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Friends and Neighbors,
The 2020 Short Session is almost at an end. With six days to go until constitutional sine die, sadly democracy has been halted. The Republicans in both the House and Senate have continued to not show up for work and progress on many bills and critical budget votes have stopped. Their reaction with a walkout is not because they did not get input on a climate bill, it is because they do not want to vote on the bill in the first place and want to assert their minority power as a way to divert democracy. No bill has received this much public process in the history of Oregon. It has received many years’ worth of work, critical research, and yes, plenty of compromise. The climate issues that Oregon faces are not particular to urban or rural communities. Our ocean faces acidification issues that are crucially changing the future of our sea life. Our forests are burning. Our farms are facing droughts in the critical summer months. Eastern Oregon has flooding that is affecting homes, crops and businesses. The costs of climate change comes to us all. We pay for this through emergency response costs, business relief costs, health care costs and more. Oregon can choose to continue to pay in dollars and ozone in reaction to climate change or we can look to invest in prevention and survival. The cost benefits of this policy to local communities is real, especially for our rural communities. Money will be invested back into local communities. We need to build the workforce of tomorrow, not rely on current practices to sustain our livelihoods for the future. The crisis is real and demands action. Oregonians overwhelmingly demand action. We need leaders to lead and show up for work.
When legislators show up to work, democracy works, and good policy is passed when we work together to make it happen. Much of the work we do is bipartisan. 2020 legislation that passed before the work was halted and is broken down below.
- Total Bills Passed: 59
- Number of partisan votes: 3
- Number of Republican Minority Reports Adopted: 1
- Number of bills with at least one Republican “aye” vote: 56
- Number of bills with at least five Republican “aye” votes: 53
- Number of unanimous votes: 28
- Number of bills passed with at least one Republican Chief Sponsor: 24
- Number of bills passed with at least one Republican Co-Sponsor: 28
Coronavirus Update
Oregon is taking steps to be prepared and prevent the spread of COVID-19. State, federal and local officials are working together to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Oregon. Health experts are:
- Learning more about COVID-19 every day, including steps needed to prevent, treat and contain it.
- Monitoring people who may have been exposed, making sure they are seen by health care providers and encouraging them to stay isolated from others.
- Communicating information about COVID-19 to the public.
- Coordinating with local and tribal public health officials, hospitals and health systems to prepare and identify needed supplies, equipment and facilities.
You can reduce your risk of getting COVID-19:
- Consult travel advisories if you plan to travel outside of the US.
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces people often touch.
- Take care of your health overall. Staying current on your vaccinations, including flu vaccine, eating well and exercising all help your body stay resilient.
Please visit OHA’s COVID-19 web page for the latest updates, or follow OHA on Facebook and Twitter.
Priority Bill Updates
HB 4005 (awaiting House vote) The Safe Storage bill has had a couple of small changes as it has made its way through both the House Judiciary and House Rules committees. The main points of this bill remain and I am highlighting them below in order to help dispel any misinformation that may be out there:
- If you are in control of your firearm, meaning that you are the closest person to the firearm, then you do not need to secure it. This includes when children are present in the home.
- If you are in your home, with only authorized users and no minors, and your doors and windows are locked, the firearm does not need to be secured while present.
- When you are no longer in control of your firearm and children are present or when you leave your home and the firearm is left behind, the firearm needs to be securely stored. Secure storage methods include with a trigger lock, a cable lock or in a locked box, safe or locked gun room.
- If somebody breaks into your home and steals your firearm, you have no liability. You also must report your stolen firearm within 72 hours.
- This bill does not make gun owners criminals - it establishes violations and/or civil penalties for failure to comply. There is no criminality in this bill.
This common sense policy will save lives by changing behavior. It simply creates a point of habit for people to secure their firearms when not in the authorized user’s proximity. Many firearm owners already safely secure their firearms, this policy is put in place to address preventing child access, access for those experiencing a mental health crisis and access to an unauthorized user. The bill currently sits on the House floor, awaiting a 2nd read and vote. The more time it takes to put the policy in place, the more lives will be lost. This is a public health approach to a public health crisis.
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HB 4062 (awaiting Senate vote) has passed unanimously on the House Floor. This is an important fix to Portland Fire Fighters critical health benefits.
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House Education Committee Updates
The House Committee on Education was extremely busy during this short session. The Committee heard 20 bills over the course of the session. Here are several I wanted to highlight for all of you!
I was a Chief Sponsor for HB 4098 (in Joint Ways and Means). This bill directs the Department of Education to develop a statewide, long-term strategic plan to provide computer science education. I provided a testimony in favor of this bill because I believe in the importance of providing computer science curriculum and education to all our students. Its important students find relevance in their education in today’s world and that we prepare them for tomorrow’s workforce. Watch my testimony here.
HB 4140 (signed into law) requires Department of Education to develop form for public education programs to use when a student has been diagnosed with concussion or other brain injury.
HB 4160 (awaiting House vote) establishes a Task Force on Student Success for Underrepresented Students in Higher Education.
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House Energy and Environment Committee Updates
This session in the House Energy and Environment Committee we passed 7 bills out of Committee covering a variety of topics.
HB 4067 (awaiting Senate vote) Having to do with rate payer equity and authorizing the Public Utility Commission to consider differential energy burden and other inequities of affordability in rates.
HB 4024 (in Joint Ways and Means) Prohibiting the use of certain HFCs or hydro-fluorocarbons made after a specific date.
HB 4068 (awaiting Senate vote) EV infrastructure for new buildings and allowing for a certain percentage of spaces to be available for electric vehicle charging.
I was also happy to carry on the House Floor, HB 4066 (awaiting Senate vote) which supports transportation electrification efforts across the state and includes a requirement for electric companies to have a risk-based wildfire protection plan in place. This bill passed on the House Floor and through the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee and is awaiting a Senate floor vote.
What's Happening In the Capitol
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On February 17th, we had the opportunity to travel to Salem and work in Representative Sollman’s office during the Legislative Short Session. We spent the day tracking bills through the legislature, helping with constituent outreach, and watching debates firsthand in the House and Senate chambers. We also took notes on a House Judiciary Committee meeting, a very interesting experience that gave us a chance to see legislative work in action and hear about the impact of state policies on residents. And the food in the Capitol Cafe was surprisingly good! It was fascinating to be in Salem in the thick of the Legislative Session, and we’re looking forward to other exciting experiences as interns in the future.
~Lily Donis and Ryan Smith
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On Wednesday, February 26th, I was pleased to host a performance at the Capitol of “We are Witnesses” by STAGES Performing Arts Youth Academy from Hillsboro. Following the passage of Senate Bill 664, which requires schools to provide instruction on the Holocaust, STAGES partnered with the Institute for Judaic Studies of the Pacific Northwest to tell the story of 5 Jewish teenagers who lived across Europe during the rise of Hitler. These student actors traveled to Salem to share their impactful performance and rich storytelling abilities with legislators, staff and visitors. If you are interested in seeing a performance of "We are Witnesses" by STAGES, click on the video link here: We Are Witnesses Performance
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 Out and About - Working Hard for House District 30
- Spoke at Mom's Demand Action Rally in Salem
- Liberty High School Trivia Night Fundraiser
- Oregon Business Industry Annual Breakfast
- Community Conversation at Hillsboro Brookwood Library-#61
- Emcee at the Hillsboro Schools Foundation Annual Gala and Auction
- Spoke to Oregon Association of Student Councils group at the Capitol
- We are Witnesses performance at the Capitol
- Westside Economic Alliance Breakfast Forum on Building Safe, Strong and Thriving Communities
Upcoming Events
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End of Session Town Hall with Representatives Sollman, Neron and McLain. Wednesday, March 11, 2020. 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Hillsboro Civic Center- Room 113/c. 150 E Main St., Hillsboro, OR 97123. |
Ride, run or walk in the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure Oregon, Saturday July 25th at Amberglen Park in Hillsboro. With 10, 30, 60 and 100 mile cycling routes, 5k fun run and walk plus volunteer opportunities, there are many ways to help raise funds and awareness for diabetes in Oregon. More than 435,000 Oregonians live with diabetes, so it is more important than ever for you to register today at http://diabetes.org/tourpdx
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House District 30 Links
As a way to keep everyone connected to the cities I represent, here are links to their most recent newsletters.
Each state representative takes an oath to serve the people of Oregon. Our work in Salem reflects that oath and promise to our constituents. Each of us has privileged access to the process and the power to change the system from the inside. We sit on committees and ask questions. We can testify on bills in committees (written and in-person). We have the ability to craft minority reports. We can introduce amendments to any bill before us. We can also compromise on legislation that we worked hard to create. We can debate on the floor before a vote. In the end, the ultimate way to represent our constituent voices, is by placing our vote. The avenues for sharing our voices, the access to the process and the ability to air grievances remains the same for all of us. Leadership is not about avoiding the hard choices. Leadership is showing up and working together for positive change, so we can continue to keep Oregon the place that we all love to live, work and play. You also play a role in this process and I thank you for joining me on this journey. Please continue to stay engaged and in touch.
Onward and Upward,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-487, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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