Friends, I hope you're doing well and enjoying your summer so far. I've been quite busy with work on my farm, especially during the haying season. The 2023 legislative session recently came to an end on the final day allowed by the constitution. It was an eventful session with a record-breaking number of over 2,900 bills introduced, the highest in the past ten years for a regular session. As of now, there are still numerous bills awaiting action from the House Speaker, Senate President, or the Governor. It might take a few weeks before we have an exact count of the legislation that has been passed.

In this newsletter, I'll be providing you with a detailed overview of the legislation I worked on during the past session, as well as highlighting the bills that are important for House District 60. If you have any questions about any of the bills, please don't hesitate to reach out. Myself or a staff member will be happy to follow up with you. However, please keep in mind that my staff and I will be taking some time off over the summer, so our office hours have been reduced from the long twelve to fourteen hour days we've had over the past six months. We kindly request your understanding and patience as it may take some time for us to respond to emails and voicemails.

I'm also excited to announce that I will be embarking on district tours, starting with Harney County on July 19. In collaboration with Senator Findley, I will be hosting an in-person town hall meeting in Burns. We will soon provide more information regarding the exact location and timing of the event. Additionally, for those who are unable to join us in person, we will also be hosting virtual town halls, including one on July 12. I look forward to connecting with you further. Registration information is below.

Be safe,

Newsletter contents

• July Virtual Town Hall
• Passed Legislation
• Drought Package
• Rural Infrastructure Economic Development Package
• Broadband Package
• Budget Allocations to House District 60
• Other Important Legislation
• Community News You Can Use

July Virtual Town Hall

I hope you will join me on Wednesday, July 12 at 5:30 PST for our next Joint Virtual Town Hall along with Senator Lynn Findley. There is much to discuss with you about this recent legislative session, and we want to provide you an opportunity to share your thoughts and ask your questions. Registration is required to join or submit questions ahead of time.

Passed Legislation

Bills Sponsored, Co-Sponsored, Passed In the 2023 session I sponsored a total of 259 bills, of those 158 were Chief Sponsored and 18 of those passed.  I've outlined those 18 below and further details on some package bills that will support rural and frontier Oregon along with families, farms and fish.   In committees I voted Aye 138 out of 168 votes. On the floor I voted Aye 540 out of 670 votes.

• HB 2411 - Dissolves Oregon Alfalfa Seed Commission
• HB 2687 - Authorizes State Department of Agriculture to issue public applicator licenses and public trainee certificates to employees of federally recognized Indian tribes for purposes of pesticide application on lands other than Indian country
• HB 2689 - Provides licensing exemption for person slaughtering not more than 1,000 rabbits for use as human food
• HB 3164 - Makes permanent provisions conditionally allowing water right lease to split use of water between existing water right and in-stream water right within same year. Removes prohibition on leasing water right for split use for period of more than 10 years.
• SB 57 - Removes prohibition against sale, offer for sale, maintenance or control of female cattle of beef breed that have not been vaccinated against brucellosis.
• HB 2010 - Drought package, more information below. 
• HB 2420 - Directs Oregon Health Authority to designate work group to propose options for equitable access to birth and death certificates throughout state and equitable fee revenue to maintain and improve vital records system. Requires authority to report to interim committee of Legislative Assembly related to vital records no later than January 1, 2025
• HB 2509 - Modifies process for transfer of recorded brand following death of brand holder.
• HB 3135 - Preserves additional funding for small school districts that merge with one or more school districts if certain conditions are met
• HB 3343 - Modifies qualifications for water well constructor's license.
• SB 53 - Adds members of household and domestic partner of candidate to list of persons who may not be employed to open ballot envelopes, handle ballots, prepare ballots for counting or count ballots. Limits personnel authorized to verify signatures on ballots to match personnel authorized to count ballots.
• HB 3068 - Requires Department of Education to conduct study to examine possibility of creating high school equivalency diploma and submit report to interim committees of Legislative Assembly related to education. Allows student who is 16 or 17 years old to take high school equivalency test with consent of parent or legal guardian
• HB 3187 - Makes individuals who possess relevant technical experience and are employed seven or more years by certain types of districts, and certain types of registered professionals, eligible to apply for certification as water right examiner
• HB 3201 - Broadband package, more information below.
• HB 3410 - Rural Economic Development Package, more information below. 
• SB 70 - Modifies requirements for residential rezoning of lands within Eastern Oregon Border Economic Development Region
• HB 2971 - Provides that specially assessed irrigated farmland may not be disqualified from special assessment if landowner has active in-stream lease for water rights appurtenant to such irrigated farmland and farmland is being used according to accepted farming practices that are mode of operation customarily utilized in conjunction with farm use.
• HB 3086 - Clarifies process of Senate confirmation of members of State Fish and Wildlife Commission. Makes certain changes to qualifications of members of commission

Drought Package

My office drafted and worked on 24 water-related bills, four of which were committee bills. Of these bills, 11 were passed including three policy pills with no fiscal impact (HB 2971, HB 3343, and HB 3164) and 8 bills with a fiscal impact (HB 2010, HB 3163, HB 3321, HB 3100, HB 3103, HB 3130, HB 3222, HB 3099).

Funding was authorized via the omnibus water bill (HB 2010), individual agency budget bills, the Capital Construction Bill (HB 5030), which authorizes the sale of lottery bonds for capital construction projects, and the end of session budget reconciliation bill (HB 5506).

HB 2010 is an omnibus water bill that incorporates policies from 12 different bills that were passed with bi-partisan support from the House Committee On Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water. Ten of the bills were either committee bills or I introduced or co-sponsored them.

Highlights of the water package that will provide funding for water-related issues in House District 60:

• $50 million to provide a portion of the state match of federally funded irrigation modernization efforts in irrigation districts across the state.
• Creation of an agricultural water management technical assistance program within the Oregon State University extension program and at the Agricultural Research Centers to support research and outreach activities that help producers make the most of every drop of water and increase their resilience to drought and water scarcity. This builds on drought investments made in 2021 and will enable OSU to track and report on drought and flood impacts to Oregon’s agricultural producers over time.
• Nearly $18 million for projects to improve fish and wildlife passage.
• $2.5 million to support implementation of a strategic action plan that benefits farmers and wildlife through the work of the Harney Basin Wetland Collaborative.
• Creation of a permanent fund to support community led water planning efforts, including $2,000,000 to support planning and coordination of state recognized plans.
• $2.6 million to assess and address the vulnerabilities of small and very small community water systems across the state.
• $3 million to cover the costs of testing and monitoring for new underground storage projects.
• $570,000 to support the initiation of a collaborative process to understand water management in the Chewaucan River/Lake Abert watershed and identify broadly supported solutions to meet the needs of agricultural producers and fish and wildlife.
• $250,000 to support the development of voluntary groundwater agreements in the Harney Basin.
• Over $2,000,000 for the treatment of juniper encroached landscapes in Eastern Oregon, including $850,000 for the Crook County SWCD, $300,000 for the Harney County SWCD, and $125,000 for the Lake County SWCD.

Rural Infrastructure Economic Development Package

Rural Infrastructure and Economic Development Package (HB 3410, SB 5506): revitalizes rural communities by investing $67 million in building critical infrastructure, bolstering key rural industries and sectors, and addressing workforce housing shortage. Key fundings for House District 60 include: 

• Regional Rural Revitalization (R3): John Day, Burns, Lakeview, Baker City
• Fairground funding program for covid recovery
• Small Business Development Centers
• Meat processing

Broadband Package

This bill will bring Oregon statute into alignment with federal rules, guidance, and best practices by eliminating unnecessary restrictions on the Oregon Broadband Fund by:

• Ensuring the fund can keep up with changes in technology and requirements from certain funding sources which necessitates a new process for setting speed standards through the engagement of the Oregon Broadband Advisory Council and diverse stakeholders; 
• Updating how broadband funds are spent by continuing to give preference to unserved areas in Oregon;
• Promoting competition for grants by reinforcing a process for public notice and comments on applications to ensure any conflicts are identified and addressed early in the process instead of after the awards are given; and
• Addressing the need for a strong and fair challenge process for grant awards through an independent Judicial Review Process as outlined in the Oregon Administrative Procedures Act (APA).

Budget Allocations to House District 60

Each biennium Capital Construction requests are sent to my office from all over House District 60. This session our office received over 50 requests, and each were filed with the Legislative Fiscal Office. Along with the very successful Joint Ways and Means Roadshow in Ontario, House District 60 had over $10 million in funding from these requests. The funding comes out of SB 5506, an end of session omnibus spending bill, which is often referenced as the "Christmas Tree bill". We often do not know what will be funded until the last minute, thus the surprise of what awaits. 

• $2.25 million for infrastructure improvement projects (water, sewer, road, broadband) in Baker County.
• $3 million for renovation of Harney County Courthouse annex.
• $1.5 million for the High Desert Partnership to deliver and spread water in Harney County.
• $2.25 million for Harney County Industrial Improvements, B Street Extension.
• $580 thousand for Klamath/Lake County Food Back renovations.
• $5 million for the Treasure Valley Reload Center in Malheur County.
• $100 thousand for the Boys & Girls Club of Western Treasure Valley in Malheur County.

Other Important Legislation

SB 955 - Establishes a Mental Health Hotline for agricultural workers

SB 498 - Supports family farmers, foresters, and fisherman by creating a $15 million exclusion from the estate tax for natural resource properties.

HB 3409 - Provides grants to create "Resilience Hubs" defined as community centers supporting the community as places for residents to turn to in the event of a natural disaster or other emergency, and would be operated by local governments, nonprofits, schools or tribes.

Community News You Can Use

• Learn more about the DMV Data Breach and steps you can take to secure your information: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/DMV/Pages/Data_Breach.aspx
• Follow 2023 legislation that has been signed into law: https://www.oregon.gov/gov/pages/bills-signed.aspx
• Mormon Cricket Program: https://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/IPPM/SurveyTreatment/Pages/GrasshoppersCrickets.aspx
• 2023 Eastern Oregon Economic Summit, August 3-4 https://eowc.biz/2023-eastern-oregon-summit/
• Oregon State Fire Marshal’s (OSFM) defensible space program: https://oregondefensiblespace.org/ 
• Event in Burns July 19 hosted by the Department of Revenue. Learn more about work from home jobs, set up a Workday account. Register: https://forms.office.com/g/15nUfXyK5J
• NewSun Energy Scholarship Essay Contest:  Agriculture and Climate, due July 12 Change,  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7n1tE1NuxpNRwC27zt2_Eu9frvpGkTbWNyNbHWgVUHTaXzQ/viewform