Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

Today, the six-week Senate Republican walkout ended as the Senate reached quorum with 22 members present on the Senate Floor. 

Legislative leadership has reached an agreement that rescues hundreds of urgent, bipartisan bills that are all at the core of our essential work this session, including:

• Building more affordable housing and getting people off the streets
• Making Oregon more affordable for working Oregonians
• Taking action relative to climate and wildfires
• Funding our schools
• Addressing the drought and safe drinking water issues across our state

Photo credits to the Oregon Capitol Chronicle

As part of the agreement, Senate Republicans will return to the floor and the Legislature will hold votes on the following bills: 

• House Bill 2002, after it is updated to ensure the bill affirms the standard abortion care practice that has been in place for 50 years under Roe v. Wade.
• House Bill 2005, which will be considered as it was originally introduced: a ban on untraceable ghost guns that will make our communities safer and help law enforcement do their jobs. 
• House Joint Resolution 16, which refers to voters a constitutional amendment that will allow the Legislature to hold statewide elected officials accountable via impeachment.
• House Bill 2757, which will substantively fund 9-8-8, the national suicide prevention hotline.

• Senate Joint Resolution 33 and Senate Bill 27 will be referred back to committee and conversations about how to enshrine Oregon values in our Constitution will continue. 

You can read more about the announcement in this OPB article. 

It is clear that there’s more to do to stop Republicans from walking out on important legislation in the future. We must do more to uphold the voter’s will and build trust with our communities. With that, I am signed on as a sponsor of HJR 30 which will change the quorum requirement to a simple majority. 

Under the Oregon Constitution, the House and the Senate must have a two thirds majority of members present to meet quorum requirements. Quorum is the minimum number of members needed to conduct House and Senate business. If the House or Senate do not  meet quorum requirements, the Legislature is unable to vote on any legislation.By changing this requirement to a simple majority, it will ensure that a small number of politicians aren’t able to stop all bills by refusing to show up. As elected officials, it is our duty to uphold the will of the voters to take action and deliver on so many issues that matter to all Oregonians. This bill will be critical to starting the conversation and finding long-term solutions. 

Updates on My Legislative Priorities

These next few days in the Legislature will be busy as we will be passing hundreds of bills. Here are a few of my legislative priorities, the lines highlighted in yellow are bills that are currently waiting on the Senate for consideration and passage.

Childcare Funding Press Conference 

Earlier this week, childcare advocates and I held a press conference in front of the Capitol Mall to fight for critically needed funding for childcare. If no further allocations are made to the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) and the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) Program, a thousand Oregon families will be at risk of losing access to child care subsidies this biennium. I support increased investments to the families of our youngest Oregonians and our new Department to serve them. 

You can read more about the press conference in this article from the Statesman Journal. 

Providence Nurse Strike Remonstrance 

I delivered a remonstrance on the House Floor as hundreds of Oregon’s nurses are planning to go on strike starting Monday, June 19th.

Our nurses and clinicians deserve safe workloads, fair compensation, working conditions, and my communities deserve strong access to care and treatment. I have sent a letter to Providence to urge Providence to work with the nurse to ensure that services are not further reduced and that they reach a fair contract.

Upcoming Events in the District 

Juneteenth, observed on June 19th, is a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. This year, there are so many ways to participate, educate, and celebrate the holiday. 

Washington County Juneteenth 

The Black Advisory Business Council will be hosting the Washington County Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 17th from 12-6:30 pm at Jerry Willey Plaza. The celebration will include food, music, speakers, and feature Black owned businesses and vendors in Washington County. 

You can find more info about the event on the Washington County Chamber website. 

City of Wilsonville Juneteenth Celebration

The City's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is hosting Wilsonville's third annual Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 17, from 12-3 pm at Town Center Park. 

Wilsonville’s Juneteenth Celebration is an event designed to bring people of all races, nationalities and religions together to celebrate our shared humanity and acknowledge history that continues to influence society today. 

You can find more information about the event on the City of Wilsonville’s event page. 

City of Tigard Juneteenth Celebration 

The City of Tigard in partnership with the Tigard-Tualatin School District will be celebrating Juneteenth on Saturday, June 17th from 3-6 pm at Cook Park! The celebration will include professional and student performances that are family friendly, free food, music, a library reading nook and more. 

You can find more information about the event and the full program on the City of Tigard’s event page. 

Tigard Festival of Balloons 

Next week, Tigard's annual Festival of Balloons begins! It is a place for families and friends to gather, play, relax, and watch hot air balloons. The event will be open from Friday, June 23rd through Sunday, June 25th. 

Stay tuned. I am optimistic that we can complete the work the Oregonians have elected us to do before the constitutional last day of session at the end of the month. 

Sincerely, 

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1426
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-281, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.CourtneyNeron@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/neron