Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 We don't have any problem with legislators drawing on personal experience to shape policy. In fact, the strength of the citizen Legislature is that people with real jobs--rather than professional politicians--make the laws in Oregon. But when lawmakers drag out personal anecdotes to explain their motivation, they should tell the whole story, not just half of it. Rep. Jackie Winters failed that test. Winters is the owner of Jackie's Ribs, a popular Salem restaurant. The freshman Republican is also the author of House Bill 3607, which would limit the penalties that restaurateurs and other business owners face if they don't pay their workers. Winters says the bill was prompted by her experience four years ago, when she faced two costly federal lawsuits over alleged unpaid wages. Reducing the potential civil penalties, Winters says, will reduce the temptation for lawyers to sue on behalf of workers while still ensuring that workers get any back pay that is coming to them. We don't buy Winters' logic, and we're even more troubled by her selective memory. Records filed with the state Bureau of Labor and Industries show that in 1996 it was Winters who hired a lawyer to fight claims of unpaid wages. (Winters did not return WW's phone call.) According to the BOLI records, a Salem woman and her daughter both worked for Winters at the Jackie's Ribs food booth during the 1996 state fair. The two women claimed that Winters underpaid them about $1,500. After months of wrangling, Winters eventually coughed up most of the cash--but not before her lawyer sent the mother a letter threatening legal action. Opponents of HB 3607 say this case proves that it is workers, not employees, who need more protection from legal threats. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published May 19, 1999