State Sen. Sara Gelser speaks to Linn Dems on Monday, Jan. 8

   ALBANY – State Sen. Sara Gelser will be the guest speaker at the monthly general meeting of the Linn County Democrats on Monday, Jan. 8, in the Albany Public Library Meeting Room, 2450 14th Ave. S.E.
   The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. A social time with light refreshments begins at 6.
Gelser plans to speak in support of Ballot Measure 101 on the Jan. 23 ballot and a carbon-capping bill that will come before the Legislature in February. 
  She said she cannot talk about the current investigation of a sexual harassment complaint she filed against a state senator in November. A report on the investigation by an independent investigator is due by Jan. 30.
In speaking about workplace sexual harassment last fall, Gelser caught the attention of Time. The magazine named Gelser and dozens of other women and a few men as its Person of the Year in December for their roles as “the silence breakers” on sexual harassment. 
  As for Ballot Measure 101, “we absolutely have to pass it,” she said. If approved, it would couple an increase in state health care funding with federal funding “and keep 350,000 people on the Oregon Health Plan.”
  The carbon cap and invest bill, Sen. Gelser said, “will drive meaningful progress on reducing carbon emissions while building the Oregon economy through sustainable job creation statewide.”
Sen. Gelser, a Democrat, announced Dec. 14 that she will seek a second four-year term as District 8 state senator. District 8 includes Corvallis, Albany, Philomath, Millersburg, Tangent and unincorporated parts of Linn and Benton counties. She served in the Oregon House from 2005-15, representing Corvallis and Philomath in District 16. 
  Before entering state politics, she worked for the Oregon Department of Human Services and served on the Corvallis School Board.
  Sen. Gelser lives in Corvallis and has four children, who range in age from 16 to 23.
  The Linn Democrats normally meet on the first Thursday of the month, but the Albany library meeting room is reserved Thursday, Jan. 4, for a 7 p.m. Ballot Measure 101 forum hosted by the Linn County League of Women Voters.
  For more information, contact Linn County Democrats Co-chair Graham Kislingbury, 541-974-2075.