This content was published: January 21, 2009. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
No better way to get in front of your lawmaker than a town hall
Photos and story by Dana Haynes
It’s a common misconception that us ordinary folk can’t reach the rarified heights of the lofty lawmakers in Salem. They’re too big, too important.
That’s pretty much totally false.
The fact is, they do read letters sent to their offices. They do receive visitors every working day.
One of the best ways to get your say in front of your lawmaker is to go to a town hall meeting. And as luck would have it, newly minted lawmaker Rep. Michael Dembrow is having one this weekend.
Rep. Dembrow is new to the Legislature but not to PCC. He’s taught at the Cascade Campus for many years and he steered the faculty union for ages.
He’s co-hosting a town hall from 10 a.m. to noon this Saturday at the Hollywood Senior Center, 1820 NE 40th Ave. Joining him are Rep. Ben Cannon and Sen. Jackie Dingfelder.
Dingfelder formerly served in the House but she moved over to take Sen. Avel Gordly’s seat, after she retired. Dembrow then took Dingfelder’s House seat.
If the town halls draw a huge crowd, you may not get a chance to ask a question. But they often draw a couple dozen people or fewer. And there’s opportunity before and after to grab your lawmaker’s ear.
If you want your legislator to know how you stand on the important issues of the day, then it’s your job to grab his or her attention. And there’s no better time than at a town hall. See you there.
About Dana Haynes
Dana Haynes, joined PCC in 2007 as the manager of the Office of Public Affairs, directing the college's media and government relations. Haynes spent the previous 20 years as a reporter, columnist and editor for Oregon newspapers, including ... more »