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Voices in Salem Five lobbyists from Southern Oregon are giving the region a bigger presence in the Oregon Legislature this session. A series this week profiles each: Today -- Kip Lombard and Leigh Johnson: wielding influence from home Friday -- John Watt: at work for 10 businesses Saturday -- Steve Vincent: an Avista Corp. employee who also promotes regional community projects Sunday -- Lon Holston, union advocate These lobbyists know how far it is to Salem Just a few take local interests to state Capitol By PETER WONG SALEM -- Of the 568 lobbyists registered so far for this session of the Oregon Legislature, a handful know firsthand how far Southern Oregon is from the state Capitol. But that handful has boosted the region's presence in the statewide arena during the legislative session. Five lobbyists are working for Southern Oregon in Salem this session, up from three a session ago. Until now, nearly all lobbyists have come from the Portland-Salem corridor. John Watt of Medford is a former four-term state representative who now works on behalf of Jackson County government and 10 Medford businesses. Steve Vincent of Central Point, a former legislative aide, represents Avista Corp. Lon Holston of Central Point was a legislative candidate between two stints as a lobbyist for the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers. Two other lobbyists return to the Capitol only occasionally these days. Leigh Johnson of Medford is a principal with former U.S. Rep. Bob Smith in the Smith West public affairs firm in Medford. Its clients include Bear Creek Corp. of Medford and Jeld-Wen Corp. of Klamath Falls. Kip Lombard of Ashland practices law in Ashland and does occasional work for the Oregon Water Resources Congress. People must register as lobbyists with the Government Standards and Practices Commission once they spend 24 hours per month, or $100 per quarter, to influence government activities directly. LEIGH JOHNSON Johnson, 56, registered as a state lobbyist -- even though Bear Creek Corp. and Jeld-Wen Corp. have only a couple of proposals before the Legislature -- to make sure he was legal. The former legislator was one of Bob Smith's close political allies when he was a first-term state representative from Ashland and Smith speaker of the Oregon House in 1971. He said he is struck by the sheer number of lobbyists in the state Capitol almost three decades later. "Many people relied on associations then for broad overviews of what was going on in the Legislature, so they could determine whether they were OK or in trouble," he said. "Now people hire somebody specifically to make sure their backs are watched in Salem." Johnson sees more intensive business, but less social interaction, between lobbyists and legislators and between legislators themselves. "I do not know if that is good," he said. "Back then, in one or two places around town about 5:30 or 6, you would find 15 or 20 of us in a group, discussing what was going on in the Legislature and interacting with each other. I do not see much of that happening now. But I think you have lost something." KIP LOMBARD When Lombard, another former state representative, announced he would retire from the Oregon House in 1984, "some Eastern Oregon interests asked me whether I would be interested in lobbying for them on water issues," he recalled. "They felt that because of my knowledge of water law and policy, familiarity with people and experience with the legislative process, I would be a good spokesman for them," said Lombard, now 58. Until the lines were redrawn in 1981, part of Lombard's District 52 extended into Klamath County, giving him some familiarity with the area east of the Cascades. The Oregon Water Resources Congress, which represents irrigation districts and other water users, needed advocates such as Lombard to help it fend off what it saw as harmful legislation in the sessions of the late 1980s. In 1987, a business coalition hired Lombard to help shape new legislative limits on insurance liability. "I was living in Salem with a couple of lobbyists," Lombard said. "But my family and I determined after that session they did not want me to be up there full time." As Republicans won majorities in the House in the 1990s, Lombard said he has spent less time in Salem, because they have been less willing than their predecessors to rewrite water laws. He continues to draft legislation for the Oregon Water Resources Congress, but he said the changes are largely technical. "By and large, we've got new members under term limits who have hardly gotten their feet wet," Lombard said with a laugh. "But when I have been in Salem and made my presentations, I have found most of them ask good questions and reach a level of comfort at which they can accept what we propose." Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA