Oregon State Legislature sent this bulletin at 03/07/2019 07:00 AM PST
Friends and Neighbors,
I am enjoying every minute of my busy schedule here in Salem. I meet with constituents, engage in committee tasks and work hard to pass solid policy that will benefit all Oregonians. I am especially grateful to my fellow legislators that work alongside me here in the Capitol. Unlike what currently tends to occur on the national level of government, in Oregon, we live by different standards. We may not always agree on every issue, but we respect each other and listen to various perspectives when making our decisions. I am proud to be a member of this Oregon legislature and I am inspired by our collaborative spirit to serve ALL Oregonians.
On January 31st, Jackson Elementary fourth grade student, Brigette Harrington, was invited to read her now famous poem on the Oregon House Floor. Brigette's poem was chosen as the winner of the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree essay contest by Oregon Governor Kate Brown. Since then, Brigette has traveled to Washington D.C. to read her poem at the official tree lighting ceremony and has been asked to read it at several other ceremonies in Oregon. She is truly a talented young lady and in case you have not heard her amazing poem yet, I wanted to share it with all of you.
Meet the Team
Our office team is very fortunate to have three wonderful interns in Salem working with us during this legislative session. Meet Lucy, Danny and Taylor!
Lucy Morrill is a Junior at Willamette University studying Politics and History. She is a member of the basketball team and is interested in learning more about education and the environment while interning at the Capitol. Lucy is really enjoying the behind-the-scenes view of how state government functions.
Danny Adzima is a Sophomore in high school at Hillsboro Big Picture School. Danny is most interested in learning about policy and follows along with the Healthcare and Education Committees. In her free time, she volunteers at her younger brother's school and enjoys being a longtime Girl Scout. If you want to see Danny LIGHT up, talk to her about her many experiences as an outdoor school counselor!
Taylor Buckingham is a Senior at Portland State University pursuing a major in Political Science, a minor in French and a Global Studies certificate. In our office she is focusing on policy research and in-district outreach. She follows along with the Judiciary Committee and enjoys the experience of being on the House Floor to hear the many perspectives of conversation on a bill, those in favor or in opposition.
Out and About
Recently, I was able to enjoy a tour at Imagine Possibilities in Aloha. This wonderful organization provides progressive daytime services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through care, creativity and community. I have enjoyed this opportunity being a member of the Work Group formed on Workforce Development for People with Disabilities and with the support of my colleagues, Rep Jeff Reardon and Rep Gene Whisnant, we have introduced HB 2212. I recently met with the Washington County Disabilities Advisory Council and heard the concerns of parents, advocates and community service organizations in regards to workforce, wages and lack of affordable housing. I am proud to co-sponsor HB 2662. This bill requires Housing and Community Services Department, in certifying tax credits for affordable housing loans, to give priority to projects that develop affordable housing for sponsoring entities' employees who are direct care workers or human service workers. Here is a clip of testimony that I gave in support of HB 2212.
Bill Update
I am proud to be chief sponsoring two bills this session that aim to enhance the Oregon Promise Grant program. Oregon Promise is a state grant that helps cover tuition at any Oregon community college for high school graduates and GED test graduates.
HB 2910 will help Oregonians that are incarcerated with more tools to help improve their future, and provide hope for higher education and security with a living wage job upon sentence completion. Currently, if they complete a diploma or GED and have more than six months to serve on their sentence, they are ineligible for Oregon Promise dollars upon release. This bill will require that for a person who completes prior educational requirements to participate in Oregon Promise program while incarcerated or detained, the six-month time frame to enroll in courses to participate in the program begins after a person’s period of incarceration has ended. This bill has bi-partisan and bi-cameral support.
HB 3345 will give high school students greater opportunity to save money at higher education institutions and potentially greatly reduce their student loan debt for their future. It allows the opportunity that college credits earned in high school to not count against their Oregon Promise dollars and total credit limit of 80 credits. My own son, Jordan, entered his freshman year at Western Oregon University with 25 college credits earned while at Liberty High School. This was a significant savings of money and time for him. This bill excludes credits earned in accelerated college/duel credit classes from applying when determining eligibility for receiving the Oregon Promise program grant or the renewal of grant.
Follow along with the progress of these bills and others on OLIS, the Oregon Legislative Information System.
I also wanted to share a quick update on a bill that was passed in the 2017 Legislative Session. I was proud to be a sponsor on HB 3078, the Safety and Savings Act. This bill made modifications to the Family Sentencing Alternative Pilot Program. As a result, we saved money because we were able to prevent another women’s correctional facility from being opened. Instead, we can invest in local community programs aimed at diversion and prevention to address the root causes of crime and support keeping families intact.
March Listening Session. Saturday, March 9th, 10:00am-11:00am. Hillsboro Brookwood Library, 2850 NE Brookwood Pkwy., Hillsboro, OR 97124. Also on Facebook Live @JaneenSollmanforHD30.
Join my group! I am putting together a team to walk in the "Stride for Seniors," benefiting Meals on Wheels People. Register at strideforseniors.org, then sign up here to let me know you'll be a part of #TeamJaneen.
Thank you for continuing to come along this journey with me as your State Representative. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to our office if you have any questions or issues that are of concern. I look forward to seeing you at the table at the next listening session on the 9th.
