Raymond Sims Baum (August 18, 1955 – February 9, 2018) was an American lawyer, lobbyist, and politician Baum was born and raised in

La Grande, Oregon La Grande is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. Originally named "Brownsville," it was forced to change its name because that name was being used for a city in Linn County. Located in the Grande Ronde Valley, the city's name comes ...

. He studied at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

and

Willamette University College of Law Willamette University College of Law is the law school of Willamette University. Located in Salem, Oregon, and founded in 1883, Willamette is the oldest law school in the Pacific Northwest. It has approximately 24 full-time law professors and en ...

. Baum was admitted to the Oregon bar in 1983 and practiced law in La Grande. Baum served in the

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 65,000. The House meets in the west wing of t ...

in 1988. He was majority leader in the state house for the Republican Party starting in 1995 but did not seek reelection in 1996. In 2003

Ted Kulongoski Theodore Ralph Kulongoski ( ; born November 5, 1940) is an American politician, judge, and lawyer who served as the 36th Governor of Oregon from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in both houses of the Oregon Legislative As ...

appointed Baum a member of the Oregon Public Utility Commission. He served there until 2011, serving as chairman starting in 2010. Baum worked for the

National Association of Broadcasters The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is a trade association and lobby group representing the interests of commercial and non-commercial over-the-air radio and television broadcasters in the United States. The NAB represents more tha ...

and served as vice-president of government affairs. In December 2016, Ray joined U.S. Representative Greg Walden's staff as Staff Director on the Energy and Commerce Committee. There, he worked with the FCC on telecommunications issues.

Personal life

Baum's wife is Kristine Baum. In February 2018, Ray Baum died at Suburban Hospital in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which ...

from prostate cancer. Representative Greg Walden arranged to have RAY BAUM’S Act named in his honor due to his significant work in telecommunications.RAY BAUM’s Act: What is it and why does it matter?
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References

1955 births 2018 deaths People from La Grande, Oregon American lobbyists Oregon lawyers Republican Party members of the Oregon House of Representatives Brigham Young University alumni Willamette University College of Law alumni Deaths from prostate cancer Deaths from cancer in Maryland {{Oregon-politician-stub