HD15 Legislative Update: January 27, 2023

View this in browser
SBD banner

DIV

REMEMBERING A SMALL-TOWN

LOCAL AMERICAN HERO

Remembering Travis Moothart

 

19 years ago today, Travis Moothart made the ultimate sacrifice, KIA 1/27/2004.

Army Sgt. Travis A. Moothart, 23, of Brownsville, Ore.; assigned to Company B, 1st Engineer Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division (Mech), Fort Riley, Kan.; KIA Jan. 27, 2004, in an improvised explosive device attack in Khalidiyah, Iraq while serving During Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Moothart enlisted in April 2000, and was sent to Iraq in September from Fort Riley, Kan. He also had done of tour of duty in Korea.

On a personal note, I attended school with Travis at Central Linn Middle School.

Gone, but not forgotten.

 


DIV

LIGHT THE DARKNESS

Today we remember and honor the memory of 6 million men, women, and children that were murdered simply for the ‘crime’ of being Jewish. May we never forget them. 

#HolocaustMemorialDay2023 

Light the Darkness
DIV

DIV

OREGON HOUSE REPUBLICANS:

Letter to the Governor

House Rep. Letter to Governor
H Rep. ltr to Gov
HReps ltr to Gov

January 26, 2023

Governor Kotek:

As you may be aware, we serve as Republican Vice-Chairs on the various House policy committees. At the outset, we warmly welcomed your January 12, 2023 letter to your administrative agencies outlining your goals and expectations for the next four years. But we urge stronger action.

For our part, we have long championed our particular structure of government that expressly distributes power among its branches. We will continue our call on the Assembly to ensure that the constitutional structure of our government remains: the Assembly passes laws, and the Executive faithfully executes them.

While we agree that agencies can fill up the details of statutes and vary minor regulations, provided they stay within the broad outlines marked out by the legislation, clearly these limitations have eroded; administrative agencies have increasingly broadened their policymaking authority without oversight.

This expanse must be reined in. Our request is that the Executive Branch reflect on the exercise of this authority. To do so, we strongly urge executive action implementing a moratorium on new regulatory rulemaking by state agencies through the remainder of the FY 2021-23.

We must streamline the regulatory environment to emphasize a commitment to economic opportunity, employment, growth, and prosperity. This common-sense, short-term solution will have immeasurable and universal long-term effects. It will allow the new administration to get settled, focus on the next fiscal biennium, and cut regulatory burdens for Oregonians.

We also recognize that the intricacies of government can be improved. To that end, we propose the following three recommendations to your Office.

  1. Institute a regular review and critical analysis of existing regulations. There was a time when the “Short Session” served as the Assembly’s opportunity to investigate government, re-allocate resources, and provide technical fixes to legislation implemented by the Executive. We all know that that time has long passed. Too often government activity, including regulation, rulemaking, and adjudication, get in the way of economic prosperity. We need to transform the culture of government and wipe out needless barriers. We therefore encourage state agencies to conduct periodic reviews of their rules to reduce regulatory burden, administrative delay, and legal uncertainty.
  2. Promote good government response and principles. As above, we wholeheartedly agree with your call to improve customer service for Oregonians. Efficiency, responsibility, and accountability must be the core tenets for responsive and effective government. But we need to go further. That’s why we are requesting that for every new necessary, non-emergency rule added, 5 non-necessary, non-emergency rules be repealed or amended. We must eliminate overburdensome regulations – doing so will save job creator costs, promote economic opportunity, and lower barriers to entry for business and workers alike.
  3. Consistency. Oregon court rulings addressing the law and interpreting agency action have only sowed discontent and confusion. As a group, we will strive to write clear, complete legislation. In that spirit, we also urge your Office to develop recommendations and “good government practices” to improve the consistency of interpreting regulations by Oregon’s administrative agencies. If our two branches can work together, we can take administrative interpretation and lawmaking away from the courts.

Good public policy is the product of compromise and the balancing of different factional interests, within the confines of limited governance. Clearly our state needs uniform regulatory standards, accountability, transparency, and certainty. The Legislative Assembly and the Governor’s Office can work together to achieve these goals and ensure a cohesive, functioning, and responsive government. We look forward to further discussion and stand ready to do what is necessary to benefit all Oregonians.

 


Policy Update

DIV

NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK

SBD School Choice

LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES:

 

Happy National School Choice Week! This national event is an opportunity to celebrate education options and recognize a parent’s right to choose the option that meets their children’s individual needs and learning style. We are lucky to have a variety of public school options here in Oregon including, brick-and-mortar public schools, magnet schools, charter schools and virtual public charter schools. Unfortunately, there are restrictions in place, like the three percent enrollment cap on virtual public charter schools that limit access and choice.

As we celebrate National School Choice week, we need to eliminate barriers and expand access to educational choice for Oregon families. Education shouldn’t be one size fits all. Parents know what’s best for their children’s education and parents across the state want an education system that meets their children’s unique needs. I asked my colleagues will join me in supporting Oregon students, parents, and schools this week and throughout the year. 

Follow HB 2557 - Relating to school choice, here.

House Member's Remonstrances from the Floor this week:

Representative Boomer Wright - HD9

Representative Tracy Cramer - HD22

Representative Shelly Boshart Davis - HD15

So far, things have been a little slow in committees. We are mostly in an "information gathering" mode. But there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes. Here is a quick summary of what is going on:

On Wednesdays, We Talk about Transportation

As Vice-Chair of the House Transportation Committee, it is becoming clear to me that the I-5 bridge replacement between Washington and Oregon will be a huge issue this session. There is general agreement that the bridge needs to be built. Most everyone recognizes the current bridge's traffic congestion issues. Those bridges – the north-bound bridge built in 1917 and the south-bound one built in 1956 – were not built with modern-day traffic in mind, nor the threat of a Cascadia earthquake. This is a vital thoroughfare for Oregon and Washington's economy.

Wednesdays have become my "transportation day." This last week, I spent most of my days in meetings to dig into the transportation system, how our vehicle registration fees are determined, how heavy trucks are taxed, and of course, the bridge.

I am hearing concerns about tolling on a new I-5 bridge and the idea of funding another big transportation project when the Rose Quarter project, passed in 2017, has yet to be completed. And where will we come up with a billion dollars to fund this project? I have those same concerns. There is much work to do before we have any plan for this bridge.

Consumer Choice in Fueling – HB 2426

We hope to get a public hearing on this bill in the next few weeks. As written, HB 2426 allows counties east of the Cascades to have the option to go full self-service. Gas stations can make as many as half of their pumps self-service in the rest of the state. When I started working on this bill, I never would have imagined the intense feelings on both sides of this issue. There are a lot of Oregonians who love attendant service at gas stations and many who also want complete self-service. This bill attempts to strike a balance by giving Oregonians a choice.

Tax Credit for Volunteer Firefighters

This week I sponsored legislation from Representative Jami Cate (R-Lebanon) that would provide volunteer firefighters with a $1,000 tax credit. I have previously sponsored legislation like this and am proud to do it again. Senator Fred Girod (R-Lyons) introduced SB 728, the same bill in the Senate, and garnered bipartisan support. I hope we can get it done to honor the sacrifice of all the volunteer firefighters across the state.

Protecting Hospital Workers

My bill, HB 2141, seeks to protect hospital workers by making it a felony to assault them. The other day, I came across this article in the Democrat-Herald: Seeing red: Brownsville man facing felony charge for painting curb. In other words, it is currently a felony in Oregon to paint a curb outside your house, but it is only a misdemeanor if you punch a hospital nurse in the face. I think that is wrong.

Some are concerned that this bill could criminalize Oregonians with disabilities if they are in crisis when they come in contact with a hospital worker. I understand these concerns. The goal here is to ensure consequences for those with bad intentions, not to criminalize those struggling with mental illness who cannot control their actions in some cases. To get bipartisan support for this bill, I am attempting to pull together an in-session work group to iron out our disagreements and develop legislation to protect hospital workers from assault.

Please email my office if you would like to be involved with HB 2141, submit testimony, get more information, and/or tell your story. 

The Death Tax Can Be the Death of Farms

This week I submitted testimony to the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee in support of Senate Bill 498. Oregon Farm Bureau says it best: "SB498 will assist farm and other natural resources-based businesses in reaching the next generation without financially punishing the last generation for their hard work."

SB 498 would support rural communities by allowing family farms to thrive well into the future, and our state would benefit from this. I ask for the committee's support of SB 498.

SBD Testimony
DIV

HOW TO FOLLOW A BILL

DIV
follow a bill

See a Bill you don’t like? Perhaps one that will dramatically change the Oregon Constitution? For example, bill SB 774 “Discontinues return of surplus revenue refunds to taxpayers.” In my opinion, you the taxpayer will make better choices with your hard-earned money than the government ever will. The kicker is one of the only ways to hold our government accountable for spending.

If you want to be aware of what happens with this bill, would like to testify, or submit testimony, you can sign up with an email and be notified any time something changes with this bill - each bill will have this option.

E-subscribe to follow this bill, here.

DIV

Oregon News

DIV
Todd Nash

January 23rd is "International Todd Nash Day". That's actually not really a "day" but it's always a good day when the Oregon Cattlemen's Association and their President, Todd Nash, is in the building taking the time to talk issues that are important to the Cattlemen’s and to Oregonians.

DIV

Your Voice, Your Vote: Republican house leader Vicki Breese-Iverson KATU Steve Dunn is at the state capitol in Salem where he just finished interviewing house speaker Dan Rayfield about this critical session of the Oregon legislature. Now we're going to hear what Republicans are focusing on in this legislative session. Representative Vicki Breese-Iverson is the Republican leader in the house.

Oregon ranks worst in the country for drug problems: Report KOIN6 A new report by the National Drug Helpline shows Oregon as the state with the worst drug problems in the United States. Compiling data from a number of studies, the report looked at all 50 states and gave them scores based on how they ranked in a number of categories including overdose rates, individual drug use and addiction rates and the number of people age 12+ who used drugs within the past year.

SPECIAL REPORT: How startup took advantage of DEQ program with lax oversight to net $1.8 million Oregon Capital Chronicle Behind a convenience store on Highway 18 near Sheridan, three electric vehicle charging machines sit wrapped in plastic. They have been there since April and have never charged a single car. But Merlin Thompson earlier this year convinced the state they had, collecting nearly $2 million in a scheme that tapped into Oregon’s push for environmentally-friendly transportation. The state belatedly caught on, but not before the Lincoln City entrepreneur went on a spending spree, buying cars and taking a Hawaiian vacation while employees and vendors went unpaid, according to interviews and records.

"Ezra's Law" bill back seeking tougher assault sentencing Oregon Capital Insider A crime bill named for a Madras boy severely beaten in 2017 by his mother's boyfriend is back before the Oregon Legislature. Sen. Daniel Bonham, R-The Dalles, introduced Senate Bill 430 on Jan. 9. It's been assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration during the 2023 session. The bill revives legislation Bonham has named "Ezra's Law" for Ezra Jerome Thomas, the Jefferson County boy left with permanent severe disabilities from the beating when he was 2.

1st small modular nuclear reactor certified for use in US KGW The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has certified the design for what will be the United States' first small modular nuclear reactor. The rule that certifies the design was published Thursday in the Federal Register. It means that companies seeking to build and operate a nuclear power plant can pick the design for a 50-megawatt, advanced light-water small modular nuclear reactor by Oregon-based NuScale Power and apply to the NRC for a license.

Farm Worker OT Could See Legislative Changes KBND A year after the legislature mandated overtime pay for farm workers, an effort is underway to make changes to the law. State Representative Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany) is proposing revisions to rules requiring farms pay workers overtime after a certain number of hours, "Hopefully being able to fix some of the problems that we see arise before they actually hurt both farm workers and small family farms."

Tolling part of I-205 expected to net ODOT $16-26 million per year KGW At this stage in the game, tolling on Oregon interstates appears inevitable, coming on like a 30-ton truck and trailer. The first tolls on I-205 could begin in less than two years, around December of 2024. As a result, Oregon has a few big committees meeting right now to decide the particulars, like how much the tolls should be and where the money should go.

Remembering Liz VanLeeuwen, an Oregon ag leader Capital Press Then, in 1969, the farm industry faced a potential ban on field burning. A group of women that became Oregon Women for Agriculture rallied against the ban. VanLeeuwen was among them. These experiences prompted VanLeeuwen to run for legislative office. From 1981 to 1999, she was the state representative for rural Linn County. ... VanLeeuwen also helped start CASA — Court Appointed Special Advocates for foster children — in Linn County and a host family program for international students at Oregon State University.

Watch my House Floor Remonstrance honoring Liz VanLeeuwen, here.

House Republican Caucus Celebrates School Choice Week KQEN House Republican Leader Vikki Breese Iverson said, “Our students are struggling to meet the basic standards for reading, writing and arithmetic. Doing what is best for our students, should be the priority”. Breese Iverson said that is why the HRC has proposed legislation relating to school choice in the 2023 Legislative Session, focusing on removing limits on charter school requirements and ensuring that “…our state dollars actually follow the student”.

How producers are adapting to Oregon's agricultural overtime law Capital Press Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany, and Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, are sponsoring bills in the legislature that would amend HB 4002. The measures would set the agriculture overtime threshold at 48 hours, except during “peak labor periods” — such as harvest — when it would be 55 hours.

Oregon transit officials ask lawmakers to boost penalties for attacks on their employees OPB Officials from four Oregon transit agencies appealed to state lawmakers this week for help in making sure their riders and employees are safe. It comes after a passenger killed another passenger on a bus in Eugene and after a brutal attack on a light rail platform in Gresham. The violent incidents are taking their toll on transit employees, said Jameson Auten, the CEO of Lane Transit District, which serves Eugene, Springfield and surrounding communities.

'City in Crisis, Finding Solutions': Northeast neighbors see no progress on homeless camps KATU We wanted to pay another visit to the area around Northeast 63rd Avenue and Halsey Street. Anthony Lane didn't really expect things to get better in the nearly three months since we were last here. But he also didn't expect things to get worse. This area has experienced numerous issues in recent years: Homelessness, drug dealing, and vandalism.

 


Community Update

DIV

Joint Planning Commission

City Council Work Session - January 30

City of Albany

 

From City of Albany:

A Planning Commission and City Council joint work session regarding the East Albany Area Plan is scheduled for Monday, January 30, 2023, at 5:30 p.m. The meeting will be hybrid, offering in-person attendance in the Albany City Council Chambers (333 Broadalbin Street SE), or by Zoom or phone using the instructions below.

You can join the meeting remotely by clicking here, pasting this link into your browser, or by calling in to 1-253-215-8782 (long distance charges may apply) and enter meeting id 837-8633-4863 and passcode 464432.

The agenda packet is posted to the Planning Commission website City of Albany Planning Commission. A direct link to the packet is HERE.

Please feel free to contact Anne Catlin, here, with any questions.

DIV

LOCAL ENERGY INDUSTRY: SCALING UP 

NuScale

 

NuScale received the first-ever US approval for the design of a small, modular nuclear reactor. The company had been working with the DOE to gain approval for more than a decade. Read more about it, here.

 


doing great things

DIV

CITY OF ALBANY COMES TO THE CAPITOL!

Albany City Delegation

 

Thank you City of Albany for taking the time to visit with me this week in Salem.

District 15 doing great things!

DIV

DIV

During the 2023 legislative session my office will continue to keep you updated and informed - and is always at your service. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any community event announcements, legislative questions, or concerns.

Whats up HD 15

 

Talk soon,

Shelly

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1415
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-389, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boshartdavis

disclaimer