Legislator's foes talk recall

By James Sinks / The Bulletin
June 2, 2005

SALEM - The independent streak of Sen. Ben Westlund, R-Tumalo, has already landed the lawmaker in hot water with the Deschutes County Republican hierarchy.

But now, there are rumblings it could spark a recall attempt.

The topic of a potential ouster is popping up in online conservative forums and among local party leaders, but at this point it appears to be just talk.

"It's a topic of conversation that has been brought up, but I don't know if anybody is seriously pursuing it," said Richard Morehead, the chairman of the Deschutes County Republican Central Committee. "I think some of the things he has been doing lately, especially on Senate Bill 1000, is a concern."

Westlund is one of four co-sponsors of that legislation, which would create marriagelike civil unions for same-sex couples and prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.

He was summoned to meet with local party leaders in May so they could vent their displeasure at his advocacy for the hot-button social issue.

Westlund, sitting at the side of the Senate floor Wednesday, said he's heard rumors of a potential recall but it will not color the way he approaches issues and votes.

"We are not elected to win our next election," he said. "We are elected to pursue the very difficult responsibility of doing what we think is right for our district and the state of Oregon.

"If people want to do it, it's their right and we'll see where it goes," he said.

The veteran lawmaker hasn't raised ire only among social conservatives in his career at the statehouse.

He has supported tax hikes in the past and is pushing a tax system overhaul that would enact a sales tax - and that advocacy has earned him the label as a "Republican in Name Only." He is the architect of a state trust fund for cultural programs and a critic of rollbacks in the Oregon Health Plan for the needy.

At his last count, he was the sole Senate Republican to vote with Democrats and pass 17 bills this session.

Bend Republican Dave Eaton said no members of the county Central Committee's executive board are pushing for a referendum. Rank-and-file party members are.

"My impression from people I've talked to is that Senate Bill 1000 is the final straw," he said. "It's a lot of things building over time - the taxes are part of it, as well - and his general track record that people have described as going beyond moderate and into liberal."

Deschutes County Clerk Nancy Blankenship said nobody had filed a recall petition as of Wednesday.

To force a vote, backers would need to submit 7,425 valid signatures, she said - which represents 15 percent district voters in the 2002 gubernatorial ballot.

The last time a Central Oregon legislator faced a potential recall came in 1993, when former Rep. Dennis Luke - now a county commissioner - helped pass a bill that banned individual communities from passing ordinances dealing with discrimination based on sexual orientation.

The Oregon Citizens Alliance was unable to muster sufficient signatures to put a recall on the ballot, however.

Luke said Wednesday that a recall is appropriate only if a public figure violates his or her oath of office, and believes it would be a mistake to pursue any official action against Westlund.

"If you don't like somebody, then the next time they run, work against them," Luke said.

Westlund seemed to hint at his struggles with fellow Republicans two weeks ago in a floor speech on a bill to create a nonpartisan Legislature.
"Oregonians need representation that mirrors the complexity of who we are, not blind adherence to the party," he said in those remarks.

Those sentiments led some to wonder whether Westlund would consider changing his party affiliation.

Westlund has been noncommittal on the possibility - but would not seem to fit neatly into the mold as a Democrat.

While he supports tax reform and civil unions, he also has been a gun-rights supporter, an industry ally on environmental bills and a sponsor of proposals that could limit abortions, such as a proposal in this year's session to require parental notification.

He was the campaign chairman for the 2002 gubernatorial bid of fellow Republican Kevin Mannix.

Sen. Alan Bates, D-Ashland, who works closely with Westlund on health-care legislation, said there's been no pressure to abandon the Republican ship.

"He is a thoughtful moderate who represents the best issues in his party, but he is not a part of the far-right," Bates said. "The far-right could try and recall him, I suppose, but then Ben could go independent and kill their candidate in the next election."

Westlund, who was elected in November with 82 percent of the vote, did not face any Republican challengers in the May 2004 primary. His district includes most of Deschutes County.

James Sinks can be reached at 503-566-2839 or at jamess@cyberis.net.