Morning to-do list:
Make coffee
Balance civil rights of students with workforce development for Oregon
Get 3 major education bills passed
Respond to xxx emails
Breathe, it’s 10 a.m.
I spoke again with Democratic Senator Sara Gesler-Blouin, pictured here seated at her desk in the State Capitol in Salem, Oregon. Above, I imagined what her morning to-do list may look like during Oregon’s 82nd Legislative Session which started on January 17th.
I had never heard of Senator Gelser-Blouin prior to tracking Senate Bill 819 which she sponsored. SB 819 is attempting to modify a practice used in Oregon schools known as the Abbreviated Day Program which has led to the “informal exclusion” of at least 1000 students placed on the program since its inception in 2017 (see episode #12).
After talking with Senator Gelser-Blouin about the origin story of SB 819, I wanted to reach out again to better understand why the Bill was at risk of not becoming a law (i.e., not passing the Oregon House to get to the Governor’s desk).
So, I admit, I rarely followed state politics before this year. I have definitely never reached out to a state senator. I’ve also not stopped to consider the list of thorny issues that likely weigh on our elected officials each day who are trying to make policies work for their districts or for the state. To be honest, I’m likely too distracted by national headlines and figures that rarely shed light on how policies get made in my state.
But, after talking with Senator Gelser-Blouin, I began to understand why she caught the attention of President Barack Obama who nominated her to serve on the National Council of Disabilities in 2010. I also noticed from her legislative agenda that she does not shy away from issues that many could find distressing or controversial. She has played a lead role in the elimination of zero-tolerance discipline policies in public schools, strengthened the rape statute, and overhauled the state’s response to abuse of the elderly and disabled.
I imagine none of these issues would be easy areas for consensus-building and could be politically costly for an aspiring politician to manage.
I found the Senator’s determination and desire to lead both inspiring and rare. She is clearly not willing to back down in the face of strong opposition as you will hear in this interview. Above all, she appears determined to take action despite the clear and present “hot button” issues she needs to navigate to get legislation passed.
I hope you enjoy my interview with Senator Gelser-Blouin and her reflections on the continuing campaign to pass SB 819 into law.
Thanks for listening!
Note: I attempted to interview Oregon Dept of Education staff for this story. Although I was unable to get a staff representative to record an interview with me, Marc Seigel, Communications Director of ODE shared the following statement related to SB 819.
Links:
Here and Now (March 24, 2023) “In Oregon, some students with disabilities are fighting 'an uphill battle' to go to school”
New York Times “How Educators Secretly Remove Students With Disabilities From School”
The Lion, a Publication of the Herzog Foundation “Oregon senator criticizes public education for discriminating against disabled students”
14. (Part 2) Interview with State Senator Sara Gelser-Blouin