Friends and nieghbors,

As we move into the second half of the Legislative session, things are getting more contentious. The House is scheduled to vote on two of the most divisive bills of the session next week: House Bills 2002 and 2005. More on those below... 

This week I have gotten thousands of emails on HB 3501 and SB 603. These bills would have the effect of making homelessness a permanent crisis in Oregon. HB 3501 would allow tent cities nearly everywhere, and SB 603 would give homeless individuals $1,000 per month. BOTH of these bills are dead, but HB 3501 was scheduled for a public hearing next Thursday at 8 AM. However, this is after the deadline for public hearings, so the bill is unlikely to move forward and likely just scheduled as a courtesy to the sponsors. Regardless, register to testify on the bill here or submit written testimony here.

I was glad to see Woodburn School District and the teachers' union come to an agreement last week to avoid a strike and keep kids in school. The pandemic caused students to miss too much school, and a strike would have only compounded those challenges. I hope the deal will provide long-term stability for families and students.

Before I go, I want to throw out a quick reminder that the May 16 elections are coming up. There are school board elections in every school district in Marion County, and Gervais School District has proposed a bond to renovate school buildings. The current proposal, Measure No. 24-481, will be a $24.49 million bond which would cost district property owners approximately $1.97 per $1,000.00 assessed value on their property.

You should be receiving your ballot in the mail in the coming days. Check ballot drop locations, candidates, and measure arguments here.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me with comments, questions, or concerns at 503-986-1422 or Rep.TracyCramer@oregonlegislature.gov.

Best,

Tracy

EARTH DAY: Votes for Common Sense Energy Policies

In recognition of Earth Day, House Republicans attempted to withdraw five pieces of legislation that would have protected Oregon from future environmental hazards, boosted clean energy, and helped us further understand the long-term impacts of renewable energy infrastructure on our environment. Every bill with Republican chief sponsors died in committe and was voted down. 

NEXT WEEK: House Bills 2002 and 2005

On Monday, the House will take up HB 2002, a bill that goes beyond what most Oregonians believe is reasonable when it comes to abortion and "gender-affirming care." We are scheduled to be on the floor for 9 hours, with most of that time being dedicated to debate. On a related note, SJR 33 had a public hearing this week that would enshrine abortion and "gender-affirming care" into Oregon's Constitution.

Below is a fact sheet that explains the most extreme aspects of the bill: 

On Tuesday, the House will take up HB 2005, an omnibus gun control bill that will further erode Oregonian's 2nd amendment rights with no apparent benefit to public safety. The bill will likely be challenged in court if it passes and will likely be found unconstitutional.

This article from CNN explains well how there is an all-time high interest from those who identify as liberal, women, and minorities in owning firearms for self-protection.

In a time of rising crime, we must ensure that those most vulnerable to being victims of crime have the legal right to protect themselves.

House District 22 shows up for our community for budget public hearing

The Ways and Means Budget Committee has been traveling across the state to hear from Oregonians and how they want Oregon's budget to reflect their priorities. 

Three of my priorities were covered by community leaders at the April 8th meeting in Portland.

Gervais Superintendent Dandy Stevens testified in support of my bill, HB 3236 which would dedicate $2.85 million for the Willamette Career Academy to serve Marion County students. She also supported the Gervais School District capital funding request that would help replace the gym's roof. Watch her comments here.

Woodburn Fire Chief Joe Budge and Mayor Annie Gilland testified in support of a new Gervais Fire Station, which would cut down on response times and improve safety in rural Marion County. Watch Chief Budge's testimony here and Mayor Gilland's here.

I am proud to support all of these funding requests. 

Oregonians Deserve Tax Relief

Tax Day is a hard day for Oregonians, but it doesn't have to be. Oregonians, along with Bay Staters (Massachusetts), paid the largest share of their income in taxes, with middle-tax Oregonians bearing the heaviest burden in the nation. Oregon consistently lands in the top 5 most expensive states to live or retire in.

That is why I supported the House Republicans' Tax Day Package that would have given Oregonians much-needed relief. The bills would have repealed unfair double taxation and given middle-class Oregonians a broad-based tax cut. Unfortunately, all five bills were blocked by House Democrats.

I-5 Bridge

Discussions around funding to replace the I-5 Interstate Bridge between Washington and Oregon are heating up. 

The Joint Transportation Committee unveiled an amendment to HB 2098 two weeks ago. The -2 amendment to HB 2098 outlines that Oregon intends to spend $1 billion over the next eight years to pay for our portion of the project. (Note, Washington State has already come to the table with $1 billion.)

The Governor came out with skepticism of the financing plan, because she wants to spend that money for her priorities, like subsidized housing.

Everyone agrees we need a bridge because of basic safety concerns. The bridge is over 100 years old and sits atop pylons that do not extend into river bedrock. There is no space on the bridge in the case of a wreck or for emergency vehicles to pass in peak traffic times.

But some environmental activists don't want the bridge to address any traffic or congestion problems. They think that if they can make driving more inconvenient by increasing the time people have to wait in traffic, more people will take public transit, bike, or walk.

Other activists also want the Legislature to mandate that only unionized construction companies can work on the project. This will quash job opportunities for those not belonging to a union. The National Association of Minority Contractors and LatinoBuilt (an association of Latino contractors) explained to the Transportation Committee how that would hurt Latino, African American, and other minority workers. Watch their compelling testimony here. 

House District 22 has many minority laborers and many small transportation companies, and I believe the -2 amendment to HB 2098 is in their best interest. House District 22 is a transportation district, with I-5 running through all of it. Our goal for the bridge should be to build a bridge that is safe, eases traffic congestion, and serves the needs of our transportation system for the next 100 years. The entire west coast economy depends on this corridor running smoothly. We should use the best contractors from Oregon and Washington to build it that are the most affordable. That includes allowing union, non-union, and minority contractors to bid on the project. 

The funding: Everyone agrees that $1 billion is a lot of money. But this $1 billion investment will help secure once-in-a-generation federal money from the transportation package Congress passed in 2021. Two essential points here: 1) every year we don't build this bridge increases the cost by hundreds of millions of dollars, and 2) we must maximize federal dollars to the tune of billions of dollars.

Working with the Community

I got to speak with the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce Tuesday to update them on the legislative session. Small businesses are the backbone of our Salem economy and we cannot continue to tax and overregulate businesses and expect them to stick around. Thank you for having me and including me in your conversations!

Salem's Navigation Center is now open! I am grateful for all the work that went into this project and I look forward to working with the city of Salem to ensure it effectively serves our homeless population and gets them off the streets.

Last Saturday for Earth Day, I went to the City of Gervais annual clean up. Thanks for Mayor Annie Gilland and Councilor John Harvey for being there! It was a great event to keep Gervais clean, livable, and healthy! 

This week I got to tour Woodburn Family Building Blocks. Big thanks to the team for having me and show casing your great work!

Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters

Woodburn Fire District (WFD) announced that it will be participating in the annual “Light the Night for Fallen Firefighters” during the first weekend in May. The nationwide event sees more than 400 iconic buildings light up and glow as dusk turns to dark in order to honor fallen firefighters and their families. Participants include One World Trade Center in New York City, the Wrigley Building in Chicago and the LAX Pylons in Los Angeles. The even is sponsored by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF)

Congrats, Yelena and Emilee!

Local optometrist Emilee Nehring (left) and Yelena Galuza (right) of Woodburn Vision Source, have been elected to the Oregon Optometric Physicians Association (OOPA) board of directors. Galuza emigrated to the U.S. from Ukraine when she was age 6 and recieved her Doctor of Optometry from Pacific University. She is a 2007 graduate of David Douglas High School and obtained her B.S. in biochemistry from the University of Portland. She speaks fluent Russian, Ukrainian and some Spanish.

Galuza will serve as a board member at large and as secretary and treasurer for the group.

Nehring specializies in pediatric care.She grew up in Woodburn and graduated from Canby High School in 2007. She received her bachelor's degree in pre-med from the Oregon Institute of Technology.

She received her Doctorate of Optometry from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University's College of Optometry.

Gervais FFA Plant Sale

Gervais FFA is holding its annual fundraising plant sale at the school's greenhouse through May 13. Sales take place at: 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, April 28 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 29 3:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, May 5 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 6 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 7 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 13.

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1422
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-376, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.TracyCramer@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/cramer​