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Greetings,
The 2017 Legislative Session is heating up! Many of the bills I’m focused on have moved over to the Senate. HB 2216, the Oregon Foster Youth Sibling Bill of Rights, has already been signed by the Governor. We are now looking at proposals for raising revenue, cost containment, and a transportation package--all the result of statewide community engagement. Here are some additional updates about our exciting work happening in my office.
House Bill 2216, a bill I Chief Sponsored, was signed by the Governor. HB 2216 establishes the Oregon Foster Youth Sibling Bill of Rights, which include maintaining contact and visits with siblings, including contact by telephone or electronic device, being provided with transportation to visit siblings, training foster parents and caseworkers on the importance of sibling relationships, developing a contact plan, and being immediately notified of placement changes or catastrophic events affecting them or a sibling.
When a child or teenager is removed from their family and placed into the foster care system, they are confronted with many life changes all at once. They meet their new foster parents, go to sleep in a new bed, and often have to move schools. For a young person, this is all very daunting. The positive presence of siblings is often the stability that keeps a youth thriving in the face of very difficult life challenges.
The Governor held a special signing ceremony, where she signed the bill in her office surrounded by foster youth. I was pleased to be a part of this special moment.
HB 2004, our Tenant Protections Bill, passed out of the House and passed the Senate Committee on Human Services. This bill moves us from a no-cause to just cause eviction system and will help keep our most vulnerable tenants in their homes. Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson is a champion for this bill in the Senate. Many of the bills I’m working on have moved into the Rules or Ways and Means Committees. You can visit my Bill Tracker at any time for a complete update.
A few weeks ago, the YWCA and Family Preservation Project visited the Capitol. The Family Preservation Project provides support for incarcerated women in our community. They supervise and guide visitations between mothers and their children so that mothers can develop parenting skills, even while incarcerated. They provide regular, free training to women in Coffee Creek Correctional facility, as well as community support when women are released.
Most women are in prison because of addiction, mental health, or domestic violence. Keeping women out of prison and supporting them while they’re incarcerated is one key way that we can strengthen our most vulnerable families. When the Family Preservation Project group was in the Capitol, they advocated for a bill that I Chief Sponsored, the Safety & Savings Act (HB 3078). This bill right-sizes sentences for nonviolent drug offenses, increases length of time a person can be in a short term transitional facility, and reinvests cost savings into drug and alcohol treatment and victim services.
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Another exciting moment in the day: Piper Kerman, who wrote the book that eventually became the Netflix series "Orange is the New Black" joined the Family Preservation Project for a breakfast and discussed her personal experiences as a woman in the criminal justice system.
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It was an honor to recognize Sergeant Adam Plumondore and his service to our community and country. Sergeant Plumondore grew up in Gresham and joined the Army in hopes of eventually becoming a Gresham police officer. He was killed in Iraq during my time as the Police Chief. I was glad to spend the day with Daniel and Elfriede Plumondore, who were on the floor as House Concurrent Resolution 25 recognized Sergeant Plumondore for his service and sacrifice. Mayor Shane Bemis and Gresham Police Chief Robin Sells also joined us on the floor. Officers Letsis and Smith posted the House colors for a special opening ceremony recognizing Sergeant Adam Plumondore.
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I invited special guest Captain Matthew Madsen from the Gresham Salvation Army to perform the Opening Ceremony during Wednesday’s Floor Session. He played a rousing rendition of “Amazing Grace” on the flugelhorn. Here’s a link to his performance, if you’d like to watch.
The Lions of Gresham also visited the Capitol to lobby for SB 187, a bill that would provide funding for vision screenings in every Oregon school district. Currently, the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation screens 180,000 Oregonians in a school setting per year. It was great to meet with Gresham Lions who do this work in our community.
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I recently hosted two honorary pages. Lee completed his page duties on the Senate side of the Capitol, but spent time in my office with my staff and I. Miles served as a page on the House side. They were a great addition to our team, even if just for a day. The Oregon House Honorary Page Program is open to students ages 12-17 and allows them to experience the legislature for a day by acting as couriers during the floor session, taking a tour of the Capitol, and witnessing the work that elected officials do every day. You can read more about this program here, and email me at rep.carlapiluso@oregonlegislature.gov or call me at 503-986-1450 if you know a student who might be interested in participating.
 West Gresham and Hollydale Elementary schools spent time at the Capitol on Friday, May 26th. It was great seeing good friends and great school principals Carlynn Capps and Debra James, who accompanied these curious fifth graders around the building and joined them as they climbed the 300+ stairs to see the Golden Pioneer. I hope that some of these students think about running for office themselves one day!
The next Superintendent of the Gresham-Barlow School District is Katrise Perera! I was impressed with Katrise and her seasoned experience working with diverse groups of students. Katrise has a depth of educational knowledge under her belt. Most recently, she was the national director of McGraw Hill Education’s urban markets division. Prior to that, she was named National Association of School Superintendents’ 2015 Superintendent of the Year. I firmly believe she will be great for Gresham and am excited to welcome her to the district. |
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I was recently appointed to the Oregon Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. The group meets quarterly to determine and advance policies that affect Asian and Pacific Islanders in Oregon. They also act as liaisons between the state government and their community. It was an honor to be chosen for this role and I look forward to reporting back on the good work of this commission.
My time in Salem has been generally focused on criminal justice reform and human services, though it’s hard to avoid conversations about revenue and transportation. Oregon is facing a $1.5 billion budget deficit. We’ll either raise revenue to fully fund education and health care, or have to make painful cuts to schools, community colleges and universities that East County simply can’t afford. Speaker Kotek, Rep Nathanson (Ways and Means Co-Chair) and Rep Barnhart (Revenue Chair) recently introduced the Oregon Education Investment Initiative (OEII), which will allow our state to invest in the education system our students deserve. You can watch their presentation here.
The Oregon Education Investment Initiative would scrap Oregon’s corporate income tax system and replace it with a new Commercial Activity Tax of 0.95% on a business’s sales in the state. This rate would only apply to companies with more than $5 million in Oregon sales; smaller firms would pay just $250. The proposal also includes $200 million in tax relief for low- and middle-income households.
With the OEII, we can bring down class sizes, add weeks to the school years and offer programs like technical and vocational education that were cut during the recession. Crucially, the OEII will invest in proven strategies to improve Gresham’s graduation rates. Raising revenue, though challenging, is necessary. I’ve heard from multiple education professionals, constituents, and students in my district asking me to support a revenue increase so that we can finally give Gresham students the opportunities they need to be successful.
Transportation is another important conversation happening right now. The Joint Transportation Committee introduced a Transportation Package that will target specific statewide infrastructure projects aimed at reducing traffic, increasing safety, and more effectively transporting our goods and services statewide. I care about funding for bikes and pedestrians in East County. I am also advocating for additional funding for transit, including a low-income transit fare and more frequent services to Gresham and East County. Raising revenue and passing a transportation package with funding for transit, bike, and pedestrians are critical for Gresham. I’m advocating for both.
A lot can happen in just one month in Salem. I hope to tell you more and continue this conversation on Saturday, June 3rd at 10:00 AM. Senator Laurie Monnes Anderson and I will be at the Rockwood Public Safety Building with coffee and pastries. We’ll update you further on our work and answer any questions that you might have about what’s happening here in Salem. You can also call me at 503-986-1450 or email rep.carlapiluso@oregonlegislature.gov. I look forward to hearing from you!
 Carla C. Piluso
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