Derrick Kitts

From dKosopedia

Derrick Kitts a Republican, ran for Congress in the 1st district, but lost to the incumbent, see Oregon U.S. House election, 2006.

He was also the 2004 Oregon State Representative for Oregon State House District 30.

1 Background
2 Education
3 Governmental Experience
4 Affiliations
5 Contact
6 Related articles
7 External links

Background

Billy Dalto is the owner of the now defunct Kitts Landscape Management. The 29-year-old state Rep. Derrick Kitts has battled the perception that he's more interested in making pals than making policy.

In his rookie session of the legislature in 2003, the Republican from Hillsboro, was arrested in February of that year for drunk driving in Longview, Wash.

According to police records Kitts drew the attention of Longview patrol officer Chris Trevino shortly after 2 am on Sunday, Feb. 16, when the lawmaker drove his white Ford pickup over a parking-lot curb before "bouncing and jolting" to a stop.

Kitts declined to take an on-the-spot preliminary breathalyzer test and, after calling a friend, contacted Stephen Petersen, a lawyer from Rainier, who drove to the station. According to the report, on Petersen's advice, Kitts again refused to take a breathalyzer test.

Under Washington law, failure to submit to a test is grounds for license revocation, according to Longview Police Chief Robert Burgreen. However, Kitts says he kept his during an administrative appeals process.

His one-man landscaping business went under in 2003 prompting him to give up his apartment, and he says he now rents a room from a friend in Hillsboro on the nights he's not in Salem. In fact, for his police report, Kitts listed the state Capitol as his address.

In his first election to office, he beat Democrat Aron Carleson by less than 200 votes, stressing his small-business background and conservative social politics--he's anti-abortion and pro-school voucher.

Kitts pushed a bill through the House that's remarkable even in the cureent 2005 lackluster session. House Bill 3463, which now speeds to the Senate for consideration, would expand offerings at one Canby go-cart track, Pat's Acres.

In 2000, a Clackamas County hearings officer rejected a bid by track owner Chris Egger to let motorcycles race at the track.Kitts, who has been driving carts for 20 years, raced into action when he learned of the "outrage at his favorite track.

Kitts acknowledges that Egger is a friend and that he's got a keen interest in seeing the track thrive. "As a result of my hobby, I met some people who needed some help with government agencies," Kitts says. "I don't see anything wrong with that."

Kitts' obliviousnesss to public perception on this topic comes on top of other more serious concerns. In his campaign last fall, Kitts paid more than $14,000 to a consulting firm owned by his then-fiancée and more than $25,000 on an advertising firm that also employed him. Campaign finance rules permit such expenditures as long as they are arm's-length transactions.

Education

B.S. Portland State University

Governmental Experience

State Representative House District 30, Congressional Aide, U.S. Congress, Public Safety Coordinating Council, Washington County, National Conference of State Legislators, Business Committee