Hardy Myers
Encyclopedia
Hardy Myers is a lawyer and Democratic politician who served three terms as attorney general
of the state of Oregon
, United States. Prior to taking office in 1997, he had served from 1979 to 1983 in the Oregon House of Representatives
, the last four of those years as its speaker, and has also been a Metro
councilor and chaired the Oregon Criminal Justice Council.
, Mississippi. He moved with his family to Bend
in central Oregon in 1943 where his father, a lumberman, became manager of The Shevlin-Hixon Company, one of the two large mills that used to operate on the Deschutes River. His family then moved to Prineville
in 1951. He attended public schools until graduation from High School.
After High School he went back east, attending the University of Mississippi
, where he received his undergraduate degree With Distinction in 1961.
Myers returned to Oregon to continue on to law school at the University of Oregon School of Law
in Eugene
, earning a LL.B. in 1964. While at the U of O he became Phi Eta Sigma
(freshman scholastic honorary), Phi Kappi Phi (undergraduate scholastic honorary), Omicron Delta Kappa
(undergraduate leadership honorary). He was also on the Board of Editors of the Oregon Law Review.
for a year to United States District Judge William G. East
in 1964–65. During that time, East made national headlines for ordering U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
to show why an Oregon lawyer should not be paid for defending a criminal defendant he had been ordered to defend by the federal court. In what Time
magazine said was “may be the neatest constitutional argument of the year,” East justified the expenditure under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment
to the United States Constitution
.
Myers was an attorney with Stoel Rives
– Oregon's largest private law firm – in Portland for 31 years before seeking elected office. He first came to the firm in 1965 when it was known Davies, Biggs, Strayer, Stoel and Boley. At Stoel Rives, his practice specialties were labor and employment law, and government affairs law.
He is a member, Oregon State Bar
and Multnomah County Bar Association and has been admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
and United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
.
in the 1974 elections representing what was then House District 19 (parts of NE and SE Portland). He served as in the House until 1985. In that time he was rated most outstanding member of Oregon Legislature in The Oregonian
1979 and 1981 surveys of legislative observers (no 1983 survey); rated most outstanding metro area State Representative in Willamette Week
surveys of legislative observers in 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1983. Myers twice served as Chair for the Committee on Judiciary, first from 1977–78 and once again from 1983–84.
), serving from 1985–86.
Chair, Citizens' Task Force on Mass Transit Policy, 1985–86 (appointed by TriMet
Board of Directors).
Chair, Oregon Jail Project, 1984–86 (appointed by Association of Oregon Counties).
He went on to become chairman of the Oregon Criminal Justice Council in 1987 and was appointed to the State Sentencing Guidelines Board by then Governor Neil Goldschmidt
. In that capacity he led the effort in 1989 to set state guidelines for felony sentencing. Those guidelines remain in effect, though voters set mandatory minimum prison sentences for some violent crimes through Measure 11
in 1994.
Chair, Portland Future Focus (city strategic planning process), 1990–91 (appointed by Mayor Bud Clark).
Myers appointed by Metropolitan Service District Executive Officer Rena Cusma to serve as chair of the Metro Charter Committee. This was a statutory committee which prepared the charter for the Portland metropolitan area regional government for the 1992 ballot. The charter was subsequently approved by the voters in the November general elections.
Chair, Governor's Task Force on State Employee Benefits, 1994 (appointed by Governor Barbara Roberts
).
Co-chair, Governor's Task Force on State Employee Compensation, 1995 (appointed by Governor John Kitzhaber
).
, who was elected to the AG office in 1992.
When Kulongoski ran in 1996 for the Oregon Supreme Court
, Myers "it was now or never." if he wanted to run for the position. Myers defeated Kevin Mannix
of Salem in the 1996 primary, when Mannix was a Democrat
.
Unlike counterparts in other states such as California
and New York, the attorney general in Oregon can initiate some prosecutions, notably in election-law violations, organized crime and public corruption. But district attorneys in Oregon's 36 counties prosecute most crimes, although the attorney general provides help – especially in death-penalty cases – and defends convictions in the appellate courts.
Myers had been vigorous in efforts against sexual assault – largely by promoting improved training for police, prosecutors and professionals who treat medical and psychological effects – and for improved restitution for crime victims generally.
Although Myers was not among the half dozen attorneys general negotiating directly with tobacco industry
– Washington state's Christine Gregoire
, now governor, was one of them – Oregon received a larger share of the 1998 national tobacco settlement
than most other states as a result of the amount of legal work it had done to advance the case. Myers believes one of the most important points in the settlement had nothing to do with the $246 billion payout that tobacco companies will make to the states during 25 years. It has to do with new restrictions on the marketing of tobacco to teenagers, who are most likely to continue smoking if they start when they are young.
In 2000 he ran for a third term, once again against facing Mannix who had by that time became a Republican. Myers went on beat Mannix in the November general election. While Mannix ran a fairly strong campaign, he was hurt by the presence on the ballot of Libertarian
Tom Cox, who drew nearly 58,000 votes – more than Myers' margin of victory.
Myers drew headlines in 2001 when Oregon went to federal court to defend the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, the state's physician-assisted suicide law, against John Ashcroft
who was then United States Attorney General
, who opened the way for federal prosecution of doctors who prescribed lethal doses of medication. Oregon won at all levels, including the U.S. Supreme Court when the case Gonzales v. Oregon
was heard in 2006 and was won in a 6–3 decision.
During Myers' tenure, Oregon has won five of six cases before the nation's highest court; one other, involving a Marion County case, is pending.
Under Myers, Oregon has been a leader in a series of multistate lawsuits against and settlements with big drug manufacturers in the past five years, as recently as October 22, 2008. Some of the cases involved companies such as Eli Lilly and Company
, Merck
, Pfizer
and Purdue Pharma
and garnered settlements of millions of dollars, some of which came back to Oregon to enable the state Department of Justice to pursue future investigations and enforce consumer-protection laws.
In late 2007 the Recording Industry Association of America
subpoenaed the University of Oregon
, asking it to identify students who, it alleged, had illegally shared copyrighted music. The university, represented by Myers, refused to provide the information, questioning the tactics used in the investigation.
In early January 2008, Myers and Gov. Kulongoski announced that Oregon along with 14 other states are joining California in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to uphold the right of states to regulate greenhouse gas pollution from automobiles. The lawsuit is in response to the EPA’s denial of California’s request for a waiver to set stricter tailpipe emissions standards than those set by the federal government, preventing California, Oregon, and other states from implementing stricter greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars.
He has received the highest honors from his peers at the National Association of Attorneys General and the Oregon State Bar. His 12-year tenure as attorney general ties him for third with Andrew Crawford
among the 15 who have held that office. Only Isaac Homer Van Winkle
(23 years, two months) and Robert Y. Thornton
(16 years, five months) have served longer.
Hardy’s public service awards as Attorney General include:
in 1962. They have three sons, Hardy III, Christopher and Jonathan. They have lived in the Laurelhurst
neighborhood of Portland since 1968.
Oregon Attorney General
The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The Attorney General is chosen by statewide partisan election to serve a term...
of the state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States. Prior to taking office in 1997, he had served from 1979 to 1983 in the Oregon House of Representatives
Oregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
, the last four of those years as its speaker, and has also been a Metro
Metro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
councilor and chaired the Oregon Criminal Justice Council.
Early life & education
Hardy was born born October 25, 1939 in Electric MillsElectric Mills, Mississippi
Electric Mills is an unincorporated community in Kemper County, Mississippi, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 45 east of the city of De Kalb, the county seat of Kemper County...
, Mississippi. He moved with his family to Bend
Bend, Oregon
Bend is a city in and the county seat of Deschutes County, Oregon, United States, and the principal city of the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bend is Central Oregon's largest city, and, despite its modest size, is the de facto metropolis of the region, owing to the low population...
in central Oregon in 1943 where his father, a lumberman, became manager of The Shevlin-Hixon Company, one of the two large mills that used to operate on the Deschutes River. His family then moved to Prineville
Prineville, Oregon
Prineville is a city in and the county seat of Crook County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the first merchant located in the present location, Barney Prine. The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census.- History :...
in 1951. He attended public schools until graduation from High School.
After High School he went back east, attending the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, where he received his undergraduate degree With Distinction in 1961.
Myers returned to Oregon to continue on to law school at the University of Oregon School of Law
University of Oregon School of Law
The University of Oregon School of Law is a public law school in the U.S. state of Oregon. Housed in the Knight Law Center, it is Oregon's only state funded law school. The school, founded in 1884, is located on the University of Oregon campus in Eugene, on the corner of 15th and Agate streets,...
in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
, earning a LL.B. in 1964. While at the U of O he became Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma
Phi Eta Sigma is an American freshman honor society. Founded at the University of Illinois on March 22, 1923, is the oldest and largest freshman honor society and now has more than three hundred chapters throughout the United States and more than 1 million members.-Eligibility:Any first-year...
(freshman scholastic honorary), Phi Kappi Phi (undergraduate scholastic honorary), Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa
Omicron Delta Kappa, or ΟΔΚ, also known as The Circle, or more commonly ODK, is a national leadership honor society. It was founded December 3, 1914, at Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, by 15 student and faculty leaders. Chapters, known as Circles, are located on over 300...
(undergraduate leadership honorary). He was also on the Board of Editors of the Oregon Law Review.
Law career
Myers clerkedLaw clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
for a year to United States District Judge William G. East
William G. East
William G. East was an American jurist in the state of Oregon. He served as a judge on the United States District Court for the District of Oregon in Portland, Oregon, and as a state circuit judge...
in 1964–65. During that time, East made national headlines for ordering U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis "Bobby" Kennedy , also referred to by his initials RFK, was an American politician, a Democratic senator from New York, and a noted civil rights activist. An icon of modern American liberalism and member of the Kennedy family, he was a younger brother of President John F...
to show why an Oregon lawyer should not be paid for defending a criminal defendant he had been ordered to defend by the federal court. In what Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine said was “may be the neatest constitutional argument of the year,” East justified the expenditure under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
.
Myers was an attorney with Stoel Rives
Stoel Rives
Stoel Rives LLP is a U.S. business law firm with 11 office locations in seven U.S. states. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon in the Standard Insurance Center, it is the 134th largest law firm in the United States, making it the largest law firm in the state of Oregon, and one of the largest in the...
– Oregon's largest private law firm – in Portland for 31 years before seeking elected office. He first came to the firm in 1965 when it was known Davies, Biggs, Strayer, Stoel and Boley. At Stoel Rives, his practice specialties were labor and employment law, and government affairs law.
He is a member, Oregon State Bar
Oregon State Bar
The Oregon State Bar is a government agency in the U.S. state of Oregon. Founded in 1890 as the private Oregon Bar Association, it became a public entity in 1935 that regulates the legal profession. The public corporation is part of the Oregon Judicial Department...
and Multnomah County Bar Association and has been admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the District of Oregon
United States District Court for the District of Oregon
The United States District Court for the District of Oregon is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the state of Oregon. It was created in 1859 when the state was admitted to the Union...
and United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
.
Political career
Hardy’s public career began as president of the Portland City Planning Commission where he served from 1973–1974.State legislator
He first ran for, and was elected to, the Oregon House of RepresentativesOregon House of Representatives
The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....
in the 1974 elections representing what was then House District 19 (parts of NE and SE Portland). He served as in the House until 1985. In that time he was rated most outstanding member of Oregon Legislature in The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
1979 and 1981 surveys of legislative observers (no 1983 survey); rated most outstanding metro area State Representative in Willamette Week
Willamette Week
Willamette Week is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon, United States. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business and culture....
surveys of legislative observers in 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1983. Myers twice served as Chair for the Committee on Judiciary, first from 1977–78 and once again from 1983–84.
Speaker of the House
He became speaker of the house in 1979. As speaker of the Oregon House in 1981, he spearheaded the effort for a state takeover of trial-court operations in all of the states counties starting in 1983.Post-legislator activities
He left elected office for a time in 1985 and was elected Councilor to the Metropolitan Service District (now MetroMetro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
), serving from 1985–86.
Chair, Citizens' Task Force on Mass Transit Policy, 1985–86 (appointed by TriMet
TriMet
TriMet, more formally known as the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, is a public agency that operates mass transit in a region that spans most of the Portland metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Oregon...
Board of Directors).
Chair, Oregon Jail Project, 1984–86 (appointed by Association of Oregon Counties).
He went on to become chairman of the Oregon Criminal Justice Council in 1987 and was appointed to the State Sentencing Guidelines Board by then Governor Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Goldschmidt
Neil Edward Goldschmidt is an American businessman and former Democratic politician from Oregon who held local, state, and federal offices over three decades. After serving as the governor of Oregon, Goldschmidt is widely considered the most influential figure in the state's politics, both as an...
. In that capacity he led the effort in 1989 to set state guidelines for felony sentencing. Those guidelines remain in effect, though voters set mandatory minimum prison sentences for some violent crimes through Measure 11
Oregon Ballot Measure 11 (1994)
Measure 11 was a citizens' initiative passed in 1994 in the U.S. State of Oregon. This statutory enactment established mandatory minimum sentencing for several crimes...
in 1994.
Chair, Portland Future Focus (city strategic planning process), 1990–91 (appointed by Mayor Bud Clark).
Myers appointed by Metropolitan Service District Executive Officer Rena Cusma to serve as chair of the Metro Charter Committee. This was a statutory committee which prepared the charter for the Portland metropolitan area regional government for the 1992 ballot. The charter was subsequently approved by the voters in the November general elections.
Chair, Governor's Task Force on State Employee Benefits, 1994 (appointed by Governor Barbara Roberts
Barbara Roberts
Barbara Kay Roberts is an American politician from the state of Oregon. A native of the state, she served as the 34th Governor of Oregon from 1991 to 1995. She is the first and, to date, only woman to be elected to that office. A Democrat, Roberts was also the first woman to serve as majority...
).
Co-chair, Governor's Task Force on State Employee Compensation, 1995 (appointed by Governor John Kitzhaber
John Kitzhaber
John Albert Kitzhaber is the 37th Governor of Oregon. He served as the 35th Governor of Oregon from 1995 to 2003 and became the first person to be elected to the office three times when he was re-elected to a non-consecutive third term in 2010...
).
Attorney General
Prior to running for the states Attorney General position in 1996, Myers had considered trying for the position for some time but did not want to run against Dave Frohnmayer who held the position in the 1980s, or against fellow Democrat former neighbor Gov. Ted KulongoskiTed Kulongoski
Theodore R. "Ted" Kulongoski is an American politician, who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon. A Democrat, he has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as the state Insurance Commissioner, the Attorney General, and an Associate Justice on the Oregon Supreme Court.-Early...
, who was elected to the AG office in 1992.
When Kulongoski ran in 1996 for the Oregon Supreme Court
Oregon Supreme Court
The Oregon Supreme Court is the highest state court in the U.S. state of Oregon. The only court that may reverse or modify a decision of the Oregon Supreme Court is the Supreme Court of the United States. The OSC holds court at the Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem, Oregon, near the capitol...
, Myers "it was now or never." if he wanted to run for the position. Myers defeated Kevin Mannix
Kevin Mannix
Kevin Leese Mannix is a politician, business attorney, and former chairman of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Oregon.Mannix has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as a Democrat and, later, a Republican...
of Salem in the 1996 primary, when Mannix was a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Unlike counterparts in other states such as California
California Attorney General
The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice.The...
and New York, the attorney general in Oregon can initiate some prosecutions, notably in election-law violations, organized crime and public corruption. But district attorneys in Oregon's 36 counties prosecute most crimes, although the attorney general provides help – especially in death-penalty cases – and defends convictions in the appellate courts.
Myers had been vigorous in efforts against sexual assault – largely by promoting improved training for police, prosecutors and professionals who treat medical and psychological effects – and for improved restitution for crime victims generally.
Although Myers was not among the half dozen attorneys general negotiating directly with tobacco industry
Tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any warm, moist environment, which means it can be farmed on all...
– Washington state's Christine Gregoire
Christine Gregoire
Christine O'Grady "Chris" Gregoire is the 22nd and current Governor of the state of Washington, and a member of the Democratic Party. Gregoire defeated Republican candidate Dino Rossi in 2004, and again in 2008. She is the second female governor of Washington...
, now governor, was one of them – Oregon received a larger share of the 1998 national tobacco settlement
Master Settlement Agreement
The Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement was entered in November 1998, originally between the four largest US tobacco companies and the attorneys general of 46 states...
than most other states as a result of the amount of legal work it had done to advance the case. Myers believes one of the most important points in the settlement had nothing to do with the $246 billion payout that tobacco companies will make to the states during 25 years. It has to do with new restrictions on the marketing of tobacco to teenagers, who are most likely to continue smoking if they start when they are young.
In 2000 he ran for a third term, once again against facing Mannix who had by that time became a Republican. Myers went on beat Mannix in the November general election. While Mannix ran a fairly strong campaign, he was hurt by the presence on the ballot of Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
Tom Cox, who drew nearly 58,000 votes – more than Myers' margin of victory.
Myers drew headlines in 2001 when Oregon went to federal court to defend the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, the state's physician-assisted suicide law, against John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
who was then United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
, who opened the way for federal prosecution of doctors who prescribed lethal doses of medication. Oregon won at all levels, including the U.S. Supreme Court when the case Gonzales v. Oregon
Gonzales v. Oregon
Gonzales v. Oregon, 546 U.S. 243 , was a decision by the United States Supreme Court, which ruled that the United States Attorney General could not enforce the federal Controlled Substances Act against physicians who prescribed drugs, in compliance with Oregon state law, for the assisted suicide of...
was heard in 2006 and was won in a 6–3 decision.
During Myers' tenure, Oregon has won five of six cases before the nation's highest court; one other, involving a Marion County case, is pending.
Under Myers, Oregon has been a leader in a series of multistate lawsuits against and settlements with big drug manufacturers in the past five years, as recently as October 22, 2008. Some of the cases involved companies such as Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company
Eli Lilly and Company is a global pharmaceutical company. Eli Lilly's global headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, in the United States...
, Merck
Merck & Co.
Merck & Co., Inc. , also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme or MSD outside the United States and Canada, is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The Merck headquarters is located in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey, an unincorporated area in Readington Township...
, Pfizer
Pfizer
Pfizer, Inc. is an American multinational pharmaceutical corporation. The company is based in New York City, New York with its research headquarters in Groton, Connecticut, United States...
and Purdue Pharma
Purdue Pharma
Purdue Pharma L.P., is a privately held pharmaceutical company founded by physicians and now located in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. In its early years, Purdue was known for its antiseptic product, Betadine Solution, and its Senokot laxatives...
and garnered settlements of millions of dollars, some of which came back to Oregon to enable the state Department of Justice to pursue future investigations and enforce consumer-protection laws.
In late 2007 the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
subpoenaed the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, asking it to identify students who, it alleged, had illegally shared copyrighted music. The university, represented by Myers, refused to provide the information, questioning the tactics used in the investigation.
In early January 2008, Myers and Gov. Kulongoski announced that Oregon along with 14 other states are joining California in a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to uphold the right of states to regulate greenhouse gas pollution from automobiles. The lawsuit is in response to the EPA’s denial of California’s request for a waiver to set stricter tailpipe emissions standards than those set by the federal government, preventing California, Oregon, and other states from implementing stricter greenhouse gas emissions standards for cars.
He has received the highest honors from his peers at the National Association of Attorneys General and the Oregon State Bar. His 12-year tenure as attorney general ties him for third with Andrew Crawford
Andrew Crawford
Andrew Crawford is an Irish Entrepreneur and the former CEO & Founder of The Book Depository. He was born in Zambia, of Irish Heritage. Crawford, an Old Gregorian was educated at Downside School and then The University of Liverpool studying Engineering Science and Industrial Management...
among the 15 who have held that office. Only Isaac Homer Van Winkle
Isaac Homer Van Winkle
Isaac Homer Van Winkle was an American attorney in the state of Oregon. A former dean of Willamette University's law school, he served as the 6th Attorney General of Oregon for 23 years.-Early life:...
(23 years, two months) and Robert Y. Thornton
Robert Y. Thornton
Robert Y. Thornton was an attorney, politician, and jurist in the U.S. state of Oregon. A Democrat, he was the second-longest serving Oregon Attorney General in the state's history, holding that office from 1953 to 1969...
(16 years, five months) have served longer.
Association & awards
As Attorney General, Hardy has served as:- Conference of Western Attorneys General – chair
- Antitrust Committee – chair
- Consumer Protection Committee of the National Association of Attorneys General
- NAAG Executive Committee – member
- Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force – chair
- Restitution Reform Task Force – chair
- Governor’s Council on Domestic Violence – former member
Hardy’s public service awards as Attorney General include:
- Meritorious Service Award of the University of Oregon School of Law
- David Frohnmayer Award for Public Service presented by the University of Oregon School of Law Alumni Association
- Government Lawyer of the Year Award
- Professionalism Award of the Marion County (Oregon) Bar Association
- Community Support Hall of Fame Award of the Mid-Valley Women’s Crisis Center
- Mary Oberst Award for Leadership to Prevent Childhood Drinking presented by Oregon Partnership.
Attorney General
- 1996
- Hardy Myers (D), 52%
- Victor Hoffer (R), 41%
- 2000
- Hardy Myers (D) (inc.), 50%
- Kevin MannixKevin MannixKevin Leese Mannix is a politician, business attorney, and former chairman of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Oregon.Mannix has served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative Assembly, as a Democrat and, later, a Republican...
(R), 46%
- 2004
- Hardy Myers (D) (inc.), 55%
- Paul ConnollyPaul ConnollyPaul Connolly is an English footballer who plays for Football League Championship club Leeds United as a right back, having previously played for Plymouth Argyle, Bideford, Derby County and Sheffield United.-Plymouth Argyle:...
(R), 40%
Personal life
Myers married Mary Ann Thalhofer of PrinevillePrineville, Oregon
Prineville is a city in and the county seat of Crook County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the first merchant located in the present location, Barney Prine. The population was 9,253 at the 2010 census.- History :...
in 1962. They have three sons, Hardy III, Christopher and Jonathan. They have lived in the Laurelhurst
Laurelhurst, Portland, Oregon
Laurelhurst is a neighborhood of vintage homes and undulating streets surrounding a park of the same name, straddling the NE and SE sections of Portland. Stone markers flank the entrances to the area...
neighborhood of Portland since 1968.