Greetings from Salem!
On February 1st,
the 2017 Legislative Session convened, and lawmakers will be hard at work in
the State Capitol for the next several months.
According to Oregon law, the length of the 2017 legislative session is
limited to 160 calendar days, and should end in early July. This session I will serve as Vice Chair of
the House Veterans and Emergency Preparedness Committee, and a member of the
House Energy and Environment Committee.
One of the primary
duties of the Legislature is to develop and pass a balanced budget that meets
the needs of all Oregonians and reflects our values. In my mind, that means supporting education,
senior care, and programs that keep all of our communities safe and
healthy. As always, I will continue to
focus on ways we can help our communities and the state prepare for disasters
and emergencies. Last month, the
preliminary revenue forecast and budget framework were released, which
indicated a $1.8 billion budgetary shortfall, so meeting the needs of our
students, low-income seniors, working families and other vulnerable Oregonians
will be challenging. In order to gather
input for the state’s budget document, the legislature’s Ways & Means
Committee will hold 7 public forums around the state seeking public input. The first forum will be held next week on
February 10th in Salem, the final forum, and closest to House
District 32 is scheduled for March 3rd at the Port of Tillamook Bay
in Tillamook.
There will be many
opportunities for you to share concerns with your elected officials. For instance, this Saturday in Seaside,
Senator Betsy Johnson and I are hosting a Town Hall with the Oregon Department
of Forestry to discuss the Astoria District’s assessments for wildfire
protection. Recently, the forestry
department determined that about 4,750 additional lots in the Astoria District
met the “forestland” definition for the purpose of wildfire protection. Letters were sent out to affected property
owners notifying them that their property would be subject to assessment. When tax lots are added to the Forest Patrol
Assessment, the total revenue does not increase. Instead, the assessment paid by each
landowner is more equitably distributed among the properties receiving fire
protection. Oregon Department of
Forestry officials will be on hand Saturday to explain the assessment process
and to answer questions. The meeting
will be from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday February 4th at the Seaside
City Hall.
On Sunday, I’ll be
traveling to Tillamook, to meet with U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, and attend his 2017
Tillamook County Town Hall meeting.
Senator Wyden is following through on his commitment to hold a town hall
meeting in every Oregon County each year, and will be fielding questions from
constituents from noon to 1:30 in the Tillamook High School Auditorium.
Now that the Oregon Legislature
is in session, I’ll be spending lots of time in Salem. In order to best represent House District 32,
I need to hear about your concerns. If
you are planning a trip to the State Capitol, let my office know a few days in
advance so we can schedule an appointment.
I’m in H-481, my door is always open to constituents, and I enjoy
meeting with friends and neighbors when they visit the Capitol. If you have a concern or comment about a
state agency, or proposed legislation, you can write, phone or email my office.
It is my privilege to
serve you in the Oregon House of Representatives, and I look forward to hearing
from you.
Sincerely,
Deborah Boone
email: Rep.DeborahBoone@oregonlegislature.gov 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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