|
Hello Friends,
Legislative Updates
Public Safety Bill Signing Ceremony
Oregonians need to feel safe in their communities. This means making sure that we’re holding people accountable when they commit crimes, doing everything in our power to address the root causes of crime, and supporting people interacting with the legal system. This session we prioritized fully funding our law enforcement agencies, keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals, fixing the public defense crisis, establishing penalties for possession of fentanyl, increasing support for crime victims, funding children’s advocacy centers and more training opportunities for law enforcement, and establishing a Juvenile Justice Policy Commission. This week, we came together to celebrate this work with advocates!
  The legislation signed into law will keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals, work to fix the public defense crisis, establish penalties for possession of fentanyl, increase support for crime victims, fund children’s advocacy centers and more training opportunities for law enforcement, and establish a Juvenile Justice Policy Commission.
Preventing Gun Crimes (House Bill 2005)
Ghost guns are unserialized and undetectable, making them the gun of choice for gun traffickers, violent criminals, and people legally prohibited from buying firearms. HB 2005 prohibits the sale, manufacturing, or importing of ghost guns. This legislation will take on gun crimes and violence, help law enforcement do their jobs, and prioritize public safety, all while respecting responsible gun owners.
Ghost guns are the fastest-growing gun safety problem facing our country, and the number of ghost guns recovered by law enforcement in the US has increased at an alarming rate.
Law-abiding gun owners will have until September 2024 to register any unserialized guns with their local sheriff’s department.
HB 2005 is the result of extensive outreach with communities across the state, including gun owners and enthusiasts, hunters, retailers, the Department of Justice, local governments, advocates and survivors of gun violence. The legislation comes as a recommendation from the Gun Violence Prevention work group, formed last summer.
Fixing the Public Defense Crisis (Senate Bill 337)
Access to defense counsel is a constitutional right, but Oregon does not currently have enough public defenders to meet this need. That’s why this session, Oregon Democrats laid out a plan to address this ongoing crisis.
Senate Bill 337 takes urgent steps to address this shortage of public defenders by:
- Modifying the composition of the commission, moving the commission from the Judicial Branch to the Executive Branch and changing the name from “Public Defense Services Commission” to the “Oregon Public Defense Commission"
- Reforming the pay structure and increasing pay for public defenders, while prohibiting models shown to lead to less effective representation of defendants.
- Requiring the Oregon Public Defense Commission to set standards for public defenders and report regularly to the legislature on their standards and oversight.
- Updating the model for the employment of public defenders – including establishing a trial division within the commission that directly hires attorneys – and allowing public defense providers across the state to contract directly with the commission.
- Creating regional hubs to directly address the unrepresented crisis
Penalties for Possession of Fentanyl (House Bill 2645)
Oregon currently does not charge for misdemeanor fentanyl possession like the law does for other controlled substances. HB 2645 closes this inconsistency by creating this Class A misdemeanor penalty for possession of certain amounts of fentanyl. Fentanyl is a newer and more dangerous drug. It is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 1,275 people suffered from a deadly fentanyl overdose in Oregon in 2021.
Improving the Crime Victims’ Compensation Program (House Bill 2676)
HB 2676 makes critical updates to Oregon’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Program, expanding eligibility criteria, reducing barriers to accessing compensation and increasing benefits for Oregonians impacted by violent crime. HB 2676 increases maximum expense reimbursement amounts for counseling and funeral costs, clarifies strangulation forensic evidence kits as a compensable expense and provides lost wage compensation for parents taking time off to care for a minor victim, amongst other updates. These changes will make it easier for victims and survivors to access benefits for the duration of a case, including during the post-prosecution criminal justice process.
Funding for Children’s Advocacy Centers (House Bill 2732)
HB 2732 allocates $6 million for Children’s Advocacy Centers, places in our community that help kids who have been physically or sexually abused and work to prevent future abuse.
Funding for Law Enforcement Training (Senate Bill 5533)
Provides the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training $6.4 million to address the current backlog and forecasted demand for the basic police course. It will increase the number of standard classes offered and provide funding and position authority to establish a pilot program for additional, higher-capacity basic police course classes to run concurrently with the standard classes. The Department is required to create a safety plan for the pilot program, provide a status report during operation, and a final report at the conclusion of the classes. Funding is also allocated to state police to operate their own basic police course classes. These investments will open up significantly more training opportunities for law enforcement officers around the state.
Juvenile Justice Policy Commission (House Bill 2320)
Oregon does not have a statewide policy development forum for those involved with the juvenile justice system. This bill establishes a Juvenile Justice Policy Commission to analyze our current system and provide data driven policy recommendations for improvement to the legislature.
Senate District 15 Team at NCSL 2023
Last week the Senate District 15 team headed to Indianapolis for the 2023 National Conference of State Legislatures! During this trip they participated in many workshops focused on education policy, housing and homelessness, environment and energy, public safety, AI and right to repair. They even got to tour the Indiana's state capitol building.
These conference provide great professional development for staff and equipment them with the necessary skills to best serve Oregonians and expand their knowledge of policy.
Listen. Learn. Act.
Joint Town Hall with Representative McLain & Representative Sosa
Thank you to everyone that came our earlier this week for our Joint Town Hall. It was great hearing directly from constituents! Topics discussed: Renewable energy, education, housing and homelessness, mental and behavioral health, Paid Family Medical Leave and so much more.
City of Hillsboro - Year Round Shelter Project
This week I had the pleasure of joining Congresswoman Bonamici, Representative Reynolds, Representative Sosa, staff from Representative Hai Pham's office, Washington County Commissioner Willey and Mayor Callaway for a briefing of Hillsboro's year round shelter. This project would result in the first year-round emergency shelter in Washington County for single adults and will serve a regional need for shelter in Hillsboro and neighboring communities.
Out and About for Senate District 15
Tamarack Elementary
A beautiful day today to open a school! Congrats Hillsboro School District on welcoming students, familes and community members to Tamarack Elementary. Staff was grinning ear to ear and looking energized for a fab new year! Let's go River Otters! #Proud ToBeHSD
Vernier Science Education - Schoolhouse Supplies
What a great day! Volunteered with my coworkers from Vernier Science Education at Schoolhouse Supplies, packing school supplies. An added bonus...the supplies we packed headed to WL Henry Elem in Hillsboro School District and SD15. We actually prepared enough for five schools!!!!
SD 15 Small Business Spotlight
Wedge & Cured
I purchased these trays for my family's baby shower this weekend. Beautiful. Delicious. Parris is an artist passionate about bringing joy to her customers. A wonderful Forest Grove Business in Senate District 15!
Website: https://www.wedgeandcured.com/
Upcoming Events
Tonight! Cornelius - Flicks at the Park & Bookmobile: Daddy Day Care (2003)
-From City of Cornelius website-
Harleman Park | S Heather St, Cornelius, OR 97113 | August 25 | 25 de Agosto
Come join the library's bookmobile at Harleman Park at 6:30 pm for games and fun. Movie starts at 8:30 pm.
Visita el nuevo Bibliocarro de la Biblioteca de Cornelius en Harleman Park a las 6:30 pm para juegos y diversión. La película comienza a las 8:30 pm.
Hidden Creek Part West opens on August 28
- From City of Hillsboro Website -
Oro the Friendly Forest Giant is almost ready to meet you!
Hidden Creek Park West, designed as an inclusive and accessible park and playground for people of all abilities, will open to the public on Monday, August 28, at dawn.
With specialized equipment and safety components, the park features:
- inclusive play elements
- stable surfacing areas
- generously sized all-gender restrooms
- six accessible parking spaces
- and, not to miss, a 50-foot-long friendly forest giant made of cedar
Last fall, Hillsboro community members voted to name the giant “Oro”, as in Hillsb”Oro”, which means "gold" in Spanish.
Hidden Creek Park West will also feature:
- water play
- looping pathways
- exercise equipment
- swinging benches
- shade structures
- a hammock grove
- game areas
- a mural
Additional Resources
Senate District 15 – Event Calendars
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Food and Housing Assistance
Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
Onward & Upward,
Senate District 15 lies on Kalapuya land. The Atfalati were the northernmost band of the Kalapuya that lived along the Tualatin River in present day Washington County. Many of the Atfalati descendants are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon today. The Indigenous Peoples of this land experienced a painful history of colonial violence, sickness and removal from their land. The Atfalati are the foundation of Oregon’s past and we must honor them well into our future.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1715
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-207, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
| 
