With a mild summer in our rearview mirror, fall has arrived with cooler mornings and rainy autumn days welcoming our students back to school. The mild weather has also brought Oregon’s fire season to an early close. This is a great reprieve from last year, where we saw one of the most volatile fire seasons in recent history.
Over the past few months, I have enjoyed the opportunity to connect with constituents, local leaders, and community partners to share some of the highlights and the lowlights of the 2019 session. If you missed my, “end of session newsletter” you can find it here.
Legislators returned to Salem for interim committee and task force meetings last week. On Monday, the Asset Forfeiture Oversight Advisory Committee started the first of many meetings on my calendar. I previously served on this committee for nearly 12 years as a law enforcement representative and I was reappointed by the Speaker to serve in my legislative capacity earlier this year. I also serve on the Willamette Falls Locks Commission, that met earlier last week, and on the board of the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.
Each of my legislative policy committees, Veterans and Emergency Preparedness, Joint Transportation, and Judiciary held informational meetings, where we listened to agency reports and discussed the implementation of bills passed in the 2019 session. If you were unable to attend the meetings, video recordings of the hearings can be accessed by clicking on the respective committee links above.
Last week’s highlights involved the Governor’s ceremonial bill signings of HB 3452 and HB 2209. Thank you to all who came to the Capitol to celebrate! I am proud to have been a co-chief sponsor of HB 3452, along with Representatives Cheri Helt, Jack Zika and Senator Tim Knopp. HB 3452 designates U.S. Highway 26 as the POW/MIA Memorial Highway and honors the 200 Oregonians who lost their lives as prisoners of war, the 600 who were repatriated, and the approximately 1,000 who are still missing in action from World War I through the Vietnam War.
The ceremonial bill signing of HB 2209 was a landmark event. It was a great honor to co-chair the Oil Train Safety Work Group for nearly a year, that ultimately resulted in the passage of Oregon’s, first ever, comprehensive policy dealing with the safe transportation of oil on high hazard train routes. This legislation represents the hard work and dedication of many stakeholders and legislators who worked across party lines to achieve the bill’s successful passage in the 2019 session.
Last week also brought disappointment, as the Governor declined to call a special session to address contradictions exposed by an opinion issued by the Oregon Department of Justice involving SB 1013, which substantially limits Oregon’s death penalty. The opinion concluded that the law is retroactive, contrary to statements made by the bill’s proponents who assured lawmakers that it would not apply to cases where defendants had already been sentenced. The law fails to provide clarity for victims, their families, law enforcement, the courts and our communities on how it applies to aggravated murder cases that are pending or are on appeal. The law effectively overturns the will of Oregon voters and does a terrible injustice to crime victims and their families. SB 1013 becomes law September 29, 2019. I remain firm in my belief that the law should be repealed and/or referred to the voters.
Last Tuesday, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with constituents from the Russian Old Believer community in my district. We had a great discussion on a variety of topics of interest to their families. They are a shining example of how citizen involvement in the legislative process makes a difference.
As the week came to a close, the Capitol halls emptied quickly as legislators traveled back to their districts. We will return for a second round of interim committee days beginning November 18. Until then, the Capitol welcomes visitors M-F 8 am-5 pm, with tours, events, and exhibits, that showcase our beautiful state. As a board member of the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, it is an honor to help direct the foundations mission to fund and develop those projects, events, and programs that engage Oregonians in our democracy and preserve the legacy of Oregon’s Capitol.
Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of providing a recap of the 2019 session to the Silverton Rotary Club. They had a great turnout and it was nice to see some old friends
It was also an honor to attend the dedication of the Blue Star Memorial. The memorial recognizes those who have served our country in the various branches of the military. I enjoyed visiting with Mayor Kyle Palmer who also attended. Thank you to the Oregon State Federation of Garden Clubs and to the Oregon Garden for making this event possible.
Last Friday evening, Pat I attended the North Willamette Regional Extension Center (NWREC) annual Harvest Dinner in Aurora. Over 300 people were in attendance. We enjoyed the evening and this tribute to the work they do for agriculture research and education. I am honored to serve on the NWREC Board and it was a pleasure to partner with them last session to secure funding to continue the berry research work at the Center with the assistance of Representatives Drazan and Boshart Davis. Their work is extremely important to agriculture and the economic vitality of our district and our state. Rep. Drazan and I are pictured with Javier Fernandez Salvador who is the faculty leader for the Berry Initiative.
On Monday this week, I attended the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) District Six Meeting, which brought regional partners representing Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties together to collaborate and discuss the important issues facing our counties. The issues shared included housing, addiction and treatment services, child welfare, public safety and agriculture priorities. This was a great opportunity to engage with our neighbors.
It was great to visit and tour the Parrott Creek Child and Family Services facility in Oregon City yesterday, where they are doing some admirable work with youth offenders transferred from MacLaren. A 12% recidivism rate is much more acceptable. Kudos to the folks at Parrott Creek for their amazing success!
Yesterday, I also stopped at Molalla City Hall for an update on my efforts to assist them in working with ODOT on Highway 211 improvements, particularly related to child pedestrian safety. I was saddened to learn that a young girl was struck by a vehicle crossing Hwy. 211 that morning. It is my hope that ODOT will expedite their review of the City’s request for a traffic control signal at the Leroy Street intersection. It is my understanding that the injured girl was transported by ambulance and my thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family for a total and speedy recovery.
Earlier this month, I attended the annual Mid-Willamette Valley Veterans Stand Down at Chemeketa Community College. I was pleased to see a good turnout of veterans and service providers. Medical and dental providers were on site for simple procedures and appointments. Veterans had the opportunity to receive sleeping bags, tents, boots, warm clothing, rucksacks, socks, undergarments, and much more.
On September 11, I took time to pause and reflect on the events of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The coordinated attacks on our homeland killed 2,996 people, injured over 6,000 others, and resulted in on-going pain and suffering for countless others. For a period of time, it brought us together and instilled in most of us a resurgence of patriotism. School age children were yet to be born when these attacks occurred, and they know only what they are taught in school or learn from their parents. It is important that we remember those who lost their lives or family members. It is also an important reminder that we are not immune from attacks on our homeland. It should also remind us that we are first and foremost Americans.
As a member of the Oregon Homeland Security Council, I am honored to serve with my legislative colleagues, the Governor, the Adjutant General, the Superintendent of State Police, and the Director of the Office of Emergency Management to provide input on security matters for our state.
The Department of Revenue Seeks Input from Business Taxpayers and Tax Preparers
The Oregon Department of Revenue is inviting business taxpayers and tax preparers to take part in discussions of the administrative rules for the state’s new Corporate Activity Tax (CAT). Traveling across Oregon, rule writers will sit down in a series of meetings over the next three weeks to hear the concerns, questions, and suggestions of those affected by the rules. Meeting dates, times, and locations can be found here.
For out-of-state business taxpayers and tax preparers who are unable to attend the in-state meetings, DOR is planning a series of conference call meetings. Those meetings will be scheduled once the in-state tour is complete.
You can find more information about the Corporate Activity Tax, including a list of frequently asked questions, and sign up for email notifications about CAT on the Department of Revenue website.
Those who are unable to attend but want to provide input can email questions or comments to cat.help.dor@Oregon.gov
As a part of the caucus leadership team, it is an honor to work on policy development particularly around such important topics as public safety, veterans and emergency preparedness, among others.
HCR 38, passed last session, established the limitations and deadlines for legislative measures for the 2020 regular session. Although February seems far away, there is a great deal of work to do as the bill draft request deadline approaches in November.
In the 2020 session, Representatives are limited to introducing two bills and Senators are limited to introducing one bill. Citizen engagement in the legislative process is critical. I hope you will join me in that effort. Ideas for how you can be involved can be found here.
