Friends and neighbors, this week included big challenges in the legislature. HB2005, the Democrat’s gun regulation bill, moved closer to a Floor vote. I believe this bill is unnecessary, will be deemed unconstitutional, and criminalizes law abiding citizens instead of going after actual criminals. In addition, this does nothing to keep our schools and kids safer.

Being in the minority party, we have limited tools, but dang it we’ll use all we have on behalf of the forgotten Oregonians and their voices. We know people are leaving this state. I hate it, but I get it.

When you have the editorial board at the Oregonian pointing out the problems, you know it’s bad:

“The gloomiest part of the news is that we all can come up with a list of reasons why. As much as Oregon has to offer, our housing unaffordability, homelessness, increasing taxation, drug addiction crisis, untreated mental illness, gun violence, traffic deaths and educational mediocrity are changing the calculus for many about where to live, raise a family or retire.”

Read more, here.

A reminder to the ruling class from a wise woman who once stood on the House Floor and stated:   “We are not here to facilitate your agenda.”

This week's video clips from the House Floor: World Parkinson’s Day Oregon Women for Ag (OWA) Annual Auction National Siblings Day

Replacing the I-5 Bridge

As Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee, I have been working to find a way to build a new bridge that connects Oregon and Washington. Everyone agrees that we need to build this bridge now for several reasons:

• It’s 106 years old. If a significant earthquake struck Oregon, it would almost certainly kill people and bring a massive portion of the west coast economy to a standstill. The bridge is built on wooden timbers that don’t extend into bedrock.
• It’s a massive source of congestion. The American Transportation Research Council lists the nation’s 100 top bottlenecks annually, and the I-5 Bridge is listed as #31, only slightly behind the Rose Quarter bottleneck listed at #28.
• It’s a major transportation corridor for our economy. Recent analysis by the I-5 Bridge Replacement Project team shows that about 10% of the daily traffic over this bridge is freight, or about 13,500 trucks daily. The daily value of this freight is over $70M and expectations are that this will double by 2040. Congestion increases the cost of goods, creates unpredictability, and increases the emissions of both cars and trucks.

The Joint Transportation Committee last night held an informational hearing on the -2 amendment of HB 2098. This amendment is a very important statement of intent when it comes to getting funding from the federal government for the bridge. It outlines how the state intends to bond $1 billion over the next eight years to pay for the replacement project. The goal is to pass this bill before May because that is when the grant applications for federal funds open. Simply put, we need to show the federal government we are serious.

This graphic from last night’s presentation on the bridge shows proposed new plans for the bridge. For the whole presentation, go here.

HB 2002 – Protecting Pedophiles?

Last night, Democrats were shocked to learn something about a bill THEY WROTE. Senate Republican Leader Tim Knopp (R-Bend) asked if HB 2002 would allow a 10-year-old to get an abortion without parental consent. The Democrat co-chairs of the Ways and Means committee let out audible gasps when the drafting attorney confirmed that 10-year-olds could get abortions without parental consent under HB 2002. Watch that HERE.

By taking parents completely out of their children's medical decisions, this legislation will protect pedophiles and sexual abusers. A predator could coerce a minor to get an abortion, and the parents wouldn’t even know it.

By taking parents completely out of their children's medical decisions, this legislation will protect pedophiles and sexual abusers. A predator could coerce a minor to get an abortion, and the parents wouldn’t even know it.

The same politicians who were shocked that a bill that sponsored does what it plainly says it does, voted for it anyways to pass it out of the Ways and Means Committee. The House will likely take up the bill sometime at the beginning of May. House and Senate Republican Leaders released this statement following the vote:

Republicans Are Standing Up For SAFETY

Senate Republicans this week forced votes on 16 bills that would have to make Oregon communities safer in the wake of the Nashville shooting and rising crime in Oregon. Democrats voted in lockstep to kill every single proposal. This comes after House Republicans did the same on a suite of school safety bills. Only one of the seven passed.

HB 2005 – Disarming Oregonians

HB 2005 is an anti-2^nd Amendment piece of legislation. It will now come to a vote on the House Floor on May 2^nd. I will be a strong NO vote. While crime is on the rise, this bill will strip Oregonians’ right to defend themselves, especially those who tend to live in high-crime areas and women who are susceptible to stalkers and other predators.

Portland State University just rearmed its campus police because of increased criminal activity on campus, but those pushing this bill want to disarm you.

Statement from PSU Campus

Read full KATU article, here.

We know that armed guards are a deterrent. We are privileged to have armed security and Oregon State Police protecting us at the State Capitol. Certainly, our kids deserve the same protection. 

The only way to help stop measures HB 2002 and HB 2005 is to email the Speaker of the House and the House Democrats. HB 2002 is currently sitting on The Speaker's desk, and he alone has the power to set the calendar and agenda in the House. Email them today.

Washington State is reforming its drug laws. We should too.

This week, I voted for HB 2513-A because I am encouraged that it will add some accountability and transparency features that will enhance the Oregon Health Authority’s ability to serve more Oregonians who are struggling with mental health and addiction issues.

But I don’t want anyone to be under the delusion that this bill fixes Measure 110. It does not.

A case in point: On page 2 of the bill, “recovery” is defined as a “process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life and strive to reach their full potential.” Nowhere in the definition of recovery is anything stated about getting people off of drugs. When we cannot even get our definitions correct, we will never be successful in solving Oregon’s drug problems.

At a time when Washington State is working toward reforming their drug laws to compel into treatment those who refuse help, we should be looking at bolder action. This bill doesn’t go nearly far enough.

HONORARY PAGE PROGRAM 2023

More information, here.

Editorial: Oregon is dealt a blow OregonLive" Turns out – thousands of now-former Oregonians. Census figures show that about 16,000 more people left Oregon than moved in from July 2021 to July 2022. It’s the first decline for Oregon since the 1980s when the nation was engulfed in a recession, as The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Jamie Goldberg reported. … The proliferation of drug use and increasing overdose deaths also demand a stronger response from law enforcement to shut down drug dealing, and from the Oregon Health Authority to develop a more strategic approach. We cannot Narcan our way out of the opioid crisis. … It’s too late to ask those who have left why they decided to move. But it’s not too late for Oregon leaders to give the rest of us reasons to believe we’re headed in the right direction.

Democratic Lawmakers Want Oregon to Become Third State to Allow People Incarcerated for Felonies to Vote Willamette Week One low-profile bill that made the cut: Senate Bill 579, which would give people incarcerated for felony convictions the right to vote while behind bars. It would give the more than 12,000 Oregonians the right to vote as residents of the last county they lived in prior to being convicted of a felony. Currently, only Maine, Vermont and Puerto Rico grant adults in custody the right to vote.

Oregon state employees and unions allege incorrect paychecks months after payroll switch KATU Missing paychecks, overpayments, underpayments – all complaints KATU continues to hear from Oregon state employees affected by glitches in a new payroll system months after the switch. The state switched payroll systems in December - from software dating back to the 1980s to a newer system called Workday. The first checks went out in early January under the new system.

Portland coffee shop closes downtown location due to crime, safety issues Fox12 Coava Coffee announced their closure on Instagram, saying in part: “The team members at this cafe have been on the front line enduring extreme violence and criminal activity on an almost daily basis for the last few years– crime and violence that is only increasing in frequency and severity. From theft, to physical displays of violence, threats of harm, break-ins, window smashing, and repeated traumatic in-cafe incidents where both staff and patrons feel unsafe.”

Portland resumes clearing homeless encampments, trash along highways and interstates after state officials agree to pay $600K OregonLive Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has lifted a months-long pause on homeless camp removals along highways and interstates after state officials committed to pay an additional $600,000 through June, according to city officials and documents reviewed by The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Downtown Portland has third-to-worst pandemic recovery, according to study KOIN6 Downtown Portland Clean & Safe conducted a similar study last year but used foot traffic analytics instead of cell phone data. That study showed that Portland was at 60% of its pre-pandemic levels. However, the “Death of Downtown?” study placed Portland at No. 60 out of the 62 cities ranked for downtown pandemic recovery. According to the report, the Rose City is at 37% of its 2019 activity levels.

Opinion: When it comes to taxes, let’s not ‘keep Portland weird’ The Oregonian – By: E. Werner Reschke and Jeff Helfrich Over the past three years, the Portland area has experienced a sea change in its tax landscape. Local leaders and advocacy groups implemented new income taxes on individuals and businesses as their solution to fund expanded homeless services and access to preschool. Due to these taxes, the Portland region has one of the country’s highest combined top marginal tax rates with some residents facing rates above 60% between local, state, and federal taxes. The rollout of these new taxes has been a mess, as The Oregonian/OregonLive recently reported.

Portland State University resuming armed patrols on campus KATU Portland State University said it is reinstating some armed patrol officers after campus safety stopped carrying firearms in September of 2021. PSU’s chief of campus police, Willie Halliburton, spoke about the decision in a YouTube video posted Monday. He said they will still have unarmed patrols. Public safety officers will continue to respond to some calls “in an unarmed manner,” but only when it is safe, leaving that call up to “the officer’s discretion.”

What a Portland Cop Patrolling a Downtown Fentanyl Den Has to Say About It Willamette Week At the direction of Mayor Ted Wheeler, the Portland Police Bureau this week flooded the zone at Portland’s de facto drug superstore, the square block between Southwest 4th and 5th avenues north of Washington Street. Dealers and users had mobbed the vacant 1960s-vintage complex in recent weeks, and a young woman died March 31 of a drug overdose, putting pressure on the city and the buildings’ owners—the Menashe real estate family—to do something. What a difference some cops make. The sidewalks were clear almost immediately. Among the arrests: a man with several bags of pills in “just about every pocket” and “lots and lots of cash,” says Sgt. Susan Billard, who staked out the building earlier this week.

Oregon Allowed La Mota to Expand With Few Questions Asked, While Washington State Boasts Much Stricter Rules Willamette Week Records also show that the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, tasked with overseeing the recreational cannabis industry, did little to regulate La Mota in the past six years. While granting La Mota companies more than 50 licenses, it appears the agency did not examine its tax history, its legal battles or the status of its investors. Those questions would have raised red flags across the border in Washington state, where the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board follows much stricter rules for cannabis companies.

A Nonprofit Co-Founded by La Mota’s CEO Got a Half-Million Dollars From the State Willamette Week On March 29, WW published the results of an investigation into the business dealings of Rosa Cazares and Aaron Mitchell, co-founders of cannabis dispensary chain La Mota. The story reported on $3 million in federal and state tax liens issued against the couple and their companies in recent years, and detailed 30 lawsuits filed in Oregon circuit courts, many alleging unpaid bills. At the same time they were failing to meet their obligations, the couple contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to the political campaigns of top Democratic Party candidates. The same day WW published its story, the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries formally terminated a half-million-dollar grant awarded to a brand-new nonprofit co-founded by Cazares, and asked for the money back.

More abortions performed in Oregon and Washington since Dobbs decision OPB Oregon and Washington clinics have reported an uptick in abortion care provided in the months since the June 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision that allowed states to make their own abortion laws. In response, 13 states banned abortion with very few exceptions and several others greatly restricted it. Clinics in Oregon, where abortion remains legal, have reported 132 more abortions per month since the Dobbs decision than in the months immediately before it. The uptick in abortion care in Washington, which also continues to protect abortion, has been 138 per month.

Companies that willfully violated Oregon OSHA COVID regulations owe state nearly $800,000 Oregon Capital Chronicle Earlier this month, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health officials ended the last workplace restrictions related to COVID. But OSHA is far from being done with the pandemic. Several dozen citations linger and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines remain unpaid – just as they did a year ago. Since March 2020, Oregon OSHA has issued more than 250 COVID-related citations to employers. The citations were based largely on about 32,000 complaints, 16 times more than the agency typically receives in a year. Some citations involved more than one violation, with the total fines close to $1 million. Oregon OSHA has only collected $100,000, according to the latest agency data. Most of that money stems from violations that weren’t appealed, which accounted for more than two-thirds of the total.

Coos County DA: Suspect in stabbing of Radio Cab driver previously jailed for alleged threat KOIN6 The person accused of killing a Portland taxi driver in his cab on Easter had been released from jail after threatening other people with a knife just days earlier, according to the Coos County District Attorney. Moses Lopez is accused of the unprovoked stabbing of Radio Cab driver Reese McDowell Lawhon. Six days before the taxi attack, Lopez was released from the Coos County Jail on April 3 under a recent Oregon law aimed at making the criminal justice system more equitable.

With Enrollment Cratering, Portland Schools Are Competing for Kindergartners Willamette Week Overall, Portland schools saw a 7.5% decline in enrollment. In other words, Portland’s K-12 schools are losing students at more than double the rate of the rest of the country and at one and a half times the rate of Oregon schools as a whole (see “The COVID Drop,” below). That’s an existential threat to Portland Public Schools because funding follows enrollment. Every child who lives within a school’s attendance boundary but does not attend represents dollars walking away—$14,829 of them, to be precise. That’s what PPS spent per pupil in the 2019-20 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

An average of 30 cars are stolen every day in Portland KOIN6 In the first two months of 2023, an average of 30 cars per day were stolen in Portland, according to data collected by the Portland Police Bureau. In January, 985 vehicles were stolen and in February 804 were stolen, totaling 1,789 stolen vehicles in Portland in the first 59 days of the year. The Portland Police Bureau said it is still analyzing vehicle theft data from March. However, the theft rate for January and February 2023 is very similar to that of 2022.

Strict new EPA rules could spell the end for gasoline-powered cars OregonLive The White House is continuing its relentless pursuit against climate change after announcing Wednesday the strictest vehicle emission proposals in history. It could mean 67% of all new passenger cars and light truck sales will be electric by 2032, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s plans.

Oregon lawmakers hear pitch to pay $1 billion toward replacing Interstate 5 bridge Oregon Capital Chronicle State transportation officials and local leaders from Portland and Vancouver on Thursday urged an Oregon legislative panel to approve $1 billion to replace the aging Interstate 5 bridge over the Columbia River. The bridge is actually two bridges – a northbound bridge built in 1917 and a twin southbound bridge built in 1958. Tens of thousands of people use it every day to travel between Oregon and Washington, and it’s a congestion point on the main West Coast freight route.

Abortion legislation splits the parties in Oregon House Southwest Connection Differences between majority Democrats and minority Republicans came to the surface as the Oregon House moves to a vote on legislation that builds on Oregon’s 2017 law ensuring access to abortion and other reproductive and gender-affirming health care. Every Democrat on the joint budget committee voted Thursday, April 13, to send House Bill 2002 for a vote of the full House — and every Republican, including its leaders in both chambers, voted against it. ... Most of the comments during the budget committee discussion came from dissenting Republicans. “We all have our own set of beliefs — and I never choose to second-guess anyone’s beliefs,” Rep. Greg Smith of Heppner, currently the longest serving House member at 22 years and a staunch opponent of abortion, said. … Knopp also objected on procedural grounds. Under a longstanding rule, once a policy bill goes through the joint budget committee — which is supposed to review it only for its fiscal implications — and is passed by one chamber, the bill normally gets only an up-or-down vote in the second chamber, unlike most bills that go through the committee process again. “I am pissed that the Senate is not going to get a chance to hear this,” Knopp said, echoing comments by other Republican senators.

NATIONAL DRUG TAKE-BACK DAY: APRIL 22ND

From our friends at Linn County Sheriff's Office:

Drug Take Back Day is Coming Soon!

Your Linn County Sheriff’s Office will once again be holding a Drug Take Back Event with sites around the county available to dispose of your unwanted, unused or expired prescription medications. 

We will be located at the following locations and times on Saturday, April 22nd:

Mill City, City Hall – 9:00 – 10:00 am - 444 S. 1st Ave

Scio Fire Hall – 10:30 – 11:30 am - 38975 SW 6th Ave

Halsey City Hall – 1:00 – 2:00 pm - 100 Halsey St

Harrisburg City Hall – 2:30 – 3:30 pm - 120 Smith St

Accepted:

Any type of Rx and/or over-the-counter medications are acceptable. Make sure the lids are on tight if they are liquid.

Not accepted:

Intravenous solutions, injectables, syringes, medical waste or any type of needle will not be accepted.

Mail-back envelopes will also be distributed free of charge at the collection locations for future use. 

As a reminder, there is also a drop box located at the Linn County Sheriff's Office at 1115 SE Jackson St. in Albany.

More information, here.

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

From our friends at the ABC House:

Today we're kicking off the Safe and Sound Campaign for Child Abuse Prevention Month by talking about the biggest protective factor against child abuse: COMMUNICATION. And we can already hear you through the screen asking, “How do I do that?” We've adapted some strategies—courtesy of Dr. Amy Stoeber—to help parents and caregivers really TALK with kids. 

It’s called Ten Minute Floor Time. And it's as simple as it sounds. It takes ten minutes. You sit on the floor. You give your child your full attention. And then you let your child decide how they want to spend this magic time with you.  

To learn more about communication strategies, join ABC House on May 16th from 5:30-6:30 PM for their FREE virtual training session: Talking with Children about Safety (from Darkness to Light). Follow this link to register.

SAMCARE MOBILE MEDICAL SERVICES

From our friends at Samaritan Health Services:

Need basic medical care?

Samaritan Health Services' mobile medicine clinic will be at Second Chance Shelter in Albany and will see anyone in the community needing care.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2023 AT 11 AM – 2 PM

SamCare Mobile Medicine Clinic

We can provide basic health care, such as:

• Routine health check-ups.
• Illnesses such as sinus issues, colds, infections, minor cuts or burns, earaches, etc.
• Flu shot, pneumonia shot, and other vaccines.
• Medication refills.
• And much more.

No appointment is necessary. First come, first serve.

Please bring your insurance card, if possible. If you do not have insurance and don’t qualify for OHP, financial arrangements can be arranged. Samaritan Health Services treats patients regardless of their ability to pay.

REMINDER: SAFETY CAMP

From our friends at the Albany Fire Department:

Safety Camp Registration is Open

Calling all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders!  Albany Police and Fire Safety Camp wants you to join us for four days of fun and learning.  This year, we can take 100 campers for all-day camp, June 26th - 29th.  

To register, you can find camper registration forms, here.

Completed registration forms can be dropped off at the Albany Boys and Girls Club.

For questions, call AFD PIO Sandy Roberts at 541-917-7734 or APD PIO Laura Hawkins at 541-917-3206.

SUMMER DAY CAMP AND CHILDCARE

From our friends at Mid-Willamette Family YMCA

We’re hiring for Summer Day Camp + Childcare! 

All the details are here.

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DISPATCHERS NEEDED!

From our friends at Linn County Sheriff's Office:

April 9th-15th is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week! 

We wanted to take a moment to recognize our amazing dispatchers!

The Linn County 911 Center is the primary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for Linn County and North Albany. All 911 calls placed within Linn County or within the city limits of North Albany come to our 911 Center.

Our dispatchers work tirelessly taking calls and dispatching for 8 Fire Departments, Emergency Medical Services, Linn County Parole, and Probation, and of course your Linn County Deputies throughout the county.

In 2022, our 911 Center handled 62,354 911 calls. They also handled 97,406 non-emergency calls for a total of 159,760 calls! 

Our dispatchers take all sorts of calls. From animal complaints to people not breathing, to assaults, trespassing, and everything in between!

Our dispatchers help callers through stressful times, helping them remain calm and get the information needed in order to take the best course of action in any given situation.

Whether it’s helping a family safely deliver their baby or taking nonstop calls during the wildfires of 2020, your 911 dispatchers are here for YOU!

Our dispatchers are here to serve the community! They serve an important role in public safety and live our mission statement every day of “Keeping the peace with dignity, honesty and compassion”.

We appreciate all the hard work the men and women do for us here at your Linn County Sheriff’s Office 911 Dispatch Center!

Interested in a career as a 911 dispatcher? We are hiring! For more information, go here.

FARMER'S MARKET TO OPEN APRIL 15TH!

From our friends at the Albany Farmer’s Market:

The Farmer’s Market is back!

Are you counting down to our opening day? 

It’s April 15!

We look forward to seeing everyone!

More information, here.

BASKETBALL CLINIC

From our friends at the Albany Boys & Girls Club:

Join us for a Basketball Skills Clinic! 

1st-3rd Graders

Friday, 4/21, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

4th-6th Graders

Monday, 4/24, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Registration fee: $25

More information, here.

FIRE EXTINGUISHER CLASS

From our friends at the Albany Fire Department:

Fire Extinguisher Training

AFD is hosting a FREE fire extinguisher training

When: May 10th, 3:00 pm

Where: Station 11,  611 Lyon Street  

The class will be capped at 20 participants

Register, here.

OREGON REALTORS COME TO THE CAPITOL!

Thank you to all the Realtors that showed up in Salem - especially those I was able to talk to from District 15!

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.

Talk soon, 

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

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