1/12/2023 Senate District 15 Newsletter

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Senator Janeen Sollman

Friends and Neighbors,

Legislative Updates

Swearing In Day

Monday was swearing-in day at the Capitol. My family was there in support as I was sworn in to my first full term as a State Senator. I am so honored and grateful to represent the constituents of Senate District 15 and am ready to get to work for the 2023 Session. It was great to see all my colleagues and feel the excitement of the day.

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Senate District 15 Legislative Interns

I am so happy to introduce Senate District 15's legislative interns for the 2023 session. JD is a familiar face in our office as a former high school intern that is now attending Willamette University. Constance is new to the team and I am so excited to have her join us. 

Constance Tam

Picture of SD15 College Intern Constance

Hello readers,

My name is Constance Tam and I am an intern for Senator Janeen Sollman from District 15, and I am excited to dive into the role. I come from the city of Hillsboro and have recently graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in political science and a minor in business and legal studies. I plan on going to law school and eventually becoming a lawyer, although I am still unsure which field.

I will be working closely with Senator Sollman specifically on semiconductors which are an important element of every electronic device. This will be a new experience for me, but I look forward to not only learning more about the inner workings of our capital, but how it affects the state of Oregon and its citizens. I am delighted to be a part of the team and make a difference in the community!


Juan David Alonso-Garcia

JD Photo

Hello! My name is Juan David Alonso-Garcia, a current undergraduate student at Willamette University. Before Willamette I have been involved in local government working with Hillsboro’s Youth Advisory Council and been a part of advocacy work. Policy work and advocacy was always been an interest of mine to better represent our people and fix any challenges. I look forward to work with Senator Sollman’s amazing team and ensure that everyone’s voices are heard. 

As always, feel free to contact us. We are only one email away.

Have a great day,

Juan David “JD”


Education Updates

Federal Student Aid Application

From U.S. Department of Education

FAFSA Flyer

New and returning students who plan to attend college between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).  The Department provides more than $112 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funding annually to help students pay for higher education.  Also, many state governments, postsecondary institutions, and private organizations use FAFSA information to determine their financial aid (see FAFSA process infographic). 

So far, over 4.5 million people have completed the 2023-24 FAFSA.  Learn about the benefits of submitting the FAFSA form, the impact of state deadlines, and common errors by tapping a recording of a recent Twitter Space and the thread.  And, the Federal Student Aid (FSA) office offers a wide variety of resources on its Financial Aid Toolkit site

Meanwhile, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a second appeal concerning the Administration’s student debt relief plan, meaning it will hear two cases on the program in February. 

The Administration filed its legal brief with the Court this week (Secretary Cardona’s statement and Twitter thread). 

The Department extended the pause on student loan repayment, interest, and collections while the Court reviews the plan.  Payments would resume 60 days after the agency is permitted to implement the program or the litigation is resolved, giving the Court an opportunity to resolve the case during its current term.  If the program has not been implemented and the litigation has not been resolved by June 30, 2023, payments would resume 60 days after that.


Out and About in Senate District 15

Storytime at Harvey Clarke Elementary

I had a great visit last week to Harvey Clarke Elementary in Forest Grove to the 1st grade class of Jeff Matsumoto. I love to read to students, but I really love the conversation afterwards! These students were so excited to learn that I graduated from Forest Grove High School and was the mascot, the mighty Viking, back in the day!

School Visit

Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (The Reser)

Recently, members of my team and I visited the beautiful Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton. What a wonderful addition to the community. Enjoying and celebrating the Arts and Culture around us can be healing and supports many small businesses that have felt the pandemic very hard. Beth Lewis, their Director of Donor Engagement, shared the below information about the new Center. Learn more about the space and upcoming events here.

Since the opening of the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts (The Reser) in March, a new community has gathered around the arts in Beaverton. A community inspired by discovery, connection, and joy. A community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences becoming neighbors at The Reser.

Our goal has been to create a welcoming center with bold programming, to bring the world to our stage, and highlight the wonderful diversity of Beaverton. In 2022, we hosted over 200 events, featuring many artists, both onstage and in our gallery, and have already welcomed more than 45,000 visitors into our facility. There are no other performing arts centers in Washington County serving the region that offer similar amenities, educational opportunities, and breadth of multidisciplinary performing and visual arts experiences. The Reser has exemplified culturally diverse programming in our opening season with a global roster of touring artists, including the all-female Zimbabwean acapella group Nobuntu, Filipina Broadway star Lea Salonga, and Ukrainian folk group DakhaBrakha, to name a few. Our Reser Presents Series is intentionally curated to fill artistic gaps in our region and to cultivate an audience for the arts in Beaverton that has traditionally not actively participated at the major cultural institutions. Consistent with our mission, we are dedicated to making our spaces accessible to the community, implementing a scalable rental model to expand nonprofit access to our mainstage theater and offering a variety of discounted tickets and free Insights programs.

The Reser is committed to presenting diverse programming that features national and international touring artists, being a home for local and regional arts groups and nonprofits, visual arts exhibitions, and arts education programs, and serving as an inclusive social and cultural hub for the Portland Metro region and surrounding communities.

Reser Pics

Community Outreach

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service - Monday, January 16th

Shared from AmeriCorps

MLK Day Flyer

The Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service calls Americans to honor Dr. King and his legacy through service. Together, we step up to make our communities more equitable and create the Beloved Community of Dr. King’s dream. We have the power to bring communities together, help others stand together against hate, build bridges, and heal divides through service on this day and well into the future.

Volunteer to spark a change this MLK Day of Service. Join a community cleanup, mentor a young person, or engage in a dialogue to explore ways to address inequity, foster inclusion, and improve access. Any act of service, big or small, can help the nation unite and break down barriers.

Visit here to find an volunteering opportunity near you, or to register your volunteering event.


Nominate an Amazing Educator!

Pamplin Graphic

Shared from Pamplin Media Group

Nominate an educator today! In March, the Pamplin Media Group will honor educators from all of our Oregon communities who deserve to be recognized for their dedication, professionalism and work in classrooms, schools and in their communities.

If you know someone who goes above and beyond to inspire and serve, whether in or out of the classroom, nominate them today.

Who can be an Amazing Educator? Anyone who works or volunteers in a public school, private school, community college or university located in one of the communities served by Pamplin Media Group can be nominated for this award.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS is Jan. 31, 2023. 

You can nominate an educator using this link: https://pamplinportland.secondstreetapp.com/Amazing-Educators-2023/ 

The Pamplin's news team will review all nominations and select an Amazing Educator to represent each community served by Pamplin Media Group newspapers. Amazing Educators will be honored in a special edition that will be distributed in their printed newspapers, their websites and in email newsletters during the month of March. Their inspirational stories will reach more than 425,000 readers.


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE AND MORE

It was wonderful to learn that HCR 8 has been introduced and will be scheduled for a hearing in House Rules very soon! HCR 8 is a bill that I am co-chief sponsoring with State Rep David Gomberg and it designates rescued shelter dogs and cats as the official state pet. Our hope is to create awareness of these beautiful animals and the wonder of pet adoption from our local shelters. During the pandemic pet adoption soared as families were looking for comfort, love and joy during bleak times and they found hope when they adopted a fur-ever member for their family. If you wish to write a letter of support of  HCR 8, please check out OLIS for more information or contact our office to learn how.

Shared from the Oregon Humane Society Facebook

What a paw-some way to end 2022 🥳🐾

116 #ohspets found loving adopters during the last week of the year.

This includes Eleanor the kitty, top center, who recently “graduated” from our Behavior Modification Program and found the purr-fect home. 😻

Carl and LC, bottom row, brought their best blep to catch their adopters' attention.🥰

And there was Moose, center pic, who was met with cheers when he left the building as our last adoption of 2022.

If adding a pet to your family is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, check out our updated adoption profiles https://www.oregonhumane.org/adopt/

Humane Society Graphic

Additional Resources

 Senate District 15 Links

Federal Delegation Links

Education Links

Food and Housing Assistance

Team Pic

The Senate District 15 Team together, in trainings, ready to kick-off the session. We are excited and energized to get to work!

Be good to yourself and each other. ❤

Onward & Upward,

Janeen

Senate District 15 lies on Kalapuya land. The Atfalati were the northernmost band of the Kalapuya that lived along the Tualatin River in present day Washington County. Many of the Atfalati descendants are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon today. The Indigenous Peoples of this land experienced a painful history of colonial violence, sickness and removal from their land. The Atfalati are the foundation of Oregon’s past and we must honor them well into our future.    

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1715
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-207, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman