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Happy fall, y’all! It may be wet and cold outside, but I haven’t let that dampen my spirits. I’ve been quite busy since I shared my last update with you. Before the general election, I spent a lot of time out in the district as I toured some of the wonderful resources and hubs of community engagement that North and Northeast Portland have to offer, and I’ve shared highlights and photos from some of those tours below. I also had the opportunity to meet President Biden in October when he visited Portland. And last but in no way the least, I am honored to be your elected representative for the state legislature. I know I said this when I was appointed earlier this year, but this is a major milestone for the state as I am now the first elected LGBTQ+ Black state legislator in Oregon’s history. I look forward to working with my fellow representatives, especially our growing BIPOC caucus, on the needs and concerns of our constituents.
Oregon Food Bank
There are 20 regional food banks across Oregon with about 1,400 food pantries that serve local communities. In 2022, they are projecting 1.5 million total visits from people seeking food assistance. I enjoyed some time sorting pears with constituents who were volunteering their time to help feed our community.
Delta Park Bottle Drop
I took the opportunity to have a behind the scenes tour of the facility. It was a very informative tour. I learned that all of the glass and plastic collected through the Bottle Bill are recycled here in Oregon. I also learned more about the blue and green bag program. I took the opportunity to sign myself up for their program. I look forward to learning more about the modernization of our recycling processes here in Oregon.
Morrison Child and Family Services
I had the pleasure of visiting Morrison Child and Family Services to learn about the important work they do for our community. They provide mental health and substance use recovery services for approximately 7,000 youth and families annually throughout Oregon. I was glad to hear that investments from House Bill 4004 have already made an impact on their ability to bring on more staff.
Meeting with the North Portland Police Commander
I met with North Portland police officers to discuss police responsiveness, staffing challenges, speeding, graffiti, theft, police accountability, shootings, and other law enforcement matters important to the community.
Visit with Commissioner Susheela Jayapal
This summer I sat down with Commissioner Jayapal to discuss a variety of issues affecting North and Northeast Portland. I look forward to developing relationships with leaders at all levels of government to ensure that the needs of my constituents are met.
I was happy to be able to meet with President Biden when he spent two days in Portland in mid-October. He was in town to speak about the work his administration has done to reduce the cost of living for American families.
My next town hall will be a joint venture with Senator Lew Frederick, Senator Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, and Representative Maxine Dexter. We are working on making this a hybrid event. The in-person meeting will be held at the St. Johns Community Center. Please keep an eye out for future newsletters with more information.
Interstate Bridge Replacement Project
The process to replace the I-5 bridge has begun with a Modified Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) that is now going through an environmental evaluation at the federal level.
You can stay up-to-date on the Interstate Bridge Replacement Project by signing up for their contact list here.
I will continue to follow this process closely by meeting with communities and stakeholders. Please share your feedback with my office and we can share your comments and concerns with the project team. I want to ensure that my constituents are heard and I want to be your voice in this process.
North Portland in Motion
I have heard concerns from constituents about unsafe streets. I have been in communication with the City of Portland on what they can do to address these issues. I am following the work of North Portland in Motion as a way to address some of these concerns. You can visit their project website to get more information on the work that they are doing to address some of these concerns. Their project ideas page has more information about what areas and solutions that they are looking to address.
Emergency Evacuation Routes
My office has been following the work of community members who are working to address issues with emergency routes leaving the North Portland Peninsula. Some of the routes are in the City of Portland’s jurisdiction but Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is in in charge of the crossing at Lombard. I have encouraged ODOT to engage with the community to address concerns about the bridge needing seismic upgrades. I will continue to follow this process. Please reach out to my office if you would like to participate in these discussions and my staff will connect you to this group.
 Photo provided by Donna Cohen
Rulemaking to Evaluate Seismic Vulnerabilities at Fuel Hubs
Across the Willamette River from House District 44 is a Critical Energy Infrastructure Hub (CEI Hub). The CEI Hub is a six-mile stretch of land that holds fuel tanks that need seismic upgrades. Last legislative session, I supported Senate Bill 1567 which gave the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) the authority to evaluate the vulnerability of fuel tank systems to earthquakes and requires facilities to develop a plan to minimize risk. If you would like to get updates on this process, please sign up for their emails here.
The 82nd Legislative Session will begin on January 17th. This will be my first long legislative session. I have started working on my legislative agenda which will include policy on consumer protection, healthcare workforce, health equity, and worker protections. I will share more policy details in future newsletters.
Thank you for reading my newsletter. Please share it with your networks. We will be sending out newsletters to keep you informed about the upcoming town hall and the legislative session. Please feel free to reach out to my office if you would like to share your thoughts on the upcoming session or have suggestions on locations in the district that I should visit.
 Travis Nelson
State Representative
House District 44
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1444
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-275, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.TravisNelson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/nelson
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