House District 27 Update

Sheri Malstrom

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the first newsletter for House District 27 of the 79th Oregon Legislative Session! If you feel you are receiving this email in error or do not wish to receive updates from Representative Sheri Malstrom & House District 27 there is an unsubscribe button, you can click at the bottom of this page.

Most of January was organizational meetings and the session began floor sessions on the first of February. Below are some highlights from the first two weeks of the session.

First Bill of Session & Pie

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I had the great honor of carrying the first bill of the session. It was even noticed in Willamette Week. House Bill 2123 allows the Oregon State Hospital Advisory Board to appoint ad-hoc committees established by the board to less than a quorum. You can read about it by clicking the bill number. It was passed with a little fun by the membership as you will see if you watch the video. They typically give the first bill to a freshman to help test their mettle, poise, and patience. If you watch the video (starting at about 21 minutes) I think, I passed my freshman test!

The other item of note in the above Willamette Week article is my work to make to Marion Berry Pie the state pie of Oregon.  House Concurrent Resolution 19 has gotten the attention of lovers of pie and Marionberries! This bill was submitted on behalf of Shari's Restaurants (no relation at all to myself, just a fun coincidence!) which is headquartered in our district.

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Meeting at Ava Roasteria

Constituent Coffee

Spent a morning in downtown Beaverton with constituents to discuss issues important to them. We covered a lot of ground and asked some great questions of each other. I want to recognize Cheryl Bittle for a moment. Cheryl came down to the capitol on February 7th as part of Interfaith Advocacy Day 2017. The theme for the day was “Raising Diverse Voices of Faith to Strengthen Oregon Communities” and spent the day visiting legislators, learning about issues important to their coalition that need compassionate responses to help our communities in a challenging budget year for Oregon.

Cheryl was part of a group of constituents that came to the office in Salem to meet and discuss housing, hunger, and human services issues. She then followed up that activism by coming to our Constituent Coffee and not just talking to me, but the other constituents that also attended. If you want to discuss issues and meet with other engaged citizens a Constituent Coffee or Town Hall is the best place to go. It is my hope these events can serve as a place for you to network in the future.

Town Hall Opportunities!

You are invited to a town hall with your State Legislators

Senator Mark Hass (D-Beaverton), along with Representative Barker (D-Aloha) and Representative Malstrom (D-Beaverton) welcome you to attend a start of session town hall. The meeting provides an opportunity for you to get to know your members in the State Legislature and discuss the 2017 session. The legislators will speak about their agendas and provide an update on the current situation in Salem.

Start of Session Town Hall

Senator Mark Hass, Representative Jeff Barker, Representative Sheri Malstrom

March 2nd 7:00 pm-8:30 pm

Beaverton Civic Theatre 

12375 SW 5th Ave. Beaverton, OR 97005

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Join Representatives Jeff Barker, Margaret Doherty, Susan McLain, Ken Helm, Sheri Malstrom, and Janeen Sollman for a listening session where you can tell them what you think the priorities should be for this session.

Washington County Budget Listening Session

March 9th 7:00 pm

 Beaverton High School Cafeteria

13000 SW 2nd Ave. Beaverton, Oregon 97005 

 

Nurse Lobby Day

On Oregon's Birthday & Valentine's Day nurses flooded the capitol to talk to legislators about issues that are pressing to them and their patients. The Oregon Nurses Association organizes this great event every year.

In the past, I was an attendee like many of the nurses I met that day. This year I spoke to all the nurses attending the lobby day and told them of the importance of nurses having a voice in the political process. When we connect and engage in our communities, people listen. After I was done speaking I headed back to my office to see a group of nurses who live right here in our district. We talked about issues I am working on like protecting toddlers by requiring parents to use rear-facing car seats for any child under two years of age(HB 2643).

 

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Nurses from House District 27

Get to Know the District

I want to finish each newsletter with a small section highlighting an interesting fact or anecdote about our House District. For this first newsletter, I want to highlight the Garden Home area.

Garden Home is a small community of unincorporated Washington County near the Multnomah County line. For many people in the area Garden Home is a place that people use to bypass the Washington Square area of HWY-217. For those that live in Garden Home you know, it is a growing community that help connects neighbors with one another. The Garden Home Recreation Center is a highlight of the area. Community members can take classes, exercise, and use the facility as a gathering place. It also serves as means to connect with Beaverton and Tigard as one of the endpoints of the Fanno Creek Trail.

I hope to see you in Salem or in district sometime in the future. My contact information is provided below. My staff and I look forward to hearing from you.

 

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