As Willie Nelson's song says...On the Road Again, Can't Wait to get on the Road Again....we re-enter the Highway on Tom's Tour.
After a settling period and just before everyone goes gob-jawed over the upcoming Holiday rat-race, Tom reviews the political rat-race from last month and offers a bit of insight from his many years of faithful Oregon service - Hail to Tom!
Thoughts on 2015.....
As the smoke clears from last month's election returns, it looks like the results will help TU in the 2015 legislative session.
The Democrats, who ran their races as being pro-conservation, will have increased their majority in the state House (35-25) and in the Senate (17-13).
A chagrined Governor Kitzhaber will also be returning - the result of a race that should not have been as close as it was due to "family" scandals and owing thanks to conservation community for their support.
So, and I am cautious on this, it means that hopefully the Governor and dominant (and in their words "pro-conservation") Democratic party will be supportive of TU goals such as protecting the Elliot state forests, ODFW reform, more general fund money for the state natural resource agency budgets and support for other conservation agendas we might push in 2015 session.
There is hope for this upcoming session-it could be a great session for native wild salmon and trout, and their habitat, in Oregon.
Tom Wolf, Executive Director
Oregon Council Trout Unlimited
