Recently, the news has been full of stories describing undecided issues and policy decisions that matter to Oregonians as the legislature nears its end. But one question stands as most important in my mind: Can I discern where Oregon’s future is headed based on the outcome of this session’s work? Are we now on a firm and clear path to a future we all understand? Are we now sure what the priorities are and what matters most? Are we clear on the challenges we face and know what it will take to succeed?

As a leader who finds it useful to make tradeoffs in difficult situations based first and foremost on where we want to head, I fear the session has left all of us generally where we started – unclear of our future.

What must be on the table at this time is not a debate about a hundred individual policies but a debate about what Oregon is going to look like 25 years from now. A great state is not built upon the details of its policy but upon the nature of its aspirations. If we know in our souls what we want to be, where we want to get to, we cannot be easily dissuaded from achieving it no matter where we find ourselves in the moment. If we do not, we are destined to be victims of our own lack of clarity.

It is time for someone to lead the effort to align Oregonians on what we are trying to achieve, what we are building for our children, how are we helping to lead our nation in solving problems that are not unique to us but that we can uniquely solve because of our independent nature and pioneering spirit. That, my friends, is the first and foremost challenge facing our next governor.