About Speaker Hanna
Bruce Hanna was born in Roseburg, Oregon and raised in nearby Myrtle Creek. After college, he joined his parents in the Coca-Cola business, eventually owning and operating a distribution company based in Roseburg. He became first became interested in the state legislature became of workers’ compensation reform.
Hanna was appointed to the Oregon House of Representatives in 2004, to fill a seat vacated by Jeff Kruse. That fall he won election to that same seat, representing the 7th district as a Republican.
In the House, Hanna served on the Ways and Means Committee. He was chosen as the minority leader in August 2007, succeeding Wayne Scott.
During the 2010 Oregon legislative election, Republicans won enough seats to end the Democrats’ majority in the House of Representatives. The House became evenly divided between the two parties, with 30–30. Hanna became the 66th Speaker of the House, serving alongside Democrat Arnie Roblan.
In the interview, Hanna and Roblan talk extensively about their work as co-Speakers of the House during the 76th Oregon Legislative Assembly. Hanna did not seek reelection in 2014.
– Interview recorded June 18, 2024