| Dennis Richardson | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Oregon House of Representatives from the 4th district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Cheryl Walker |
| Constituency | Jackson County Josephine County |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 30, 1949 Los Angeles |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Central Point, Oregon |
| Alma mater | Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School |
| Profession | Attorney |
Dennis Richardson (born July 30, 1949) is an American Republican politician from Central Point, Oregon who is serving in his third term in the Oregon House of Representatives. Richardson represents House District 4, which includes portions of Jackson and Josephine counties.
Richardson was first elected in 2002 after defeating incumbent (and fellow Republican) Cheryl Walker in a contentious race. Richardson was involved in reforming the state employee retirement system (PERS) during the 72nd Legislative Session. During the 73rd Legislative Session he was elected Speaker Pro Tempore and was an opponent of Senate Bill 1000 which would have allowed civil unions of same-sex couples. He debated this issue with Democratic Connecticut State Senator Andrew J. McDonald on MSNBC's political talkshow "Hardball" on April 26, 2005. He was reelected to the 74th Legislative Assembly on November 7, 2006 and was selected to be the Minority Whip during the 74th Legislative Session where he is the Vice-Chair of the House Health Care Committee as well as Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Health Care Access. He was originally named to the Consumer Protection Committee but was subsequently discharged from it in order to serve on the Guidelines Committee, which answers questions about ethics for House members specifically as it relates to gifts from lobbyists and other organizations.
Since beginning service in the Oregon House of Representatives in January 2003, Richardson has written hundreds of digital "newsletters"[1] that are circulated by email to more than 100,000 Oregon readers, statewide. The Richardson Newsletters are known for their detailed information and multiple links to source documents relating to Oregon budgets, the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System and other topics of interest to Oregon citizens.
In 2010 Richardson led his sixth trade mission to the People's Republic of China. On September 8, 2010, as a result of his eight years of efforts promoting commercial, educational and cultural ties between Oregon and China, Richardson was named "Honorary Citizen of Fujian Province" in a ceremony conducted by Fujian's Vice Governor Mr. Hong Jiexu in Xiamen, Fujian, P.R.C. The state of Oregon has an official sister state relationship with the Fujian Province.
On August 7, 2008 it was announced that Richardson had been named to the Board of Directors for the Asian Education Foundation, a Portland, Oregon based group that promotes Asian language education in Oregon.[1]
Born in Los Angeles, California, Richardson volunteered for the U.S. Army where he was a helicopter pilot in Vietnam. After his military service he married his wife in 1973. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University and earned his J.D. as a member of the fourth class of the J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1979. He has practiced law in Central Point since that time. He and his wife Cathy have eight daughters and one son.
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