Tina Kotek helped raise the minimum wage and pass statewide rent control, and she's hoping to tackle homelessness as Oregon's governor.

Shannon Longworth Anchor/Reporter/Producer

Tina Kotek, Oregon’s next governor, prioritizing homelessness challenges

Jan 01, 2023

Shannon Longworth Anchor/Reporter/Producer

By Shannon Longworth (Anchor/Reporter/Producer), Stacey Chamberlain (Producer), Ryan Tiedgen (Editor)

The Democratic Speaker of Oregon’s state House of Representatives, Tina Kotek, helped raise the minimum wage and pass statewide rent control. She’s slated to become one of the country’s first two openly lesbian governors.

Kotek takes office in 2023, and she said her top priority is to tackle homelessness. Multnomah County, which includes Portland, reported more than 5,000 people in its homeless population this year.

“I will declare a homelessness state of emergency and work with urgency to help Oregonians to move off the street,” Kotek said.

Her plan involves an executive order that will set up a 10-year plan for building enough affordable housing to meet the need.

With education, Kotek wants to expand access to pre-kindergarten, set a standard for all students to be able to read by third grade and reduce time spent on standardized testing.

Kotek supports further gun control measures, such as raising the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 and banning people with hate crime convictions from owning guns.

During her hard-fought, three-way election campaign, Kotek defended measure 110, which decriminalized small amounts of hard drugs statewide. People found in possession of the drugs can pay a fine or undergo addiction screening. Her competitors said the measure failed and made the addiction crisis worse. Kotek said the state needs to provide more treatment programs for this to be effective in addressing addiction.

Tags: 2022 Elections, Oregon, Portland, Tina Kotek

SHANNON LONGWORTH: THE DEMOCRATIC SPEAKER OF OREGON’S STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HELPED RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE AND PASS STATEWIDE RENT CONTROL. SHE’S ALSO ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S FIRST TWO OPENLY LESBIAN GOVERNORS.

AS ONE OF NINE NEW GOVERNORS TAKING OFFICE IN 2023, TINA KOTEK IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.

KOTEK SAYS HER TOP PRIORITY IS TO TACKLE A WIDELY SHARED CONCERN–HOMELESSNESS. MULTNOMAH COUNTY–WHICH INCLUDES PORTLAND–REPORTED MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE IN ITS HOMELESS POPULATION THIS YEAR.

TINA KOTEK | GOV. ELECT (D-OR): “I WILL DECLARE A HOMELESSNESS STATE OF EMERGENCY AND WORK WITH URGENCY TO HELP OREGONIANS TO MOVE OFF THE STREET.”

LONGWORTH: KOTEK’S PLAN INVOLVES AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ON DAY ONE THAT’LL SET UP A TEN-YEAR PLAN FOR BUILDING ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO MEET THE NEED.

WITH EDUCATION, SHE IS LOOKING TO EXPAND ACCESS TO PRE-K, SET A STANDARD FOR ALL STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO READ BY THIRD GRADE, AND REDUCE TIME SPENT ON STANDARDIZED TESTING.

KOTEK SUPPORTS FURTHER GUN CONTROL MEASURES, SUCH AS RAISING THE AGE TO PURCHASE SEMI-AUTOMATIC RIFLES FROM 18 TO 21 AND BANNING PEOPLE WITH HATE CRIME CONVICTIONS FROM OWNING GUNS.

DURING HER HARD-FOUGHT, THREE-WAY ELECTION CAMPAIGN, SHE DEFENDED MEASURE 110, WHICH DECRIMINALIZED SMALL AMOUNTS OF HARD DRUGS STATEWIDE. PEOPLE FOUND IN POSSESSION OF THE DRUGS CAN PAY A FINE OR UNDERGO ADDICTION SCREENING. HER COMPETITORS SAID THE MEASURE FAILED AND MADE THE ADDICTION CRISIS WORSE. KOTEK SAYS THE STATE NEEDS TO PROVIDE MORE TREATMENT PROGRAMS FOR THIS TO BE EFFECTIVE IN ADDRESSING ADDICTION.

TINA KOTEK IS JUST ONE NAME YOU NEED TO KNOW.