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Friends,
Work at the Capitol continues to be challenging and worthwhile.
I want to remind everyone that this week was Teacher Appreciation Week! I know that teachers should be and are appreciated year-round for the incredibly important job they do of educating our children, but this week is a great way to go the extra mile to show them how much you care. The National PTA web site has some great resources and printable thank you cards to send to your child’s teachers, you can find them here.
I want to recognize Rob Brauer, a metals and welding teacher at Glencoe High School; we taught together for many years. Rob recently received a Crystal Apple award for being an outstanding educator and for developing strategies to put students on a path to higher education. His students can get Portland Community College credit and benefit from his connecting them to internships at local businesses.
Senate Bill 941 – Passed the House May 4th, 32-28, awaiting the Governor’s signature
This bill closes a loophole that allows dangerous individuals to acquire firearms. It will require background checks for all private gun sales, including those made over the internet. As a mother, grandmother, and teacher, the safety of our children is my top concern when we talk about firearms. I fully support the 2nd Amendment, and I believe that this is a common sense policy that will make our community safer while still protecting the rights of gun owners. If even one life is saved because a criminal or mentally unstable individual is prohibited from possessing a gun after undergoing a background check, I think we can all agree that this bill will have done its job.
House Bill 2317 – Unanimously Passed the House April 15th, awaiting a hearing in the Senate
This bill doubles the statutes of limitations for certain sexual assault crimes from six to 12 years. Sexual assault is one of the most underreported crimes, in part because victims in some cases do not come forward until years after they have been assaulted. Extending the statute of limitations will help survivors seek justice when they are ready to report.
House Bill 2974 – Passed the House April 17th, 53-5, had a public hearing in the Senate April 30th
This is a common-sense measure that will require the state to hold at least 10 public hearings prior to redistricting. I sponsored this bill and testified on its behalf because it reaffirms values that I strongly believe in: public comment is a vital part of any public process, having a transparent and open redistricting process restores public trust and improves results, and local communities are the building blocks of our state. It recently had a hearing in the Senate, and some minor changes are being made in conjunction with the Secretary of State’s office (the office that will be responsible for enforcing the bill).
House Bill 2938 – Passed the House April 20th, 59-1, awaiting a hearing in the Senate
This bill prevents a city from forcing a landowner to annex into the city limits in order to receive a service provided by the city on behalf of the county, otherwise known as “hostile annexations.” One such example is the issuance of a building permit . It was brought forward by Representative Brian Clem in response to concerned citizens who fear they will be forced to give up, among other things, designation as exclusive farm use land if annexed in order to obtain a building permit or other city service.
House Bill 2758 – Passed the House April 30th, 34-25, awaiting a hearing in the Senate
Oregonians seeking sensitive medical treatment would have the ability to seek further privacy protections in insurance communications. This bill allows insurance consumers to redirect their “Explanation of Benefits (EOB),” which is sent out by insurance companies detailing services rendered, to a different address than the policy holder. This bill will increase confidentiality for these patients so they can seek needed medical services without fear for their health or safety. For example, victims of domestic violence can request that their EOB be sent to their home or another address, instead of the home of their abuser.
HCR 27 – Unanimously Passed the House on April 30th
David B. Frohnmayer, who passed away in April of this year, was not only an amazing father, husband, mentor, and educator, but also an incredibly humble and generous public servant. This Resolution honors his legacy, and reaffirms how important Dave Frohnmayer’s life was to the State of Oregon. The remarks made on the House floor were powerful, heartfelt, and very emotional. I knew Dave's daughters personally through speech and debate, and my daughter Emily was greatly impacted by Dave's mentorship when she was a student at the University of Oregon. I was honored to be a co-sponsor of this HCR, and to stand with my colleagues as we honored Dave’s legacy in the presence of his wife and children. His contributions will be remembered by Oregonians for generations to come.
Do you know what a Transportation Network Company is? If not, don’t feel bad – I didn’t either until I started this Legislative session! It’s a company that operates or owns a mobile phone application (an app) that connects drivers with passengers for rides. Also known as a “TNC,” this includes companies like Uber and Lyft. These companies allow drivers to use their personal vehicle and an app to take requests for rides from other users of the app.
Currently, TNCs operating in Oregon are unregulated when it comes to insurance, meaning that there are no specific requirements beyond what any individual driver must have. In addition, personal insurance companies do not insure drivers who drive their personal vehicle for commercial use – they are supposed to be covered by a commercial business policy. This creates what is known as a “gap” in insurance – and this could have bad consequences for Oregon consumers.
A work group has met several times this session, and we are currently in the process of drafting amendments that reflect the best possible insurance requirements for this new kind of ridesharing company. I will be able to update you all once the bill has been amended and passed out of committee – stay tuned.
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On April 20th, I got to be the Speaker of the House for a day, and preside over the floor session.
It is a big and stressful job, and I have that much more respect for Speaker Tina Kotek after standing in her shoes for a day. A special thank you to Speaker Pro Tem Tobias Read for being patient and helpful on the dais!
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My former student and current debater Ashwin recently won a Speech and Debate tournament at Sprague High School that qualified him for the National Tournament in Dallas, Texas in June!
Ashwin has always been a stellar debater, and I am so proud to be sending him to Nationals for Student Congress - Senate.
When he isn't debating, Ashwin is a sophomore at Glencoe High School, and he also participates in the Hillsboro Mayor's Youth Advisory Council.
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Recently I was visited by a group of people representing the American Federation of Teachers. We had a really great conversation about education legislation this session, and our future plans for our students, teachers, and schools.
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Our intern Katelyn had a chance to meet Governor Kate Brown this week (she is on her left)! We are so proud of her and excited to see what she does next.
Katelyn has been our intern since July, and we are very sad that her internship is ending soon.
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Yours truly,
 Representative Susan McLain
House District 29
email: Rep.SusanMcLain@state.or.us I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-376, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain
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