Governor speaks to City Club in Bend

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 18, 2016

Gov. Kate Brown drew a record turnout Thursday to the City Club of Central Oregon’s luncheon in Bend.

For its March forum, the club invited the governor to discuss state plans for 2016, and how she sees Central Oregon fitting in on issues including improving schools, building the economy and preparing for climate change.

“This is the biggest crowd we’ve had yet in City Club,” said Barbara Hess, club president. “This is a record.”

In her address at the Riverhouse, Brown said in many ways, Central Oregon represents the state at its best.

“From porters to powder, there are seemingly endless opportunities to relax and recreate but also to create,” Brown said.

Discussing education, Brown said the state’s graduation rate, one of the worst in the nation, is unacceptable. Her top education priority this year will be to increase the number of students who finish high school with a degree.

“Students must graduate ready for college, ready for post-secondary training or ready for the world of work,” Brown said.

More than half of young children in Central Oregon struggle to meet early-learning milestones, Brown said, when studies show early learning is key.

But Brown was proud of a few steps forward: legislators put more than $100 million into early childhood education in the 2015 session; the state passed the largest K-12 budget in its history at $7.4 billion and full-day kindergarten was implemented statewide in 2015.

Noting Central Oregon’s own success, Brown said one thing that comes to mind when visiting the region is its successful businesses.

“It’s difficult to talk about Central Oregon’s economy without making note of its impressive startup culture,” Brown said.

Brown expanded the Office of Small Business Assistance last month, and created Oregon’s Small Business Advisory Cabinet to help “small businesses focused on black ink by cutting red tape.”

Brown said for businesses like Bend-based DrinkTanks, which makes stainless steel growlers for craft beer and other beverages, the state can help give a boost to get an idea off the ground. After a $200,000 low-interest loan from the state’s small business credit initiative a few years ago, “sales are off the charts” now for DrinkTanks, Brown said.

In addressing the effects of climate change on natural disasters, Brown said droughts, earthquakes and wildfires can’t be avoided, but they can be mitigated.

“This region’s history of resiliency, resourcefulness and reverence for responsible stewardship has already influenced the efforts of the state to plan for the future,” Brown said.

Every community has its own “water-resource challenges” she said, adding that $51 million was invested in community-based water management in the 2015 legislative session. A task force was also created to study how to mitigate the effects of drought.

Brown answered a number of questions from the audience following her speech — tailoring her answers to Central Oregonians — on issues ranging from women’s health to preparing for an earthquake and tsunami from the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

— Reporter: 541-383-0325, kfisicaro@bendbulletin.com