Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Here is an update on my work as your State Representative.
On January 18th, Representative Ron Noble and I will hold a
Town Hall meeting to provide a pre-session legislative update. The meeting will review issues relating to the 2017
Regular Session, including the transportation package and Measure 101, as well as legislation that
both of us plan to introduce during the 2018 Short Session. All members of the community
are invited to attend and ask questions.
You can learn more here.
On November 21st, the legislature passed its first deadline
for the 2018 Short Session. By that date, legislators were required to submit
their bill requests to the Office of Legislative Counsel for drafting. The
Oregon State Legislature meets every year, starting in February. In
odd-numbered years, sessions may not last longer than 160 days. In
even-numbered years, they may not last longer than 35 days. Usually, Short
sessions give the legislature an opportunity to “fix” laws that have already
been passed and to “tweak” the state’s budget, while longer sessions allow for
the passage of more significant legislation. During short sessions, each member
of the House of Representatives is allowed to introduce only two bills, while
each member of the Senate gets only one and each committee can request only
three. Because the 2018 session will be a short one, it will be very
fast-paced. We will continue to keep you updated, and I urge you to share your
views by emailing me at rep.richvial@oregonlegislature.gov
or by calling my office at (503) 986-1426.
On November 27th, I joined Governor Kate Brown, Senator
Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, and others in Salem for the ceremonial signing of Senate
Bill 754, also known as Tobacco 21.
This was the first bill of which I agreed to serve as Chief Sponsor. It raises
the minimum legal sale age of tobacco to 21 years which, in the long term, will
save billions of taxpayer dollars and, most importantly, the lives of
Oregonians. It was an honor to support this bipartisan piece of legislation,
and it was a privilege to see it become signed into law.
On November 29th, the Oregon Office of Economic
Analysis released their December Revenue Forecast. In general, the forecast
seems to indicate that, while federal tax reform is still being finalized,
Oregon’s economy is expanding at a sustainable rate. However, as Oregon’s
economy continues to grow, so will its population—particularly as a result of
people moving in from out-of-state. You can read the entire document here, view
a slideshow here, or
read an executive summary here.
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On November 20th, I attended the Day of Cyber event
at Oregon Tech’s campus in Wilsonville. The purpose of the event was both to
recognize November 20th of each year as “Oregon Day of Cyber” and to
formally launch the Oregon Cybersecurity
Advisory Council’s partnership with the Technology
Association of Oregon. This initiative will bring together Oregon’s
cyber-related industries, private-sector security practitioners, educational
institutions, law enforcement officials, and local governments to establish a
Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to raise awareness about the important of
cybersecurity protections for Oregon businesses and all Oregonians. In
addition, Oregon Tech announced that it will
be launching the Cyber
Defense Center to address the shortage of cybersecurity professionals in
Oregon and to facilitate cybersecurity research both at institutions of higher
education and in other career and technical education programs.
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Also on November 20th, I attended an Eagle Court of Honor
for Samuel, Brandon, Zach, and Aaron of Boy Scout Troop 888 in Aloha. I am
grateful for the experience I gained and the skills I learned on my own journey
to becoming an Eagle Scout, and I have a great deal of respect for the efforts
made by these young men. I am confident that they will make lasting and
positive contributions both in their families and in their communities.
Congratulations!
On December 3rd, the Oregonian published an opinion piece I
wrote about the need for better communication between lawmakers in Oregon and
Washington state, which has become increasingly dire in the face of
unprecedented population growth and lagging maintenance. You can read more here.
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On November 16th, I spoke at the Washington
County Farm Bureau’s 70th Annual Dinner Meeting in Cornelius.
The Washington County Farm Bureau is a nonprofit group that represents the
interests of farmers and ranchers in Washington County. As a farmer myself, I
have been involved in this organization for many years and have even had the
pleasure of serving as a Board Member. I appreciate the work that both the
Washington County Farm Bureau and the Oregon
Farm Bureau do to advocate on behalf of one of our state’s most important
industries. I look forward to attending next year’s dinner!
On November 20th and December 7th,
I attended the first two meetings of the Portland
Region Value Pricing Advisory Committee. This committee is comprised of
representatives of local governments, as well as various other stakeholders,
and is tasked with collecting public input and evaluating options regarding the
implementation of tolling on I-5 and I-205 to fund congestion relief efforts
around several bottlenecks in the Portland metropolitan area. While regional
and local governments decided several decades ago that we could not solve
congestion with more roads, it is clear that relying solely on bicycles and
trains has not worked. That is why this committee is so important, and why it
is critical that the process not become derailed. The committee’s next meeting
will be in February, and we will be sure to keep you informed as more details
become available. Although each meeting is open to the public, the committee may
not have time to hear every attendee’s comments. Because of this, I urge you to
share your views with me and your other local representatives, such as
Washington County Commissioner Roy Rogers or Clackamas County Commissioner Paul
Savas, to make your voices heard.
From November 28th through December 3rd, I
attended the Council of State Government’s (CSG)
Western
Legislative Academy in Colorado Springs. A classroom experience, as opposed
to a conference, this annual four-day training program gives newly-elected Western
state legislators an opportunity to interact with legislators from other states
and learn skills to help them become effective lawmakers. Other legislators
from Oregon included Representative Ken Helm from Beaverton and Senator James
Manning from Eugene. It was an honor to be able to participate, and I
appreciate all that CSG does to advance the sharing of good ideas across state
borders.
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This year, our family gathered at the lodge in Scholls for Thanksgiving
dinner. We were 50+ strong and, while we aren’t always the most organized
group, the chaos has a warm, comfortable feeling to it—one which leaves us all
appreciative of the supportive community that we call family. Together, we
reflected on the need to always do what we can to share our blessings with
others and we hoped that our neighbors, friends, and brothers and sisters
around the world have the chance to feel the peace and plenty that we are so
lucky to feel in our little corner here. Simply saying “thanks” doesn’t quite
do the trick.
We hope that you had a Happy Thanksgiving, as well, and that you have a
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year! See you in 2018!
Sincerely,
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Capitol Phone: 503-986-1426 Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-484, Salem, Oregon 97301 Email: Rep.RichVial@oregonlegislature.gov Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/vial
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