|
Hello Friends,
My apologies for not publishing a week 8 update, but it was
important that I was in District for Sudden Oak Task force work with the
Senator, and subsequent Town Halls. It was a busy weekend with a town hall in
Roseburg Saturday morning and a joint Republican Women’s Meeting in Coos Bay
with Commissioner Freeman, SOD/Redwood tour early Sunday in Brookings, Town
Hall in Gold Beach and then in Coquille late Sunday afternoon, before heading
back to Salem. It was great to see and speak with many of you in Roseburg, Coos
Bay, Brookings, Gold Beach, Port Oford and Coquille.
This week was difficult, and revealed a partisan side of
this work for you that is deeply troubling. That being said, there have been
some great things happening, and I will continue to strive for the bipartisan
work that my constituents desire. Here is some of this work and an excerpt from
my recent press release.
State Representative David Brock Smith’s Port of Port
Orford Cannery Construction Bill Passes Out of Committee with Unanimous Vote HB
3150 moves on to Ways and Means Committee
SALEM - A
bill that will aid in providing needed funds for the construction of a new
cannery building at the Port of Port Orford passed a major hurdle yesterday.
After a brief public hearing House Bill 3150 was unanimously voted out of the
House Economic Development and Trade Committee. The bill now moves on to the
Ways and Means committee where it will be become part of the state budget
negotiations.
“This is a major priority for my district. Port Orford is
one of the most economic challenged communities on the Oregon coast and I am
grateful to the committee members for helping move this request forward,” said
Rep. Brock Smith (R- Port Orford). “This single redevelopment project will
positively affect more than 1/3 of the local workforce and the community as a
whole.”
House Bill 3150 would allocate $2,100,000 of lottery dollars
reserved for economic development to be used as grants or loans to the Port of
Port Orford and support the redevelopment of the Cannery building at the Port.
The building is in such a state of disrepair that it is no longer insurable and
has been deemed “beyond repair” by engineers. NorCal Seafoods Inc, which
specializes in marketing and distribution of live seafood products, is
currently the only occupant of the old building. NorCal leases 8,000 square
feet to operate their fresh sea water flow operations, and their live fishery
is critical to the west coast.
Plans for the redevelopment create a 24,000 square foot
multi-use facility capable of housing a variety of industries including sea
food processing, aquaculture, ecotourism and professional office space. 10,000
square feet will be dedicated to NorCal for their expanded operations. NorCal
expects to hire four new employees. “These will be living wage jobs. The
cannery redevelopment project will create additional jobs through both the
expansion of current businesses as well as new business start-ups that will
lease space in the building. These jobs are crucial for our local economy,”
said Rep. Brock Smith.
###
We were also successful in working on a bipartisan bill that
will assist with our Maritime Sector Workforce Development. Here is an excerpt
from Senator Roblan’s press release.
Sen. Roblan supports maritime industry workforce training
SB 867 creates task force dedicated to training coastal
workforce for good jobs
SALEM –
Sen. Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay) advanced legislation today designed to help maritime
businesses – as well as current and future workers in that industry – by
connecting workforce training opportunities with the needs of maritime sector
businesses.
Spearheaded
by a bipartisan group of legislators that includes Roblan, Sen. Jeff Kruse
(R-Roseburg), Rep. David Gomberg (D-Otis) and Rep. David Brock Smith (R-Port
Orford), Senate Bill 867 -- which passed out of the Senate Committee on
Business and Transportation today – creates the Task Force on Maritime
Sector Workforce Development.
###
We have also had some great visits to the Capital over the last
few weeks.
 |
    This weekend is In-District Days and many Legislators are in
their Districts for town halls. I had to push our town halls back a week
because of my work for our District on Economic Development and Trade. I am
involved with the Oregon China Sister State Relations Council, and this
afternoon is the 7th Oregon China Economic Forum, focusing on “e-Commerce
Export Platform”. Many of you will remember our work; when I was a County
Commissioner for Curry County, on the USDA changing its rules on issuing a
phytosanitary certificate for our cranberries, blueberries, strawberries and
cherries. I have continued this work as your State Representative, and as Vice
Chair of the House Economic Development & Trade Committee, I have been working
to expand our Southwest Oregon exports. Here is the Chinese Commerce delegation
visiting your Capital yesterday. Next to me is Mr. Yang Yihang, Economic and
Commercial Counselor, Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China.
There are some good and bad bills moving through the legislature, and I am working to enhance and protect our fish, farm and forest industries, their communities and residents.
Senator Kruse and I will be holding our Town Halls next weekend, April 8th, 2017. The schedule is:
Brookings – Chetco
Library 9:00 AM
Gold Beach , County
Annex 10:45 AM
Port Orford City Hall
12:30 PM
Bandon Library
2:30 PM
Coquille City
Hall
4:15 PM
Myrtle Point Kozy
Kitchen 6:00
PM
Here is a great video of one of our hardworking Cranberry Farmers in Southwest Oregon. Over 97% of the cranberries grown in Oregon are grown in House District 1, and I am proud to work for and with these great people. To watch the video of Peters Cranberries, Inc, click here.
It is an honor and a privilege to represent you in the Oregon Legislature and I thank you for the opportunity.
I hope to see you at our Town Halls. Be safe and God Bless.
Yours truly,
Representative David Brock Smith
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1401
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-379, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.DavidBrockSmith@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithd
| 
