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Kate Brown on Government Reform |
BROWN: Bringing greater transparency to State government is one of my highest priorities. In the most recent legislative session, I am proud to have passed a bill requiring lobbyists to disclose on a publicly available website who they work for and what they are getting paid to do that work. One of the first things I did after being sworn in as Governor was to pass an ethics package designed to bring both more accountability and more transparency to our government. But I know that there is more work to do. I believe strongly that it shouldn't be easier to [track] a Fed Ex package than it is to find out what your government is doing. That is why I intend to create a Pubic Records Advocate--so that an independent entity can make public records available in a way that is faster, fairer and consistent.
Prior to becoming secretary of state, Brown served in the state legislature for 18 years. She was first appointed to the Oregon State House in 1991, describing herself as a bridge-builder seeking consensus. She won the seat outright in 1992 in a tough battle against its former occupant. In 1997, she was elected to the Oregon State Senate representing a part of Portland, and worked on updating the state's public campaign finance reporting system and highlighting the role that lobbyists play, according to the Oregonian. She became the Democratic caucus leader in 1998, and in 2004, became the first woman in the state to serve as senate majority leader.
Oregonians passed a referendum in 1998 to institute the vote-by-mail system--with almost 70% approval. Secretary Brown rejects the criticism that mail-in ballots diminish the sense of civic engagement people may feel standing in line with their fellow citizens on Election Day. She says Oregonians have block parties and talk to their neighbors; issues are discussed in churches and synagogues. "Civic engagement is much more meaningful and expansive when you have a ballot in hand for 2-1/2 weeks," Brown says. "Election Day is not just one day--it's several."
A criticism of mail-in ballots is that there is more opportunity for voter fraud. Since 2000, 15 million ballots have been cast by mail in Oregon, but there have been only nine convictions of voter fraud, Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown says. The state takes extensive measures to ensure that ballots are secure: each envelope has a unique barcode, election officials verify every signature, and there are cameras in every election office to monitor the counting. People can also check online to make sure their ballot was counted.
