Mitch Greenlick

Merwyn Ronald "Mitch" Greenlick (March 12, 1935 – May 15, 2020) was a Democratic politician from the U.S. state of Oregon. He represented District 33 of the Oregon House of Representatives.

Greenlick was a graduate of Wayne State University and received a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in health system organization. Greenlick moved with his family to Portland, Oregon, in 1964 to start and later direct the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. He also was named Vice President of Kaiser Foundation Hospital in 1981.Starting in 1990, Greenlick served as Professor and Chair of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in the School of Medicine at Oregon Health Sciences University.

Greenlick had been active in his community as a board member of the Community Action Organization in Washington County and as a member of the Northwest Health Foundation Board.

Greenlick represented Northwest Portland and northern Washington County, which includes Helvetia, North Bethany and Cedar Mill. He narrowly lost his first race in 2000, but was elected in 2002 and re-elected eight more times.

In the 74th Legislative Assembly, Greenlick chaired the Health Care Committee and served on the Education Committee and Higher Education Subcommittee. In past legislative sessions, he served on the Transportation, Land Use, Environment and Rules committees.

On November 4, 2008, Greenlick defeated Republican opponent Jim Ellison and was elected to a fourth term in the house.

Representative Greenlick proposed to make nicotine a Schedule III controlled substance (along with LSD). He was in favor of banning all tobacco products, requiring people in Oregon to obtain a doctor's prescription to get tobacco products (including cigars), and to impose a fine of $6,250, up to a year in prison, or both on offenders.

Greenlick was married to Harriet Greenlick, and together they had three children, including state judge Michael.

He died on May 15, 2020 after battling numerous illnesses, aged 85.