Legislative Update: You Can't Support What You Don't Know Exists
By Jody McNannay

Following the opening of the 2011 Oregon Legislative session, Oregon Bio lobbyist Jack Isselmann and Executive Director Dennis McNannay are working closely to educate and update Oregon legislators on both the strengths and opportunities the Oregon bioscience industry offers the state. “It’s been surprising,” Dennis notes, “to learn how little many of the legislators know about our industry.” Jack agrees: “The biggest roadblock is the relative youth of the bioscience industry in Oregon and our historic lack of public advocacy efforts. This is why one of our first activities is basic education about the industry and its economic impact to legislators.”

Rather than viewing this lack of knowledge as a disadvantage, Dennis considers it an opportunity. “ You can’t support what you don’t know,” he explains. “It’s our job to help legislators understand that world-class work is already under way in Oregon. By showing them that the bioscience sector is already up and running, providing high-income jobs and great potential for additional, high-dollar jobs, our legislators begin to see the benefits in supporting our industry.”

Both Dennis and Jack are quick to point out that educating legislators is only the first, necessary step in Oregon Bio’s plan to match legislative efforts to the legislative priorities recently developed through the joint efforts of the Oregon Bio board of directors and the Government Affairs and Advocacy Committee (GAAC). “We will be working to extend important tax credits like the Oregon income tax credit for qualified research activities,” they stated. “We will also be assisting Governor Kitzhaber in his efforts to secure $3.5 million for the Oregon Translational Research and Drug Development Institute (OTRADI). Also, Oregon Bio supports the passage of SB 219 which introduces payroll-based incentives to work with existing Oregon companies to further job creation opportunities, as well as a targeted business and job recruitment tool for the state.”

In order to gain support, the Oregon Bio team has crafted messages to answer a set of key questions:

Who is Oregon Bio?

Legislators need help in understanding that Oregon Bio represents a world-class cross section of successful corporations, research facilities and educational institutions that are already providing high-paying jobs for Oregonians. Because Oregon Bio represents a wide array of sectors—including research and development, medical devices, medical diagnostics, human and animal therapeutics, pharmaceuticals, reagents, research services, bio-agriculture, bio-fuels, and medical software—it is sometimes challenging to understand the broader impact of this industry. A better understanding of both the current and future impact this industry has helps legislators better understand the importance of bills such as the proposed payroll-based incentive and funding for OTRADI.

Can we grow the Oregon Bioscience sector?

The bioscience industry in Oregon is already emerging as a world-class collection in the state. Though smaller than some, it’s important that our legislators understand that Oregon is home to several industry leaders, such as Welch Allyn, recognized as a leading manufacturer of frontline medical diagnostic equipment and healthcare products, and FEI Company, leaders in the creation and production of the world’s most advanced electron microscope. The Oregon Bio team is dedicated to helping legislators understand the importance of both retaining the existing high-caliber companies and employees while simultaneously attracting new players. Oregon is fortunate to play host to ground-breaking research, such as the cutting-edge cancer research taking place at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. Legislation that creates a positive business environment clearly provides mutually beneficial opportunities to grow both our industry and our state revenues.

What benefits can the state gain from supporting the bioscience industry?

Supporting the bioscience industry provides three clear benefits: high-paying jobs, a significant economic multiplier effect and a recession-resistant sector. In addition to being a source of high-paying jobs (the national average for a bioscience job was $77,595 in 2008; $32,000 more than the average private sector job), the 2010 Batelle/Bio National Report shows an employment multiplier effect of 5.8 jobs for every one bioscience job . In a state currently experiencing double-digit unemployment, these numbers cannot be stressed enough. According to Battelle’s findings, “A special analysis of the financial performance of 649 public bioscience companies in 2009 suggests that, even during the recession, the bioscience industry is a positive generator of net income across each subsector (of the industry).”

As the Oregon Bio team moves forward on the legislative agenda, some members have wondered how they might help. Jack encourages members to take the opportunity to become active in the Government Affairs and Advocacy Committee to “assist us with setting legislative priorities and offering testimony and communications on legislative measures and policies that advance the growth of the bioscience in Oregon.” Anyone interested in personally contacting their legislators is invited to contact the Oregon Bio office for information on specific legislators.

Jody McNannay (jmcnannay@gmail.com) is a freelance writer and photographer. Regardless of the medium, delivering a clear, compelling message that considers the audience as well as the content is the essential part of communication. Whether the final product is a strategic plan, news release, marketing collateral or technical publication, Jody has worked to maximize the impact of the message. Previous clients include Oregon Episcopal School, the American Hanoverian Society and a variety of software organizations.