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Last weekend, I had the pleasure of spending a day in Tillamook County meeting with people from the cities of Manzanita and Tillamook at my town hall events. In Tillamook, I enjoyed company from Rep. Gomberg of House District 10, and we had a robust conversation about what we have been working on this session. This was my first shared town hall event with another legislator, and I believe it was a valuable experience for me and for the community members who were able to join us.
Working together at a town hall was a great way for us to demonstrate publicly how important it is for legislators to work together and think about the shared impact between our communities. Each legislator has a boundary drawn around their constituency, but the reality is that people cross these arbitrary lines every day and our communities can be both smaller or larger than what’s drawn on a map. I am committed to working with my legislative colleagues, like Rep. Gomberg, to talk about how we can lift up everyone who lives and works on the coast.
I will host my next town halls on Sunday, June 2 at 10 a.m. in Warrenton and 3 p.m. in Banks – both on the same day. Look below for more information on these events. There’s a huge number of bills to get through before the end of June, and it’s likely I will spend more time in Salem rather than back in our beautiful district. These will be my last town halls during the 2019 legislative session, but stay tuned for updates on events during the interim. We will likely hold a few “wrap up” events following the end of session.
As always, if you can’t make it to these events, but still want to connect, you can always call the office at 503-986-1432, or email me at rep.tiffinymitchell@oregonlegislature.gov
Representative Mitchell
Newsletter Contents
- Fully Funding Education
- Clean Energy Jobs Bill Update
- Lobby Days
- Adi’s Act
- Upcoming Events
- Follow Me on Social Media
Fully Funding Education
We did it! Both the Oregon House of Representatives and the Senate voted on and approved the Student Success Act (HB 3427). Governor Brown signed the bill into law later in the week, enacting the landmark legislation that will raise $1 billion per year for Oregon’s early childhood and K-12 education system. I am proud that Oregon will finally follow through on its promise to fully fund education and reverse the decades disinvestment that has negatively impacted students and teachers all over the state.
I want to specifically thank the teachers, students, and parents that participated in walk-outs to demonstrate exactly how vast the support for this legislation is. Tens of thousands of people, including people from the North Coast, rallied for student success on May 8. I heard you loud and clear, and I am excited to see what our schools can achieve with targeted investments in expanding learning time, reducing class sizes, expanding student access and participation, and improving student health and safety.
The House of Representatives took further action for our schools and approved a $9 billion budget for K-12 schools and advanced the nearly $1 billion per year appropriation bill for the Student Success Act. The State School Fund budget (HB 5016), is 9.7 percent higher than the current biennium - it is the largest school budget in Oregon history. The budget includes $7.71 billion in General Fund, $535.7 million in Lottery Fund and $103.3 million in marijuana taxes, among other sources. The full State School Fund combines with $4.3 billion from property taxes to be distributed through the school revenue formula.
In the upcoming biennium, as the Student Success Act gets implemented, it will provide nearly $1 billion in additional school funding. The Student Success Act will specifically allocate:
$472 million in funding for the Student Investment Account, a non-competitive grant for school districts to address student health and safety, broaden curriculum options and reduce class sizes;
$170 million in funding for the Early Learning Account to invest in new and expanded early learning programs including pre-kindergarten, Head Start and early child special education;
And $265 million for the Statewide Education Initiative Account, which fully funds career and technical education approved by voters in Measure 98, statewide equity initiatives, and additional programs to keep students engaged and successful.
Teachers, students and parents marched on the Captiol in Salem to rally for the Student Success Act on May 8, 2019.
Clean Energy Jobs Bill Update
Consistently, throughout the 2019 legislative session, one of the top priorities from community members of the North Coast has been taking immediate action on climate change. I’ve received hundreds of emails from constituents advocating for a strong policy that will require Oregon’s largest polluters to reduce their emissions and contribute to reinvesting in communities impacted by climate change. As the representative for the North Coast, I believe it is my moral obligation to stand up and protect coastal communities from the dangers of rising sea levels caused by climate change, as well as our air, water supplies, and fish and wildlife populations. I also believe it’s my duty to ensure that our economy will continue to thrive as we transition to a more sustainable future.
Crafting legislation that will lead to a smooth and equitable implementation of the Oregon Climate Action Program (OCAP), and a just transition, most importantly, is still an ongoing progress. Legislators have so far introduced 94 amendments to HB 2020. I have been monitoring proposals, and, after hearing the concerns of those worried about increasing costs and Wauna Mill employees,I am encouraged at the track the legislation is on as members of the committee incorporate feedback from stakeholders in the environmental and business communities.
I know that the coast will be hit hard by climate change, and that is why I fought for our communities to be explicitly recognized as a top priority for climate change investment (shout out to Rep. Gomberg, who was also instrumental in getting that to happen!). The current proposal now includes “coastal communities” in the statutory definition of impacted communities. The definition also calls out rural communities, areas with above-average concentrations of low-income households, and areas disproportionately affected by environmental pollution and other hazards that lead to negative public health effects. Greater consideration for investments must go to areas with the greatest vulnerability to the impacts of both climate change and ocean acidification.
I have supported this legislation because I know that we are already dealing with economic impacts of climate change, and because we need to invest in our coastal communities so that working families will have good paying jobs that contribute to preserving our environment, climate, and economy. It’s critical for everyone to stay engaged in this process of fine-tuning the bill so that we pass the strongest version with the greatest guarantee that we won’t leave our coastal communities behind. If we continue to raise our voices, the coast can instead be Oregon’s leader in climate change action.
Lobby Days
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SEIU Home Care Workers Lobby Day
May 16, 2019
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Coalition of Communities of Color Lobby Day
May 16, 2019
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Adi’s Act
I have heard many educators talk about how badly students on the North Coast need access to better mental health services. That’s why, in addition to supporting investments in mental health, I also support SB 52-A, commonly referred to as Adi’s Act.
Adi was a high school student in Oregon when she came out as a transgender girl. Her classmates and teachers continued to misgender and misname, and this persistent bullying led Adi to struggle with depression and eventually she took her own life. Events like this happen too frequently, and that is why I am a proud co-sponsor of SB 52-A. This legislation requires school districts to implement suicide prevention policies. The approach includes suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. It also draws attention to populations at higher risk of suicide ideation, such as LGBTQ students, students of color, students with disabilities, and students in foster care.
Some of our students are dealing with unimaginable circumstances that we never hear about until it’s too late to reach them. Some face unrelenting bullying for coming out as LGBTQIA+. Some don’t have a place to call home or enough food in their stomachs. Any student can feel isolated for any number of reasons, but school should never be one of those reasons. I look forward to voting on Adi’s Act so that we can empower our schools to look out for signs of suicide ideation and take the right actions to intervene before it’s too late.
Upcoming Events
Legislative Town Hall (Warrenton)
Date: Sunday, June 2 at 10 a.m. Location: Warrenton High School (Gym) 1700 S Main Ave, Warrenton, OR 97146
Legislative Town Hall (Banks)
Date: Sunday, June 2 at 3 p.m. Location: Banks Public Library 42461 NW Market St Banks, OR 97106
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1432
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-285, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.TiffinyMitchell@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mitchell
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