PORTLAND, Ore. — Last month, four guests joined Oregon’s Congress members at President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Representatives often try to get their political messages across through the guests they bring or highlight bills they hope to pass.
On this week’s episode of "Straight Talk," Laural Porter sat down with the guests of Oregon’s Congress members to discuss their experience and takeaways from Biden’s speech. This year’s guests included:
- Portland State University President Ann Cudd, guest of Rep. Earl Blumenauer
- Milwaukie Police Department Behavioral Health Specialist Glen Suchanek, guest of Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer
- Youth and drug awareness advocates Jon and Jennifer Epstein, guest of Rep. Suzanne Bonamici
Ann Cudd
Cudd has worked with Rep. Blumenauer on education issues and revitalizing Portland. When Rep. Blumenauer announced that he will be bringing Cudd as his guest, he said:
"President Cudd and I both believe that academic institutions and students have an important role to play in our civic institutions and our civic infrastructure and are uniquely situated to help engage in some of Portland’s most pressing challenges."
Cudd said of her experience that "it was really thrilling to be there at such a historic time."
Glen Suchanek
Suchanek helps Milwaukie police with diversion programs aimed at avoiding unnecessary arrests and expanding addiction services. He's also the deputy director of LoveOne, a Clackamas County nonprofit that works closely with homeless people.
"It pretty cool to just be there and get to talk about some of things that we're going to be working on in the future like mental health and houselessness," Suchanek said of his experience.
Jon and Jennifer Epstein
Jon and Jennifer Epstein are parents advocating for youth and drug awareness. In 2020, their teenage son Cal died from an accidental fentanyl overdose. Cal had purchased a counterfeit pill disguised as a legitimate pharmaceutical online, but the pill was made of fentanyl.
"It was exciting because it signaled to me that Rep. Bonamici intends to actively work on the legislation," Jon said, who joined Bonamici as her guest.
Straight Talk airs Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 p.m., and Monday at 7 p.m. Straight Talk is also available as a podcast.