JULIE PARRISH

OREGON HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

HOUSE DISTRICT 37

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	CONTACT: Rep. Julie Parrish
October 4, 2012	503-432-9707

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE COMMENDS REP. JULIE PARRISH FOR HER DEDICATION TO OREGON’S MILITARY VETERANS

WEST LINN - Rep. Julie Parrish (R-West Linn/Tualatin) was recently honored for her work as a Vice-Chair on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs by the U.S. Department of Defense.  Parrish, a first-term legislator, worked to pass a variety of bills aimed at helping active and part-time members of the military, their spouses and children, and all of Oregon’s veteran community.

“I’m really quite honored to have received a certificate of appreciation from the Department of Defense,” Parrish said. “You don’t go into this work with an expectation of accolades, and certainly not in your first term as a legislator, so I’m pretty humbled to have my work be noticed by an outside agency.”

Rep. Parrish said she understands firsthand the nature of deployments and reintegration issues military members and their families face when they return home from deployments and when the separate from the military. Her husband, Colonel (ret) Mark Parrish served as a brigade-level officer when Oregon’s 41st Enhanced Infantry Brigade deployed to Iraq from 2009-2010. Parrish has spent more than 17 years supporting her husband’s military career with the Oregon National Guard.

“The Global War of Terror continues to draw soldiers from Oregon to serve when they are called,” Rep. Parrish said.  Oregon has been called upon again for a 2014 deployment of 1,800 National Guard soldiers. I believe our state has an obligation to care for families when their soldier is gone, and care for the soldier when he or she returns from war.”

Edward Kringer, Director of the DoD’s State Liaison and Educational Opportunity program spoke highly of Parrish’s efforts around House Bill 4063, the veterans professional license reciprocity bill.

“We really appreciate Representative Parrish’s leadership getting HB 4063 passed in 2012 and for all her efforts supporting veterans’ employment. Service member licensure is extremely important and has strong Administration support from the President of the United States,” Kringer stated. “Oregon’s version of this bill is especially significant for its inclusion of teacher licensure.  We look forward to working on a similar bill for military spouses in the next session, which is part of Mrs. Obama’s Joining Forces effort to help military spouses.”

In addition to her legislative committee duties, Parrish serves as one of the Co-Chairs of the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) effort in Oregon with Clackamas County Commissioner-Elect and former State Senator Martha Schrader.

“Co-chairing the MCEC effort with Martha has been a great experience. It shows that veterans’ issues are truly non-partisan issues.  She and I work well together because what we’re doing comes straight from the heart.  We can reach across the aisle to solve these problems together, and I’m proud of our efforts.”

Rep. Parrish is working on several bills for the 2013 session which she said will build upon the accomplishments she achieved helping veterans in her first term.

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