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Hello friends and neighbors,

The 2017 Legislative Session adjourned Sine Die on Friday, July 7th. This Session was my most challenging yet, filled with disappointing revelations,  inspiring moments, and hard fought victories. I am proud of the work my colleagues and I did to balance a budget with a $1.4 million gap in revenue and current service level while ensuring Oregonians receive the services and programs they rely on.

I left Salem last week with the feeling that there is more work to do. We were unable to reform our broken revenue system that has systematically underfunded our services and allowed corporations to pay less than their fair share. While I am disappointed that the revenue conversation did not result in a reform package, I believe it laid the framework to continue to discussion in future legislative sessions. I am committed to working on revenue reform to ensure our tax system is fair, equitable, and stable.

The 79th Legislative Assembly was able to do a lot despite the difficult budget circumstances we found ourselves in. We passed the strongest Equal Pay law in the country and boosted funding for career and technical training to prepare students for the jobs of the future. We ensured that Oregon remains a great place to live by spending tax dollars wisely and efficiently to preserve our clean air and water, create middle class jobs, and invest in education for all students.

Bills and Important Votes

Transportation Package: House Bill 2017 is the result of a statewide, 11-stop tour undertaken by the Joint Transportation Preservation and Modernization Committee, which I served on. HB 2017 will raise $5.3 billion for infrastructure over the next ten years. It will modernize and improve Oregon’s transportation infrastructure by addressing four of the priorities heard most consistently around the state: reducing congestion, increasing alternate transportation options, investing in maintenance and preservation, improving safety of existing infrastructure, and ensuring accountability in how taxpayer dollars are spent.

K-12 Budget: HB 5517-  We allocated $8.2 billion from our State School Fund. Although we did not allocate enough dollars to save from cuts, I am proud that we allocated more dollars to education than any other biennium. Considering the $1.4 billion gap in revenue and current service level, I believe we strategically invest our dollars to maximize outcomes. We know we need to do more, and we’re going to work hard in the coming years to build the kind of education system this state deserves. That will take a more stable and reliable revenue stream for education, and I believe we can get there.

ODOT Worker Safety: HB 2721 -  Recent accidents in the news are a reminder that construction workers are at risk. My bill expands protections for highway workers against individual assault, and it passed both legislative chambers with little opposition. Many workers have seen an increase in people getting out of their vehicle to injure a road worker in a bout of road rage. This bill increases the penalties for that crime. I am proud that this bill is now law.

End Profiling: HB 2355 - The Oregon Criminal Justice Commission will establish a system to record and capture data from officer initiated stops to better understand and address police profiling. The bill will require sensitivity training. It also reduces crime classification (Schedule I to Schedule II) for possessing of small amounts of a controlled substance and requires county supervision. I am honored to have worked with the  attorney general this session and co host a profiling listening session for this effort.

Washington County received 3.7 million dollars from the state during the 2015-2017 biennium to support safety, accountability, treatment, and victim services. The goal of the Justice Reinvestment Program is to divert money from corrections by supporting programs that prevent individuals from entering or re-entering the prison system.

Cover All Kids: SB 558- extends health care coverage through the Oregon Health Plan to all Oregon kids, maximizing enrollment. HB 2116 in 2009 created the Health Care for All Oregon Children Program. Currently, 98% of children in Oregon have access to health care coverage. SB 558 fulfills the promise of HB 2116 by closing the gap and providing access to the remaining 17,600 kids who need it. Children are children and deserve the same access to become healthy, productive members of the Oregon family. It is so important that all children have access to quality care, and this bill will help get us there.  

Fair Work Week: SB 828 - With an increased demand for consumer items like coffee, clothing, and fast food the need for a more consistent workforce is abundantly clear. Between the summers of 2014 and 2015 Oregon’s workforce grew by an estimated 3,100 with the majority of those individuals seeking jobs in the retail industry- that’s an average of 3 out of every 5. Without a standard of  predictable hours at decent pay, workers cannot support their families. 

SB 828, the Fair Work Week legislation, addresses that very concern and more. Along with establishing a set schedule of hours SB 828 ensures workplace stability, assists with recordkeeping, and establishes the Right to Rest. Through bipartisan help this bill was successfully passed during this last session and begins to take effect on July 1, 2018, but will be fully operative by July, 1 2020.

Native American Curriculum in K-12: SB 13 - Currently, an estimated 3% of Oregon’s population are of Native descent mostly spanning from one of the nine tribal nations that made up our landscape. As a person of Native American descent and as an Oregonian, I believe that Native students should hear their history, and non-Native students should understand the history and customs of those that lived here first. SB 13 directs the Department of Education to develop curriculum relating to Native American experience in Oregon and to provide professional development related to curriculum. Tribes are currently working individually with their school districts to develop classroom materials and experiences that are relevant for their area and relevant tribes. This will give us all the tools to celebrate those that came before us, and recognize the importance of the culture that has been maintained for centuries.

Reproductive Health Equity Act: HB 3391 - Oregon is once again leading the way on health care! The House just passed HB 3391, the Reproductive Health Equity Act, which preserves and expands reproductive health care for all Oregonians. Even while the Trump Administration is trying to strip away reproductive rights, Oregon is ensuring access regardless of income, citizenship status, gender identity, or type of insurance.

HB 3391 requires health insurance plans to cover a full range of contraceptive and preventative care without cost sharing, including STD screenings, certain cancer screenings, vasectomies, IUD insertion, and abortion. I  believe it is so important for responsible family planning practices to be accessible to all Oregonians.

I believe that affordable access to reproductive health care shouldn’t depend on who you are, where you live, or how much you earn. 

Spotlight On

Constituent Engagement: During this Session, my office responded to hundreds of constituents and concerned community members. I received 1,412 emails on specific bills and 61 calls where people voiced their thoughts on legislation and budgets relevant to the 2017 Session. I hope to continue to hear from you on your thoughts and priorities for our state. If you have an idea for legislation or a perspective you would like to share - please write to me!

Around the District

Joint Town Hall- This month Representative Sollman, Senator Riley and I held an end of session town hall in the Brookwood Library in Hillsboro. We answered questions about transportation, education, healthcare, and the environment from those that were able to make it. I've has so much fun updating you all on the happenings in the Legislature and hearing your input on issues that matter most to you. Our joint townhall was a great way to close session updates on a high note!

Funding for the District

• Bag & Baggage- I was able to assist Hillsboro’s Bag&Baggage Productions in receiving funding for their Cultural innovation Program this session! The Legislature has granted them $50,000 to update their current system to 360 digitally immersive projection system. Once completed, it will serve as a resource to the tech industry, and CTE programs,  in addition to their productions. I strongly support my good friend Scott Palmer, and all the wonderful work that the folks at Bag&Baggage do for our community. I am proud to have been a part of this.
• Distribution of M98 Funds- Our office recently received a report from the Department of Education highlighting the funds that will be granted through Measure 98. I am happy to announce that the Forest Grove School District will receive approximately $951,785.00 and the Hillsboro school district will receive about $2,920,561.00. I am thankful to have been part of the Measure 98 Workgroup and conversation this session.
• Transportation Package - In our area, this package will bring a lot of resources to the district. Cornelius, Forest Grove, and Hillsboro will see $301,000, $591,000, and $2.5 million additional dollars allocated to them each year for maintenance and improve local infrastructure. Washington County will receive $13 million additional each year. Congestion points in the Portland Metro region are being addressed, including bottleneck issues on HWY 217.  There are also large, statewide investments in bike and ped paths ($1.2 million/year), Safe Routes to School ($10 million/year), and statewide transit ($130 million/year).
• A New Judge for Washington County- The last time Washington County received a new judge was in 2003. Since then, we have seen massive population increase of over 100,000 new residents. For quite some time our County has had the highest citizen to judge ratio in Oregon, 1 judge for every 41,000 people. This is a problem for our community. I worry about wait times for trials, and the potential outcomes that it could create in Family and Juvenile court matters.
  Washington County already has another courtroom and we are ready bring on another judge. I lobbied my colleagues on the importance of additional judges for our community, and we were granted an additional bench! A new judge will be selected this year, and will assume the duties of the office on the first Monday in January 2019.

4th of July- I was honored to join the annual Washington County 4th of July Parade this year! Special thanks to Rep. Rich Vial for organizing the bipartisan float together.

CPO 13- I spoke at the CPO 13 meeting this week to update our community on some of the exciting new bills that have become law.

Upcomming Events

July Gathering- I am holding a post-session gathering at Centro Cultural this month. I will be going over legislation this session and I am also hoping to hear your ideas and concerns for the next session.

• When: Saturday, July 29th
• Location: Centro Cultural - 1110 N Adair St, Cornelius, OR 97113
• Hours: 10:30am-12:00pm

Washington County Fair - My family and I go to the fair every year and we love it! Come join the summer fun!

• When: Thursday, July 27th- Sunday, July 30th
• Location: Fair Complex in Hillsboro- 873 NE 34th Ave, Hillsboro, OR 97124
• Hours: The Fair is open from 10 AM to 12 AM. There is no re-admission after 10 PM at night, meaning if you are already in at 10 PM, you can stay until 12 AM and enjoy the Fair, but nobody will be admitted through the gates after 10 PM.

Now that session is over, I am ready to take on more in-district work! If you would like me to attend your community event or gathering, please contact my office!

Yours Truly,

Representative Susan McLain

email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-376, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain