Newberg Graphic Online

Weidner will seek a second term

Legislature — District 24 state rep says he’s a stronger candidate after a year in Salem

• By: Amanda Newman  
• Published: 12/18/2009 2:11:15 PM

Jim Weidner

   Jim Weidner wants a second crack at Salem.
   The freshman state representative (R-Yamhill) filed for reelection last week. His priority issues haven’t changed, he said, although his focus among those may have and he feels more prepared to get things done in the state capital. Because now, he knows the ropes.
   “The first session here was kind of a learning process on how to get things done, so (I) want to go back and make sure (I’m) able to move some bills forward,” he said. His first session, he added, “changed me ... (I) learned how to stand up against the wrong things that are going on and fight for the right things.”
   Right now, the “right thing” is creating jobs. With unemployment still high throughout the state, job creation is his primary concern.
   “The big burden on Oregon right now is the lack of jobs,” Weidner said, adding that the private sector has been shrinking while government has been growing. If those trends were reversed, he opined, private sector growth would lead to government prosperity. “There’s no reason Oregon ever should’ve been No. 2 (in the nation) in unemployment,” he said.
   Weidner said he will likely pursue again bills he pushed this year that would have given tax credits to businesses or individuals constructing or remodeling to make buildings energy efficient or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compatible. Such a program could greatly augment jobs in the construction industry, he said.
   Another issue he would like to tackle is the English as a Second Language program in schools. He would like to limit the time students can spend in ESL (currently five years) — an issue close to home for Weidner. His wife, Reyna, a native Spanish speaker, did not truly learn English until she was moved from ESL classes to an immersion program, he said.
   The issue fits in with one he touted in his last campaign: education reform. “I’m still a proponent of school choice,” he said, advocating options for children, including online school opportunities.
   As for the Newberg-Dundee bypass — one of signature planks in Weidner’s platform last time around — he said, “I’m still a big proponent of getting these projects moved.” However, he added, it shouldn’t come at the cost of wasteful spending. “There’s a lot of things we can do to be more efficient.”
   The bypass became a troubling issue for Weidner last session as funding hinged on a gas tax increase and he had taken a pledge to support no tax increases. He ultimately voted against the transportation package, after supporting it twice in committee, an action that led Speaker of the House Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas County) to remove Weidner from two committees. Weidner has cast the move as retaliation for his no vote, saying he made it clear from the beginning that he could not support the bill if the tax increases remained.
   Nonetheless, the issue has proved a thorn in Weidner’s side, as Hunt’s move prompted a constituent to file an ethics complaint against Weidner, alleging he attempted to promote his mechanical inspections software business from his legislative office. The complaint is still pending; Weidner has said it is unwarranted.
   “I don’t think I would change any of the positions or anything I did,” Weidner said of the 2009 regular session. “For me, it went well. I learned a lot. It was very educational for me.”
   He said he was especially pleased about the veterans’ issues he helped prevail on. “Unfortunately, we didn’t do anything to help unemployment, and that’s bad ... when I see my friends standing in unemployment lines and losing their homes.”
   Weidner recently sold his Yamhill restaurant, Lago de Chapala, but he continues to work as a software and hardware developer.
   He is currently facing no opponents in the election. District 24 represents most of Yamhill County, but not Newberg.

  (log in to rate)