Neil Bryant is currently senior partner in the firm of Bryant, Lovlien & Jarvis in Bend, Oregon. His areas of practice include general business, taxation and labor.

In 1992, Neil ran for public office for the first time and was elected to the State Senate. In 1995, Senator Bryant chaired the Judiciary Committee which produced a package of tort reform legislation and a restructuring of the state's correction system. He also served as co-chair on the Ways and Means Sub Committee on Corrections. 1n 1997, he chaired the Business, Law and Government Committee and vice-chaired the Revenue Committee, and was a member of the Rules and Elections Committee. On the Senate floor, Senator Bryant is the assistant Majority Leader. Currently, Senator Bryant chairs the Senate Budget Committee.

During 1995 - 1996, he was chairperson of the criminal justice committee for the National Council of State Legislatures ("NCSL") and currently is on the Executive committee for the NCSL.

Because of these accomplishments and leadership skills, Neil was selected to receive the 1995 Outstanding Freshman Legislator Award and the 1998 Outstanding Legislator Award by the National Republican Legislators Association.

Both state wide and local media have reported Neil in a very favorable light. The Oregonian, Oregon's largest paper, stated, "Neil is one of the hardest workers and one of the most effective."

In 1995, former Oregon Senate President, Gordon Smith, described Neil as "the unsung hero of this session. He has been in the middle of every major fight that we have waged and he has been a superstar. He is quiet by manner and gentle by approach, but powerful in effect."

Governor John Kitzhaber, a Democrat, says it best when he called Neil "an exemplar legislator."

Neil is married to Mary Arneson Bryant. She is a former schoolteacher turned legislative assistant. They have two grown children, a son-in-law, and two adorable grandchildren.