Marriage equality, cybersecurity, and a pageant

Hello Friends,

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter. Here is my weekly update from Salem:

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Thank you for joining us at our town hall last weekend

Representative Neron and I had a great time speaking at the Oregon Institute of Technology (OIT) Wilsonville campus about education issues. A huge thanks to all the folks who came out to listen and ask questions. We discussed the entire education spectrum, from early learning all the way through higher education and the workforce. We heard some good questions about Oregon’s chronic underfunding of education and discussed some potential solutions, and we also talked about the severe mental health needs of students. 

I also really enjoyed talking to the OIT students who are studying cybersecurity issues. We talked about the cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities that they are most worried about (like “supply chain attacks”) and what we can do to strengthen the state’s ability to defend state assets. They also talked about the significant workforce needs in the cybersecurity industry.

Senator Woods’ Chief of Staff Shane O’Brien, me, Representative Neron, and OIT President Nagi G. Naganathan

Representative Neron and I at a cybersecurity demonstration with OIT students

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Just Compassion

After our Town Hall, Rep. Neron and I went to tour Just Compassion in Tigard, a homelessness resource center that provides meals, beds, and a safe place to spend time during the day. They plan on expanding their capacity and will likely be breaking ground in July 2024. We look forward to seeing Just Compassion’s coordination with the recently passed HB 2001 housing package. This additional capacity will help folks navigating homelessness transition into safe, stable housing. A big thanks to my former boss, and current Just Compassion board member, Margaret Doherty (who used to represent Tigard in the legislature) for organizing the tour.

If you would like to learn more about Just Compassion, you can find their website here.

Representative Neron, me, and Executive Director of Just Compassion Vernon Baker

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Protecting Marriage Equality (SJR 33)

Last week, you may have seen articles about legislators proposing a constitutional amendment that would codify protections for same sex marriage, abortion, and gender affirming care. 

I am sponsoring SJR 33. For me, the legislation has special significance. If passed by the voters, it would finally remove the provision in the Oregon constitution limiting marriage to “one man and one woman.” While this language was found in violation of the federal constitution, the language still remains on the books–and recent opinions from the Supreme Court have called into question this federal protection. Removing the marriage ban would not only remove an outdated and offensive provision from our Constitution, but it would provide stronger legal protections to families like mine across our state.

As a note: if you haven’t read Judge Michael McShane’s decision striking down Oregon’s same-sex marriage ban, I highly recommend it. Here’s an excerpt:

"I believe that if we can look for a moment past gender and sexuality, we can see in these plaintiffs nothing more or less than our own families. Families who we would expect our Constitution to protect, if not exalt, in equal measure. With discernment we see not shadows lurking in closets or the stereotypes of what was once believed; rather we see families committed to the common purpose of love, devotion, and service to the greater community.

Where will this all lead? I know that many suggest we are going down a slippery slope that will have no moral boundaries. To those who truly harbor such fears, I can only say this: Let us look less to the sky to see what might fall; rather, let us look to each other...and rise."

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Bills in the Senate

Oregon is a bicameral legislature, which means that legislation originating in the House has to pass through the Senate before it can be signed into law by the governor (and vice versa). At this point in the session, most bills that are moving forward are in their second chamber by now.

Inversely, we are starting to receive a handful of Senate bills to vote on in House Committees and on the House floor. I’m grateful to begin meeting and working with more of my Senate colleagues even more as we enter this next phase of the legislative session. 

If you have any questions about how the legislative process works, this page on the Oregon State website has a good explanation for how a bill becomes a law. If you have any other questions, please never hesitate to email me at Rep.BenBowman@oregonlegislature.gov. 

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Mark your calendars for next month’s town hall

On Saturday May 6th, I will be co-hosting a town hall on housing with Senator Woods, Representative Neron, and the chair of the House Housing and Homelessness Committee, Rep. Maxine Dexter. Representative Dexter will share some of the key legislation that has advanced this session, and what is still on the table. I am so excited to host this conversation in Tigard–please join us to share your questions and ideas for addressing Oregon’s housing and homelessness crisis.

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Timberwolf Pageant

Last week, I was honored to be a guest judge at the Tualatin High School Timberwolf Pageant, a fundraising event for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. The students worked incredibly hard for several weeks and raised nearly $10,000! This was my third year in a row as a judge at the pageant and each year I’m impressed by the selflessness of these young leaders. It’s not easy to stand up in front of your peers to perform–for many of these students, participating was far outside of their comfort zone–but they did it in service of a good cause. Congratulations to all the participants and organizers!

 

Thanks for reading,

 

 

Ben Bowman
Oregon State Representative

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