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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome back to weekly newsletters from my office! Now that the election is over and I am no longer a candidate, I am able to send updates from my Legislative account again. Thank you to the voters of House District 29 for reelecting me to serve as your State Representative for a 5th term and to my friends and family for your unwavering support. I am honored that you have put your faith in me, and you have my commitment to serve you with dedication, compassion, integrity, and an open mind. I look forward to spending the next few months meeting with as many constituents as possible and listening to all of you regarding your priorities and concerns for the upcoming Legislative Session. To that end, I encourage you to let me know your opinions on some critical issues! Click on the image below to go to the brief survey:
INTERIM UPDATE
Despite the ongoing election, I have still been very busy with Legislative work. In particular, I have been meeting with colleagues on Transportation and Education-related issues. Our Education work groups are still continuing on important topics like teacher recruitment, retention, and compensation. I also had the privilege of joining Senator Dembrow and Representative Alonso Leon on a panel for the Oregon Community College Association's annual conference in Bend recently. Community Colleges are such an important part of our public education system here in Oregon and I look forward to continuing to support them in the next Legislative Session.
THANK YOU TO OUR VETERANS!
Last Friday was Veterans Day, and I want to thank all Veterans for your service to our country. Your commitment and sacrifices do not go unnoticed, and our nation is eternally grateful to you. I honor my husband (Cliff McLain), my Dad (Bud Butcher), my Father-in-law (Jack Hines), and my nephew (Shaman Butcher), who is currently serving in the Navy.
In this upcoming Legislative Session, I will be working on a bill to expand educational benefits for Veterans here in Oregon. We must do all we can to support our Veterans and provide them with every opportunity to succeed during and after their military service.
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
Native American Heritage Month
During the month of November, we celebrate National American Indian Heritage Month also known as Native American Heritage Month. It is important for us to honor and celebrate the culture and the contributions of those who were the first inhabitants of the United States. Oregon is home to nine federally-recognized Native tribes. To learn more about the Indigenous history in Oregon please visit here.
The Kalapuya and Atfalati tribes were the First People in Western Washington County. There is a rich and thriving Native community in our area. Support our local Native American communities this month and throughout the year.
To read more about Native American Heritage Month nationally, visit the Federal page here. For more ideas on how to support the Indigenous Community, visit here.
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Durante el mes de noviembre, celebramos el Mes Nacional de la Herencia Indígena Americana, también conocido como el Mes de la Herencia Indígena Americana. Es importante para nosotros honrar y celebrar la cultura y las contribuciones de aquellos que fueron los primeros habitantes de los Estados Unidos. Oregón es el hogar de nueve tribus nativas reconocidas federalmente. Para obtener más información en Oregón, visite aquí.
Las tribus Kalapuya y Atfalati fueron las primeras personas en el Oeste de condado de Washington. Hay una comunidad nativa enriquecida y prospera en nuestra área. Apoye a nuestras comunidades nativas americanas locales este mes y durante todo el año.
Para leer más sobre el Mes de la Herencia de los Nativos Americanos a nivel nacional, visite la página federal aquí. Para obtener más ideas sobre como apoyar a la Comunidad Indígena, visite aquí.
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ABOVE: Kat Brigham (Chair, Board of Trustees of the Umatilla Tribes) and Lisa Ganuelas (Board Of Trustees Member). They were excellent tour guides when I visited the Umatilla River Basin in August.
IT'S AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK!
It’s American Education Week - a time for us to celebrate our public education system and all of the people who work hard every day to ensure our young people are informed and prepared to succeed in life after graduation.
My deepest gratitude goes out to the teachers, educational assistants, special educators, bus drivers, nutrition service workers, groundskeepers, support staff, nurses, administrators, and many more who keep our schools running every day. You have my commitment to keep working on your behalf in the State Legislature to ensure our schools have adequate funding and that our school staff are compensated fairly.
I encourage all students, families, and community members to take a moment to recognize and appreciate school staff members for the important role they play in our education system, and to thank them for their incredible dedication and commitment.
As a teacher for over 42 years, I was honored to be a part of my students' lives and to be able to have a positive impact on them. I also volunteer coaching Speech and Debate at Glencoe High School and am appreciative that I still get to work with students and share my love of Speech and Debate with each new incoming class.
2022 REDISTRICTING CHANGES FOR HD 29
The 2022 election marked the first time that we have used the new House District 29 map, which was created in the redistricting process after the 2020 Census. Washington County had the largest percentage of growth in the state, which meant that some districts saw significant changes to their boundaries. In House District 29, our communities of interest were kept together as were Forest Grove, Cornelius, and West Hillsboro. However, there were some smaller changes to our boundary, as can be seen in the two maps below. For a more detailed view of our map, and to see the Senate and Congressional Districts as well, please enter your address on this tool.
IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE DATES
Now that the election is over, it's time to refocus on the upcoming 2023 Legislative Session. Here are some important dates to keep in mind as we prepare for the 2023 Session:
November 16th - Next Revenue Forecast released: The Oregon Economic Forecast provides information to planners and policy makers in state agencies and private organizations for use in their decision making processes. The Oregon Revenue Forecast opens the revenue forecasting process to public review. It is the basis for much of the budgeting in state government. The forecast reports are issued four times a year: March, June, September, and December. Past forecasts can be found here.
December 2nd-4th - House Democratic Caucus retreat: This is a great opportunity to gather with other lawmakers and discuss and plan policy priorities for the upcoming Session.
December 7th-9th - Legislative Committee Days: During Legislative Days, Committees hold informational hearings on topics that may lead to legislation in upcoming sessions, hear updates on previous implementations, hear reports from state agencies and Task Forces, and keep current on the subject areas affecting Oregonians. The Senate may also convene for the purpose of confirming the Governor's executive appointments. For more on the upcoming Legislative Days schedule, visit here.
December 12th - Bi-State Bridge Committee meeting: The next meeting of the Interstate 5 Bridge Bi-State Committee will be at 9:00 am and can be viewed here.
December 21st - Deadline to pre-session file bills: Read more about the Oregon legislative process here.
January 9th - Swearing-in of Legislative Members. For a list of newly elected members,visit the Secretary of State's election results page here.
January 17th - The 2023 Legislative Session begins!: The 2023 Session Calendar can be found here.
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WILDFIRE-RELATED RESOURCES
OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:
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Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
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Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
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Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
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Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
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Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
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U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
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U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
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Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
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Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
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SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
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State taxes (Oregon Dept. of Revenue) Phone: 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222 TTY: All relay calls are accepted. Website: www.oregon.gov/dor
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Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
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Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
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Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
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Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
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Medical records - Call your doctor or your medical insurance company; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.
The Governor’s office has put together a Wildfire Resources page that you can access from the Governor’s home page. It has links to many of the most important updates about the status of fires and resources for evacuees. This website will be updated regularly.
Legal Resources: Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Program, Oregon lawyers, through the Oregon State Bar, are partnering with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide legal assistance on FEMA claims, contract claims, insurance claims, landlord-tenant matters and more.
The Department of Forestry’s Wildfire Response and Recovery Overview has ongoing updates about firefighting efforts, damage reports, and more.
FEMA Updates: FEMA has provided several different Fact Sheets and resources for accessing benefits, determining eligibility and avoiding scams.
RESOURCES FOR OUR VETERANS
Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs:
Washington County Veterans Resources:
Mental Health Services:
- Washington County Crisis Line | 503-291-9111
- Crisis Text Line | Text “Connect” to 741741
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255
- Trevor Lifeline | 1-866-488-7386
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Employers and Employees
The following list of resources is from Oregon’s Secretary of State’s Office. The fastest way to get in touch with the SOS team is by emailing business.sos@oregon.gov, using the “Need Help?” button found on most state agency websites or visiting www.oregon.gov/smallbusiness.
Education Links
Local Government
Utilities Assistance
Food and Housing Assistance
Yours truly,
 Representative Susan McLain
House District 29
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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