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Hello Senate District 19 and beyond,
It is an extremely busy time here in Salem, but I wanted to take a few minutes to provide an update on all the important work we are doing in the Senate now that the Republican walkout has come to an end.
There are only a handful of days left before our constitutional sine die of June 25 at 11:59 p.m. and we are going to do our best to pass every bill that has been vetted through our incredible committee process. Legislators, staff, lobbyists, advocates and Oregonians across the state have worked hard this session to craft legislation that address urgent needs in our communities. We want to honor that work and pass these bills.
On Wednesday, the House voted 35-12 to send House Bill 2002 to Governor Tina Kotek for her signature after the bill passed the Senate last week. HB 2002 further codifies Roe v. Wade in state law, ensures the accessibility and affordability of gender-affirming care and protects our health care providers offering reproductive health and gender-affirming care services from punitive overreach from other states.
The House also sent House Bill 2005 to the governor’s desk on a vote of 34-14, which bans the manufacturing, purchasing and sale of untraceable ghost guns in Oregon. This was a years-long goal for policy leaders and gun safety advocates.
Over the past weeks our Joint Ways and Means committee crafted budgets informed by the values and priorities of our state. Now, the Legislature is poised to make key investments in K-12 schools, drought and water security, rural infrastructure and economic development, public safety and accountability, public defense, higher education, Oregon’s first-ever state-based child tax credit, behavioral health and climate.
I’m also proud of the bipartisan record we established this session: More than 90% of bills that have passed the Senate have done so with bipartisan support. It remains true that Oregonians – even those on different sides of the political spectrum – agree on more than we disagree.
This week the Senate has passed dozens of bills that were vetted and lined up on our 2nd and 3rd reading calendars. Here is a good summation of the work we've done on Tuesday and Wednesday from the Senate Majority Office.
These included:
Among these bills were two of my personal bills, which are both now headed to the governor's desk for her signature.
Senate Bill 1 will allow taxpayers to voluntarily self-report their race and ethnicity while filing tax returns for the purpose of generating data for later analysis of revenue policy through an equity lens. The data we gather thanks to Senate Bill 1 will help us better understand how our tax structure, credits and expenditures affect different racial and ethnic groups in Oregon. I expect that future legislatures will use this information to move our state toward a more equitable tax system.
Senate Bill 3 will add to Oregon high school graduation requirements one half-credit of personal finance education and one half-credit of higher education and career path skills. Our students must be prepared to make major financial decisions immediately upon graduating high school, if not sooner. This bill will help ensure our young people are leaving school with the skills they need to make good financial decisions now and throughout their lives.
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This week also marks the end of Senate President Office intern Sophia Barghouti's time with us this session. She did some incredible work helping our constituents in Senate District 19 and leading on several research projects for the office. Sophia is a Portland Community College student who also just graduated from high school and will soon attend the University of Oregon. Sophia has a bright future ahead of her and we are proud that she was a part of the team this session. |
Oregon Tribal Student Grant Application: The Oregon Tribal Student Grant application is now open for the 2023-2024 school year, with a priority deadline of August 1, 2023 for students planning to attend this fall.
The Oregon Tribal Student Grant provides funding for eligible Oregon tribal students to offset the cost of attendance at eligible Oregon colleges and universities. Current, new, and continuing students who are members of Oregon's Nine Federally Recognized Tribes are encouraged to apply for the 2023-24 academic year.
Additional details including information on eligibility and how to apply are at: https://oregonstudentaid.gov/grants/oregon-tribal-student-grant/
If you would like to contact the Senate President's Office, send an email or call and either myself or a staff member will assist you. If you are a constituent coming to Salem and want to arrange a meeting, I'm always happy to meet, so please let us know well in advance as my schedule fills up quickly.
email: Sen.RobWagner@OregonLegislature.gov
phone: 503-986-1600
address: 900 Court St NE, S-201, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wagner
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