Greetings from Salem!
On Wednesday, The Oregon House of Representatives
unanimously approved HB 2933. This
bill lifts the limit on the amount the Oregon Infrastructure Finance Authority
may grant from the Special Public Works Fund for emergency projects. I sponsored this bill as part of my ongoing
efforts to help Oregon move towards better emergency preparedness, disaster
resiliency and recovery. Exceeding the
current upper limit of $2.5 million per project should only occur in the case
of a catastrophic seismic event. HB 2933 now moves to the Senate for
consideration.
HB
2930
is another bill I sponsored this year, and relates to reporting child abuse and
neglect to the appropriate authorities.
This bill was requested by the Department of Defense, and encourages the
notification of the military regarding child abuse and neglect allegations of
families with members on active military status. Similar bills have already been approved in
the states of Washington and South Carolina, and on Thursday, this bill
received a “Do Pass” recommendation in the House Human Services committee, and
now moves to the House floor for a vote.
The Coastal Caucus consists of all Senators and
Representatives that have been elected from districts along Oregon’s
coastline. Each week we meet to discuss
various topics and legislation that will impact our communities and
constituents. This week Richard Whitman
the new Director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality attended our
meeting and among the discussion topics were the Oregon Cleaner Air effort and
the process to renew the wastewater permits for Oregon Seafood Processors. Next week DEQ will be meeting with seafood
processors along the coast, in Astoria on Tuesday, Coos Bay on Wednesday and
Newport on Thursday. Coastal Caucus
members are paying close attention to this effort that could have huge economic
impacts on our fishing communities.
We received word this week that the salmon projections for
the Klamath River Basin are down again this year, and the Pacific Fishery
Management council ordered a season-long Pacific Ocean salmon closure from
Humbug Mountain, near Port Orford, Oregon to Eureka, California. There will be no ocean salmon fishing for
commercial or recreational anglers allowed this year out of Gold Beach or
Brookings. Oregon’s commercial salmon industry
brings over $10 million dollars into the coastal economy, and recreational
anglers spend even more than that during an active salmon season. The closure of the south Oregon coast for
salmon fishing will have devastating impacts for our coastal communities, so caucus
members will be working with the Governor on a disaster declaration, and
helping to facilitate the way fishing communities can get assistance. The Coastal Caucus plans to focus on this
issue next week, and develop a strategy to help our fishing industry.
Thursday at the Capitol, Leah Chen an Astoria High School
junior served as an Honorary Page in the Oregon House of Representatives. Leah is interested in history and political science,
and came to the Capitol to witness first hand political science in action. It is wonderful to have young people from
the district showing an active interest in the business of Oregon, sometimes
that interest results in new legislation.
In 2015 I sponsored HB 3042 at the request of Seaside 8th
grader Hayley Rollins, who was requesting a day to honor Oregon artists. HB 3042 was signed into law designating
April 14 of each year as Honorary Artists of Oregon Day. Hayley is now a sophomore at Seaside high and
this Friday she is coordinating the 2nd annual Honorary Oregon
Artists Day at Seaside High School. On
Friday, I’m honored to be part of the program where many artists will be at the
school conducting 90-minute workshops for students teaching them a variety of
art techniques. The workshops will be
followed by an assembly and Art Walk to view the student creations. I’m so pleased to be a part of this
successful student-driven effort to celebrate and promote art in Oregon.
This Saturday at the Warrenton High School, Congresswoman
Suzanne Bonamici will be holding a Clatsop County Town hall from 11:00am to
Noon. The Congresswoman will update her
constituents on her efforts for the tsunami early warning system, talk about
her opposition to the proposed cuts to NOAA, FEMA and the US Coast Guard, and
explain her goals to strengthen public education. Congresswoman Bonamici will answer
questions, and have staff on hand to work with people who are experiencing
problems with federal agencies.
Everyone is encouraged to attend this Saturday’s Town Hall in the
Warrenton High School Gymnasium to get an update on federal issues that affect
our communities.
Things are moving quickly in the Legislature now, and my
schedule tends to get very busy. If you
are planning a trip to the Capitol, it’s best to contact my office a few days
in advance so we can schedule an appointment.
My office is in H-481 and my door is always open to constituents. If you have a concern or comment about
proposed legislation or a state agency, you can write, phone or email my
office.
It is my privilege to serve you in the House of
Representatives and I look forward to hearing from you. Your input is vital in helping me make the
decisions that best represent House District 32.
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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