William S Hansell is an American politician, farmer, and minister from Oregon.
23 Facts About Bill Hansell
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Bill Hansell served over four decades in local and state government positions including eight terms as an Umatilla County commissioner and three four-terms in the Oregon State Senate, representing a large rural district in eastern Oregon.
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Bill Hansell grew up on a farm in Umatilla County, Oregon.
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Bill Hansell's family has been farming in that area for four generations.
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Bill Hansell attended University of Oregon, earning a degree in political science.
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Bill Hansell was well-known on campus and was elected senior class president.
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Bill Hansell then became the national campus director for the organization's mission in Australia, where he worked for five more years.
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Bill Hansell was elected to the Umatilla County commission in 1982.
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Bill Hansell won the District 29 senate seat in the 2012 election.
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Bill Hansell was re-elected to the senate in 2016 and 2020.
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Bill Hansell was a conservative Republican legislator who received a 100 percent score from the Oregon Chamber of Commerce in 2020.
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Bill Hansell earned 20 percent positive rating from the state government employees' labor union.
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In 2019 and 2020, when the senate's Democratic majority scheduled floor votes on several controversial bill, Hansell joined fellow Republicans in two walkouts that shut down the senate due to a lack of quorum.
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On June 20,2019, all 11 Republican state senators, including Bill Hansell, walked out of the Oregon State Capitol, going into hiding or fleeing the state.
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Bill Hansell championed natural resource stewardship, domestic violence issues, and cancer-related legislation.
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Bill Hansell actively supported Future Farmers of America and other youth programs.
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Bill Hansell tried to get the legislature to designate the potato as the state vegetable.
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Bill Hansell served on numerous committees during his time in the senate.
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Bill Hansell served on the senate's rules committee, environment and natural resources committee, labor and business committee, workforce committee, semiconductor committee, and redistricting committee.
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In March 2023, Bill Hansell announced that he would not run for re-election in 2024.
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Bill Hansell made the early announcement in order to give potential candidates time to prepare for a senate run.
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Bill Hansell is a member of the Oregon State Library board of trustees, Oregon Growth Board, Pacific Northwest Economic Region Energy and Environment Committee, the Hanford Clean-up Board, and chairman of the Umatilla Army Depot Reuse Authority.
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Bill Hansell is a member of the Athena Baptist Church, Athena Chamber of Commerce, Weston Chamber of Commerce, and the Pendleton Salvation Army board of directors.