Hello! My name is Derek Berning, and I’m a rising senior from Sublimity, Oregon majoring in economics at the University of Portland.
This summer I have been interning for state representative Travis Nelson of House District 44, which encompasses much of North and Northeast Portland, including UP’s campus. Rep. Nelson was appointed to the state legislature earlier this year after his predecessor Tina Kotek left the seat to enter the governor’s race in November; as a nurse and union representative, he seeks particularly to advocate for improved healthcare access and quality as well as workers’ rights and an empowered labor movement.
As his intern, I have been attending meetings of various governmental bodies—like Portland City Council and the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners—and community groups—like the neighborhood associations of North Portland and committees convened to plan the coming replacement of the I-5 Interstate Bridge. By attending these gatherings, I serve two purposes: First and most importantly, I take notes for Rep. Nelson to review so he can stay informed on key political happenings in the metro region, because his daily work as a legislator requires him to focus more on statewide issues than local ones. Second, I act as his stand-in and community liaison, ensuring his presence is felt in North Portland even at events he cannot himself attend—this function is especially important for district-specific gatherings like neighborhood association meetings.
These activities have allowed me to rapidly learn about the most important issues facing the metro region, from the realms of transportation (like the I-5 Rose Quarter and Interstate Bridge projects) to education (like the effort to ban concealed firearms in Portland’s public schools) to environmental issues (like the cleanup of the Portland Harbor Superfund site).
I have also witnessed directly the real-world process of policymaking and political engagement. Frequently the public—including myself—sees politics through only the lens of electoral campaigns, with their flashy promises and bitter rhetoric, but it is the intermediary of these campaigns where tangible change is actually made; this internship has revealed the less obvious ways in which policy is crafted.