“You can’t go home again,” observed the famed novelist Thomas Wolfe in his iconic book by the same name. Life experiences and growth as a person forever change us, prohibiting the past from being relived the same way we remember it.

Sens. Bruce Starr (R-Dundee) and Mike McLane (R-Powell Butte) are putting that theory to the test as they return to the Oregon Legislature after a prolonged absence.  Both are poised for the challenge.

While both Starr and McLane share similar conservative perspectives, they are also attuned to recognizing the value of opposing views in striving for the greater global good.

Back from the Bench

Mike McLane left the Legislature in 2019 to pursue a new career as a circuit court judge. He had served as the House Minority Leader. During his tenure in that role, he earned a reputation for fiercely defending his eastern Oregon district, while working collaboratively with the Democratic majority on areas of mutual concern.

His return to Salem evolved from contrasting his own life experiences.

“I enjoyed my role on the bench,” McLane said, “but I missed the legislative process. My wife told me I should decide to choose either my voice or my robe.”

He didn’t deliberate long. Calling balls and strikes in a courtroom gave way to returning to the pitcher’s mound where the law is decided and he could have a role in the outcome.

What have the two experiences taught him?

“It is imperative to ask the right questions. When we do that, it helps us all get there together,” he said.

McLane, who also is a Colonel in The Oregon Air National Guard, believes getting the right answers and fulfilling the mission begins and ends with a sincere effort to bridge the political divide.

“This is a relationship business. It is foundational to having true and genuine conversations take place,” he observed. “I don’t believe in ‘cancel culture’, where people are cancelled because they have a different view.”

McLane noted that when he started in the Legislature in 2011 it was in the throes of the Great Recession. “We were having to cut budgets, something many legislators have not experienced.”

He sees clouds on the horizon as billions of dollars of federal spending, prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, disappears from state coffers.

“There is going to a reckoning soon and I believe my experience can help provide a reasoned approach to addressing that challenge.”

Starr Shooting for Collaboration

Bruce Starr left the Oregon Senate a decade ago. He returns to a new, more agricultural-based district than the greater Hillsboro community he once served.

Like McLane, he yearns for a return to a place where legislators are committed to more collaboration.

“It used to be way more collegial,” Starr said. “It is really tough losing someone like Peter Courtney who understood that the legislative process benefits from really listening to expertise from both sides of an issue.”

He is, however, optimistic that goal can be restored.

“I spent an hour and half with (Senate President) Rob (Wagner) and we just talked. Building relationships is so important.”

He laments that ongoing construction at the Capitol has impeded building those relationships.

“I am concerned we don’t have a legislative lounge where you can sit down and have lunch with a state representative. We need to find ways to break down the barriers,” he said.

Starr is excited about the work ahead, especially in his primary wheelhouse — transportation.

“My goal this session is developing a strong transportation package, one that is balanced and really addresses our needs,” he said.

Starr was instrumental in the passage of multiple renditions of the Oregon Transportation Investment Acts during his initial Senate service. He will play an influential role in working with transportation co-chairs, Sen. Chris Gorsek (D-Gresham) and Rep. Susan McLain (D-Forest Grove) to secure Republican votes for the final work product.

The return of McLane and Starr bolsters the collective experience of the Legislature on both sides of the political aisle. Considering the myriad critical issues facing the state, that experience, along with the infusion of fresh ideas and energy from younger members, can be a blueprint for a successful session.

Both men served in a pre-pandemic capitol, and now they are adapting to a post-pandemic process with a plethora of newer legislators. They have seen it from both sides. McLane has found his lane and a Starr is reborn.