Matthew Walter Hicks (born September 11, 1976) is a
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
politician from the U.S. 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 ...
. He served in the
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of the ...
from 2011 to 2015, representing District 3, which encompasses most of
Josephine County, including the cities of
Grants Pass
Grants Pass is the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The population was 39,189 ...
and
Cave Junction.
Early life
Hicks was born on September 11, 1976, in
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.
As of the 2020 United States Census, Eu ...
. He was raised in Eugene, Oregon until 1984 when his single mother, a newspaper journalist, accepted a reporting position at The
Dalles Chronicle in The Dalles, Oregon. Hicks' mother remarried in 1988, and consequently, they moved to
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
, Maryland.
Hicks received his Eagle Scout badge at the age of 16. At age 17, Hicks graduated from
Westminster High School, having achieved a record of perfect attendance there, and enlisted in the
Marine Corps
Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...
shortly afterward. Hicks turned 18 while he was at Marine Corps boot camp on Paris Island, South Carolina.
Military service
Twenty-two months after his enlistment, Hicks was appointed to the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
at Annapolis, Maryland, having been nominated from the enlisted ranks by the
Secretary of the Navy
The secretary of the Navy (or SECNAV) is a statutory officer () and the head (chief executive officer) of the Department of the Navy, a military department (component organization) within the United States Department of Defense.
By law, the se ...
. Upon graduating in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in history, Hicks was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Hicks received the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his service as a first lieutenant in the Iraq War, and he is the second Iraq War veteran ever elected to the Oregon Legislature.
Post Military Life
Upon being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps at the rank of captain, Hicks initially worked for the United States Department of Justice Office of Immigration Litigation in Washington D.C. as a volunteer law clerk. He then enrolled at the University of Oregon (U of O) School of Law and graduated one semester early. In 2008 Hicks began working as a deputy district attorney for Josephine County. He lives in Grants Pass, Oregon with his wife and daughters.
Political career
In 2010, Hicks filed to run for Oregon House District 3 shortly after incumbent Rep. Ron Maurer announced that he would not seek reelection. Hicks, a Republican, received the nomination of his party in the primary election, as well as the nomination of the Independent Party of Oregon and the Democratic Party after winning as the write-in candidate. In the general election, Hicks received 77.89% of the vote over Barbara Gonzalez of the Constitution Party. On January 10, 2011, he was sworn in as a member of Oregon's 76th legislative assembly.
Hicks serves as the Co-Vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee, as Co-Vice Chair of the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety, and on the Advisory Committee on State Court Facilities.
Hicks was the originator and chief sponsor of HJR 44, which corrects and updates certain non-substantive language in the Oregon Constitution. Oregon's Chief Justice, Paul De Muniz, and Co-Speaker of the House Rep. Bruce Hanna, testified in favor of the bill. The measure was passed by voters in the November 2012 general election.
At the end of the 2011 long session, the Oregonian calculated that Hicks voted with the majority of his party 83.33% of the time, which was less than any other member of the House of Representatives. His support and advocacy in animal-related measures saw him labeled as a 2011 "Top Dog" by the
Oregon Humane Society.
2011 Oregon Humane Society Legislative Scorecard
at the Oregon Humane Society
In 2011, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University awarded Hicks a certificate of completion for the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program.
Rep. Hicks was unanimously elected whip of the Oregon House Republican caucus in November 2013.
In May 2014 Hicks was elected as the Josephine County Legal Counsel by defeating the twenty-year incumbent with 61% of the vote.
References
External links
Legislative website
*http://www.leg.state.or.us/hicks/
*http://www.co.josephine.or.us/Files/10Nov%20General.pdf
*http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/03/lawmaker_wants_statewide_vote.html
*http://gov.oregonlive.com/legislators/Wally-Hicks/
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hicks, Wally
United States Marine Corps personnel of the Iraq War
Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives
People from Grants Pass, Oregon
Living people
1976 births
University of Oregon alumni
United States Naval Academy alumni
Politicians from Eugene, Oregon
United States Marine Corps officers
Lawyers from Eugene, Oregon
21st-century American politicians