Oregon House Minority Leader Mike McLane, R-Powell Butte, is seeking his fifth two-year term representing House District 55 against Democratic challenger, Karen Rippberger, a career educator from La Pine.

Rippberger, 63, who has had a long teaching career advocating for the rights and fair treatment of students and the disabled, said she plans to use her experiences to represent the rural district, which covers portions of Deschutes, Crook, Jackson, Klamath and Lake counties.

“I’ve been an advocate and an educator all my life,” Rippberger said. “Somebody who can show Salem why laws that work for Portland don’t necessarily work for people out here.”

Rippberger has taught in multiple capacities in her career. She taught at an inner-city grade school and juvenile facility in San Jose and worked with academically challenged students in the small town of Mammoth Lakes, California. She teaches English online to students in China.

Rippberger is a proponent of recognizing and supporting the individual needs of schools in her district. She would like to find ways to encourage more freedom in the way schools are structured. Some examples include integrating topics into the lesson plans such as ecology and stewardship, changing the schedule to four-day weeks or experimenting with school through the summer.

“I would like to see the state pass laws that give school districts themselves a whole lot more leeway,” she said.

Rippberger supports giving that similar freedom to the way counties implement state laws. She points to the legalization of marijuana and how each county in Oregon had the flexibility to determine where and how legal marijuana could be sold.

“We should allow counties to address these kinds of issues in their own way,” she said.

McLane, 53, was elected to the House in 2010. At the time, the state was recovering from the Great Recession, and he became focused on economic growth for the rural district.

“I focused and prioritized economic development for my district and for the greater Central Oregon and Southern Oregon areas,” McLane said. “I haven’t changed my priorities.”

McLane, who serves on the state’s budget committee, said state spending expanded dramatically after the recession, and he wants to be able to reform the spending and how revenue is used. That is a difficult task as Democrats have the majority vote, he said.

“The state has to deal with its budget,” he said. “We have kicked that can down the road, and a one party system does not work well for Oregon.”

Last week, the Democratic Party of Oregon filed an elections law complaint accusing McLane of failing to disclose that he controlled the No Supermajorities PAC, which the party called, “a shadowy Republican political action committee.”

McLane has denied controlling the PAC and said the accusation is a failed political tactic during campaign season.

McLane remains focused on three main themes of his campaign: addressing the state budget, jobs and education.

As for education, McLane is especially proud of a reform to public school districts in 2011 that allows students to choose where they attend school rather than being limited by where they reside.

For example, if a school has a strong career and technical education program that interests a student, that student should be able to attend that school.

“It allows choices for families and allows schools to really distinguish themselves,” he said.

McLane, who grew up in the small town of Condon, said he relates to his vast district and advocates for the rural lifestyle, especially the transportation needs.

He recently supported transportation funding with the understanding that a chunk would be used in his district.

“In my district, if we don’t have good roads, we are done,” he said. “If we don’t invest in them, they turn to gravel.”

— Reporter: 541-617-7820, kspurr@bendbulletin.com