Top Oregon lottery official may lose post

Jan 19, 2006, 8:57 am (1 comment)

Oregon Lottery

Oregon Senate Democrats might block the reappointment of an Oregon State Lottery commissioner for resisting efforts to further increase the state's share of lottery profits last year.

On Wednesday, the Senate Rules and Executive Appointments Committee withheld approval of Stan Robson for another term on the lottery commission, said committee chairwoman Sen. Kate Brown, D-Portland.

"I have some concerns about the position he took on the last lottery contracts and am not sure I'm going to move forward on his reappointment," Brown said.

Robson opposed a 2005 contract amendment with lottery retailers proposed by Lottery Director Dale Penn that would have increased the state's share of lottery profits. Penn ultimately negotiated a smaller increase in state lottery profits with retailers, in part because of opposition from Robson and others.

Robson, a retired Benton County sheriff who holds the law-enforcement slot on the lottery commission, said he wished he had a chance to discuss his position with the senators. He said he was in Georgia on Wednesday to attend a military graduation for his son.

The Senate Rules and Executive Appointments committee on Wednesday easily approved all but two of Gov. Ted Kulongoski's nominations to boards, commissions and state department positions.

They included Lindsay Ball as the new director of the Department of Administrative Services, Matthew Garrett as the director of the Oregon Department of Transportation and Laurie Warner as the director of the Employment Department.

There were no dissenting votes on any of the 50 nominations, which go to the full Senate for confirmation today.

"I think it was the smoothest meeting on executive appointments that we've had since I started chairing," Brown said.

The Senate committee put off the reappointment of Richard Solomon to the Oregon Investment Council. Senate Republicans and Sen. Vicki Walker, D-Eugene, resisted the appointment because Solomon was the governor's re-election campaign treasurer, Brown said.

Now that Solomon is resigning his post with Kulongoski's campaign, his next term on the investment council will be confirmed at a future meeting, Brown said.

Statesman Journal

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CASH Only

If they lose their job, would that be considered "lose for life"? OR has such an online game.

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