Steve Bates -- Oregon State Senate, 26th District, Republican Primary

Retired Sen. Alan Olsen suggested that I run for this seat. He and I worked on many issues together and when he retired, he stated that I should be his replacement.  That did not happen. But when Sen. (Chuck) Thomsen said he was not seeking re-election, Sen. Olsen insisted that I run to make sure the district is properly represented.  With the support of several retired legislators, it is obvious that I have what it takes to be a successful senator.

2. A lack of affordable housing is a community concern throughout the Gorge. What role do you believe the state is able to play in finding solutions, and what solutions do you support?

Unfortunately, Oregon has a regressive land use system.  There is no other state with a system like it. The ultimate solution would be to rewrite the state land use laws to better manage available buildable properties. However, the state legislature has continually avoided this solution. The other hindrances are agencies such as the Columbia River Gorge Commission in Wasco and Hood River counties and Metro in Clackamas and Multnomah counties. We need more land to build more homes. As long as these agencies forbid the expansion of the urban growth boundaries, we are never going to see affordable housing. It is disconcerting that local and state government officials maintain that the only answer is subsidizing housing with tax dollars.

There is hope. The owner of the Last Stop Saloon in The Dalles is refurbishing the upstairs of that building to provide affordable housing to members of the hospitality industry. We need more business owners and private sector members to find solutions like this.

3. The pandemic has exposed significant disparities between Oregonians in their ability to access the Internet, earn a living wage and obtain healthcare. How should the state address these disparities?

Access to the Internet is important for all. I live in rural Clackamas County and the internet is slow and unreliable. We need to encourage the communication companies to provide high speed internet throughout the state.

The school districts are giving all students computers, so access to the internet at home is determined by the parents.

Access to the internet is important for educational purposes. Earning a living wage and obtaining adequate healthcare is dependent upon appropriate education. A reliable education system is the ultimate solution to these disparities.

4. What do you see as Oregon’s greatest challenge going forward?

The greatest challenge is educating our young people so they can be productive members of society. It is perfectly understood that Oregon’s graduation rate is in the lowest percentiles because the state’s education standards are relaxed.

Going forward, we need to establish reasonable education standards that will provide our business community with employees who can perform.