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Friends and Neighbors,
Upcoming Events
Community Conversation - October 7th
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Join Team #SD15 on Saturday, October 7th @ 11:00am-12:00pm for a Community Conversation at the Hillsboro Shute Park Library. This is an opportunity to bring your questions and concerns and join the discussion. I look forward to seeing you! |
Legislative Updates
Legislative Days
Today is our last day of the September Legislative Days in Salem. It has been a very busy few days filled with activity, as we hear updates and ready ourselves for the next Legislative Session. There was a flurry of advocate and constituent meetings, 2.5 hour long committee hearings and today’s floor session at 11:00am to vote on the Governor's Executive Appointments. See the list of topics I heard in committee this week below and click on the links to watch the playback.
Senate Interim Committee on Housing and Development (Member)
Informational Meetings were held on the following:
- Governor Kotek's Emergency Homelessness Response - HB 2001 (2023)
- Modular Housing Funding - HB 2001 (2023)
- Governor Kotek's Housing Production Advisory Council Update
- Cities' Infrastructure Needs
Watch the Committee Meeting here.
Senate Interim Committee on Energy and Environment (Chair)
Informational Meetings were held on the following:
Watch the Committee Meeting here.
Joint Interim Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety (Co-Chair)
Work Sessions were held on the following:
- Judicial Department - Compensation Plan Changes
- Commission on Judicial Fitness and Disability - Compensation Plan Changes
- Public Defense Services Commission - Comprehensive Remediation Plan
- Public Defense Services Commission - Unrepresented Defendant/Persons Crisis
- Department of Public Safety Standards and Training - Basic Police Course Pilot Program
An Informational Hearing was held on:
- Department of Corrections - Community Corrections
Watch the Committee Meeting here.
Joint Committee on Ways and Means (Member)
The Joint Ways and Means Committee met this morning at 8:30 and will hold Work Sessions on a number of Consent Grants and Individual Items. See the full agenda here. Watch the committee here.
GOING INTO EFFECT: Laws Making Oregon More Affordable, Safer, Stronger
Here’s some good news: On Sunday, September 24, several bills the Oregon Legislature passed this year went into effect. These bills will make Oregon more affordable for working families; grow a strong, stable economy with good-paying jobs; and protect Oregonians’ health and safety.
So what does this mean for you? To see a full list of bills going into effect, click here. Here, I’m sharing some of the changes I’m most excited about:
MAKING OREGON MORE AFFORDABLE
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Oregon Kids’ Tax Credit (HB 3235): For the first time, Oregon will have its own child tax credit. This will provide low-income families with up to $1000-per-child between the ages of 0 and 5. It’s estimated this support will benefit over 55,000 children across the state.
GROWING A STRONGER, STABLE ECONOMY
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More Good Paying Semiconductor Jobs (HB 2009): This will create family-wage, long-term jobs in the semiconductor industry across every corner of the state. It will also keep Oregon’s economy stable and competitive in the 21st Century.
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A Boost for Small Businesses (SB 1048): Small businesses make up the backbone of our economy. This establishes a small business development program to aid small businesses who want to compete for Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) public improvement contracts.
PROTECTING OREGONIANS’ HEALTH AND SAFETY
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Funding for the 9-8-8 Suicide Prevention & Behavioral Health Line (HB 2757): Oregonians in need who are experiencing a mental health crisis aren’t alone. This law provides a stable funding source for Oregon’s two 9-8-8 call centers and helps to build out the mobile crisis response system so that services are uniformly available 24/7 across the state. 9-8-8 has resolved or de-escalated nearly 97% of calls in Oregon.
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Safer Streets (SB 615): This law empowers law enforcement to deter street racing, including tougher consequences for those convicted of street racing. This change comes after multiple street racing crashes in Oregon have claimed the lives of both racers and pedestrians.
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Support for Survivors of Child Sex Trafficking (SB 745): SB 745 works to support survivors of child sex trafficking by requiring the juvenile justice system to determine if youths taken into custody are survivors of child sex trafficking and connect them with appropriate resources, including access to a special advocate.
Federal Updates
A New Round of Free Covid Tests Available
What to Know About the 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccines
Shared from Oregon Health Authority
The next round of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines is here, and the guidance for who should get it, and when, is much simpler than before.
Find an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine near you by searching at Vaccines.gov.
Find more information and Oregon Health Authority's FAQ sheet here.
FACT SHEET: Federal Student Loan Payment Restart
With the Supreme Court blocking student debt forgiveness and the COVID-19 emergency pause on federal student loan repayments ending, Oregonians with federal student loan debt need to be prepared for the first payments coming due in October.
- Your first payment is due in October 2023 – although there is a grace period. You’ll get your bill in the mail, with your payment amount and due date, at least 21 days before your due date.
- The main federal page every borrower should be familiar with is StudentAid.gov. Oregon also has a Student Loan Help Page, and new Student Loan Ombudsperson with many resources including FAQ, Borrower Rights, and local debt counseling: Student Loan Help : State of Oregon.
- Actions borrowers should take as soon as possible by visiting StudentAid.gov or calling 1-800-433-3243:
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Update your contact information.
- Find out what your monthly payment amount will be.
- Explore affordable repayment plans at studentaid.gov/loan-simulator.
- If you were on an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan, consider recertifying early if your income has decreased or your family size has increased.
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Enroll (or reenroll) in auto pay to save on your interest rate.
- Check if you qualify for a type of loan forgiveness.
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Watch out for scams!
- Selecting or changing repayment plans or entering into forgiveness agreements available for federal student loan borrowers does not require a processing fee or payment.
- Any third party offering to apply for these programs on your behalf, especially for a fee, is likely not legitimate.
- Promises of expedited forgiveness, limited-time offers, and calls from unknown numbers, are all signs of a potential scam.
- If there's uncertainty about a loan servicing company, by law all student loan servicers in Oregon must obtain a license from DFR. Verify a servicer's license at NMLSConsumeraccess.org.
Check out this fact sheet for more information and resources to lower your monthly payments or get your debt forgiven.
Out and About in Senate District 15 and Salem
El Festival de Mariachi
This past weekend in Hillsboro, I spent a wonderful afternoon celebrating communidad, with good music, good food and shopping. The 2nd Annual Unitus Community Credit Union - El Festival de Mariachi was an amazing event. It was great to catch up with the Forest Grove High School Mariachi Tradición and see them perform - they were stars of the day, drawing a huge crowd! What a talented group of young men and women. Thank you to the Hillsboro Hops for hosting and helping bring community together for a fun-filled afternoon.
Affordable Home Showcase and Reception
During Legislative Days in Salem, the Oregon Manufactured Housing Association hosted a factory built housing tour showcasing that factory-built housing not only offers affordable housing and competitive financing, but also fast time to completion for customers. Factory-built housing can be one more piece of the puzzle as we consider all avenues to solve our housing and homelessness crisis in Oregon.
Oregon Tech Awards
Congratulations to David and Christine Vernier for receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Oregon Tech Awards. They have demonstrated a lifetime of strong leadership, generous giving and being good humans. I was honored to be present for their much-deserved recognition. I have had the good fortune of working for them for 26 years. Congratulations to the other amazing recipients as well. Thank you Technology Association of Oregon for the fabulous evening.
Senate District 15 - Small Business Spotlight
Bag&Baggage Productions
The Vault Theater in Downtown Hillsboro is home to Bag&Baggage Productions. This professional theater company delivers top notch productions enjoyed by all community members. Read their mission statement below and visit their website for upcoming program information.
Bag&Baggage's mission is to unpack the stories we carry with us — from anecdotal to epic; from original to classic — using these as the groundwork to create transformative theatrical experiences that explore our shared humanity.
~Bag&Baggage Productions
Visit bagnbaggage.org for more information on programming and tickets.
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National Drive Electric Week
National Drive Electric Week, Sep 22-Oct 1, 2023, is a nationwide celebration to raise awareness of the many benefits of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, trucks, motorcycles, and more (fun picture below of how my own Mom is “driving” electric too). As an EV owner myself, I appreciate the positive benefits electric vehicles bring to our environment. We are seeing an ever-increasing array of electric vehicles on the roads, including scooters, bikes, school and transit busses, and even semi-trucks. During the pandemic, we were able to designate federal ARPA dollars towards electric school busses for the Hillsboro School District. As we learned in yesterday's Senate Energy and Environment Committee, as of April 2023, Oregon has nearly 70,000 registered electric vehicles across all 36 counties. Watch the Oregon Department of Energy Biennial Zero Emission Vehicle Report presentation here.
Visit here to learn more about National Drive Electric Week.
Community Outreach
Apple Palooza - Hillsboro
Celebrate fall with Apple Palooza and the Harvest 5K run at Orenco Woods Nature Park on Saturday, September 30! This cozy, family-friendly park gathering will celebrate all things fall and honor the horticultural roots of the park. There will be apple-themed activities, community vendors, crafts, music, food, and more.
Participate in the Harvest 5k before Apple Palooza by clicking here. This fun, non-timed race for all ages kicks off at 10 am.
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North Hillsboro Industrial Renewal Area Plan Amendment - Notice of Public Hearing
Shared from City of Hillsboro
A public meeting will be held before the City Council through a Zoom virtual meeting at or shortly after 7 pm, on Tuesday, October 3, 2023
The Hillsboro City Council will hold a public hearing to consider adopting an ordinance substantially amending the North Hillsboro Industrial Renewal Area Plan.
The proposed amendment is a reduced rate plan that would expand the existing boundary by approximately 200 additional acres and increase the maximum debt capacity by $44.8 million (forecast). The ordinance, if approved by City Council, is subject to referendum.
Adoption of the proposed plan amendment would allow the City to invest in infrastructure, transportation connections, natural resource enhancements, trails and open space, and increase the total amount of funds available for improvements and property aggregation through tax increment financing.
Find more information on the plan and how to attend the meeting here.
Additional Resources
Senate District 15 – Event Calendars
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Food and Housing Assistance
Next week’s newsletter will have detailed information on the Oregon Chips update that was presented in the House Interim Committee on Economic Development and Small Business yesterday. This was very exciting news! Oregon continues to be a leader in the Semiconductor and Advanced Manufacturing industry space. Oregon Chips will bring billions of dollars of resources to our state, setting us up for years of economic prosperity.
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
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