Republican senators oppose nomination of new Water Resources Department director
By Terry Murry on Friday, May 31st, 2024 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
SALEM – The Oregon Senate will be voting today (Friday) on appointments made by Gov. Tina Kotek. One of them is opposed by Republican senators. Earlier this week, the Senate Rules Subcommittee voted 3-2 to move the nomination of Ivan Gall to lead the Water Resources Department. One of the two voting no is Sen. Bill Hansell (R-Athena).
“We just feel that as we’ve talked to water users in the district that there just isn’t support for this nomination for a variety of reasons,” Hansell said.
Republicans are not alone in their hesitation to approve the nomination, even though Democrats are expected to approve Gall’s nomination. For example, Sen. Elizabeth Steiner (D-Portland) said the Legislature will be watching him closely if he’s approved.
The reason for watching is that Gall has worked for the department for more than 25 years. People on both sides of the political spectrum had hoped a new director could find a new direction for the agency. Gall is currently WRD’s interim deputy director. He was also passed over for the directorship in 2023 launching a national search for a director that lasted almost a year.
At the hearing before the subcommittee on Wednesday, Hansell asked what his top three priorities for his first 100 days in charge are. In an answer the GOP members felt was unresponsive, he replied that he’ll spend time talking to water users throughout the state and seek feedback.
It is considered likely that Gall will be approved by the full Senate today (Friday). However, Oregon Public Broadcasting says the opposition to the nomination means that he is “poised to begin his tenure on a political tightrope … while his agency is in the middle of drafting the most significant groundwater policy changes Oregon has seen in decades.”
