Dennis Richardson (politician) - Career

Career

Richardson was first elected in 2002 after defeating incumbent (and fellow Republican) Cheryl Walker in a contentious Primary Election campaign. After winning the General Election, Richardson was sworn in to serve in the 72nd Legislative Session (2003), which ultimately lasted more than 37 weeks and was the longest legislative session in Oregon history. In that session, Richardson served on the complex and contentious Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Reform Committee and as Vice Chair of the Land Use committee.

In his second term, Richardson was elected by unanimous vote of his peers as Speaker Pro Tempore of the Oregon House of Representatives’ 73rd Legislative Session (2005). Although he had no prior service on budgeting committees, Richardson was handed a gavel and asked to assume responsibility for crafting multi-billion dollar health and human service budgets as Chair of the Joint Senate-House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

During the 2005 session, Richardson was a vocal opponent of Senate Bill 1000, which would have created civil unions of same-sex couples. He debated this issue with Democratic Connecticut State Senator Andrew J. McDonald on MSNBC's political talkshow Hardball with Chris Matthews on April 26, 2005.

Richardson was reelected and served in the 74th Legislative Assembly (2007), his party in the minority for the first time in a decade. He was selected to serve as the Minority Whip, and as Vice-Chair of the House Health Care Policy Committee. He was originally named to the Consumer Protection Committee, and then reassigned to serve on the Ethics Guidelines Committee, which answers questions about ethics for House members, specifically relating to gifts from lobbyists and other organizations.

Richardson’s legislative service continued as a member of the minority party when the Republicans were elected to only 24 seats (Democrats held 36—a “Super-Majority), in the 75th Legislative Assembly (2009).

After four years (2007-11) of Democratic control of the Oregon House, Senate and Governor’s office, Richardson’s caucus gained six seats and, for the first time in Oregon history, the House began the 76th Legislative Assembly (2011) equally tied with the Democrats (30/30). Prior to the opening of the 2011 session, Richardson served on the Republican negotiations team and helped craft the “Oregon Co-Governance Model". Later in 2011 Richardson was selected to oversee the crafting of $55 billion in combined State budgets as Co-Chair of the Full Joint Senate-House Ways & Means Committee.

In addition to his legislative career, Richardson led seven trade mission to China. In 2010, Richardson was named "Honorary Citizen of Fujian Province" in a ceremony conducted by Fujian's Vice Governor Mr. Hong Jiexu in Xiamen, Fujian, P.R.C. The state of Oregon has an official sister state relationship with Fujian Province.