Biography
Humble Beginnings
Vicki has been an Oregonian since 1960. She has called many towns on the Oregon Coast and the Willamette Valley her home as her family moved often to seek work. Her family eventually landed in Reedsport, where she graduated from high school in 1974. She returned to Eugene in 1974, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Oregon.After having her children, Vicki studied court reporting at Lane Community College, starting her business in 1983. She became a certified shorthand reporter in 1990 when Oregon adopted certification standards. She continues with her reporting when the legislature is not in session.
Having come from a low-income family, Vicki thought a University education was out of the question. An inspirational high school counselor saw her potential and encouraged her to go to college. Vicki applied for and received grants, scholarships and work study to make her dream of higher education a reality. She was an early recipient of the Oregon Need Grant, now known as the Oregon Opportunity Grant.
Your Friend and Neighbor
Vicki is married to Steven Walker who works at The Register-Guard as a computer programmer. The couple have two adult children, Adam and Sara. Adam currently resides in Whitefish, Montana, and is working as a land surveyor and a professional ski instructor. Sara has been assisting in Vicki’s political endeavors since 2000. Sara is also a licensed real estate agent, is a commercial pilot with an instrument rating and is currently living in Las Vegas.From 1990-92, Vicki served as secretary-treasurer and area representative for the Cal Young Neighborhood Association. Her husband, Steve, continues the Walker family commitment to our community by his service on the CYNA board.
Both Vicki and her husband are past volunteer coaches with Kidsports, a community youth sports organization.
Political Aspirations
Walker served as the chair of the Lane County Democratic Central Committee from 1992-1994. She has volunteered on numerous political campaigns and fund-raising projects for various nonprofit organizations. She lobbied the Oregon State Legislature on children’s issues as a volunteer citizen lobbyist from 1983 until her election in November of 1998.Public Servant
Walker was elected to the Oregon House of Representatives in November 1998 where she served two terms. In 2002, voters in Lane County overwhelmingly elected her to the Oregon State Senate.During the 2001 Legislative Session, Walker served as a member of the Judiciary Committee and Criminal Law Subcommittee; Business, Labor & Consumer Affairs Committee; and the Smart Growth & Commerce Committee. Walker sponsored and passed the Infant Crib Safety Act (HB 3962) on behalf of the Brandt-Amor family who tragically lost their son in an accident due to an unsafe crib. The national Danny Foundation assisted in drafting this important public policy to protect infants across Oregon. Believing all of our citizens should be treated equally, with dignity and respect, Walker was instrumental in raising the issue of racial profiling. She enacted legislation in SB 415 that establishes a law enforcement committee to receive and analyze demographic data to ensure that law enforcement agencies do not engage in racial profiling.
During the 2003 Legislative Session, Walker served as Vice-Chair of the Business and Labor Committee, and as a member of the Judiciary, Health Policy, and General Government Committees. Senator Walker sponsored and passed legislation on visitability (SB 833, increases availability of homes that mobility impaired persons can visit), identity theft, use of breast reconstruction following mastectomy (SB 785 and HB 3654), e-mail spam (SB 910) , workers’ compensation (SB 620), among others. Additionally, Senator Walker became a strong advocate against the use of polished wired glass in hazardous locations. This type of glass is most often seen in schools, athletic facilities, daycare centers, hospitals and prisons. Senator Walker worked closely with Advocates for Safe Glass ( www.safeglass.org ) to change both state and federal building codes to limit the use of this type of glass to protect the health and safety of our citizens.
During the 2005 Legislative Session, Senator Walker served as Chair of the Education & Workforce Committee, and also served on the Ways and Means Education Subcommittee. In addition to those high-profile duties, she also served on the General Government and Judiciary Committee.
Senator Walker successfully passed an astounding number of bills this session on a broad range of issues from education, to health care, to public safety and more.
Additionally, her work on the Ways and Means Education Subcommittee saw the greatest investment in Oregon Opportunity Grants in decades. For the first time in Oregon history we have fully funded all eligible students, up from the current 70%, and extended benefits to part-time students.
During the 2006 interim, Senator Walker will continue her service on the Senate Judiciary Committee. She has also been appointed to the Senate Human Services Agency Oversight Committee and the Senate Commission on Educational Excellence.
Career Recognition
This past year, Walker was appointed to two prominent organizations. The Council of State Governments-West has chosen Senator Walker to serve as Vice Chair of the Energy and Public Lands Committee for the 2005-2006 biennium. CSG-West provides a platform for legislators of 13 western states to share ideas on legislation.Walker was also appointed as an associate member of the Western Governors’ Association Clean and Diversified Energy Advisory Committee (CDEAC). The committee arose as a result of the WGA adopting a policy resolution in June 2004 to address clean and diversified energy in the West. Their proposals will be presented to the WGA in April 2006.
Walker served on the Oregon Law Commission from 2003 to 2005. She chaired the Civil Rights Work Group and helped develop a recent proposal to have the Commission review all of the mandatory reporter statutes. The Oregon Law Commission was created in 1997 by the Legislative Assembly to conduct a continuous program of law reform.
Senator Walker was also appointed as a commissioner on the Education Commission of the States. The Commission is designed to identify, develop and implement public policy to improve education across the country. It is the only major education group that does not exclusively serve a particular special-interest group or level of education. Rather, ECS brings together state leaders to share information about education and to learn from one another.
Campaign News
WE WON!!
Another Call for an End to Independent Expenditure AttacksRead Press Release
"Someone Who Cares is at the Door"
Read Steve Duin's Column in The Oregonian
Read Duin's Blog Entry
Walker to Torrey:
“Clinton Endorsing My Campaign. Remove Your Misleading Ads”
Read Press Release Here
Register-Guard Article
Oregonian Article
Senator Walker's Response Regarding Janyce Iturra Matter
Read the Facts Here
Eugene Weekly Cover Story on Dist. 7 Race "Pro-Bush, anti-abortion Republican takes on state senator"
Read the Story Here
Sen. Vicki Walker Calls for an End to Independent Expenditure Attacks. State Senator Vicki Walker sent a letter today to Lane County Democratic Party Chair Val Hoyle asking for her assistance to intervene and call for an immediate halt to independent expenditure campaigns made on behalf of her re-election campaign..
Read Press Release and Letter
Vote YES on Measure 20-115
- Maintain Bethel academic programs
- Launch a math enrichment plan
- Replace outdated textbooks
- Update classroom computers
Moose International, Inc.
2006 Annual Conference - Keynote Speech
Read Speech & See Photos
Willamette River Enhancement Initiative
See Photos
Read Vicki's Campaign Kick-Off Speech
