Greetings
from Salem!
We are
nearing the final days of this year’s five week short session. Things continue to move quickly. On Tuesday, I was proud to welcome a
delegation from the Seaside High School who visited the capitol to testify
during the House Veterans and Emergency Preparedness committee. The group was led by Doug Dougherty, Ph D., Seaside
School Superintendent along with students Kyna Lin, Clair Ogilvie, Nathanael
Ward and Kara Ipson. Dr. Dougherty’s testimony correctly described
Seaside Schools as Oregon’s most vulnerable school district. The three schools: Seaside High, Broadway
Middle and Gearhart Elementary are three of the four schools within tsunami
inundation zones in Oregon, identified by state officials as high risk. DOGAMI’s evaluation shows each of these
aging schools is prone to catastrophic collapse in the event of a megathrust
earthquake. Nathanael Ward and Clair
Ogilvie serve as the Seaside ASB Communications Directors, and shared their
video presentation: “Don’t Catch This Wave” that illustrates the importance of
relocating these schools outside of a tsunami zone, which can be seen here:
http://prezi.com/yaquydg6jnae/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
There are
many bills being considered this session, and one that I support is SB1513A, legislation that will allow
counties to exempt up to $250,000 assessed value of each homestead owned and
occupied by a surviving spouse of firefighter or police officer killed in the
line of duty. Sponsored by Senators Girod,
Courtney, Knopp and our own Betsy Johnson, SB
1513A was unanimously approved in the Senate last week, and this week
passed out of the House Revenue committee with a “Do pass” recommendation. This is not a mandatory requirement for
counties, but it does give local government officials the option to waive
property taxes in support of surviving spouses. As I think about the recent tragedy
involving Seaside Police Sgt. Jason Goodding, I’m glad this legislation has
been receiving universal approval.
As Oregon’s
economy continues to improve, community leaders have identified the need for
affordable housing as a top priority throughout the state. This session we have taken up several bills
relating to this affordable housing and land use issues which include:
HB 4079B Directs the Land Conservation and
Development commission to establish a pilot program in which local governments
may expand their urban growth boundary under certain conditions to site and
develop affordable housing. I support
this legislation because I have been convinced there is a need for a larger
inventory of affordable housing, and this measure will give local officials a
way to help address the housing crisis in their own communities.
SB 1533A Permits inclusionary zoning to allow
cities and counties to offer developer incentives for affordable house. I also think this legislation has merit, as
it imposes no mandates, but it does offer local governments another tool as
they look at creative ways to further development of affordable housing.
HB 1573 Deals with city annexations, and
would require a city annex territory without a vote, if the petition for
annexation is submitted by all owners of land in the territory provided the
territory is within the city’s urban growth boundary and contiguous to city
limits. I do not support this bill as
it would impose state rules over cities statutes. Currently 35 Oregon cities have charters
that require votes on annexations. If
approved, HB 1573 could force cities
to accept unwanted annexations. I don’t
support it, because I believe citizens should have the right to vote on
community annexations.
I do support
SB 1517A which will allow Tillamook
County to create a pilot program which would implement a collaborative process
for disputes arising from the application for wetland creation, restoration or
enhancement in lands zoned for exclusive farm use. SB
1517A also allows the county to identify areas suitable for wetland
creation and areas that should be prioritized for agricultural use. This bill was proposed by the Senate Interim
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, it was approved in the Senate,
and received a “Do Pass” recommendation in the House Agriculture and Natural
Resources Committee.
On another
topic of importance to rural areas, on Thursday, the House approved SB 1503 to continue to require
insurance companies reimburse certified and licensed nurse practitioners and
physician assistants for primary care services at the same rate they reimburse
licensed physicians. As a rural legislator who has seen a shortage of medical
professionals in underserved areas, I voted in favor of this bill, because
there should be pay equity for medical care reimbursement.
As we move
into the final days of this session, it becomes more difficult for people to
weigh in on important legislation. My
door is always open to constituents, but scheduling becomes problematic as the
session comes to a close. If you are
planning to visit the Capitol, let my office know in advance, and we’ll try to
accommodate you. If you have a concern
or comment you can phone or email the office.
Please be aware that we have been flooded with spam emails, and this
makes it impossible to respond on an individual basis. If an email is sent as part of an “alert
campaign”, it may be classified as spam by the computer program. If we missed it, and did not respond, I
apologize. When commenting on
legislation, it is best to individualize your message.
You can
follow the legislative process, and see committees and floor sessions live
through the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) via the following
link:
https://olis.leg.state.or.us/liz/2016r1/2016-02-01.
It is my
privilege to represent you in the House of Representatives, and I look forward
to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Representative Deborah Boone
House District 32
email: Rep.DeborahBoone@state.or.us I phone: 503-986-1432 address: 900 Court St NE, H-481, Salem, OR, 97301 website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boone
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