State-Of-Black-Oregon-2015

encouraging other news outlets to addressthe issue. The last piece of the puzzle broughtAmber full circle, back to the Urban League,which was so enthusiastic that she was hired tobe a lobbyist for the bill.Meanwhile, Rep. Keny-Guyer and Sen. Dingfelderwere working diligently with the cosmetologyboard and the health licensing agency. By 2013,they had the cosmetology board’s support.When it came time for Amber to go to Salem,the bill passed unanimously in the House ofRepresentatives. The Senate posed more of achallenge, including a senator who dismissed thebill as “reverse racism.” However, it still passed 18-11, including three Republican votes.Amber notes that HB 3409 was really aperfect bipartisan bill. It was designed tocreate economic opportunities by eliminatingunnecessary government regulation, and totop that off, it didn’t create any additional fiscalworries for the state.Amber credits her community for the bill’ssuccess. While she was the mouthpiece, shepraises her representatives and the communityorganizations that backed her without tryingto take control of the bill. She also notes thatpersistence and not skipping any steps in thepolitical process were essential.But, at the end of the day, she says that itwould’ve all been for nothing without herpassion for what she was doing. “I genuinelycare about the way people in my communityfeel about themselves,” Amber says. “For me,this is bigger than money. This is about ushaving access and choice and being able to useour craft to make a living.”165