Friends and neighbors, here is a monthly recap and helpful community information for you! 

As always, it is an honor to serve as your State Representative from House District 15. Please never hesitate to reach out if you have issues, questions, or concerns.

 - Shelly

Oregonians are Set to Receive the Biggest Kicker EVER

This week, the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis released updated projections that estimate that Oregonians will have overpaid their taxes by nearly $5.6 BILLION. That means on 2024 tax filings, Oregonians will get the largest Kicker tax credit in Oregon history.

Remember, your Kicker is proportional to how much you pay in taxes. The more you pay, the more you get back.

I say this every time there is good news about the Kicker: There are some in Oregon who think they know how to spend that money better than you and will use misleading language to make you believe that Oregon doesn't have a Rainy Day savings account, should the economy take another downturn. In reality, we do have a Rainy Day Fund, and its almost as big as Oregon law allows.

In reality, these people want to use the Kicker as another redistributionist program or get rid of it altogether. We must stay vigilant to ensure we protect the Kicker. With a Democratic Majority in Salem hell-bent on more spending, it is the last line of defense against run-away government spending.

While this Kicker is the biggest in monetary value, this Kicker is not the biggest in terms of purchasing power. Because of inflation, Oregonian's wages inflated as well, pushing them into higher tax brackets while not feeling the benefit of those wage gains because of increased prices on everyday goods. The money you are getting back because of the Kicker will also be in inflated currency. This is another example of how inflation acts as another tax on Oregonians.

While the Kicker will be finalized on October 1, you can take a look at the estimated tax credit you could be eligible to receive:

The Drug Crisis is Sweeping the Nation. Politicians Aren't Helping.

It's true that overdoses, primarily driven by the rise of fentanyl, is a nationwide concern. But in Oregon, it's made worse by Measure 110, which decriminalized hard drugs.

Over the summer, national news – from Atlantic Magazine, the New York Times, Economist, and more – and outlets have begun to notice how Measure 110 is handicapping our fight against the drug crisis.

Law enforcement understands that M110 has been a failure. 64% of Oregonians support repealing drug decriminalization. It seems like everyone understands the catastrophic failure of M110 except the political elites in charge of our policy.

That's why Governor Tina Kotek stacked the Portland Central City Task Force with political elites, including a vocal Defund the Police activist, and not a single member from the law enforcement community was included. The Task Force is supposedly going to offer recommendations on how to solve Portland's homelessness and drug problems while taking no input from the public.

There is little doubt in Oregonians' minds that Measure 110 significantly contributes to Portland's issues. But given the pushback from liberal politicians in Salem to a recently announced effort to roll back M110's decriminalization, it's hard to see the Task Force offering any meaningful solutions.

After the Task Force's first meeting, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler made public his request from the state for nearly 100 State Troopers to help Portland solve its crime problem. He also is requesting federal law enforcement reinforcements.

Let's rewind the clock nearly 3 years ago when the same Ted Wheeler defunded his own Portland Police Bureau while also rejecting federal law enforcement help to quell the dangerous 2020 riots. Late is better than never, I suppose.

This all comes after it came to light that the person in charge of overseeing Measure 110's implementation has no prior government or drug treatment experience, was on medical leave for 11 months before quitting, and was sanctioned by the Board of Naturopathic Medicine for not following opioid prescription guidance.

Oregonians passed Ballot Measure 110 with the idea that it would reduce drug abuse. It has only made it worse to the point where we rank dead last in the nation for drug treatment. They are right to have buyer's remorse because those in charge of implementing such a sweeping change have totally screwed it up. It's a predictable result when those in charge want to hand out foil, pipes, and needles as their primary "treatment" method. Our goal should be to get people off of drugs, not enable their use.

Oregon Republicans offered several alternatives aimed at this goal, including HB 2310, which Democrats stonewalled even debating. We introduced a tiered approach that would include escalating penalties for possessing hard drugs. None of these were ever brought up for discussion in the 2023 session.

The fundamental flaw of M110 is that it is all carrot and no stick. We need a different approach for those struggling with addiction and unable to make the best decisions for themselves. Until we get help for those who want it and accountability for those who don't, don't expect our drug and homelessness problems to improve.

After Public Pressure, Governor Kotek Reverses Some Commutations

After the news broke that one of the prisoners that Kate Brown let out of prison early was a suspect in a string of murders in Portland, the House Republican Caucus sent a letter to Governor Kotek asking her to review all of the commutations of her predecessor.

It's a shame that it took several people getting murdered for Kotek to do this, but in the end, she has reversed 5 commutations at this point.

Is Oregon the worst government in the nation at using the internet?

It's a fair question after the state botched the $300 million CoverOregon rollout. But just in the last few months, Oregonian's data has been exposed by hacks at the DMV and OHA.

Luckily, free credit monitoring is available for those whose data was breached by the Oregon Health Plan hack. For those with data at the DMV? Not yet.

Recently, I signed onto a letter requesting DMV to provide this service to Oregonians. They have yet to do so. If a private business mishandles your data, it is standard practice to offer credit monitoring. It should be the same for your government.

Also, 164,000 Oregonians received false notice of state financial aid for college. So, for the time being, the internet maintains its dominance over Oregon's administrative state.

The End of The PAC 12

College conference realignment saw the PAC 12 disintegrate nearly overnight, with eight teams in total leaving the conference so far, including the Oregon Ducks. As an OSU graduate, this move raised a lot of concerns. Are Oregon taxpayers going to be asked to pick up the tab for increased travel expenses for the Ducks traveling to the Midwest and East Coast nearly every weekend? What about the revenue loss incurred by the Beavers for having a weaker schedule and potentially smaller attendance?

I issued a statement at the time calling on House Speaker Dan Rayfield to convene a legislative panel to gather facts about the impacts. Unfortunately, this hasn't happened, and as a result, much remains unknown. Read this Q & A with OSU president Jayathi Murthy for the latest.

Back to School: Grading Our Public Schools

As kids return to school, I have spoken with many parents who are losing faith in our public school system. In a recent study of 40 states, Oregon came out with the nation's fourth-worst student absenteeism rate. Over 36% of Oregon students miss 10% or more of their school year.

In the last few weeks, reports have shown that Oregon's test scores are not rebounding post-pandemic. Data shows that only 40% of the state's third graders were proficient in reading, writing, and math this spring. That's down from 47% proficiency in English and 46% in math from before the pandemic. Among eighth graders, only 44% achieved proficiency in reading and 26% in math. Since 2019, that's down from 53% and 38% respectively.

I ask myself why this is… Students in other states are rebounding much better than Oregon students, including states like Mississippi, which historically has had poor achievement rates. However, in the past decade, Mississippi has put a lot of time and energy into laying the foundation of learning for students, specifically in reading. Now, post-pandemic, those efforts are paying off.

Governor Kotek's early childhood literacy package was a step in the right direction to begin to solidify our reading curriculum for young students. I believe the investment it makes in teachers to train them in the fundamentals of phonics and "the science of reading" is an excellent step in the right direction.

We can and must do better to prepare our students for future success. It's a shame we let our students get to this point, and it won't change overnight just because we passed one bill. Mississippi has been undergoing this process for a decade, but the results speak for themselves.

We must also unleash the power of choice in education. I believe that includes giving parents more power to choose an educational environment that best fits their child's needs. My primary concern is setting our kids up to be the best they can be, and we must do more as a Legislature to empower parents and students.

Parental Involvement

I believe it also requires parents to step up and give feedback to the people who are making decisions about what gets taught in our schools. To that end, the Oregon Department of Education is adopting new Health Education standards.

I would encourage parents read through these standards to familiarize yourselves with what state policymakers recommend teaching your children.

The opportunity to submit public comment closes September 1 at 11:59 PM, so act quickly if you care to submit public comment. Do that here.

As I looked through the standards, I was alarmed that they proposed teaching kindergarteners that “there are many ways to express ‘gender’,” and first graders to analyze “the differences and similarities in how people with different ‘gender’ identities are expected to act.”

Here is a summary of the things I identified as the most controversial pieces of the standards.

These standards act as a framework for local school boards to implement. If you miss public comment period at the state level, you may have another chance when these standards get adopted at the local level. Write to the GAPS school board and give them a heads up on your thoughts.  Here are their emails:

brad.wilson@albany.k12.or.us

pete.morse@albany.k12.or.us

ryan.mattingly@albany.k12.or.us

roger.nyquist@albany.k12.or.us

sean.taylor@albany.k12.or.us

For questions about the standards, you can email the Department of Education here: ODE.HealthEd@ode.oregon.gov. To keep up with what the Oregon Department of Education is up to and never miss an opportunity to give them feedback, subscribe to their emails here.

Multnomah County delays SE Portland safe park shelter debut in latest homeless services stumble OregonLive Multnomah County officials have delayed the opening of a safe parking shelter site in Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood until next year, marking the county’s latest stumble in delivering desperately needed services to people living on the streets. Records show the county purchased the property of a former RV dealership on Southeast 82nd Avenue between Pine and Oak streets last August. In March, officials with the city-county Joint Office of Homeless Services unveiled plans to open a site that would allow people to sleep in their vehicles and provide them with bathrooms, showers, trash pick-up and caseworkers to assist with finding housing and health care.

More than 164,000 Oregonians received false notice of state financial aid OregonLive More than 164,000 current and former Oregon college students or their contacts received a false email from the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission Tuesday alerting them they’d been approved for an Oregon Promise financial aid grant. They hadn’t. Only 14 students and their contacts were supposed to receive Tuesday’s notice about a grant for the upcoming academic year. Instead, a mistake blasted the award notice to anyone who had started an Oregon Promise application since the program started in 2016, plus their contacts. The 164,000 recipients were not in fact awarded grant funds, commission spokesperson Endi Hartigan said Tuesday, and they should have received a follow-up email alerting them to the error.

Oregon ethics watchdogs launch new probe into former Secretary of State Fagan’s travel Oregon Capital Chronicle The Oregon Government Ethics Commission voted unanimously Friday to investigate former Secretary of State Shemia Fagan’s travel while in office and whether she bilked the state out of thousands of dollars by bringing her family with her on state-funded trips and double-dipping with campaign funds. It’s the latest in a series of investigations into Fagan, once viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party and widely expected to run for governor or the U.S. Senate within the next decade. Now, she’s facing scrutiny from state and federal prosecutors and the state ethics commission, which last month began a separate investigation into her conduct in office, including her $10,000-per-month consulting gig with marijuana entrepreneurs involved in an audit conducted by her office.

Examining the top issues facing Oregon’s K-12 schools as new year begins OPB Students, educators and families are preparing for a historic year in Oregon schools. The state has invested an unprecedented $10.2 billion in K-12 funding and started a new early literacy initiative backed by parent groups and Gov. Tina Kotek. And thanks to a bill passed by state lawmakers this spring, Oregon school districts can no longer limit educational time for students with disabilities without their parent or guardian’s consent. At the same time, the more than 550,000 students across the state are also still dealing with lingering academic, social, emotional and behavioral challenges from COVID-19. Staff shortages, diminished school meal funding and safety concerns continue in the midst of growing need. Meanwhile, kids are preparing for new technology restrictions affecting devices from their school-issued laptops to their personal cell phones. Here’s a look at some of these pressing issues facing Oregon schools this year.

Interstate Bridge shows its age Oregon Capital Insider Both spans of the current Interstate Bridge rest on wooden pilings. “They did not have the technology to get steel piles down that deep to bedrock. So we have wooden piles that this (bridge) sits on in silty soils,” said Greg Johnson, manager of the bistate Interstate Bridge Replacement program. “We know that if a Cascadia subduction earthquake (off the Oregon coast) does hit, those piles are going to move. We don’t know what the final result may be, but it’s not going to be anything good. So we think this bridge could be potentially inoperable if the big earthquake hits before we get this replaced.” The current bridge has three lanes in each direction, but they are narrow — and there is no shoulder that allows room for disabled vehicles. There are metal barriers separating bicyclists and pedestrians from vehicle traffic, but they are inadequate — and there are no lanes available for express buses or light rail.

Oregon voters souring on Measure 110, with many in favor of a complete repeal, new poll finds OregonLive A majority of Oregonians support repealing the state’s landmark law that decriminalized small amounts of street drugs and funneled hundreds of millions of tax dollars into treatment programs and services, a new poll found. Emerson College Polling, a leading pollster, conducted the survey this month, finding 56% of Oregonians support a total repeal of Measure 110, with 64% saying they support repealing parts of the law. “The takeaways are, Republican or Democrat, people want change,” said Kevin Sabet, who leads the Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions, the national organization that commissioned the poll. “They don’t like Measure 110.” Sabet worked as a drug-policy advisor under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and is a prominent opponent of cannabis legalization.

Handling OT: How Oregon nursery, Washington seed potato farm respond to overtime laws Capital Press Amanda Staehely worries about making Oregon’s new overtime law work at her nursery. She plans to hire more help, but also cut the hours of the nine workers she has now. “I hate doing that,” she said. “We have employees that have been here for a really long time and I would consider friends of ours. “But at the end of the day,” Staehely said, “it won’t pencil out for us to be paying time-and-a-half.” ... Oregon Association of Nurseries CEO Jeff Stone said he wants legislators to amend the overtime law to raise the threshold during peak seasons, arguing agriculture is unlike other industries. “You’re talking about live plants. Cherry growers are going gangbusters for six weeks, so they need everybody for 12 hours a day,” Stone said. Growers could hire more workers to hold down overtime, but people aren’t lining up for agricultural jobs, he said. “You can’t just add employees because there is a critical shortage of agricultural workers.”

What a shrinking Pac-12 means for Oregon State University OPB With the University of Oregon and the University of Washington leaving the Pac-12, Oregon State Beavers fans are left wondering what their teams’ options are moving forward. OSU is one of four schools left in the conference, along with Washington State University, Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley. OSU Athletic Director Scott Barnes said college athletics were built on regional rivalries and keeping travel to a minimum for student-athletes. For those reasons, he said OSU is committed to keeping the remaining schools together and rebuilding the conference.

Portland parents call for more action over homeless camps near schools OregonLive In the past two weeks, parents from Cleveland High School in Southeast Portland have been raising an especially loud ruckus over the encampments that sprung up over the summer, including along busy Powell Boulevard. Tents and RVs are sprinkled along the edges of a parking lot reserved for teachers and another cluster of tents sits along the path students take to reach the school’s track which sits half a mile from the main campus. City maps show that numerous other public schools have either had nearby campsites cleared in recent weeks or the city has posted notices that a sweep is imminent, including near Lincoln High School and Vestal, Kelly, James John and Beach elementaries in the Portland Public Schools district, Menlo Park and Gilbert Park elementaries in the David Douglas district and Powell Butte Elementary in the Centennial district.

Wheeler wants state lawmakers to close drug use loophole
KATU
A spokesperson for Oregon House Republicans also sent us a statement:
The House Republican Caucus does not get involved in Portland City Council decisions.
Regarding Measure 110 or the decriminalization of drugs – we know, based on recent polling, that a majority of Oregonians support reinstating criminal penalties for drug use while funding addiction services.
House Bill 2310, introduced during the 2023 Legislative Session, would have done just that, but the Democrat Committee Chair never scheduled this bill for a public hearing, therefore not allowing the input of Oregonians.
Despite this, House Republicans attempted to withdraw this bill from committee to force this crucial conversation. The motion to withdraw the bill failed 30-30 with bipartisan support and was just one vote short of the required 31 to withdraw the bill from committee.
House Republicans remain committed to addressing Measure 110 and its devastating impact on both our cities and our state.

LAST WEEKEND TO ATTEND STATE FAIR!

Soak Up The Fun at the Oregon State Fair

More information on events and tickets, go here.

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF ALBANY

Important information about the after-school program!

After-school program will begin on September 11. You will be able to register your child on your Parent Portal account after you have attended orientation.

For more information, please visit our website or call the front office at 541-926-6666.

Visit website for more information, here.

From our friends at the Boys and Girls Club of Albany:

We've got donation bins to support the the Albany Public Schools Foundation Teacher Supply Drive!

Drop off supplies anytime Monday-Friday between 8am-4pm until September 4!

School is just around the corner and we're hiring

As we gear up for the school year, the Boys & Girls Club of Albany is hiring for part time positions in both our Elementary and Teen Programs. We are excited to have energetic, hardworking, and passionate people join our team!

Age: 17+

Hours: 25-30/week

Pay: $16.25-$17.00 DOE

Typical shifts: 1:30PM-7:00PM Mon-Fri

For more details, and to apply, follow this link.

We still need volleyball coaches for our 4th-8th grade league! If you are interested in being a coach, please contact Alicia: 541-926-6666 ext. 220.

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT YMCA

School is around the corner! Are you ready? The YMCA offers our After School Program for elementary aged kids and older.

For more information, follow this link.

ALBANY FIRE FIGHTERS

COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE FUND

CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT 2023

2023 AFFCAF Cornhole Tournament

September 23, 2023

11:00 am to 4:00 pm (estimated end time)

The Barn at Hickory Station

First Responder Preference

20 Team Max

$100 per team

Registration or Sponsorship Forms can be found HERE.

Have questions? Call 541-917-7700 or 541-917-7734.

During the session break (interim) - and for the rest of the year - my office will continue to keep you updated and informed with a monthly newsletter. My office is always at your service. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any community event announcements, legislative questions, or concerns.

Talk soon, 

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1415
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-389, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boshartdavis