Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, announced recently he will not seek another term in the Oregon Legislature and though his final departure won’t be until 2024, the fact he will step away from the state political stage should be viewed by voters as both a good thing and with a fair amount of trepidation.

Hansell’s announcement is good for the longtime lawmaker and his family. It means, surely, he will be able to devote his energies to his family and other pursuits of the nonpolitical nature. Yet, Hansell isn’t just another legislator, and his departure will mean a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge — which helps voters — will vanish.

Tags

Recommended for you

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Post a comment
Stop watching this discussion.