Interim Newsletter: September
Hello Friends,
It is hard to believe it is already September and school is back in session! It is currently what we call the “interim” period in the Legislature, where your State Representatives and State Senators are back in their respective districts. While the State Capitol has been much quieter, the work has continued behind the scenes. My office has been busy monitoring the rulemaking process occurring within our state agencies, addressing constituent concerns, and beginning to prepare for the upcoming September “Legislative Days.”
Legislative Days will be held at the State Capitol Wednesday, September 27th through Friday, September 29th (view the schedule here). This time provides an opportunity for all committees to meet about possible legislation that could be introduced during the 2024 Legislative Short Session (February through Mid-March). This also provides a time for legislators to connect with stakeholders about any approaching critical or controversial topics.
As you may recall, the 2023 Legislative Session wrapped up on June 25th. You should have received an “End of Session” flyer in your mailbox over the summer, but if you did not receive it, I wanted to share it below. You can also view it on my website here!
Keep reading below for more information about what I have been up to this summer, important legislative updates, as well as events in and around House District 21.
    
Representative Mannix on the Move
On July 13th, we celebrated the announcement of new commercial air service at the Salem Airport. Avelo Air will fly to Las Vegas and to the LA area starting October 5th. I am excited and the positive impact this will have on Salem and our surrounding communities.
Rep. Mannix with Courtney Goff, Communications Manager for Avelo Air.
In August, I had the opportunity to participate in a local townhall with my colleagues that also represent the Salem area. We had close to 100 people in attendance. Thank you to Councilor Julie Hoy, Commissioner Danielle Bethell, Representative Tracy Cramer, and Senator Kim Thatcher for being on the panel.
We talked about everything from the Salem payroll tax, voting, school choice, public safety, homelessness, and Measure 110! Stay tuned for more townhalls to be scheduled.
Pictured Right to Left: Rep. Mannix, Senator Thatcher, Representative Cramer, Councilor Julie Hoy, and Commissioner Bethell speak during an August townhall.
As August wrapped up, I was devastated to hear that our beautiful church in downtown Salem, Saint Joseph’s, had been severely damaged by a fire. I was even more disheartened to learn that this was done at the hand of a suspected arsonist who is now in custody. Court records revealed the suspected arsonist had been previously arrested 138 times and convicted over 40 times. Oregon’s “Chronic Criminal Syndrome” continues to let us down and put our communities at risk – more on that later!
Just days after the fire, Susanna and I attended Mass in New Orleans at the Basilica of Saint Stephen. I took this photo of the lovely altar in contemplation of the arson destruction at our lovely parish church.
Rep. Mannix took this photo at the Basilica of Saint Stephen in New Orleans while contemplating the damage to his home church, Saint Joseph’s in Salem.
Representative Mannix Appointed to Ways and Means Committee
I was recently selected to serve on the Joint Ways and Means Committee. This committee is responsible for all policy related to or impacting the state budget. I am grateful to Speaker Rayfield for the confidence shown in me. This is an important committee assignment and I plan to be heavily engaged in this work on behalf of all Oregonians.
Salem Payroll Tax
This summer, the Salem City Council approved a new payroll tax on wages for individuals working in Salem. This would have imposed a .814% tax on wages for people working in Salem, regardless of where they live, as early as July 2024. This was a mistake, one I promptly released a statement on that can be viewed here.
You can read more about the tax and share your thoughts here.
Governor Brown’s Commutations
This summer, news broke that an individual whose sentence was commuted by former Governor Brown had been charged with the murder of four women in the Portland Metro area. This is a tragedy that never should have occured. In response, I joined my House Republican colleagues in calling on Governor Kotek to thoroughly review every one of the commutations signed by her predecessor.
School Choice In Oregon
Just recently, it was reported that Oregon student achievement remains far below pre-pandemic levels. For this reason, and many others, school choice is a major priority of mine. I wanted to draw your attention to two proposed constitutional amendments being pushed by Education Freedom for Oregon to 1) School Choice Amendment, and 2) an Open Enrollment Amendment. Read more about these efforts here.
State Agency Misspending
Something my staff and I pay close attention to is the functionality of our state agencies and the fiscal responsibility in which taxpayers’ dollars are being spent. It was recently reported that a state audit found $35.2 million of questionable expenses within 10 state programs. This is unacceptable and something I will be looking into in my capacity on the Joint Ways and Means Committee.
I want to wish every student in House District 21 an exciting and productive school year. My office loves honoring our students – whether it is for academic, musical, athletic, or additional extracurricular accomplishments.
Do you know anyone who deserves to be acknowledged? Send your nominations to: Rep.KevinMannix@oregonlegislature.gov.
Welcome, Salem-Keizer Superintendent
Andrea Castañeda!
My staff and I want to welcome the new Salem-Keizer Superintendent Andrea Castañeda to our community from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am looking forward to meeting with Superintendent Castañeda later this fall. More on that next month!
Salem-Keizer Superintendent Andrea Castañeda
Congratulations to Keizer’s New Chief of Police, Lieutenant Andrew Copeland!
Additionally, I want to congratulate Lieutenant Andrew Copeland for his promotion to Chief of Police for the Keizer Police. Lt. Copeland has been in law enforcement for 21 years, all with the Keizer Police Department. He has experience in the different areas of the police department to include patrol, criminal investigations, and he was a member of SWAT. Copeland has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Western Oregon University and is a graduate of the FBI National Police Academy.
Lt. Copeland will assume command on September 25th, 2023. Thank you for your service, Lt. Copeland.
Keizer’s New Chief of Police, Lieutenant Andrew Copeland
Oregon's Kid Governor Campaign Kicks Off
Do you know of any 5th graders with an interest in government or change-making? The Secretary of State's office is inviting all Oregon 5th grade students and their teachers to participate in the campaign and election of the 2024 Oregon Kid Governor!
For more information or to register and access the lesson plans visit or.kidgovernor.org.
Thank you for reading! It is an honor to serve as your State Representative.
Yours truly,
Representative Kevin Mannix
House District 21
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1421
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-384, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.KevinMannix@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mannix
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