You can read our previous newsletters here.

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

As this Session nears its conclusion, I am reflecting on the important work that we've accomplished. The House has finished most of our work on bills and we've passed a historic State School Fund Budget at $10.2 billion, and $15.3 billion in total formula funding for K-12. This is the largest Education budget in Oregon history. Earlier this week, I was very happy that House Bill 2611 passed out of Ways and Means, a bill concept that I've worked on for years which requires that dental and vision are included in health benefits available to part-time faculty members. I am proud to be doing my part in strengthening higher education and increasing access to health care in our state. At this point in the Session, most committee work has been completed and we are waiting to see what happens on the Senate side of the building. 

This past weekend, I had a wonderful time at the National Conference of State Legislatures Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, representing Oregon and discussing the future of transportation with fellow legislators across the country. I enjoyed hearing from the panels of experts who presented on transportation topics ranging from road usage charging to electric vehicle charging fees to tolling and congestion. It was an excellent reminder of why I do this work, and of the critical role that multimodal transportation plays in enhancing the standard of life in our communities. 

Looking to the weekend ahead, I want to urge all Washington County residents to come by one of my two Town Halls tomorrow morning and afternoon! I know many of you have reached out to our office inquiring about the Senate Walkouts and what they mean for the rest of Session. We will be using tomorrow as an opportunity to have a community conversation around this topic, among other important issues. You can find more information on tomorrow's Town Hall Events below, along with a link to RSVP and a flier to share with other community members. I look forward to seeing many of you there and hearing what has been on your minds!

RSVP: TOMORROW'S TOWN HALLS

I am inviting all community members, local leaders, organizational leaders and advocates in Washington County to my Town Halls TOMORROW (SATURDAY, JUNE 10TH). I will be holding these town halls at two of our district's public libraries; Cornelius Library at 10 am and Shute Park Library in Hillsboro at 1pm. 

Some of the topics we will be discussing are Education and Budget, Housing, Land Use and the CHIPS Act, and Legislative Affairs. We will also be discussing our Team McLain Bills and the Bill Package Highlights from this Session.

*CLICK HERE OR CLICK THE FLIER BELOW TO RSVP*

CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH

This Pride month, we reaffirm our commitment to Oregon's LGBTQIA+ communities and celebrate the diverse experiences, identities and stories of our LGBTQIA+ neighbors. I am grateful for the community based organizations, non profits and advocates who work to reduce barriers and uplift spaces for LGBTQIA+ Oregonians across the state.

Here are some events happening in our communities to consider attending, organized by city name:

• Albany Pride: June 24, 9:30am – 5pm at Albany City Hall
• Beaverton Pride: June 25, 11am – 5pm at City Park
• Bend Pride Events
• Corvallis Pride: June 3, 2pm – 4pm at Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
• Eugene Pride: August 12, 11am – 6pm at Alton Baker Park
• Hillsboro Pride: June 3, 12pm – 5pm
• Lincoln City Pride: June 3, 1pm – 3pm at the Pines Dine
• Medford Pride: June 24, 12pm – 6pm at Pear Blossom Park
• Milwaukie Pride: June 24, 10am – 12pm at Scott Park
• Monmouth Pride: June 3, 10am – 2pm at Main Street Park
• Newport Pride: Sept 22 – 24
• Portland Pride: July 15 – 16
• Roseburg Pride: June 4, 1pm – 2:30pm in Downtown
• Salem Pride March and Block Party: June 17, 10am – 6pm 
• Salem Pride in the Park: August 26, 10am – 6pm
• Tigard Pride: June 10, 2pm – 5pm at Tigard High School
• Tualatin Pride: June 17, 11am – 2pm at Cedar Hills Recreation Center

MY THOUGHTS ON THE WALKOUT

SESSION AND BILL UPDATES

A Flurry of Activity in Ways and Means!

Most regular committees have now finished their work for this Session, having passed policy bills out to either the House or Senate Floors or to the Joint Committee on Ways and Means. This is the time during Session when the Ways and Means Committee, of which I am a member, kicks into high gear. The Ways and Means Committee is responsible for appropriating funds for the State Budget in each Legislative Session. This includes evaluating and authorizing funding for our state agencies, considering funding allocations for important government responsibilities like Public Education and Transportation Infrastructure, and voting on bills that have passed out of policy committees but that require fiscal approval as well because of their likely impact on the State Budget. In short, the work we are currently doing will determine the overall State Budget and how much money various agencies or programs will receive.

Our starting point each Session is considering the priorities outlined in the Co-Chair Budget Framework that the Ways and Means Co-Chairs draft. The 2023-25 Co-Chair Budget Framework provided us a conceptual structure for development of the 2023-25 legislatively adopted budget, and is guided by the following principles:

• Protect Vital Services: Providing adequate resources to support effective operation of continuing programs and services across all program areas that serve as the foundation of the state budget.
• Get the Most for Every Dollar: Ensuring long-term budget sustainability by avoiding the creation of new programs and making targeted reductions that create efficiencies through consolidation of programs, elimination of long-term vacant positions, and other savings.
• Prioritize Investments in Key Areas: Focusing on investments that support the most critical issues facing Oregon, including K-12 education, housing and homelessness, and health and behavioral health care.
• Plan for the Future: Maintaining healthy reserves to prevent future reductions in the event the budget environment weakens.

The Ways and Means Committee has started meeting bi-weekly to accommodate the uptick in work, and here are a few highlights of bills that passed out of the Committee this week:

Senate Bill 1050 - Implementation of New Academic Content Standards: Legislation requiring the State Board of Education to establish content standards for ethnic studies and Holocaust and genocide studies was enacted in 2019, in House Bill 2023 and Senate Bill 664, respectively. Senate Bill 1050 aligns the implementation date for both sets of standards and adds a requirement for ODE to provide professional development related to Holocaust and genocide studies to the existing requirement for professional development
related to ethnic studies.

House Bill 2049 - Relating to Cybersecurity: Establishes the Oregon Cybersecurity Center of Excellence within Portland State University to supplement the cybersecurity related activities of the State Chief Information Officer and to coordinate, fund, and provide cybersecurity workforce development, education, awareness, and training for public, private, and nonprofit sector organizations, and cybersecurity-related goods and services to Oregon public bodies with a targeted focus on the unmet needs of regional and local government, special districts, Education Service Districts, K-12 school districts and libraries. The measure directs Portland State University, Oregon State University and University of Oregon to jointly operate the center by agreement and to provide administrative and staff support and facilities for center operations. 

House Bill 2772 - Relating to Protection of Essential Infrastructure: According to an Advisory Report released by the Oregon Secretary of State and Oregon Audits Division in March 2022, Oregon ranked sixth in the nation for the number of domestic violent extremist incidents between 2011 and 2020, with the number rising precipitously between 2019 and 2021. The U.S. Department of Justice is the governing entity that most often brings domestic terrorism and violent extremism charges against individuals. However, several states also have legislation defining and criminalizing such activity. Oregon does not currently define or criminalize domestic terrorism or violent extremism. House Bill 2772 A creates the crime of domestic terrorism in the first and second degree

House Bill 2696 - Establishes State Board of Sign Language Interpreters: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that covered entities (State and local governments, and businesses and nonprofit organizations that serve the public) communicate effectively with people who have communication disabilities, with the goal of ensuring that communication with people with these disabilities is equally as effective as communication with people without disabilities. According to the ADA, a “qualified” interpreter means someone who is able to interpret effectively, accurately, and impartially, both receptively (i.e., understanding what the person with the disability is saying) and expressively (i.e., having the skill needed to convey information back to that person) using any necessary specialized vocabulary. Within this context, states are faced with the task of regulating the interpreting profession and practice within their state. House Bill 2696 authorizes the Health Licensing Office to issue specified sign language interpreter license types and establishes the State Board of Sign Language Interpreters.

House Bill 3410 - Funding for Rural Infrastructure and Revitalization: HB 3410 appropriates $25.7 million General Fund and $6.5 million Lottery Funds for rural infrastructure and revitalization around the state. The measure includes the following:

• $9 million in General Fund for the Department of Agriculture to continue a grant
  program to help meat processors become compliant with the State Meat
  Inspection Program.
• General Fund for the Department of Administrative Services which includes $10
  million to the Regional Revitalization Strategies Consortium for grants and loans
  related to the development of housing in rural areas and small cities; and $1.2
  million to the Oregon Coast Visitors Association to aid businesses focused on
  regional food systems.
• $5.5 million in General Fund to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to
  support the outdoor recreation economy and maritime workforce.
• $6.5 million in Lottery Funds to the Oregon Business Development Department for
  grant programs related to county fairgrounds and the outdoor gear industry, as
  well as funding for small business district centers.

Historic State School Fund Unites Oregon House

the House passed House Bill 5015 in a bipartisan vote, sending the historic $10.2 billion investment in the State School Fund (SSF) to the Senate. When paired with local property tax revenues, the total formula resources for K-12 schools for the 2023-2025 biennium will reach $15.3 billion.

After years of good governance, the June revenue forecast provided the Legislature the opportunity to fully resource programs that are proven to uplift Oregon's students and their families. 

This budget is something to celebrate. In the last decade, we’ve continually made meaningful investments in our schools for students at all levels, from early learning through higher education. As an Educator for over 42 years, I came to Salem to improve funding for student learning outcomes, the educator workforce, and fostering good learning environments in classrooms. Through increases in budget allocations and the landmark Student Success Act, and with this budget, we are ensuring high-quality and equitable education outcomes for our kids and providing programs that give our students opportunities for future success–whatever that may look like for them.

After passing the House 52-6, this legislation heads to the Senate. Absent Senate Republicans must return to work in order to move this legislation to the Governor’s desk.

Bridge Visualizations Released in May

The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program Team has created visualizations of how multiple bridge types could look from four different vantage points along the Columbia River. These are not the final designs, but they do give an early preview of how different bridge types could look in our community. 

The visualizations include the three bridge configurations currently being studied (single-level, double-level, and movable bridge configurations). Once the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) is published later this year, the program will have a better understanding of the trade-offs between the configurations. The community will have an opportunity to review the analysis and provide input during the public comment period. A decision regarding bridge configuration is expected to be made in 2024 before the start of the environmental analysis required for the Final SEIS and updated Record of Decision. Considerations to determine bridge type will occur after a decision on bridge configuration is made. 

These visualizations are not meant for decision making or the narrowing of options at this stage. You can view the renderings HERE.

Neighborhood Forums

Over the past two weeks, IBR held Neighborhood Forums in Vancouver (5/31) and Portland (6/6) to meet with community members in person to answer questions, provide information, and collect feedback. IBR program technical staff were available to answer questions and provide more detailed information to attendees. Property and business owners, local residents, and various community partners were some of the many forum participants at both events.  Thank you to everyone who took time to come meet the Bridge team in person and learn more about the IBR program. To stay informed of future engagement opportunities, be sure you are signed up to receive program notifications and check their Meetings and Events Calendar for additional engagement opportunities and materials from past events.

ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHT

Thank you to the Advocates for Disability Supports for visiting the Capitol yesterday and sharing their important message about needed services! Their visit was a reminder of just how many people are depending on the Legislature to come together and pass important budgets and programs. It's time for the Walkout to end. 

INTERN CORNER

Working Two Jobs - By Ishaan Sinha

I want to highlight my other job that I pursued during my gap year: Intern Advisor for the City of Hillsboro Youth Advisory Council. 

I served on the YAC during high school and I loved it. I felt that I truly belonged there and I was able to contribute towards projects I really cared about. My advisor recommended me to intern as an advisor for the YAC.

It was tough at first to immediately switch over to a supervisor role for the students. I was held accountable for the logistics, and how well I did my job visibly impacted the functioning of the YAC.

With my time on the City, I was able to draw several connections to my internship for Rep McLain. I invited Rep McLain to speak at a meeting, and the students formed valuable connections with her. In addition, I also invited other connections such as Susan Allen from OSEA and Priscilla Trevino from Junior Achievement. Junior Achievement is developing an educational facility at the Civic Center, so students were offered an invite to the grand opening of the facility and a chance to volunteer when needed.

Balancing two jobs required a lot of dedication and accountability. At times I made mistakes, but ultimately my heart was in both of my internships and I am proud I was able to create synergies between them.

SENATOR SPOTLIGHT

This week, former Senator Lee Beyer visited Senator Frederick, Senator Gorsek, and me during our Joint Transportation Chairs meeting. Welcome back to Senator Gorsek after being out on health leave! Senator Beyer was our former Co-Chair on the Joint Transportation Committee, as well as a dear friend of mine. It was a pleasant surprise to see his face in the building again! 

AROUND WASHINGTON COUNTY

Cornelius food pantry lines up $350k for renovations

New Washington County Alert System

Stay updated on public emergencies and concerns in our local area in real time by signing up today!

Get alerts right in your pocket. Now is the perfect time to sign up for Washington County's public alert system to stay prepared for when wildfires, power outages or hazardous air conditions occur in your area. Stay up to date by receiving informational updates on your phone or by email. Sign up for Public Alerts at publicalerts.org/signup.

SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATES

High School Graduations

Congratulations to all of our 2023 graduates! We are extremely proud of you and wish you all the success you deserve!

It’s graduation week in the Hillsboro School District! This is a time where we both reflect on the past and look forward to the future as we celebrate all of our students’ hard work and many accomplishments over their PreK-12 career, and anticipate the various pathways they will embark upon after leaving our system.

Following are the dates, times, and locations of our graduation ceremonies:

- Hillsboro Online Academy - Tuesday, June 6, 6 p.m. at Hare Field

- Oak Street Campus - Wednesday, June 7, 7 p.m. at Hilhi

- Hillsboro High School - Thursday, June 8, 7 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium

- Liberty High School - Friday, June 9, 7 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium

- Century High School - Saturday, June 10, 10 a.m. at Hillsboro Stadium

- Glencoe High School - Saturday, June 10, 2 p.m. at Hillsboro Stadium

We ask that everyone attending the graduation events arrive on time; be prepared to follow all staff instructions, physical barriers, and informational and directional signage; and depart promptly afterward. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we work to ensure the events are as fun and safe as possible for all involved.

If you are unable to attend the graduation ceremonies in person, you are invited to watch them online! The ceremonies for our four comprehensive high schools will be live streamed on our YouTube channel (accessible from the Graduation page of our website). Recordings of all graduation ceremonies, including those for Hillsboro Online Academy and Oak Street Campus, will be posted to the Graduation page of our website the week of June 12: www.hsd.k12.or.us/graduation.

Congratulations to the recipients of the State Seal of Biliteracy! This accomplishment will not only open many more career paths but it will also present opportunities to participate in our global community. It is a powerful skill and I am proud of your hard work.

Congratulations are in order for 114 HSD seniors who have obtained their State Seal of Biliteracy by demonstrating academic proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English and Spanish. Other languages include Tagalog, Hmong, Amharic, Korean, Thai, Hebrew, Vietnamese, and French. Each of these students will receive the seal on their graduation diploma and high school transcript. This accomplishment will ensure that future colleges and/or employers know that they are bilingual and biliterate. Way to go, students! You make us Proud to be HSD! See the full list of students here: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhmc8w

Galardonados con el Sello Estatal de Lectoescritura Bilingüe

BENEFITS AND SUPPORT

Take advantage of unlimited usage of public transportation for high school students in our district this Summer!

TriMet is offering free summer transit passes (https://tinyurl.com/38mfrxm3) to high school students - including incoming freshmen and graduating seniors - for unlimited use on TriMet, WES, C-Tran, and the Portland Streetcar from Jun. 1 through Aug. 31.

Students who used a TriMet HOP card during the school year should know that these cards will not work over the summer. Anyone needing TriMet access over the summer will need to get a designated summer pass. It is recommended that students keep their 2022-23 student ID with them when using the summer passes on transit.

Each high school has received an initial allotment of free summer transit passes. Please inquire with your school’s office if you would like to receive one.

Pases gratuitos de TriMet durante el verano para estudiantes de preparatoria

TriMet está ofreciendo pases gratuitos (https://tinyurl.com/2t6fpyym) para los servicios de transporte durante el verano a los estudiantes de preparatoria, incluyendo los estudiantes freshmen entrantes y los graduandos senior. Los pases incluyen el uso ilimitado del TriMet, WES, C-Tran y Portland Streetcar desde el 1 de junio hasta el 31 de agosto.

Los estudiantes que usaron una tarjeta TriMet HOP durante el año escolar deben saber que estas tarjetas no estarán funcionando durante el verano. Cualquier persona que necesite acceso a TriMet durante el verano deberá obtener un pase designado para el verano. Se recomienda que los estudiantes porten su identificación estudiantil 2022-23 cuando utilicen los pases de verano en el servicio de transporte.

WILDFIRE-RELATED RESOURCES

OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:

• Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
• Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
• Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
• Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
• Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
• U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
• U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
• Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
• Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
• SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
• State taxes (Oregon Dept. of Revenue) Phone: 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222 TTY: All relay calls are accepted. Website: www.oregon.gov/dor
• Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
• Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
• Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
• Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
• Medical records - Call your doctor or your medical insurance company; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.

The Governor’s office has put together a Wildfire Resources page that you can access from the Governor’s home page.  It has links to many of the most important updates about the status of fires and resources for evacuees.  This website will be updated regularly.  

Legal Resources: Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Program, Oregon lawyers, through the Oregon State Bar, are partnering with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide legal assistance on FEMA claims, contract claims, insurance claims, landlord-tenant matters and more.

The Department of Forestry’s Wildfire Response and Recovery Overview has ongoing updates about firefighting efforts, damage reports, and more.  

FEMA Updates: FEMA has provided several different Fact Sheets and resources for accessing benefits, determining eligibility and avoiding scams.

• How to Appeal a FEMA Disaster Assistance Decision
• Oregonians Affected by Wildfires: Flood Risk and Insurance; Fraud Awareness
• FEMA Rental Assistance May Be A Valuable Housing Solution for Oregon Wildfire Survivors
• Citizenship and Immigration Status Requirements for FEMA Disaster Assistance
• What to Expect When Applying with FEMA
• Disaster Unemployment Assistance Available for Oregon Wildfire Survivors
• Look Out for Disaster Fraud, Scams
• Understanding a FEMA Determination Letter, How to Appeal
• FEMA Approves Direct Housing Mission
• Apply with FEMA Even if You Have Insurance

RESOURCES FOR OUR VETERANS

Mental Health Services:

• Washington County Crisis Line | 503-291-9111
• Crisis Text Line | Text “Connect” to 741741
• Suicide Prevention Lifeline | 1-800-273-8255
• Trevor Lifeline | 1-866-488-7386

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Employers and Employees

The following list of resources is from Oregon’s Secretary of State’s Office. The fastest way to get in touch with the SOS team is by emailing business.sos@oregon.gov, using the “Need Help?” button found on most state agency websites or visiting www.oregon.gov/smallbusiness.

• Unemployment options 
• Information about employer obligations and responsibilities from Oregon Labor and Industries
• Business Oregon's list of financial resources (including non-bank lenders) 
• Information about US Small Business Administration disaster assistance loans 
• The latest COVID-19/Coronavirus information on resources for workers and business owners  

Education Links

• Hillsboro School District (en inglés y español)
• Forest Grove School District (en inglés y español) 
• Oregon Department of Education
• COVID-19 Resources for Oregon Higher Education Partners

Local Government

• City of Hillsboro (en inglés, español y más idiomas) 
• City of Cornelius (en inglés, español y más idiomas)
• City of Forest Grove
• Washington County

Utilities Assistance

• Portland General Electric (en inglés y español) 
• NW Natural
• City of Hillsboro Utility Billing 
• Comcast 
• CenturyLink
• AT&T 

Food and Housing Assistance

• Community Action.org
• Oregon Food Bank
• Meals on Wheels

Yours truly,

Representative Susan McLain
House District 29

email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-489, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain