Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Below is an update on my work as your State Representative.
Today, HB 4047,
relating to high school diploma requirements, passed on the floor of the Senate.
You may recall that, last session, I co-sponsored HB 3267,
relating to transient students, with Representative Janelle Bynum. This bill,
which was signed into law, made it easier for students who are classified as
homeless, runaway, or in foster care to graduate from public high schools by
waiving certain unessential graduation requirements. HB 4047 provides similar
assistance to students in educational service districts like the Willamette Education Service District who
are enrolled in programs like the Juvenile
Detention or Youth Corrections
Education Programs. I appreciated being able to work with Representative Bynum
on this important piece of legislation, and I look forward to it becoming law.
On February 8th, HB 4075,
relating to the land use designation for certain real property located in
Washington County, received a public hearing in the House
Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources. This bill would have
reclassified 1,700 acres of land north of the City of Hillsboro and south of
U.S. Route 26 as part of the City’s Urban Reserves, giving Hillsboro more room
in which to develop housing and industrial facilities in order to accommodate
Washington County’s rapid population and economic growth, with the potential to
ease pressures on the region’s affordable housing crisis. I supported this bill
because, while I recognize the need to prioritize farmland preservation, I do
not believe our state’s land use system is enabling us to adequately
accommodate the growth we are experiencing. While this bill will not be moving
forward this session, I look forward to supporting similar responsible,
reasonable efforts to address these issues in the future.
On February 13th, HJR 203,
which proposes an amendment to the Oregon Constitution requiring the state to
ensure access to health care for all Oregonians, passed on the floor of the
House. The amendment proposed by this bill would be the first of its kind in
the entire country and, while I applaud the desire of those who want to make
Oregon an example for others to follow, I do not believe either our health care
or our legal systems are ready for it. Oregon’s state government already
struggles to balance its tax revenue with its desire to ensure that no one is
left without food, shelter, or education. In addition, the bewildering morass
of tie-ins, kickbacks, rebates, service agreements, circular billing, and other
complicated features make our nation’s health care system difficult for even
the most advanced policy minds to understand. Adopting such a constitutional
right would be asking ourselves to promise something we don’t know how to
deliver, and would be the beginning of a very painful and expensive era of
litigation. For these reasons, I voted “No” on the bill. You can watch a video
of my floor speech here.
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On February 15th, HB 4092,
relating to state airports, was voted out of the House
Committee on Transportation Policy and has been referred to the House
Committee on Rules for further consideration. This bill would have made it
easier for larger state airports in rural areas to expand their runways as
needed to improve their safety. This bill would be particularly beneficial for
the City of Wilsonville, the Portland Metropolitan area, and Marion County,
where many businesses rely on the Aurora Airport for their corporate aircraft
needs. As a farmer, I recognize the importance of protecting agricultural areas
in our state. However, in this particular instance, I believe the potential
economic benefits outweigh those concerns. As Vice Chair of the House Committee
on Transportation Policy, I was pleased to support this bill along with members
of the Wilsonville Area Chamber
of Commerce.
Also on February 15th, HB 4099,
relating to motorboats, was voted out of the House Committee on Transportation
Policy with a “do pass” recommendation and has been referred to the Joint
Committee on Ways and Means for further consideration. As I have mentioned in
previous newsletters, I introduced this bill because significant waves along a
portion of the upper Willamette River between West Linn and Newberg have
resulted in the erosion of homeowners’ property and damage to docks—an issue
which was brought to my attention by a group of my constituents in the area.
Originally, the bill would have prohibited the operation of motorboats with wake-enhancing
devices and required that wakeboard boats be operated at slow, no-wake speeds
on this stretch of the river, much of which has already been enacted by the Oregon State Marine Board.
In response to subsequent conversations I have had with other constituents who
regularly use the river, I have decided to amend the bill to instead establish
a Task Force on Motorboat Water Sports and Recreational Activities. This task
force will study the conflicts between motorboat users, shoreline property
owners, and other persons who enjoy recreational activities on the water, and
report back to the legislature with recommendations for legislation to address
these issues such that all community members’ rights are respected.
On February 19th, HB 4138,
also relating to motorboats, passed on the floor of the House. This bill, which
I co-sponsored with Representative Bill Kennemer, was also introduced to
address property damage caused by waves on the upper Willamette River. The bill
formally gives the Oregon State Marine Board the ability to consider effects
such as erosion when it adopts regulations governing the operation of
motorboats, and I look forward to its passage on the floor of the Senate.
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On
February 9th, Senator Kim Thatcher and I had lunch with members of the Wilsonville
Citizens Academy during their annual visit to the Capitol. This program seeks
to prepare participants for positions of leadership by teaching them how the
city government operates and interacts with other governments at the local and
state level. Special thanks to the City of Wilsonville for organizing the
program and to those who participated for taking an active role in their
community!
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On February 19th, the Speaker of the House appointed me to serve as a
member of the Joint
Committee on Transportation, the committee that was responsible for
developing the $5.3 billion Transportation Package which was signed into law
last year. While I was not formally a member of this committee during the 2017
Regular Session, I have continued to attend its meetings in order to contribute
to its deliberations and to lend my perspective as Chair of the Washington
County Planning Commission. While I will continue to serve as Vice Chair of
the House Committee on Transportation Policy, this appointment provides me with
an opportunity to formally participate in the prioritization of Oregon’s
transportation spending and maintenance efforts. In addition, I will be able to
better advocate for efficiency and transparency from the Oregon Department of
Transportation as it carries out those efforts. I am honored to receive
this appointment.
As we progress through the last half of the 2018 Short Session, I urge
you to share your views by emailing me at rep.richvial@oregonlegislature.gov
or by calling my office at (503) 986-1426. I welcome your input and value your
perspective. As always, it is a privilege to serve as your State
Representative.
Sincerely,
Rich
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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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