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 Happy Holidays!
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family well. As 2017 comes to a close, we would all do
well to reflect upon the values that guide our lives, on the past year’s
accomplishments and the opportunities that lie ahead. I am very grateful for the opportunity to
represent you in the Oregon Legislature.
Helping to address issues of importance to constituents on the Oregon Coast is why I chose to run for elected office.
It is my pleasure to extend to you and your family my best wishes for a
Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
While many
bills passed during the 2017 Legislative Session have already become law, there are some important new laws that will
take effect on January 1st. Among these is Senate Bill 847, a
bill I championed that allows the State Land Board, the Department of State
Lands and the Legislative Assembly to transfer lands managed for the benefit of
the Common School Fund to other public agencies that may be better suited to
manage the lands for public benefits other than monetary benefit; and Senate Bill 1003, a bill ensuring that kindergarten and first-grade students are screened
for risk factors of dyslexia.
Town Hall / Community Events
It is my pleasure to invite everyone to attend one of several
District 5 meetings in the coming weeks. These meetings are a great opportunity
to get updated on legislative activities and to provide input on many of the
challenges that we face in District 5. These include the need for more affordable
housing, aging in rural-coastal communities, climate change policy and, perhaps most
importantly, doing more to ensure that Oregon students have the resources to
support their academic success.
If you are unable to attend one of my Town Hall meetings, but have a matter of importance you would like to share with me, you can submit
your ideas by email or contact my office staff (503-986-1705).
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 State Parks, Aviation and Transportation focus of Jan.
8th legislative event with Sen. Arnie Roblan and Rep. David Gomberg
Pacific City – Oregon Parks and Recreation, Department of
Aviation, Department of Transportation and officials with Tillamook County will join
Sen. Roblan for a brief preview of the 2018 Legislative Session and a panel
discussion on the issues of interest that impact the region. The meeting will
be facilitated by Sen. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm on Monday, Jan. 8th, 2018, at the Kiawanda Community Center, 34600 Cape Kiwanda
Drive, in Pacific City.
In attendance will be Director of Parks and Recreation
Lisa Sumption, Director of Aviation Mitch Swecker and Regional Manager of the
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Sonny Chickering, county
commissioners and our local legislators. Rep. Gomberg serves as Chair
of the House Interim Committee On Economic Development and Trade and Co-Chair
of the Joint Interim Committee on Ways and Means SubCommittee on Transportation
and Economic Development.
Both Sen. Roblan and Rep. Gomberg bring powerful
voices to Salem on behalf of constituents on Oregon’s north coast on issues related
to education, economic development, natural resource and ocean science
research, transportation and numerous other subjects. The community is invited
to attend, listen and share your ideas.
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 Additional Meetings and Events:
Tide Gate Meetings: Tide Gate meetings provide an opportunity to hear about
challenges and opportunities for tide gate repair and replacement. The meetings
are co-hosted by County Board of Commissioners, your local and state Farm Bureau,
the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board,
the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians, Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and Association Of Oregon Counties (AOC). By learning more
about tide gates, their condition and the lands they protect, we have an
opportunity to proactively address issues around funding, engineering and
regulatory solutions.
Tillamook County Meeting in Tillamook
10am-1pm
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Tillamook Bay Community College – Room 2014 & 215 | 4301 3rd Street | Tillamook
Coos & Curry County Meeting in Coos Bay
1pm-4pm, Thursday, December 14th
Coos County Courthouse Annex (Owens Building)
201 North Adams | Coquille
Columbia
& Clatsop County Meeting
9am-12pm, Friday, December 15, 2017
495 E Columbia River Hwy | (Clatskanie PUD)
January Legislative Days: The
Legislature convenes Wednesday, Jan. 10th through Friday, Jan. 12th for
legislative committee work. As you may already be aware, during
Legislative days, committees provide an opportunity for informational hearings
on topics that could lead to legislation in upcoming sessions, hear updates on
implementations of past legislation and reports from state agencies, convene
Task Forces meetings and possible confirmation of the Governor's executive
appointments.
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 NEW YEAR, NEW RULES!
In addition to legislation I sponsored, there are other new laws taking effect that I was proud
to support in 2017. Here are just a few legislative accomplishments from 2017 that
will become Oregon law on Jan. 1st, 2018:
HB 2316 Small city housing plans: House Bill 2316 requires that cities with populations of
less than 25,000 that are outside a metropolitan area submit a 20-year housing
needs estimate and an inventory of buildable land to the Department of Land
Conservation and Development.
HB 2344 Independent Living Program: The Department of Human Services administers the
Independent Living Program to help foster children transition into adulthood.
Participants must be at least 16 and maintain some combination of education and
employment that amounts to full-time activity.
HB 2740 Expanding definition of sex trafficking
crime: House Bill 2740 expands the scope under which a person
can be convicted of sex trafficking. Under current law, a person can be
convicted of sex trafficking if they knowingly or with reckless disregard
contribute to a minor under the age of 15 engaging in a commercial sex act. HB
2740 expands the scope to protect 16- and 17-year-old minors, as well.
HB 2912 Promoting land acquisition for affordable
housing: House Bill 2912 creates the Affordable Housing Land
Acquisition Revolving Loan Fund Program to provide loans for the purchase of
land that will be used for affordable housing development.
HB 3267 Graduation requirements for at-risk
students: House Bill 3267 makes graduating high school easier for
students who are in foster care, homeless, runaways, children in military
families, children of migrant workers and children enrolled in the Youth
Corrections Education Program or Juvenile Detention Education Program.
HB 3359 Residential facilities: House Bill 3359 increases penalties for residential care
facilities for violating laws or rules and directs the correction of the
violation.
HB 3423 Oregon Promise applies to National Guard
members: The Oregon Promise program is available to students who
enroll in community college courses within 6 months of graduating from high
school.
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SB 3 Suction dredge mining: Senate Bill 3 protects wildlife by prohibiting suction
dredge mining in essential indigenous anadromous salmonid habitat and
restricting placer mining so that it does not harm mollusks, salmon habitat or
Pacific lamprey habitat.
SB 207 Advanced placement credit for college
courses: Under Senate Bill 207, public higher education
institutions must provide credit to students who received a score of 3, 4 or 5
on an advanced placement test. The Higher Education Coordinating Commission may
grant a school’s request to require a score higher than 3 for receiving credit.
SB 241 Helping children of incarcerated parents: Senate Bill 241, the Children of Incarcerated Parents
Bill of Rights, provides guiding principles to the Department of Corrections to
use in determining future policy and procedures that affect incarcerated
individuals and their children.
SB 249, SB 250 Assistance for victims of sex
trafficking: Senate Bill 249 and Senate Bill 250 help sex trafficking
victims clear their names and seek justice. SB 249 allows a person convicted of
prostitution to file a motion to vacate if they were a victim of sex
trafficking at the time of the offense. Similarly, SB 250 creates an
affirmative defense to prostitution if the person was a victim of trafficking.
SB 257 Official misconduct penalties made stiffer
when a public official is involved: Senate Bill 257 increases accountability among agency
employees. The bill elevates the crime of official misconduct in the second
degree to be a crime in the first degree when a public servant is acting as a
supervisor and consciously disregards a risk of physical injury or assault
against a vulnerable person.
SB 762 Legal protections for reporting sexual
assault: Senate Bill 762 supports sexual assault survivors by
encouraging reporting. The bill exempts survivors and assisting persons from
prosecution related to purchasing or consuming alcohol for those under age 21
when they report sexual assault.
SB 821 Emergency housing funds: Senate Bill 821 works to align with federal strategies
and resources available to prevent homelessness by directing funding from the
Emergency Housing Account. The account was created to assist homeless persons
and other individuals who are at risk of becoming homeless, including the
elderly and persons with disabilities.
SB 993 Purple Heart recognition:The Purple Heart is a medal awarded to members of the
armed forces who are wounded in action. More than 21,000 Oregonians are
eligible for the Purple Heart. Senate Bill 993 recognizes the sacrifice these
men and women gave for our country, and designates Aug. 7 every year to be
Purple Heart Recognition Day.
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