Sen. Betsy Johnson Wants Bi-Partisan Legislative Accountability Committee, With Subpoena Power

"Our clean reputation is built on smiles and a deliberate unwillingness to look below the surface."

Sen. Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) is known in Salem for speaking her mind in blunt terms, although she rarely issues press releases.

But Johnson, who entered the Legislature in 2001, is clearly fed up with the series of scandals that have swept state government in the past couple of years.

In the 35-day legislative session that begins Feb. 1, Johnson will ask her fellow lawmakers to empower themselves to do something they don't currently do much of—hold state agencies accountable.

Here's what Johnson wants—and why she wants it:

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