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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
It was a productive week in the Capitol. Here's what took place:
On Tuesday, my Non-Profit Work Study bill, HB 2802 passed on the floor of the House with a vote of 38-19!
The bill would create pilot programs at Eastern Oregon University and Portland State University to encourage students to work at small non-profits in their community. In return, each student would receive a 20% discount on their tuition, a pay rate no less than the Oregon minimum wage, and the opportunity to build a professional network that will help them transition successfully from college to career. It will also help us address the workforce shortage in our non-profit sector.
I am deeply grateful to the stakeholders who provided invaluable input on the bill – including the folks at Eastern Oregon University, Portland State University, the Oregon Student Association, and the Nonprofit Association of Oregon.
HB 2802 is now in the Senate.
View my remarks on the Floor by clicking the image above.
This week, the House passed several significant bill packages aimed at addressing the needs of Oregonians:
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Child Care
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HB 2468: allows tenants to use rented units as child care facilities, supporting in-home child care providers and expanding care options for parents.
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HB 2683: expands access to Oregon’s Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) program, establishing independent bases of eligibility that includes household income, employment status, involvement with child welfare, and a child or family’s use of homelessness services, amongst other eligibility criteria. These changes will help decrease financial barriers that many low-income, working families face in accessing child care.
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Higher Education:
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HB 3456: provides students who are the victims of sexual assault access to free advocacy, medical, and counseling services while providing protections so they can speak up without fear of retaliation.
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HB 3565: breaks down some of the barriers that keep Native American students from accessing higher education by allocating $24.2 million for the Oregon Tribal Student Grant program.
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HB 5025: increases access to higher education by providing
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$1 billion in the Public University Support Fund;
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$800 million for the Community Colleges Support Fund; and
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$300 million for Oregon Opportunity Grants.
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Rural Economic Development:
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HB 3410: appropriates $32.2 million for a variety of measures to encourage economic development, workforce expansion, and housing in rural communities.
We stayed true to our values and got Senate Republicans back to work! The agreement will still protect access to reproductive healthcare as well as gender-affirming care and ban ghost guns while saving hundreds of bills related to housing / homelessness, public safety, education, climate change, and much more.
 Photo courtesy of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce
Juneteenth, officially called Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday celebrating the emancipation of four million enslaved African Americans. Observed annually on June 19th, the celebration originated in Galveston, Texas, when Union soldiers arrived on June 19, 1865, and Galveston’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The following year, on June 19, the first official Juneteenth celebration took place in Texas. Festivities throughout the United States typically included prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing.
Black pioneers in Oregon annually celebrated Grand Emancipation Day on January 1st in Oregon as early as 1863. Clara People, a Kaiser shipyard worker, brought the Juneteenth tradition to Oregon in 1945, and in June 2021, it was finally recognized as a federal holiday.
Take a trip over to Jerry Willey Plaza at Orenco Station this Saturday, 6/17, from 12:00 p.m. - 6:30 pm for a county-wide Juneteenth celebration! The Washington County Chamber of Commerce's Black Advisory Business Council, in collaboration with other community groups, is putting on the event and will celebrate with food, music, speakers, and Black-owned business vendors.
The Oregon Department of Transportation Driver and Motor Vehicles Division (DMV) has had a data breach that included unauthorized access to up to 90% of Oregonians' data, including driver's license information.
This hack is part of a global technology hack that affected more than 2,000 organizations worldwide who use the MOVEit transfer software tool, including the Louisiana DMV, the U.S. Department of Energy, and others.
Individuals who have an active credential (license, permit, ID card) should assume information related to that credential is part of the breach.
What you can do to protect yourself:
Check your credit report: Federal law allows individuals to receive a free credit report every 12 months. You can request one online at www.annualcreditreport.com or by phone at 1-877-322-8228. Check the reports for any activity you do not recognize. For more information you can also visit the Federal Trade Commission’s website on identity theft at https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/identity-theft.
Be vigilant in monitoring your credit activity. If you wish to freeze your credit files, please contact the following three credit monitoring agencies for assistance:
Please visit ODOT’s web page about the data breach for more information and updates.
Contact ODOT if you have any questions at AskODOT@odot.oregon.gov or (503) 945-5000.
 Photo courtesy of Tee Public
To the 5th, 8th, and 12th graders from the following schools in HD 30, I extend a huge congratulations to the Class of 2023! I hope you are excited for the opportunities that lay ahead. Best wishes for continued success in your academic career!
- Rock Creek Elementary School
- Brookwood Elementary School
- Imlay Elementary School
- Lenox Elementary School
- Orenco Elementary School
- Quatama Elementary School
- W. L. Henry McKinney Elementary School
- West Union Elementary School
- R.A. Brown Middle School
- Beaverton Academy of Science and Engineering
- City View Charter School
- Early College High School at PCC Rock Creek
- Liberty High School
Don't forget to contact my office with any questions or feedback. You can do so via email at Rep.NathanSosa@Oregonlegislature.gov or by phone at (503) 986-1430. Feel free to also stop by in-person at office H-280. I look forward to hearing from you!
Take care!
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1430
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-280, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.NathanSosa@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sosa
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RepresentativeSosa
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