Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I hope you had an enjoyable summer – it certainly flew by quickly. The daylight is waning as fall draws near, students are back in school, and this month the legislature will return to Salem for interim committee days. Interim days provide legislators an opportunity to receive updates in their assigned policy areas and to prepare for the next session. This month is the first of three interim committee days before the February 2024 short session convenes.
I have been grateful for the slower pace of summer that has provided some time to relax, travel, and catch up with family and friends. I have also enjoyed connecting with so many of you throughout the district and hearing what is on your mind. While there is less legislative work in the interim, I continue to attend my assigned commission and council meetings, community events, meet local and state agency leaders, constituents, and various stakeholders. I am always interested in hearing your thoughts and ideas about public policy and how I can best serve as your voice in Salem. Please feel free to reach out to my office if I can ever be of assistance.
In the months ahead our calendars will fill up quickly and before too long the holiday’s will be here. Until then, enjoy Oregon’s beautiful harvest season.
Sincerely,
 Rick Lewis
State Representative
House District 18
Oregon’s Christmas Tree District
September 27-29, legislators return to the Capitol. I continue to serve on the House Interim Committee On Judiciary, the House Interim Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans, the Joint Interim Committee On Ways and Means, and the Joint Interim Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Public Safety.
I am also serving on the newly formed Joint Committee On Transportation Special Subcommittee On Transportation Planning, that will meet for the first time on September 27th.
You can find committee agendas and follow the interim legislative days on OLIS here, or click on the committee links above to follow my committee assignments and listen in and learn what’s happening at your Capitol.
 On August 30th, the Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) presented Oregon’s Economic and Revenue Forecast. In summary, Oregon’s economic outlook remains effectively unchanged from last quarter as the state continues to bring in record revenue. Although inflation has slowed, the Federal Reserve has signaled that they will keep interest rates higher for longer until we hit inflationary targets.
A recession has been taken out of most baseline assumptions but is still a possibility in the future. While Oregon’s job opening rate is moving back towards pre-pandemic levels, it is about halfway there, and we are expecting to see strong impacts in our semiconductor industry. We don’t know how large those impacts will be, but the potential is great. Economists have predicted $5.6 billion revenue surplus to be returned to Oregon taxpayers through a credit on their 2023 state personal income tax return in 2024.
Oregon's revenue forecast is a critical barometer of the state's fiscal health and economic outlook. Forecast reports are issued four times a year: March, June, September, and December and play a pivotal role in shaping budgetary decisions and government priorities. As economic conditions fluctuate, the forecast provides essential insights into anticipated revenue streams, helping policymakers allocate resources effectively. The accuracy of this forecast influences Oregon's ability to fund public services, infrastructure projects, and social programs, all of which impact the quality of life for Oregonians in every area of the state, particularly as government continues to grow and take more of your hard-earned income in taxes.
Click on the link below to review the Revenue Forecast Presentation : https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023I1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/276799
Click on the link below for the Legislative Fiscal Office Forecast Summary: https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023I1/Downloads/CommitteeMeetingDocument/276800
The following information from the Oregon Department of Revenue is provided in response to OEA’s predicted $5.6 billion revenue surplus, triggering a personal income tax surplus credit—known as the kicker. The surplus will be returned to taxpayers who filed a 2022 tax return - and had tax due before credits – through a credit on their 2023 state personal income tax return that may be filed in 2024.
What happens next? OEA will certify the amount of the surplus credit to the Department of Revenue on or before October 1, 2023. The department must provide this information and guidance to taxpayers about calculation of the credit no later October 15, 2023. Our Kicker webpage including FAQs and a “What’s My Kicker?” calculator will be available at that time.
Who gets a kicker?
Taxpayers are eligible to claim the kicker if they filed a 2022 tax return and had tax due before credits. Even people who don’t have a filing obligation for 2023, must file a 2023 tax return to claim the kicker. Information about how to claim the credit will be available in the 2023 Oregon personal income tax return instructions.
How is the kicker returned to taxpayers?
The kicker will be returned to taxpayers through a credit on their 2023 state personal income tax returns that may be filed in 2024.
Taxpayers who have not yet filed a 2022 tax return – possibly making them eligible for a kicker - should do so, and pay any tax owed, so they can claim their kicker credit when they file their 2023 tax return.
How do taxpayers calculate their kicker?
Generally, to calculate the amount of their credit, taxpayers will multiply their 2022 tax liability before any credits—line 22 on the 2022 Form OR-40—by the percentage certified by OEA before October 1. Other limitations apply and are outlined in instructions.
Other important kicker information
The state may use all or part of a taxpayer’s kicker to pay any state debt they owe, such as tax due for other years, child support, court fines, or school loans.
Taxpayers may choose to donate their kicker to the Oregon State School Fund for K-12 public education using a checkbox on their return. The donation is for 100 percent of a taxpayer’s kicker and may not be revoked if selected.
Taxpayers may also choose to donate all or part of their kicker to any or all of the 29 charities approved by the Charitable Checkoff Commission. Taxpayers use Form OR-DONATE to designate any amount, or all of their refund, to donate to charity.
 On August 10th, it was my honor to attend the grand opening ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the YMCA Veterans Housing Project that opened 34 affordable housing units that will serve our community’s veterans and their families. This project helps address part of the housing crisis locally, provides wraparound/navigational services to veterans and honors the men and women who served our country.
Housing is based on income level with a coordinated entry approach. On-site social services encompass mental and behavioral health support, financial literacy and life skills training and various other resources and support and recognize the sacrifices and contributions our veterans have made to defend our freedoms.
 On August 15th, the Clackamas County Fair held their opening day ceremony in a week of the summer’s most extreme heat. Chair Tootie Smith provided the welcoming remarks, and it was my pleasure to attend the opening in my official capacity as your State Representative.
This year celebrates the 117th year of this fun-filled summer event. Even in the heat, the Clackamas County Fair was as this year’s theme described, “The Place to Bee in 2023”. The Clackamas County Fair, held Canby, featured a variety of attractions including rides, exhibits, and local goods.
A big thank you to all who worked so diligently to make the Clackamas County Fair a successful community gathering.
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Thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Silverton for hosting me as your guest speaker on August 17th to provide a legislative update. Your work and your commitment to our community is greatly appreciated. |
The Oregon Secretary of State invites all Oregon 5th grade students and their teachers to participate in the campaign and election of the 2024 Oregon Kid Governor.
What is the Oregon Kid Governor program?
Oregon’s Kid Governor® (ORKG) is a statewide civics program for 5th graders managed by the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office.
Timed to coincide with Election Day in November, ORKG offers each elementary school in Oregon the opportunity to enter one student candidate into a statewide election that other 5th graders vote in. Classes can nominate a classmate to run for office, vote in the election or both. Toolkits of in-class lessons guide teachers and students through the program to learn about civics, including how to vote, the Oregon Legislature, The Oregon Executive Branch, and the Oregon Supreme Court. The program is free and provides teachers with classroom toolkits to help guide their students through the curriculum.
ORKG candidates work with their classmates to create a campaign video outlining:
- Why they want to be Oregon Kid Governor
- Their leadership qualities and skills
- A community issue that they want to address and why it's important
- A 3-point plan that will help 5th graders across Oregon make a difference on that issue
From the pool of nominees, a selection committee will choose the final 7 candidates and the Secretary of State’s Office will post the videos online. During Election Week, registered classes watch and analyze the campaign videos and vote for the platform and candidate they want to support. The candidate with the most votes statewide is then named Oregon Kid Governor.
The winning candidate serves a one-year term with all the benefits and responsibilities of being Kid Governor. These duties include sharing their issue statewide with constituents, writing posts for an official blog, meeting with students and adults across the state, and participating in events with the Oregon Secretary of State’s Office.
Click here for more information
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Monday marked the 22nd remembrance of 9/11. On this solemn occasion we pay tribute to the thousands of innocent lives lost in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
As the years pass, the memory of 9/11 continues to shape our collective consciousness, inspiring resilience, community, and commitment to safeguarding freedom and democracy. On this day, we remember and honor the first responders, survivors, and the families of the victims, reaffirming our resolve to ensure such acts of terror are never repeated, fostering a world of peace and tolerance in their memory. We shall never forget…
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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