawmakers to wait one year after leaving office before taking jobs involving lobbying. In a news release, he said he was exploring jobs that may involve lobbying.
Beyer, 47, manages a tree farm in Clackamas County. His District 9 encompasses a large part of eastern Marion County.
Beyer will turn his sights to lobbying for producers of grass seed, the Statesman Journal reports:
Former state Sen. Roger Beyer of Molalla will succeed Dave Nelson as executive secretary of the Oregon Seed Council, which represents producers and marketers of grass and legume seed.Beyer, a Republican, resigned last week from Senate District 9, which covers eastern Marion, Clackamas and Linn counties. He will assume his new title July 1, but he will start working March 1 with Nelson, who is retiring after 33 years with the council and 31 years in his job. The council represents Oregon's third-largest agricultural sector.
The new government-ethics law requires lawmakers to wait a year after they leave office before they can actively lobby former colleagues. Beyer's wait will end at the start of the 2009 session.
Meanwhile, County Commissioners in Beyer's district will appoint his replacement in a public meeting on Monday.
From the Statesman Journal:
A replacement for state Sen. Roger Beyer of Molalla will be appointed by commissioners from Marion, Clackamas and Linn counties at a joint meeting.The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday in Room 121 of the Chemeketa Santiam Annex, 11656 Sublimity Road, Sublimity. The meeting is open to the public.
Republicans will meet Saturday in Silverton to nominate three to five candidates for the Senate District 9 seat, which Beyer resigned from last week with about 11 months remaining in his term. Commissioners will interview the candidates, then vote for someone based on the proportions of district population within each county.
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Jan. 26, 2008
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Jan 26, '08
What's really sad is that lobbyists get paid WAY MORE than legislators. In fact, most people do...I remember as a staffer in the 05 session, I made just slightly more than my boss...
I would like to see a system where you have annual sessions, but legislators are paid the median state income. Right now, it is really difficult for the average Oregonian to serve in the legislature. You have to be retired, independently wealthy or own your own business. Most of us can't take six months off of work every other year to serve in the legislature. And any of those guys serving in office would tell you that it's definitely a full-time job, especially if you want to do it right.
9:26 a.m.
Jan 26, '08
I agree with Scott.
I don't think that legislators necessarily need to be paid as much as lobbyists. But the disparity is so enormous that it boggles the mind. More importantly, it strikes me as inherently undemocratic because it excludes vast numbers of Oregonians from even participating because they simply couldn't afford to do so. In that respect it's akin to the kind of good ol' boys club where business deals (and profits) are made not on the basis of who is the best or most able but rather on the basis of who is the best connected. Invariably that boils down to afluence. Ditto in large measure for our legislature.
5:51 p.m.
Jan 26, '08
Question: with all the Republicans bailing out of Salem to become lobbyists, who will be left in the legislature to listen to them?!
I mean, I'd be hiring D's to do MY lobbying if I wanted something big from the legislature these days.
%^>
Jan 27, '08
The Statesman-Journal article doesn't have it quite right. The new "revolving door" for legislators' becoming lobbyists isn't a one-year waiting period. It's a one-legislative-session waiting period, and the new law specifies that even-numbered sessions in 2008 and 2010 count. Therefore, a resignation before February 4, 2008 would allow the former legislator to lobby beginning March 1, 2008 (or the day after the session adjourns). Any legislator who resigned before January 1, 2008 is not subject to the new limitation. Even for one who followed the legislation closely, it's never been clear why the provision was so drafted.
Jan 27, '08