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As I reflect on my first session as a state representative, I’m happy to take this opportunity to share the challenges and successes of these past months. It was a wonderfully turbulent ride filled with a range of experiences. This session has given me helpful tools to continue the work in the interim and coming 2018 session. Even though we’ve just wrapped up, I am inspired to keep working to meet the needs of our community.
When I began this session as a first-time legislator, the training wheels flew off fast and furious. I started working on my first bill (HB 2723; Hippotherapy, equine therapy for students with disabilities, seniors, veterans and more) right away, and had a revolving door of meetings (I affectionately called them 15 min speed dates) and multiple committee meetings.
The legislature tackled a lot of important issues that will make a real difference in Oregonians' lives this session. We worked hard to close a budget deficit to limit cuts to our schools, healthcare for hundreds of thousands, services for our most vulnerable and more. We also tackled reproductive health issues, gun safety, transportation infrastructure, worker protections and environmental protections.
With these accomplishments, we also identified areas in which there was additional work to be done. Not everything that happened in Salem these past months was a victory. I remain frustrated that we could not address tax reform this session. After
many public hearings, in which educators, business owners and everyday
Oregonians talked about the need to invest in our schools, a small group of
politicians decided to walk away from real solutions for our state. We must secure a more stable and fair tax system to protect and invest in our future. I'm ready. With a plan that could secure 100% revenue for cradle to career programs, I am motivated to seek action.
 With such an eventful session, it’s important to recognize the accomplishments and highlights of the legislature’s work. Here are just some of those accomplishments:
Education
- Made the benefits of Measure 98 more accessible by the expanding the range of education programs entitled. (HB 2246)
- Allowed parents or legal guardians the right to delay enrolling their child in public full-time school to better meet their needs for cognitive, social or physical development. (HB 3029)
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Phased in physical education minute requirements for the promotion of healthy lifestyles for our students. (SB 4)
- Established procedures to better assess the needs of students and to provide proper protections to school staff under the "Work Shouldn't Hurt" bill. (HB 3318)
Workplace Equity
- Established fair predictive scheduling by requiring new employees be provided with estimated work schedule and to provide current employees with seven days’ notice of work schedule. (SB 828)
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Established the strongest equal pay law in the nation. (HB 2005)
- Protected Oregonians from working overtime in high risk sectors. (HB 3458)
- Required that government contractors show proof of preventing workplace sexual harassment and providing equal access to benefits. (HB 3060)
- Established resources to support training opportunities for Oregon’s skill-based job vacancies. (HB 3437)
Community Support
- Established further protections for our seniors from elder abuse. (HB 3359)
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Gave
families and law enforcement a way to protect loved ones in great mental
distress by asking the court to temporarily remove deadly weapons. (SB 719)
- Mandated more resources for veteran support programs on University campuses and established a Veteran Volunteer Coordinator with the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to provide further support. (SB 143 & HB 2908)
Environment
- Required schools to address environmental safety conditions in their facilities on a regular basis to promote the safety and health of students and faculty. (SB 1062)
- Authorizes commercial and residential tenants to install electric charging stations on premises to support access to renewable energy based modes of transport. (HB 2510 & HB 2511)
- Supported a Transportation Package with big investments in public transit, bike and pedestrian paths, tax incentives for electric vehicles and further protected Oregon's Clean Fuels Program. (HB 2017)
I’ve included an infographic regarding some of the highlights of this 2017 session I am most excited about. If you want to learn more about these pieces of legislation, I’ve included links for each of the bills here: HB 2005, HB 2216, HB 3391, SB 802, HB 2038 and HB 3437.
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Being on both the Education and the Higher Education & Workforce Development committees, I am committed to finding ways to lower class sizes, provide more classroom supports, follow the implementation of Measure 98, and streamline transfer credits in higher education. I want to make sure that our students have a seamless transition into their post-secondary education and that our teachers have manageable workloads that will help our students graduate, and stay engaged through K-12.
I want to find new innovative ways to incentivize investments in renewable energy. With the elimination of the residential solar tax credit, we have done our community a disservice. We should be focusing on how to get solar panels on houses and more electric cars on the road. These are wins for our environment and our economy.
Lastly, I am motivated to put together a work group that will look at Systems Development Charges (SDC). These are the charges that are applied to the price of houses when developments are coming into an area to pay for the expansion of existing services. This type of charge has existed for decades, but the statute and what services get to claim part of the SDC has not been visited in over 20 years. I am interested to see how we can be supporting the construction of new schools & educational facilities that have become necessary due to new growth, yet sometimes fall unfairly on Oregonians.
 I have big plans
for the interim here in Washington County. Many people have shared with me how
much they value knowing that their State Representative is easily accessible. I
will be visible in the community and plan on holding regular listening sessions,
among other things. I also know that many of you are engaged in a variety of
groups, programs and clubs that have meetings and events throughout the summer.
I’d love to hear about opportunities to visit as many of these gatherings.
Reach out to my office and we’ll work to get them on our schedule.
GET INVOLVED:
- With Summer in full swing it’s important for us all to get out and enjoy the sun and wonderful Oregon outdoors. For our students who are out of school there are some amazing programs happening at several parks throughout Hillsboro, offering fun outdoor activities and learning opportunities and lunch programs. You can learn more about The Outpost here!
- There are also some great summer volunteer opportunities with the Jackson Bottom Wetland Preserve. Volunteers can interact with visitors, enjoy lunch with the birds, survey the local birds, and join the Osprey Watch! You can fill out a Jackson Bottom General Volunteer form here!
EVENTS:
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The bills that I worked on this session varied in many ways but each of them was intended to help our community. I kept myself true to my goals this session by embodying my motto, “Listen. Learn. Act.” This was a tough legislative session, but I am already gearing up to take additional important steps to invest for Oregon's future. Thank you all for reaching out as often as you have. Each of your emails, phone calls, and meetings are so valuable to the political process and to me. This is your government and with your voices, positive change can be made in Oregon. It is my promise to you that I will continue to Listen, Learn, and Act.
Onward & Upward,
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaneenSollmanforHD30/
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