The state Senate District 6 race appears to be a cordial contest between the incumbent and his challenger, both of whom live in Springfield.
Sen. Lee Beyer, a Democrat, has represented the district — which includes Springfield, parts of southeast Eugene and more-rural areas of Lane and Linn counties — since being elected in 2010.
Running against him in this year’s general election is local ballroom dance instructor Robert Schwartz. He calls himself a “progressive Republican” who agrees with most of Beyer’s positions on statewide issues.
Schwartz said he and Beyer get along — much in the same way he forged a friendship with state Rep. John Lively, D-Springfield, after unsuccessfully running against him in 2016.
Beyer, meanwhile, has a 40-year history of government involvement. He served during the 1990s in the state House of Representatives, and previously was a Springfield city councilor.
Here’s what the two candidates have to say about several issues of concern.
• Why are you running for office?
Beyer: I enjoy working for the people of Lane and Linn counties, helping resolve issues they bring to me. I think I have been effective in representing them and there are a few outstanding things that I would like to accomplish in the next term.
Schwartz: I believe Oregon must stay true to its pioneer spirit in this time of political and social upheaval, to love our neighbor regardless of political affiliation and to vote for forward-looking thinking that appeals to rational people.
I believe Oregon can work together to become an example of leadership. One example would be housing; helping homelessness is only half the job. Let’s house people and provide an environment where work, family and self-reliance are attainable.
• What is the single most important issue the state Legislature faces at this time, and how would you propose to address it?
Beyer: The issue that concerns people the most is health care. Oregon has done a good job of making health insurance available to about 95 percent of all citizens. But what concerns me is the average working family tends to have expensive insurance that they feel they can’t use because of high deductibles and high cost caps.
I have worked to make insurance and drug companies justify rate or price increases. I’m currently working to create an overall cost cap for all health providers. That’s legislation I will be pushing in 2019.
Long-term we need to move toward a Medicare-for-all type of program. I am working with the Governor’s office on a pilot to demonstrate the feasibility of this approach.
Schwartz: The most important issue the state Legislature faces is the budget. The social services and public employee retirement packages are expensive. I support reduced spending on wasteful programs and new ways to raise revenue.
Oregon gets most of its tax base from income taxes, therefore industries with well-paying jobs must be encouraged to thrive here. As an example, Oregon has the infrastructure and ability to be a world leader in CBD (a compound found in marijuana that has potential medical benefits but does not produce a “high”) production.
I wouldn’t mind taxing soda pop because it is nothing more than a gateway drug to diabetes.
• Can you talk about the state of Oregon’s public schools, and what the Legislature might consider to make improvements?
Beyer: We need to start by understanding that (each Oregon school district sets its own budget). We call this local control.
The role of the Legislature is to provide school districts with general educational guidelines and adequate funding to achieve these goals. We haven’t done that.
We need to provide districts with the money to reduce class sizes, provide students opportunities for career and technical training that will keep them in school to graduate, and promote their success.
Schwartz: Much has been said of Oregon’s poor graduation rate. I have been told by public school employees that the farther away from the classroom an administrator is, the more out of touch they are.
The state needs to stop with unfunded mandates and ridiculous tests such as the Smarter Balance Testing.
I am supportive of local control and trusting our amazing teachers by eliminating burdensome mandates that stifle schools’ creativity.
