PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — It’s been just over a year now since Tina Kotek, a Democrat, took office as Oregon’s 39th governor.
Before being elected governor, she was Oregon’s longest-serving speaker of the house.
With her election in 2022, she became one of the first two openly lesbian women to be elected governor of a state, along with Maura Healey of Massachusetts.
Now Gov. Kotek is tackling homelessness, the state’s drug crisis and trying to bring Oregon’s largest city back.
Oregon Senate committee votes to end Daylight Saving Time
Returning as a guest on Eye on Northwest Politics, Gov. Kotek addressed her housing bill, SB 1537, which is making its way out of committee now with bipartisan support. Originally, Kotek had asked for $500 million, but it has now been pared down to around $350 million.
In reaction to this, the governor is urging the state legislature to keep pushing for the $500 million.
“When I was visiting all the counties last year, the number one issue: People don’t have a place to live. (Do) they want to work in the community? They don’t have a place to live,” said Kotek. “So we need more resources there and infrastructure. Having a program that says if you’re a community and you need to build housing and you need a little extra to get your water, your sewer, put in. We need to have more resources there.”