Mark Hass (born December 10, 1956) is an American politician from the US state of

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, he was the representative for District 14 in the

Oregon State Senate The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the statewide legislature for the US state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the state Sena ...

from November 21, 2007, until January 10, 2021. He sought the office of

Oregon Secretary of State The secretary of state of Oregon, an elected constitutional officer within the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Oregon, is first in line of succession to the governor. The duties of the office are auditor of public accounts, ch ...

in 2020.

Early years

Hass was born in

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

, on December 10, 1956, and moved to Oregon with his parents as a young boy. Growing up, he was a

Boy Scout A Scout (in some countries a Boy Scout, Girl Scout, or Pathfinder) is a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split ...

and an

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...

. In 1980, Hass graduated from the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (profes ...

. In 1981, he earned his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in communication from the

American University School of Communication The School of Communication (SOC) at American University is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. The school offers six undergraduate majors: communication studies, journalism, public relations ...

. Prior to serving in the legislature, Hass spent 20 years as a journalist, most recently at KATU television from 1984 to 2000. He won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

in 1998 for writing.Official biography
, from Senate web site

Oregon legislature

Hass was selected in fall 2007 by the County Commissions of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

and Multnomah counties to serve the remainder of Senator Ryan Deckert's term, following Deckert's resignation. He was elected for a full term in 2008. Hass has subsequently been reelected twice, in 2012 and 2016. Hass is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and Revenue. He is also a member of the Senate Education Committee Senate Labor and Business Committee, and the Joint Interim Committee on Public Education Appropriation. He also serves as Senate Democratic Whip. Throughout his time in the Oregon Legislature, Hass has made reforming education in Oregon his chief priority. In 2011, Hass sponsored a bill (SB248) for full-day kindergarten, which replaced half-day kindergarten in Oregon public schools in the 2015-16 school year. Hass was also instrumental in restructuring the state's higher education system. In 2011, as a member of the Higher Education Workgroup, Hass led the legislative efforts to pass SB 242, which provided greater autonomy for Oregon's seven public universities. It also created the Higher Education Coordinating Commission. During that same 2011 session, Hass led the passage of SB 253, which put the 40-40-20 goals into state law. Those goals seek a workforce by 2025 that is made up of 40 percent people who hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 40 percent who hold a two-year degree and the remaining 20 percent people who hold the equivalent of a high school diploma. During the 2013 Legislative session, Hass sponsored Senate Bill 270 after chairing the Oregon Legislative Task Force on University Governance. Senate Bill 270 created institutional governing boards for the schools in the

Oregon University System The Oregon University System (OUS) was administered by the Oregon State Board of Higher Education (the "Board") and the Chancellor of the OUS, who was appointed by the Board. It was disbanded in June 2015. OUS was responsible for governing the s ...

. That same year, Hass was the chief sponsor of a bill that established the Accelerated Learning Committee, an institution promoting access to

dual credit In the United States, dual enrollment (DE), also called concurrent enrollment, programs allow students to be enrolled in two separate, academically related institutions. Generally, it refers to high school students taking college or university cours ...

programs in Oregon high schools. In 2015, Hass was a chief sponsor of Senate Bill 81, which created the Oregon Promise. The Oregon Promise is a last-dollar program allowing students graduating from an Oregon high school, who meet specified criteria, to attend community college tuition-free. Perhaps Hass' most significant reforms happened in the recently completed 2019 Legislative session. Long a critic of Oregon's inadequate K-12 education system, Hass spearheaded the passage of the Student Success Act. The bill makes new investments in Oregon's education system by prioritizing early childhood development, mental healthcare in schools, and increasing graduation rates.

Personal life

Outside of the legislature, Hass works as an account manager for Cappelli Miles, an advertising and brand identity firm with offices in Portland and Eugene. Hass is also a member of the Board of Directors for the Northwest Health Foundation. Hass' wife, Tamra, is a speech pathologist.

References

External links

Legislative website

Project VoteSmart biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hass, Mark 1956 births 21st-century American politicians American University School of Communication alumni Journalists from Portland, Oregon Living people Democratic Party Oregon state senators Politicians from Beaverton, Oregon Politicians from Newport, Rhode Island Politicians from Portland, Oregon Television personalities from Portland, Oregon University of Oregon alumni

Early years

Oregon legislature

Personal life

See also

References

External links