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Hello friends and neighbors,
Summer is here! The days are getting longer, the sun is shining, and kids are out of school. I hope you are able to spend this downtime with your family and in the community.
There are a number of on-going projects I am working on and a number of great activities I have been able to participate in. Below you’ll read what I have done in the last month and hear about what’s up next.
Congrats grads! I had a great time at Glencoe High School's graduation. To all the seniors from Liberty, Hil-Hi, Century, and Forest Grove, your hard work paid off. I wish you well in the next chapter.
Community Conversation: I hosted a constituent gathering in May. I was grateful for the community members that came to join in the conversation. We discussed revenue reform, public education, consumer protection issues, and more. These conversation help inform my work and decision making in Salem. The end of this newsletter will include other opportunities for you to share your thoughts - I hope to see you soon!
Hillsboro Police Chief Lee Dobrowolski: An important part of serving this community is understanding the challenges we are facing. I meet regularly with law enforcement to hear the needs and successes in our community. Chief Dobrowolski explained to me the success of Washington County’s new Family Justice Center that opened in April. In the first month of operation, the Center has already done so much to support survivors and family dealing with domestic violence. This is a great example of inter-agency collaboration to serve a marginalized population.
 Josh Bearman, the Executive Director, and I
TVW (Tualatin Valley Workshop) Inc: I toured TVM Inc and met with staff to learn more about their work. Established in 1967, TVW Inc serves adults with disabilities by providing work and community. TVW’s clients received developmental guidance in practical, social, vocational, and academic skills while earning a wage and developing pride and self-sufficiency. They were the first in the state to pay their workers minimum wage (this was not a requirement until recently). They truly go above and beyond for their clients and are focusing on getting them working in our community. I met Lisa, a new employee with the City of Hillsboro, and she described the support she has received and the new challenges she has taken on. To learn more about TVW Inc visit their website: http://www.tv-workshop.com/.
 Team Up for Students 5k: I am so proud of how our community support schools and students. I attended my third Team Up for Students 5k this year. It was a great turn out and the proceeds benefit Butternut Creek Elementary School. I am so thankful for the teachers that put it together!
 Butternut Creek Elementary School: I joined them this week at their final assembly of the year, and it was a blast! The teachers that organized the Fun Run were there. The students were so excited to see the check and hear about the support from the community. Barley of the Hillsboro Hops was also there to help award the students. Happy summer to all families!
 TEDx: I helped some with the Hillsboro TEDx Talk. These are regular talks put on by the Hillsboro Youth Advisory Council. This time the talks ranged from mental health to the connections between math and music. I hope you try to attend the next one - these are some great, bright young people!
 Home Instead Senior Care: Home Instead provides in-home care to seniors throughout the nation. Our local Home Instead works to serve our community: They teamed up with Meals On Wheels to put on the ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ this winter to ensure seniors receive a Christmas gift. I visited with owners Todd and Kristi Barth and staff to learn more about their operation and their volunteerism. Next year they will expand the ‘Be a Santa to a Senior’ program by partnering with Centro Cultural. I am eager to take part in the program next year at their annual gift wrapping party, and you can too! Reach out to Phyllis Peabody at Home Instead Hillsboro to find out how you can help.
Hillsboro-Forest Grove American Association of University Women Picnic: I joined the AAUW for an informal picnic last week. These women have volunteerism in their hearts and put together a number of programs to support our community. They encourage young girls to continue their education and recognize stand-outs that excel in education.
2018 Special Session: You may have heard about a brief, one-day Special Session. Governor Kate Brown called the Session in April to extend a tax break to some small businesses called a “sole proprietorship. This change in the law impacts a relatively small number of businesses, and it costs our state treasury a relatively small amount of money. I supported the bill because I know how much it will help small businesses. I remain committed to revenue reform that fair, equitable, and easy to administer.
Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and Wetland Work Group: I am a co-vice chair of this committee, and I am also co-chairing the Wetlands Work Group with Representative David Brock Smith. During legislative days both of these groups met. In my committee, we discussed wetlands, the Oregon Coast Trail Plan, and wildlife. The Wetlands Work Group will meet once a month until the end of the year. It arose out of the HB 2785 (2017) discussion of the inadequacy of mapping tools available to local jurisdictions to identify possible wetlands for local land use project proposals. We are working to solve a system problem that penalizes individuals for building on wetlands without warning them about the wetlands and the additional considerations that come with it.
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Education Committee and Educator Council Advancement: I have served on the House Education Committee since I first came to Salem in 2015. In that committee, we discussed school lunches, student re-engagement efforts, and the ways in which the State manages complaints about teachers. The Educator Advancement Council also met to brainstorm they ways we will support teachers through mentorship. You can read about our work hear: http://education.oregon.gov/eac/.
Transportation Committees: I chair the House Transportation Policy Committee and a member of the Joint Transportation Committee and the Task Force on Autonomous Vehicles. My House Committee had a packed agenda. We reviewed the implementation of the Transportation Package (HB 2017) from the Department of Transportation, checked in on major projects, and had a briefing on rail transportation in this state and region. The Joint Committee heard more about the Transportation Package from other agencies and entities. I was particularly interested in the work of the Portland Metro Area Value Pricing Advisory Committee. They still have a few months left of work, and you can get involved by visiting https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Get-Involved/Pages/Value-Pricing-Committee.aspx.
Many are aware of the great, collaborative work of Forest Grove United Church of Christ, Sonrise Church Forest Grove, and Old Town Church. They have stepped up to serve our community in a time of need by providing shelter services to our homeless population, AND THEY NEED YOUR HELP! Old Town Church is leaving their current location, which houses the shelter two nights a week. They need a temporary location (November - March) located near the TriMet corridor between Cornelius and Forest Grove. They will receive state assistance to pay the lease and have the ability to make building repairs. Do you know of an unused building that could house the shelter? Please reach out to Brian Schimmel at brians@oldtownfg.com to find out more or to get involved.
Below are some videos that depict the necessity of this service.
 Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program: The Long-Term Care Ombudsman program is an independent state agency that serves long-term care facility residents through complaint investigation, resolution, and advocacy for improvement in resident care. The agency utilizes nearly 200 volunteers to enhance the work of just 12 paid staff to meet the needs of over 45,000 residents in Long-Term Care facilities across Oregon. In 2017, the efforts of highly-trained volunteers contributed well over 29,000 hours, saving the state over $2.75 million dollars in wages and other expenses over the past year. Seniors in long-term care rely on these volunteers, and we need more! If you are interested in getting involved, please visit https://www.oltco.org/.
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Craft3: waiting for their blurb
APANO Town Hall: Representative Janeen Sollman and I partnered up with Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) for this event. It will take place Thursday, June 28th at 6:00 PM at the Hillsboro Civic Center. We’ll discuss APANO’s legislative priorities, the soon to be released “Leading with Race: Research Justice in Washington County" report, and other issues. Hope to see you there!
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Save the Date: If you can't make it to the APANO Town Hall, here is the next event!
Farmers Markets are open! Make sure you take some time to visit our farmers markets and see the beautiful produce from Washington County Farms. The Forest Grove Farmers Market is open every Wednesday from May thru October 4 to 8 pm on Main Street between 21st Avenue and Pacific Avenue. In Hillsboro there are four markets throughout the week. Don’t miss out on the hood strawberries!
Tomorrow I leave with some fabulous Glencoe students to the Speech and Debate National Competition in Florida. I am grateful to continue teaching and coaching through this volunteerism. I return to Oregon on the 25th, I’ll see you then!
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
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