It’s been a busy week in Salem! We are down to the last few weeks of the 2023 Legislative Session. Because of representatives across the aisle showing up and participating in policy-making, we have run an incredibly bipartisan session, passing major priorities that will make a huge difference for Oregonians. In the House, over 87% of House bills passed with bipartisan support.

Weekly Happenings!

$100 Million Drought and Water Security Budget Announcement: A historic drought and dwindling access to clean drinking water pose existential threats to communities in every corner of Oregon, especially in Central Oregon. That’s why I’m so pleased to announce that we are showing up for our community with a $110 million Drought and Water Security Budget. This investment is aimed at ensuring there is a fresh, clean and safe water supply for Oregon families, farms, fish and wildlife.

This is a critical investment in our water security and ecosystem for generations to come. It will protect and preserve water access for communities across Oregon, our natural ecosystems, and the state’s thriving agriculture that sustains us.

Unprecedented Funding Announced for K-12 Schools: This week we announced an unprecedented, record $10.2 billion dollars to invest in the K-12 State School Fund. This investment is critical to supporting our children, who  over the last three years have experienced learning losses due to the pandemic. With this critical funding, we’ll uplift Oregon’s K-12 students and unleash their greatest potential. This will make our schools stronger, give students a high-quality education and improve learning outcomes–including graduation rates. 

Schools will also receive additional funding from the historic Student Success Act, this will go towards supports like mental and behavioral health support for students, reducing class size, more instructional time, and more. These funds bring the budget total to $15.3 billion dollars.

Another way we can make sure we are setting students up for success is by improving elementary students’ literacy skills. Reading is a foundational skill and third grade is a key turning point in students’ education, as children go from learning to read to reading to learn. Right now less than 40% of Oregon third-graders in 2021-22 met the state standards when tested in English Language Arts.

That’s why I’m proud to support the $140 million Early Literacy Success Initiative Budget. This funds initiatives that champion third-grade literacy programs for schools. Research shows this will help us improve student outcomes and graduation rates.

More from This Week:

I testified during an Informational Hearing for HB 3603, which would bring Oregon into alignment with many other states that allow propensity evidence to be introduced in a criminal action in which the defendant is accused of a sexual offense or domestic abuse.  Fundamentally, I believe that our court systems should protect women and children. Oftentimes, in cases of abuse, victims are afraid to come forward. Many times the balance of power is off in relationships, especially in cases where there is also financial abuse. It is essential that prosecutors have a statutory tool to hold consistent abusers accountable. This was an Informational Hearing on this issue, and I hope this topic will be a continued conversation through the interim and into the next session. 

Thank you to those who came to our Tumalo  Constituent Chat last weekend! This session we have had great Constituent Chats in Tumalo, Sisters, Redmond and Bend. Look out for post- session events, and please reach out if you would like to host an event with your neighborhood or business.  

I was pleased to be asked to speak at the Emerging Leaders Panel, which gathers elected officials and community leaders from around the state to learn what it’s like to be in the legislature. I spoke on my experience being a freshman legislator. Some example questions included: how committees operate, how to pass bills in a bipartisan manner, and what it’s like being away from home for most of the week. 

Important Note: With education, housing, drought relief, and other funding on the line, now more than ever, it’s critical Senate Republicans get back to work. Republicans are also holding up critical investments, like record K-12 education funding for our schools.

Unless Senate Republicans show up to work, none of this will pass. The time to act is now. Help us protect democracy. Let Senate Republicans know it’s time to get back to work. Click here for their contact information. 

State Representative Emerson Levy
House District 53

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1453
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-486, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.EmersonLevy@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/levye​