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Friends and neighbors,
As a mother of young children, this week's shooting in Nashville was earth-shattering. We cannot wait to enact laws to keep our kids safe, that is why I sponsored every bill in the House Republican Safe School Package. More about those below.
We have made it through the halfway mark in the session and it is revealing a lot about the nature of your Legislature. We are deeply divided on very big issues. I want to keep you updated on these issues and invite your feedback on them.
We have begun passing budget bills this week. I take this process very seriously because we aren't spending our money; we are spending YOUR money. As a member of the Education budget committee, I have been looking into the budgets of government agencies and learning how little accountability we demand from them.
Just because the executive branch is of the same party as the Legislature, we cannot simply write agencies a blank check. It's not about how big our budgets are but how we spend them. Oregon has the highest effective tax rate for those middle-class families earning $75,000. You work hard for that money and should expect your government to spend it prudently.
As always, your feedback helps me better represent our community. Get in touch with me at Rep.TracyCramer@oregonlegislature.gov or 503-986-1422.
Talk soon,
 Tracy
The House Republicans have introduced a School Safety Package that focuses on hardening schools and getting school resource officers back into our schools. In 2021, Salem-Keizer School District wrongfully removed School Resource Officers from schools. I believe it's time to get them back in.
The Nashville Police Chief said earlier this week that the shooter had considered attacking another school, but decided against it because there was "too much security." Security can deter these tragedies before they ever happen.
On Wednesday, House Republicans forced votes on every bill in the package. Despite bipartisan support, the Majority voted them all down. It is extremely frustrating that politics is getting in the way of safety in our schools.
 Students from Willamette Career Academy testify before the committee in favor of HB 3236.
Bipartisan votes from the House Education Committee helped House Bills 3236 and 3204 clear their first hurdle Wednesday. Two of my priorities, these bills will expand access to educational options for families.
HB 3236 will dedicate funding to Willamette Career Academy, a local career technical education program that serves Marion, Polk, and Yamhill counties. The bill now heads to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, where it will get a full financial analysis.
HB 3204 would shorten regulatory timelines for at-risk students who are wanting to transfer to virtual charter schools. These shortened timelines will help ensure less time out of the classroom by making the transfer faster and easier for students.
I was proud to work in a bipartisan way with committee members on both of these bills to come to a compromise that both sides could live with. I will continue working to make it easier and more accessible for students and families to choose the education that best fits their needs freely. We have a long way to go to make choice a reality for all families, but these two bills are small steps in the right direction.
 Expanding Abortion & "Gender-Affirming" Care
Last week, the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care held a session record 5-hour public hearing on HB 2002. Opponents made a strong showing during the committee hearing and submitted 476 pieces of written testimony to proponents' 380.
Regardless of where you stand on abortion, most Oregonians agree that our laws are too extreme. This bill makes our laws even more extreme by legalizing hiding whether a baby was born alive or dead. In addition, this bill would make it even easier for kids with gender dysphoria to make permanent, life-altering decisions about their bodies.
The Legislature is debating legislation to raise the age to buy a hunting rifle from 18 to 21. Other legislation has been introduced to lower the voting age to 16. I think we need to decide at what age Oregonians are old enough to make decisions for themselves. If a 15-year-old can make life-altering decisions about their physical body, shouldn't we also trust them to buy a firearm?
Some of the most concerning provisions of the bill include:
- Allows a minor to consent to an abortion at any age and prohibits an abortion provider from providing information about a minor's abortion to their parents.
- Gives your tax dollars to promote and provide abortions on college campuses.
- Requires health insurance companies to cover sex changes for minors.
- Directs your tax dollars to cover sex changes for those who get insurance through the state.
- Shields doctors who perform sex changes on children from malpractice suits and losing their license.
- Exempts information about doctors who perform sex changes from public records law.
- Creates the crime of "interfering with a health care facility," which could include calling the facility or peacefully protesting outside. Regardless of a criminal conviction, the bill creates a right for the healthcare facility to sue you if you participate in this kind of activity.
- A person currently commits the crime of concealing the birth of an infant if the person conceals the corpse of a newborn child with intent to conceal the fact of its birth or to prevent a determination of whether it was born dead or alive. This bill would legalize that activity.
It was an emotional hearing. Here are some of the highlights:
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Representative Lucetta Elmer gave powerful testimony about how her birth mother chose life for her because the culture in the 1970s valued life, even if it was inconvenient.
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Camille Kiefel from Milwaukie, Oregon, bravely told her story about her experience with "gender-affirming care." Her anxiety and trauma from when she was young led her to remove her breasts to escape that trauma. She now regrets that procedure and is speaking out against HB 2002. |
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Representative Diehl laid out Europe's evolving practices on "gender-affirming care" for minors and how many countries are going in the opposite direction than what HB 2002 wants to do. |
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Representative Lily Morgan asked the Oregon Department of Justice why we would want to repeal the crime of concealing the birth of an infant, and their response was suprising.
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Omnibus Gun Bill
The House Judiciary Committee this week combined all three (House Bills 2005, 2006, and 2007) gun bills into one: HB 2005.
Here is what will be in this massive omnibus:
Ban Homemade and Unserialized Firearms
It is currently legal under Oregon and Federal law for a person to make an unserialized firearm for their own use as long as they do not sell or otherwise transfer it. This bill would criminalize Oregonians who possess those firearms.
Raise the Age to Buy a Hunting Rifle to 21
The Legislature needs to decide who is an adult in the state of Oregon. This bill would ban 18, 19, and 20-year-olds from possessing a rifle, but in this session, bills have been introduced to:
- allow 16-year-olds to vote
- promote “gender-affirming care” to 15-year-olds without parental consent
- allow 12-year-olds to receive abortions without parental consent
- ban flavored tobacco to all ages because minors are unable to make informed health decisions
I don't believe we should be deciding who gets to exercise their constitutional rights, like the 2nd Amendment, and who doesn’t.
Expand Gun-Free Zones
This bill would expand SB 554 from 2021. It would effectively render useless a concealed handgun license (CHL) across Oregon. SB 554 banned all firearms from the State Capitol. Legislators are privileged enough to have full-time police presence and contracted security personnel and technology at every entry point. Schools, cities, and other local government buildings do not have that luxury. Everyone should be able to protect themselves, even if they don’t have the State Police protecting them.
The bill could also extend carry prohibitions to "adjacent ground." This dangerously vague language could give local governments complete control over Oregonian’s Second Amendment rights and private property while rendering CHLs useless when they might need it.
In a time of rising crime, law-abiding citizens need the right to defend themselves more than ever.
Public invited to weigh in on draft 25-year Oregon Transportation Plan
SALEM -- Why should you comment on the draft Oregon Transportation Plan? Because this 25-year plan guides important transportation-related decisions that impact Oregonians like you and communities like yours every day. It lets ODOT and other decision-makers know what you value in a transportation system – now and into the future.
There are several ways to review and provide us your valuable feedback:
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Review the draft plan online and provide comment through our online form, available on our website, through May 12.
- Attend a public hearing on Wednesday, May 3 at 10 a.m.
To learn more about the plan and ask questions of our project team, join a webinar on Tuesday, April 11 at noon. We have links to these events, the draft plan, fact sheets and more on our website.
Why is this plan important?
Oregon’s transportation system provides access to jobs, healthcare, childcare, food, housing, recreation, and so much more, and it plays a critical role in the state’s economy. With your help, we’re creating a plan that addresses important issues tied to transportation such as climate change, social equity, population growth, new technologies and more. Your participation is essential to creating a plan that supports a more sustainable and equitable transportation system for all Oregonians. Learn more and give us your feedback today!
Starting April 18th, Walmart will no longer provide plastic bags at Oregon locations. If you shop at Walmart, make sure to either bring your own bag or you will have to use paper.
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Oregon State University had its lobby day last week. I was lucky to have them come by and chat about their legislative priorities. |
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Did you know Oregon is the world’s #1 cool climate grass seed producer?
Last week, I met with the Oregon Seed Association for National Ag Day! I appreciate everything they are doing to promote Oregon agriculture.
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 MultiFamily NW came to the Capitol last wek to lobby against SB 611, a bill that would tighten rent control in Oregon.
Affordable housing is a big topic for everyone. But we need to be clear what we mean by "affordable housing." Some use the term to mean government-subsidized housing, but we cannot subsidize our way out of our affordable housing crisis. We need to think broader than that.
We need the private sector's help, including home builders and landlords. By tightening rent control even more, as SB 611 attempts, it will encourage landlords to get out of the business, causing the available supply of rental units to decrease and increase rents.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1422
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-476, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.TracyCramer@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/cramer
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