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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you are all finding ways to stay cool and beat the heat this weekend. You can find heat-related resources for Washington County here, including a list of available cooling centers.
After a few days with family over the 4th of July holiday, I am back at work full time and focused on interim planning. I will be meeting with jurisdictional partners like Multnomah and Washington Counties and Metro over the next few months, primarily on transportation policy and affordable housing. I have an upcoming presentation on the Legislative Session for the newly formed CPO 12, which is a community-based organization in Western Washington County dedicated to addressing the housing and homelessness crises. My work on the I-5 Bridge replacement will also keep me very busy over the Interim, and our next Bi-State Bridge meeting with Washington State is on July 28th at 9:00 am. I will post a link to view the meeting in my next newsletter.
Finally, I just returned home from a quick 3-day trip to Washington, DC for the National Workshop for State and Local Transportation Advocates. The workshop brings together transportation investment champions from around the country to share best practices and keys to success in advancing state and local legislative and ballot initiatives that boost transportation infrastructure investment. I served on the panel "Transportation Funding - A View from the State House," and truly enjoyed engaging with fellow Legislators and Department of Transportation officials from around the country on the politics of transportation funding and I look forward to sharing what I learned with my Oregon colleagues.
This week's newsletter continues my highlights on policy victories from the 2023 Legislative Session, has updates on the I-5 Bridge Replacement Program, and provides information on opportunities to get involved in our community. This weekend also brings the Concours d'Elegence to Forest Grove and I highly recommend heading out to Pacific University on Sunday for this marquee event. As always, please stay in touch and reach out to my office with questions or comments at rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov.
I had a chance to do a very quick tour of some of the monuments in Washington, DC this week. Pictured above are the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial.
Legislative Review Continued:
Updating you on the behemoth amount of bills worked during the 2023 Long Session will require multiple newsletters to complete. To this end, I will continue to provide analysis from the 23' Session throughout the summer as I reflect on the important accomplishments and sometimes disappointing outcomes that encapsulated our work over the last six months. The work was never easy, but the results made the long hours away from friends and family worthwhile. I appreciate all of my House colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, who joined me in working to make the Session an incredibly successful one.
This week I am focusing on the essential work we did on the issues of Climate Resiliency and Affordable Housing & Homelessness. If there are bills you have questions about, or would like more information on, please reach out to my office and we can assist you.
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Spotlight on Affordable Housing & Homelessness:
Housing Supply and Stability Investments: We made nearly $2 billion in investments, building on prior emergency investments, and funding construction of new affordable housing units in SB 5511, SB 5505, and HB 3395.
Affordable Housing & Emergency Homelessness Response Package: There was a $200 million investment that helps shelter Oregonians living on the street, prevent more homelessness, and ramp up affordable housing production across the state through actions in HB 2001 and HB 5019.
Here are a list of other bills passed that will have a positive impact for Oregon as we tackle the affordable housing and homelessness crises:
HB 2984: Allows local governments to convert commercial buildings to residential housing.
HB 3395: Streamlines affordable housing production and increases homeownership opportunities, especially for BIPOC communities. It also reduces barriers to siting emergency shelters.
SB 611: Rent stabilization for working families, keeping Oregonians housed.
HB 3215: Establishes the Disaster Housing Recovery Fund to provide assistance to rebuild housing destroyed by a disaster.
HB 2982: Allows Oregonians to recover 70% of value of lost property after a disaster.
Spotlight on Climate Resiliency:
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Climate Resilience Package Investment: We invested $90 million in community-focused and forward-looking solutions to increase our energy efficiency, keep Oregonians safe from extreme weather, maximizing federal funding opportunities, and build a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable energy system through passage of HB 3409 and HB 3630.
Drought & Water Investment: Through HB 2010, we invested $100 million in new and existing resources to ensure families, farms, and wildlife across Oregon have clean, safe water -- now and into the future.
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Centering Equity in Multimodal Transportation
The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) program is committed to centering equity in their processes and their outcomes. They are engaging communities and elevating the voices of equity priority communities throughout their processes and ensuring these communities receive the program’s economic and transportation benefits. They also commit to not furthering harm to these communities.
On June 13, IBR hosted a virtual roundtable focused on multimodal transportation’s unique equity considerations. “The Intersection of Equity and Multimodal Transportation” featured a four-person panel discussing how to consider the needs of all communities – particularly those in equity-priority communities– as the program moves forward on the planning and design of multimodal investments. This topic explored urban design, planning, transit, freight, and active transportation needs and the communities that rely on different means to cross the bridge. Watch the video from the roundtable below:
Transparent Transportation!
The IBR program recently released a number of renderings to help visualize what a proposed replacement bridge could look like. Listen in as Program Administrator Greg Johnson dives headfirst into our social media comments.
Read more about the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program here. You can also read July's newsletter here.
Volunteer Opportunities in Our Community
Communities can only be successful with the support of their citizens. That is why volunteers are such a critical (and limited) resource, and all organizations, from governments to schools to community groups, depend on their volunteers. I highly recommend finding a local volunteer opportunity if you have spare time. It's not only good for our community when people turn out, but it's a personal opportunity to meet new people, learn new skills, increase your sense of purpose, and of course, have fun. If you have the need for volunteers for an upcoming community event or for an ongoing community service that your organization provides, please feel free to share it with my office and we will help spread the word. You can email us at rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov. Below are some upcoming opportunities to get involved:
Forest Grove Corn Roast: One of my favorite fall activities in the annual Corn Roast and Harvest Festival that the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce puts on. This year, I know that Claudia Yakos is working to make it the best one yet! Volunteer support from the community is needed in order to ensure a successful event though, and if you have some free time, please consider signing up. You can find out more information by emailing the Chamber team at assistant@fgcchamber.org.
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Centro Mercado Free Food Market: Centro Cultural in Cornelius is looking for committed and passionate volunteers who want to join and support Centro Mercado and the immigrant outreach program. If you're interested in volunteering to help them sort food, organize personal hygiene products, and distribute food boxes to the community, they'd love to have you! Give them a call at 503-359-0446 or visit https://centrocultural.org/volunteer
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Upcoming Event: Concours D’Elegance in Forest Grove
July 16, 2023 | 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Attend the longest-running Concours d’Elegance in the Pacific Northwest and enjoy more than 300 classic and modified cars on the tree-shaded campus of Pacific University. Enjoy live music, food, a beer garden, and a wine pavilion at this historic Greater Portland Event. All proceeds benefit Rotary Club Foundation Scholarships and Community Service projects.
New Business Spotlight: Hillsboro Downtown Station
It's always great to see new businesses opening and thriving in our community. I'd like to congratulate the vendors at Hillsboro's new food cart, "Hillsboro Downtown Station" on their successful grand opening last weekend. It is now the single largest food cart pod site in our area and will have up to 28 vendors when completely filled. It's located at 320 S.E. Baseline St. According to the Forest Grove News-Times, the new pods will "serve an eclectic mix of foods, including traditional Mexican, Argentine, Thai, Korean, Arabic, Brazilian, Russian, German and more types of cuisines." Hours of operation are 11AM-8PM daily, with coffee & breakfast starting at 8AM.
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Summer Activity Suggestion: Teen Writing Contest
Calling all teens who love to write! Do you want your chance to impress a New York Times Best Selling author? Or maybe you have a short story or a poem that would perfectly fit the the theme of "Find Your Voice"? Then here's the perfect writing contest for you! For full contest details visit the Forest Grove Library's contest page.
As a Speech and Debate and English teacher for over 42 years, I believe that nothing prepares you better for your future than learning how to write well. Reading often and of course practice are critical to improving your writing skills and I highly recommend both the writing contest above and the great Summer Reading programs available at our local libraries. You can find more information about each program at the following links:
Forest Grove Library Summer Reading Program
Cornelius Library Summer Reading Program
Hillsboro Library Summer Reading Program
Changes to the Oregon Health Plan as of July 1st
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) has created these short video messages announcing that change is coming to the Oregon Health Plan (OHP) and other Medicaid, instructing people how to update their address, and reminding people to keep watching their mail and to do what their renewal letter asks. Watch the video below:
Habrá cambios en el Plan de Salud de Oregón (OHP):
Oregon Health Authority (OHA por sus siglas en inglés) ha creado estos mensajes de video anunciando que habrá cambios en el Plan de Salud de Oregón (OHP) además de otros programas de Medicaid, enseñando como actualizar su dirección, y recordándoles que sigan revisando su correo y que hagan lo que les piden en sus cartas de renovación.
For more information on the Oregon Health Plan, visit OHA's information page here.
Wildfire Prevention and Preparation Tips
With continued heat, we are starting to see an uptick in fire activity around the state. Prevention is key to avoiding fires! I've compiled some important tips for wildfire prevention, as well as resources to keep handy during Wildfire Season.
Know Before You Go: Campfires may be prohibited outside of maintained campgrounds with established fire pits. Always contact the forest district, agency or landowner first to learn if there are any current campfire restrictions where you plan to recreate.
Call Before You Burn: Burning regulations are not the same in all areas and can vary with the weather and fuel conditions. Check to see if there are any current burning restrictions or if a permit is required.
Create defensible space: Create a 30-foot perimeter of defensible space around your home to reduce the risk of wildfires. Fire follows the fuel. Make sure your landscape is LEAN (plants are spaced apart), CLEAN (free of flammable debris), and GREEN (healthy and watered often).
WILDFIRE SEASON INFORMATION:
Stay safe, stay informed and stay connected. Access resources before, during and after wildfires by signing up for Emergency Alerts below:
For more information on wildfire prevention and recovery, view my resource link in the "Important Resources" section below.
My office has compiled a list of resources for our community. You can click on the images below to open a document with the relevant links. If you know of a resource that should be included here, or you need a resource and are having trouble finding the information, please reach out to my office at rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov.
WILDFIRE-RELATED RESOURCES
Click here, or on the image to the right, for important resources related to wildfire prevention and recovery. This list includes links to current fire restrictions and recreation site status maps, the Oregon Department of Forestry's fire prevention tip page, and important resources for wildfire victims.
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RESOURCES FOR OUR VETERANS
Click here, or on the image to the right, for a list of important resources for Veterans, including links and phone numbers to the various divisions of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, local Washington County assistance, supportive and community-based groups like the American Legion, and mental health resources.
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EDUCATION RESOURCES
Click here, or on the image to the right, for a list of Education-related resources. This includes links to the Forest Grove and Hillsboro School Districts, the Oregon and US Departments of Education, information on how to pay for college, student lunch programs, and much more!
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STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Click here, or on the image to the right, for links to important local and state government pages, including the Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Cornelius city government pages. You can also access the Oregon Legislature's page, and other important state agency sites, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Unemployment Department, and the Oregon Health Authority.
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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
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