Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Happy summer and happy sine die! The House and Senate chambers are empty as the 87th Legislative Assembly concluded its work for the 2023 legislative session on June 25th - just hours before the Constitutional deadline. The session took many twists and turns, overshadowed by scandals in state government involving OLCC’s diverted bourbon, as well as ethics concerns raised resulting in the Oregon Secretary of State’s resignation, and the longest Senate legislative walk-out in Oregon’s history.
Over the past six months, legislators, staff, lobbyists, stakeholders, and members of the public spent countless hours championing their policy priorities through the legislative process in a Capitol under major construction where the sound of jackhammers could be heard echoing throughout the small footprint of the building that remained open for business. There were good bills and there were bad bills. Many measures were passed - and many more died. This month’s newsletter highlights key legislation that made it across the finish line, legislation I sponsored, as well as some of the missed opportunities I hope to revisit in the 2024 session.
During the period of time between two sessions of the Legislative Assembly, referred to as the interim, legislators are back in their home districts meeting with constituents, community leaders, as well as attending assigned legislative work groups, commissions, councils, and local events. They are also making up for missed time with their families during the long stint in Salem.
The legislature will return to Salem for interim committee days on September 27-29, November 6-8, January 10-12, and will receive revenue forecasts released on August 20 and November 15, before returning for the February 2024 short session. Interim is also the time legislators will work on policy proposals for introduction in 2024. The 2023-2024 Interim Calendar can be found here.
It is a great honor to represent the citizens of House District 18. I have appreciated your engagement this past session and look forward to hearing from you and connecting in district throughout the interim. If my office can be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help!
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Sincerely,
 Rick Lewis
State Representative
House District 18
Oregon’s Christmas Tree District
Read past newsletters here.
This session, I served on two policy committees, the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans, and two budget committees, the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety and the Full Committee on Ways and Means. In total, I sponsored 98 bills. 23 of those I chief sponsored, and I signed on to 75 bills as a regular sponsor. 16 of the 98 bills passed.
Following every legislative session, the Legislative Policy and Research Office (LPRO) prepares Summaries of Legislation. The reports summarize measures that received a public hearing in policy committees and were considered by the Oregon Legislative Assembly. Summary Reports are organized into chapters by policy areas and within chapters by subtopics and can be found below.
Legislative Summary Reports (2023) – Policy Areas
I am pleased to have sponsored the following bills that passed this session:
HB 2295 - (Chief Sponsor) Broadens public contracting preference for businesses that service-disabled veterans own to include all veteran-owned businesses. |
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HB 2405 - (Regular Sponsor) Requires that court dismissing charges involving orders of commitment due to defendant lacking fitness to proceed also order transport of defendant back to jurisdiction in which charges were initiated.
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HB 2426 - (Regular Sponsor) Authorizes self-service dispensing of Class 1 flammable liquids at retail dispensary.
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HB 2535 - (Regular Sponsor) Requires Department of Corrections to establish doula program for pregnant and postpartum adults in custody at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility.
HB 2732 - (Regular Sponsor) Appropriates moneys from General Fund to Department of Justice for Crime Victim and Survivor Services Division, for distribution to eligible children's advocacy centers.
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HB 2772 - (Regular Sponsor) Creates crime of domestic terrorism in the first and second degree. Directs Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to classify crimes as specified crime categories on sentencing guidelines grid.
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HB 2898 - (Regular Sponsor) Extends time during which recreational vehicle may be sited on lot with single-family dwelling that was damaged by natural disaster. This assists people in affected wildfire areas to have temporary housing on their property for a longer period of time while rebuilding.
HB 2994 - (Regular Sponsor) Requires coordinated care organizations and Oregon Health Authority to provide medical assistance recipients 18 years of age and younger cochlear implants, hearing aids, and hearing assistive technology systems in specified circumstances. |
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HB 3001 - (Regular Sponsor) Directs the Department of Transportation to waive the fee for a Fallen Hero roadside memorial highway sign if the applicant is a Gold Star Family member and funds are appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department for the purpose of paying the fees. Directs Department to waive the surcharge for the Gold Star Family vehicle registration plate if the applicant is a Gold Star Family member and funds are appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department for the purpose of paying the surcharge.
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HB 3086 - (Regular Sponsor) Clarifies process of Senate confirmation of members of State Fish and Wildlife Commission. Provides that commission must consist of one member from each of five regional river basin management areas in state, one member from west of Cascade Mountains and one member from east of Cascade Mountains. Makes certain changes to qualifications of members of commission. |
HB 3127 - (Regular Sponsor) Prohibits the installation and download of products controlled by hostile foreign governments on cell phones and computers owned and operated by the government aligning Oregon with the federal government and numerous other states.
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HB 3173 - (Regular Sponsor) Creates a 15-member Task Force on Tribal Consultation to identify and clarify requirements of state agencies to engage in tribal consultation. Requires task force to report findings and recommendations on tribal consultation to interim committee of Legislative Assembly related to government by September 15, 2024. Sunsets December 31, 2024.
HB 3188 - (Regular Sponsor) Expands Department of Transportation's authority to allow specified counties, including Marion County, to designate speeds on highways within county's jurisdiction under certain circumstances.
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HB 3426 - (Regular Sponsor) Requires 9-8-8 crisis hotline centers to have policies and train staff on serving firefighters and other first responders.
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HB 3584 - (Regular Sponsor) Directs schools or school districts to provide electronic communication to parents and guardians of students attending, and to school district employees employed at, school at which safety threat action occurred. Prescribes requirements of communication.
HJR 16 - (Regular Sponsor) Proposes amendment to Oregon Constitution to give the House of Representatives (House) the power of impeachment for statewide elected officials of Executive Branch for malfeasance or corrupt conduct in office, willful neglect of statutory or constitutional duty, or other felony or high crime, and the Senate the power to try any impeachment received from House. Requires two-thirds majority vote of House to deliver impeachment resolution to Senate and two-thirds majority vote of Senate for conviction. Allows Chief Justice to preside in Senate impeachment trial. Limits judgment to removal from office and disqualification from holding any other public office in state. Allows Legislative Assembly to convene to exercise its impeachment powers. Refers proposed amendment to people for approval or rejection at next regular general election.
HB 2071 This committee bill includes the provisions of HB 2305 which I Chief Sponsored to exempt National Guard members from state income tax during a state activation. HB 2071 was an omnibus bill that incorporated my bill into it.
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As part of the budget process, legislators were asked to submit their district’s project funding priorities to the Ways and Means Co-Chairs for consideration.
Several funding needs throughout House District 18 were identified. Only the following projects received funding this session.
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- $636,000 St. Paul Water Reservoir
- $5,000,000 City of Molalla Wastewater Treatment Plant
- $30,000,000 Clackamas County Courthouse
- $3,800,000 City of Aurora Fire Station
Though a number of measures passed this session will help to improve the lives of Oregonians, there were also missed opportunities to address some critical issues that will continue to take a heavy toll if not prioritized in future sessions. A few of those issues include:
Substantive Reform of Ballot Measure (BM) 110
This session I introduced HB 2310 and HB 2400 to tackle Oregon’s drug crisis and repeal or reform provisions of BM 110 that decriminalized the use of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and other drugs. None of my proposals received hearings and died in committee.
Instead, HB 2395, an alternate measure put forward, also to tackle the failures of BM 110 passed. I cast a reluctant “yes” vote on the bill and spoke of my concerns on the House floor. Unfortunately, the bill talked about “harm reduction” which is absolutely the wrong approach to the problem created by BM 110. We need to be working on prevention and treatment and not on enabling which is what "harm reduction" causes. This is an important short-term step, and it will save lives because it gets Narcan into the hands of those who can administer the overdose reversing medication to prevent deaths.
Long term, we need to fix the problem and stop enabling drug addicts. Enabling the drug addicted to continue the harmful use of dangerous drugs is not the answer. Without substantive reform of BM 110, we continue to miss the mark and the rampant and permissive use of deadly drugs adds to the blight and body-count of Oregon’s drug crisis.
A recent news article points out new Oregon data that shows an increase in drug overdose deaths, and that Fentanyl could be the cause. Also in the news, we saw Multnomah County’s absurd and reckless plan to distribute and pass out fentanyl smoking supplies as another “harm reduction” approach. Thankfully there has been a “pause” on this inhumane and misguided plan.
We also passed HB 2513, another feeble attempt to address the failures of Ballot Measure 110. While it clearly doesn't address the lack of a definition of "treatment" as distinguished from "services", I hope it will have a positive outcome. Because we are unable to obtain enough support to throw BM 110 out, acknowledge it as a failure and start over, we are faced with a less than satisfactory approach to the problem.
I hope to see in two years from now a course correction that will put us on the right track.
For this session, we missed the opportunity to do so much more.
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I don’t think that when voters approved BM 110 in 2020 Oregonians intended for state and local government to hand out free drug paraphernalia for drug use. I’d like to know what you think and so does the Pamplin MediaGroup.
Participate in their survey here
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Supporting School and Community Safety
HB 2005, one of the two most contentious bills proposed by the majority party this session sought to address gun violence, was misguided. After the long Senate walk-out, a compromise to strike large portions of the measure, leaving only a ban on “ghost guns” was achieved protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners.
In terms of school safety, the only school safety bill that passed this session was HB 3584, directing school districts to provide electronic communication to parents and guardians of students attending a school where there is a safety threat. Unfortunately, a number of school safety bills proposed by the minority party were blocked. These measures would have made a difference in keeping our schools and communities safer.
Those include:
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HB 2223 – Transfer ODE Funds to pay for school resource officers.
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HB 3354 – Conducts a study to hire retired police officers to provide security in our public schools.
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HB 2704 – Requires school districts that adopt a policy limiting possession of firearms by concealed handgun licensees on school grounds to install metal detectors at entrances to buildings.
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HB 3261 – Conducts a study to identify sources of funding to pay for costs of establishing a secure, single point of entry for each public school.
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HB 3350 – Conducts a study to identify the costs and possible funding sources to improve school safety.
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HB 3101- Require schools to have at least one panic alarm in every school building.
Overhauling Oregon Land Use Laws to Increase Housing
This session we passed a historic $200 million affordable housing and emergency homelessness response package (HB 2001 & HB 5019). There was a great deal more that could have been done by loosening land use restrictions. I introduced two bills to do just that. |
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HB 3616, a bill that was inspired by constituents seeking creative ways to increase affordable housing by allowing an owner of property outside urban growth boundary to site an additional dwelling on their property for occupancy by a relative, and HB 3268, that would have developed a pilot program to help communities through providing allowances for System Development Costs to encourage affordable multifamily housing. Both measures had bipartisan support but were not allowed to move forward.
Another effort, proposed by the Governor, to produce more housing through loosening land-use restrictions in HB 3414 also died. That measure would have been voluntary on the part of cities and pertained only to land use inside the Urban Reserve and did not take Exclusive Farm Use land.
Public Safety and Accountability
Increasing safety concerns in our communities calls for continued supports for our first responders and all public safety officials. While more than $4 billion was invested to support current public safety agency budgets this session, investments to maintain community corrections fell short.
Community Corrections provides accountability and includes supervision, community-based sanctions, and services directed at offenders who have committed felony and certain misdemeanor crimes and have been placed under community supervision by the courts. We must adequately invest in these services to keep our communities safe and hold those who have harmed others accountable. I look forward to working on these issues and more in the sessions ahead.
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In 2018, a much larger group of retired law enforcement legislators serving took a photo with OSP similar to this. There are fewer of us in the Capitol now. It is my honor to serve as your voice in Salem to support pro-public safety policies throughout our state.
The summer weather has been spectacular, and I have enjoyed the opportunity to attend various outdoor events and look forward to many more as the summer kicks off a line-up of fairs and festivals in the district.
Thank you to the Marion County Board of Commissioners for the invitation to attend the opening day ceremony and barbeque. Celebrating community with fabulous food and friends at the Marion County fair is always a summer highlight.
It was also great to see Congresswoman Lori Chavez-Deremer and Representative Tracy Cramer, pictured with me in the photo below.
Willamette Workforce Partnership is offering reimbursement of $5 per hour for small businesses located in Marion, County, Oregon who employ first-time youth workers between May 1, 2023 through September 30, 2023. Employers may receive reimbursement for up to 4 youth workers at a time and a total of $6,000.
How to Apply?
To apply for the grant, please fill out the required information below. You will be asked to upload your Youth Employment Certificate, proof of worker's compensation insurance, and Form W-9 (rev. Oct 2018) into this application. Applications that fail to comply with all prescribed requirements or are incomplete will not be awarded. Not all applicants will be awarded. This application will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. After you enter your contact information, you can stop and save your answers by clicking the "Save and Continue" button located in the top right-hand corner of the application.
APPLY HERE
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Congratulations once again to the St. Paul Rodeo. Celebrating another successful 4th of July season - 87 years and running strong!
It takes the whole community to bring this amazing event together. If you missed Bill Poehler’s article in the Statesman’s Journal “Behind the scenes of the 87th annual St. Paul Rodeo,” check it out. And thank you, Bill, for the shout-out to my legislative work to secure funding that added to City’s municipal water storage capacity. It is my honor to serve the St. Paul community.
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On June 28th, I was honored to participate in the ribbon cutting ceremony to welcome OSFM staff into their new headquarters in Salem.
On July 1, 2023, the OSFM officially became a state agency. This move has been in the works for the last several years and I am proud to be a part of this effort as the vice-chair of the Emergency Management, General Government and Veterans Committee.
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You can read more about the history of this effort in OSMF’s latest issue of their newsletter, The Gated Wye.
 Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and Oregon State University researchers began their work to revise what is now referred to as the “Wildfire Hazard Map,” following last years failed rollout. Maps are being created to help Oregonians identify and mitigate their exposure to wildfire risks and to help the state determine how to prioritize fire mitigation resources.
Through SB 80, both the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) agreed to hold a series of meetings specifically to address County’s concerns and discuss local characteristics surrounding the new version of the Wildfire Hazard Map. Eight meetings will be held throughout the State in specific districts.
At each of these district meetings, local county business will be attended to from the morning until 2 pm. At 2 pm for each meeting, the entire focus will transition to the discussion of the Wildfire Hazard Map. AOC is currently working on event locations and will have those details soon.
Present at each of these meetings will be representatives from the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State University, Oregon State Fire Marshall, and the Department of Consumer and Business Services. These agencies will be present to discuss the map and field questions. The following meeting dates are listed below:
Wildfire Hazard Map County Meetings:
D5 (Benton, Lane, Linn Counties) - Friday, September 8 - Eugene
D7 (Clatsop, Columbia, Lincoln, Tillamook) - Friday, September 15 - Tillamook County (most likely in the city of Tillamook)
D4 (Coos, Curry, Douglas, Josephine) - Monday, September 18 - Josephine County (most likely in the city of Grants Pass)
D2 (Crook, Deschutes, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake) - Thursday, September 21 - Klamath Falls
D3 (Gilliam, Hood River, Morrow, Sherman, Wasco, Wheeler) - Thursday, September 28 - Moro
D1 (Baker, Grant, Malheur, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa) - Friday, September 29 – Pendleton
D8 (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington) - Wednesday, October 4 - Hillsboro.
D6 (Marion, Polk, Yamhill) - Friday, October 6 – Dallas
More about the Wildfire Hazard Map process at: ODF’s Newsroom page here.
 On July 14th, I attended the Oregon Military Department’s mobilization ceremony to honor Oregon National Guard service members of the A (-) 641st Aviation Regiment in Salem.
The Regimen deploys to Northeast Africa for approximately one year and will provide fixed-wing air capabilities in support of Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa and AFRICOM from Djibouti and throughout the AFRICOM Theater of operations. The Combined joint Task Force mission conducts operations to enhance partner nation capacity, promote regional stability, dissuade conflict, and protect U.S. and partner interests.
It is always a great honor and privilege to support our troops and their families. I am grateful for their service and wish them safety on their mission and in their return.
Public policy is a process and there are a variety of opportunities to learn how the legislature operates and how you can be involved. Check it out here.
2023-24 Civics Programs offered by OHLEOO and the House Sergeant-at-Arms office
The Oregon House Legislative and Education Outreach Office has a specialized civics experience tailored for any and all Oregonians. The OLEO Office can produce a program for any age and size group from Preschool to Senior Citizen and everyone in-between! Please feel free to contact our office with any educational and outreach requests, we are here to make civics education fun and accessible to everyone!
For more information on all of our educational offering, and/or to schedule any civics outreach or in building visits, please email the OHLEOO office at: Civics.Education@Oregonlegislature.gov Government
Government and Legislative Learning Academy (GALLA):
The Government and Legislative Learning Academy (GALLA) is the umbrella program for all OHLEOO programs. The various GALLA programs will provide opportunities for children, youth, young adults and adults to learn, interact and understand attributes of civics, history, legislative education and civil leadership, including: |
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- Legislative Procedures
- The Function of Bureaucracy
- Decorum, Civility and Non-Partisanship
- The Oregon Process and how it relates to Federal Processes
- Information and education on current legislative events.
- Hands on opportunities inside the Legislative Assembly
The OHLEOO office has a multitiered approach designed to prepare students to engage in the community process, educate adults and provide civics education and information support for Oregon’s population.
Legislative Interns:
A new program providing college Juniors and Seniors an immersive, in-depth learning experience like no other. Applicants will be screened by their colleges then hired through by the OHLEOO Staff. Benefits will include: |
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- College coursework/credit
- Real-world experience
- Bi-weekly supervision visits by college staff
- Mentoring and supervision by OHLEOO staff
- Attend GALLA classes tailored for interns
Note: This does not replace the current intern process employed in the Legislative Assembly or any office in the Assembly.
Citizen Education and Outreach (CEO):
The CEO program will be a tool for the legislative assembly to reach out to adult groups, organizations, elected bodies and or other various groups who might benefit from direct interaction with a staffer from the Legislative Assembly. The CEO program will be available to all Oregonians in any part of the state by request. The OHLEOO staffer can then plan a visit and or presentation on any topics related to civics, history, Oregon government or general information. For more information on this program or to request a workshop, Email Civics.Education@Oregonlegislature.gov |
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Experiential Learning Programs (ELP):
The ELP has been developed for Oregon classrooms that seek an in-depth exploration into the Oregon legislative processes as well as a hands-on civics experience. There are three options available for this outreach program: |
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- Oregon legislative civics exploration and hands-on experience. This is a guided journey through the legislative processes of our unique Oregon system. A curriculum packet will be provided to participating classrooms or groups and the OHLEOO Director will be available for in classroom or Email support. The final experiential event will be a simulated House floor session at the capitol or at the participants location.
- A general civics exploration and hands-on experience. Much like the Oregon specific experience, this option will be provided by the OLEO office as an interactive, experiential program culminating in a simulation-based exercise.
The ELP program is outreach into classrooms and/or a Homeschool environment. We have a robust curriculum designed for teachers that would give students a deep insight into Measure writing, and the Oregon Legislative process. The civics coordinator for the Clerk’s office is available visit with educational groups and lead students through the curriculum.
- Various non-profit civics programs. Oregon has a myriad of civics programs that a student may participate in. The OLEO Office will be promoting and assisting in making these programs as successful in Oregon as possible.
Page Programs and the Legislative Page Academy:
House Honorary Page Programs
Both the House of Representatives and Senate Honorary Page Programs are the traditional one-day page experience. While there is no changes in the Senate program, the House program will be incorporated into the Legislative Page program and while it will still offer the one-day experience, the participants will take part in that days scheduled Legislative Page events and duties. |
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Oregon Legislative Page Program
The Legislative Page Program will be a week-long experience for participating students focusing on the functioning of the Legislative Assembly and direct civics instruction. |
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Oregon Youth Legislature (OYL): (Under development)
The Oregon Youth Legislature will allow students develop their abilities in various types of leadership, critical thinking skills, and public speaking that will help them to become active participants in our modern democratic society. Additionally, this elected body will allow Oregon’s youth to relay the unique ideas, concepts, and concerns as seen by the state’s youth to the adult legislature. |
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Capitol Phone: 503-986-1418
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-385, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.RickLewis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/lewis
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