Kate Brown in 2016 OR Governor's race

On Health Care: Access to healthcare improving, but there is more we must do

Kate Brown: Access, affordability, and quality of healthcare are improving in Oregon, but there is clearly more we must do. One of my priorities as governor is to continue expanding healthcare access so every Oregonian has options no matter their age, gender, economic status or where they are from. It is clear we need to protect funding for Oregon's health plan so the thousands of people who rely on it can continue receiving benefits. Furthermore, I support policies that encourage the recruitment of more qualified workers and ongoing training so patients and family caregivers can feel assured they're receiving the best care.

William (Bud) Pierce: We should encourage the development of private, lightly regulated (to lower the cost), but good quality respite centers.

On Social Security: More options & opportunities to save for retirement

Kate Brown: Today, the average savings for Oregonians approaching retirement age is $12,000. Depending where you live, that's not even enough to cover rent for a single year. Oregonians deserve the opportunity to work for a reasonable wage & plan for their future so they can retire with greater peace of mind. The first step in ensuring all workers have retirement security is creating the new state retirement savings program. We should be moving toward more opportunities to save for retirement--not take options away. I will continue to increase awareness of retirement security issues and support legislation to do so.

William (Bud) Pierce: Legislation to require automatic enrollment with a payroll deduction mechanism, while allowing employees to opt out, should be considered to improve individual savings for retirement.

On Technology: Expand public transit to ease traffic congestion

Kate Brown: Communities in every region of Oregon are facing tremendous challenges with aging transportation infrastructure and mind-numbing traffic. I am committed to passing a transportation package in 2017 that:

1. Addresses Portland-area congestion. It impacts all regions of the state and contributes to higher costs to Oregon businesses.
2. Expand transit. It can ease congestion and meet the needs of Oregonians. Every community around the state is asking for this.
3. Make seismic upgrades. We must prepare Oregon for the inevitability of a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake.

On Corporations: Grow Our Own: develop existing Oregon businesses

BROWN: First, I will partner with business to continue our economic recovery statewide by helping Oregon companies large and small to expand, creating more good jobs for Oregonians. Because we know that 70% of jobs are created when existing businesses grow, it's important that Business Oregon, the state's economic development agency, continue its mission to 'grow our own', making sure businesses are able to thrive in Oregon. Our State should also cultivate more long-term partnerships between public education and the private sector to develop the highly skilled workforce our businesses need and to help ensure good-paying jobs for Oregonians. It is incumbent upon the state to make it as easy as possible to start or expand a business in Oregon, by streamlining regulation and cutting red tape. I passed legislation to expand the Office of the Small Business Advocate to serve more of our job-creating small businesses.

On Education: Seamless public education from cradle to career

BROWN: It is my dream that all of Oregon's students have access to a seamless system of education that takes them from cradle to career. I want every one of our students to complete high school with a plan, whether that be college, post-secondary, job-training, or entering the work force. And that education system should prepare them for the jobs of the future. Of course, more of our students must graduate from high school, and that is why I have created a cabinet-level Education Innovation officer who will report directly to me, and will help me to identify the resources that we need to ensure that we raise our graduation rates. Finally, it is my hope that we will shrink the opportunity gap that, today, starts early and makes it harder every year for that student to catch up. We've started that work with our historic $7.4 billion investment in education, particularly early childhood education.

On Government Reform: Disclose lobbyist info & pay, on public website

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.

On Tax Reform: Need more taxes from business to support basic needs

On Immigration: Oregon will accept refugees and help them rebuild lives

On Immigration: Open the doors of opportunity for Syrian refugees

In a letter to Rep. Bill Post, R-Keizer, Brown said she has neither the authority nor the will to keep Syrian refugees from resettling in Oregon. "As Oregonians, it is our moral obligation to help them rebuild their lives," Brown wrote. "In Oregon we will continue to abide by federal laws regarding resettlement. Oregon does not have a direct role or act independently of the federal government."

Brown's statements came as a wave of mostly Republican governors across the U.S. have sought to close state borders to Syrian refugees.

On Energy & Oil: Angered environmentalists via compromise transportation bill

On Education: Make it easier to opt out from Common Core testing

"The audit of the Oregon K-12 education system underscored the need for accurate data across all student subgroups to evaluate student outcomes and make improvements at the student and system levels. But participation is crucial to success. Educators must engage with parents about the value of assessment and the potential consequences if parents opt out and student participation diminishes. We cannot afford to risk losing federal dollars, especially for students who have been traditionally underserved. As educators and policy makers, it is important to demonstrate for parents the connection between high levels of student participation in assessment and system accountability."

On Government Reform: Oregon sees high turnout because of vote-by-mail

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."

On Government Reform: 15 million ballots via vote-by-mail with only 9 fraud cases

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.