by Ben Botkin, Oregon Capital Chronicle
December 19, 2024
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Oregon Attorney General-elect Dan Rayfield tapped a dozen prominent Oregonians who work in areas like health care, law and labor to advise his office as it tries to defend against potential threats to Oregon policies from the incoming Trump administration.
Rayfield, who takes office in January, on Thursday announced the members of the Federal Oversight and Accountability cabinet, which he will chair. The cabinet’s formation comes as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House, stoking concerns about potential impacts to areas like immigration, reproductive health access and weaker environmental regulations.
The cabinet’s leaders will help the Oregon Department of Justice and Oregon communities work together to defend against potential federal impacts, Rayfield said.
“In an era of uncertainty, we must be proactive in our outreach efforts and work to protect the interests and values of Oregonians,” Rayfield said in a statement. “The leaders serving on the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet create a critical nexus between what is happening on the ground in communities throughout our state and the work we are able to do at the Oregon Department of Justice to defend all Oregonians.”
Members of the cabinet are: Joe Baessler, executive director of Oregon AFSCME; Sandy Chung, executive director of the ACLU of Oregon; Greg Dotson, a professor at the University of Oregon School of Law; Julie Hanna, associate vice president of government affairs at Oregon Health & Science University; Dr. Sara Kennedy, CEO of Planned Parenthood Columbia Willamette; Kyndall Mason, executive director of Basic Rights Oregon; Isa Peña, director of strategy at the Innovation Law Lab; Jeremiah Rigsby, chief of staff at CareOregon, a Medicaid insurer; Lindsey Scholten, executive director of the Oregon League of Conservation Voters; Graham Trainor, president of Oregon AFL-CIO; Melissa Unger, executive director ofSEIU 503; and Norman Williams, a professor at Willamette University College of Law.
Rayfield also appointed Dustin Buehler to a special counsel position in the executive office to direct the department’s federal accountability work. Buehler currently is attorney-in-charge of civil appeals at the Oregon Department of Justice, where he represents the state in litigation before state and federal courts. He also was general counsel for former Gov. Kate Brown.
Fay Stetz-Waters will continue to serve as the director of civil rights and social justice and will co-lead the work of the Federal Oversight and Accountability Cabinet with Buehler. Stetz-Waters has been in the role since 2019.
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