FEBRUARY: OREGON'S 164th BIRTHDAY

In celebration of Oregon, here are some fun facts!

DOUBLE SIDED FLAG Oregon’s flag is the only U.S. flag with a different design on each side. One side has the escutcheon from the state seal and the other side features a beaver.

Crater Lake Most people know that Crater Lake, at 1,949 feet deep, is the deepest lake in the U.S. But there’s also only one place you can see the lake from outside the national park: The summit of Mount Thielsen.

FORT ROCK SANDALS We’re celebrating the 164th birthday of statehood, but future Oregonians have been walking through our forests for thousands of years. The Paisley Caves were placed on the National Register of Historic Places after 14,300-year-old human DNA was discovered. About an hour up the road, at Fort Rock, a University of Oregon archaeologist discovered sagebrush sandals covered in ash from Mount Mazama’s eruption about 7,700 years ago. The sandals are estimated to be between 9,300 and 10,500 years old.

Click here more fun facts about Oregon!

SB 49-Fixing Competition Sized Swimming Pools in Local and Private Schools

We need your help! On March 7^th at 3pm Senate Bill 49 is up for public hearing and we need YOU to come testify!

Senate Bill 49 opens the door for the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) to research the current situation of our public and private school competition swimming pools. The majority of our high schools in this state must use outside facilities in order for their swim teams to function. For example, the Kroc Center in Salem hosts practice for all Salem/Keizer Public High Schools, the majority of our private high schools, and local club teams. This leads to practices being held from 4:30am until the late evening just to meet scheduling needs. As our community grows, this one facility will not be able to support the immense growth in years to come.

The research would include recommendations and information on what it would look like to support construction, maintenance and operation of swimming pools in all Oregon Public High Schools. It would open doors for our high school swim teams to thrive and grow, and also allow our communities to utilize these facilities for more than just swim practice. SB49 gives our students an extra step towards continuing to exert their love and passion for swimming in a well-maintained pool without overcrowding! 

An Important Note on Public Comment This Session

The process to sign up to testify before a committee has been changed.

You must register in advance to provide in-person or virtual testimony during a committee. Registration closes one hour prior to the scheduled start time of the meeting.​

There are three ways to register:

• Look up the committee meeting agenda on the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) website and follow the testimony registration link on the agenda. The system will send you an email with a registration meeting link and instructions for delivering your testimony.
• Look up the committee or subcommittee meeting agenda on the OLIS website and call the listed toll-free number. The phone system will provide you with a phone number and access code to call into the meeting and deliver your verbal/audio testimony.
• On the day of the hearing, come to the public access station at the State Capitol building to deliver your testimony via a publicly provided laptop, there will be Committee staff on-hand to assist you. Please note that this option is intended for those who do not have internet access or an available phone.

Bill Alerts - Stay Informed!

Follow the bills you care about and receive an e-mail update when the status of your watched bill(s) change.

Bill Alert Features Include:

• Easily select the Senate and House bills you want to follow
• Receive an e-mail update when your selected bill(s) moves through the legislative process
• Modify your list of watched bills at any time
• Choose the frequency the email updates for your watched bills (emails immediately, daily, or weekly)

Click this link for more information.

SB 46 – Support Affordable and Accessible Senior Cottages.

I am working with Senator Lynn Findley to provide affordable and accessible housing for Seniors. SB 46 requires Housing and Community Services Department to support construction of small subdivisions for senior living which are easy to construct and basic in design. Cottages will be fashioned in a way that does not disturb already established communities but are easily accessible, practical for those with fixed income, and allow for community engagement.

A public hearing was held on February 20, 2023 in front of the Senate Committee on Housing and Development. If you would like to stay up to date on further progress of this bill click:

 https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/SB46

HB 2585 – Ending Automatic Voter Registration at DMV

Lily Morgan, E. Werner Reschke and I are working to bring back common sense to voter registration in Oregon. In 2016, Oregon Motor Voter, which gave people the option to register to vote at a DMV office, was changed to an automatic voter registration system. This opt-out rather than opt-in voter registration system has resulted in far to many issues. For example: Oregonians receiving ballots before turning 18, unknowingly having their party registration status changed, receiving a ballot when they are not a citizen and others. Allowing opt-in voting through Oregon Motor Voter and the ability to register to vote online provides Oregonians with easy access to exercise their right to vote. Automatic Voter Registration allows far too many errors to occur and can result in removing people from primary elections.

A public hearing was held on February 14, 2023, in front of the House Committee on Rules. Several people testified in support of HB 2585 during the hearing and an overwhelming 210 people submitted written testimony in support of this bill and expressed discontent with the current election system.

If you would like more information about HB 2585, click here: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Measures/Overview/HB2585

Salem Police Foundation: Breakfast with the Chief On February 16th, I attended the 12th annual fundraiser for the Salem Police Foundation. This non-profit focuses on enhancing public safety by supporting the Salem Police Department, its members and the community. To learn more information regarding this non-profit, follow this link.

Oregon Library Association Partnering I had the chance to partner with the Oregon Library Association in a book donation drive. Through OLA's legislative day I donated three books to our East Salem Rotary Little Library Project which fills 11 Little Libraries throughout the community with books children can access free of charge. All three books I donated were bilingual meaning they can be read in both English and Spanish promoting literacy for children in Spanish speaking homes as well. I would encourage you to take a look at the website linked below and consider joining me in supporting this project. https://eastsalemrotary.com/service-projects/little-libraries/

Chief of Staff: Michelle Mhoon. Michelle is assisting Representative Mannix move the 93 bills he has sponsored or co-sponsored through the legislative process. What can Michelle help with?: If you have questions about the legislation that Representative Mannix is working on for Keizer, Salem, and Oregon or other policy related questions. Contact: Michelle.Mhoon@oregonlegislature.gov.

Legislative Assistant: Hayley Guptill Hayley is a great resource for all your general questions as she manages the Representative’s schedule and is involved in all aspects of the day-to day-operations of HD 21!  What can Hayley help with?: If you have general questions, scheduling a meeting with Representative Mannix. Contact: Hayley.Guptill@oregonlegislature.gov.

Community Outreach Coordinator: Kimberly Castro Kimberly is spending much of her time out in the field listening to the needs and concerns of the citizens in Keizer and Salem. She loves helping constituents! Kimberly is fluent in Spanish to help reach our Spanish speaking friends.  What can Kimberly help with?: If you have questions or concerns that Representative Mannix and the HD 21 team can help with.  Contact: Kimberly@mannixlawfirm.com

Legislative Intern: Keven Oliveira Keven, an international student from Brazil, is attending Chemeketa Community College. Kevin is interested in learning more about politics in the United States and assists the HD 21 Team with office organization, online research, and constituent outreach.

Legislative Intern: Hannah Purdy  Hannah is finishing her last semester at Willamette University and will be starting her first year of law school at Willamette next fall. Hannah assists the HD 21 Team with office organization, online research, and constituent outreach.

Would you like to make me aware of your position on an issue? Do you have an idea to improve our state?

I want to hear from you. Contact my team as noted above. You can reach me via email, below. 

I look forward to connecting with you. 

Thank you,

Representative Kevin Mannix
House District 21

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1421
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-384, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.KevinMannix@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mannix​