On the recordFebruary 13, 2020
On February 14, Oregon celebrates her 161st birthday. As a lifelong Oregonian whose ancestors came there by wagon train in 1845, I may be a little biased, but I can confidently say there is no place like Oregon. She boasts of so many unparalleled wonders and sights from the mighty, powerful Columbia River and the winds of the Columbia River Gorge to the majestic Painted Hills to the rugged landscape of the Umatilla National Forest, the clear, deep blue waters of Crater Lake, the deepest lake in North America. Then think about the great Cascade Mountains or Steens Mountain or the Wallowas or the Blues, and then all the way down to the depths of Hells Canyon. The late great Republican Governor Tom McCall said it best. He said, ``Oregon is an inspiration. Whether you come to it, or are born to it, you become entranced by our State's beauty, the opportunity she affords, and the independent spirit of her citizens.'' Madam Speaker, I wish a happy birthday to Oregon. She truly does fly with her own wings. ____________________
