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Friends and Neighbors,
Legislative Updates
Oregon Kicker Information
Information shared from Oregon Department of Revenue
The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis (OEA) has confirmed a revenue surplus of more than $5.61 billion in the 2021-2023 biennium, triggering a tax surplus credit, or “kicker,” for the 2023 tax year. The surplus will be returned to taxpayers through a credit on their 2023 state personal income tax returns filed in 2024. The credit is based on tax liability for the 2022 tax year. Taxpayers who have not yet filed a 2022 tax return, should file now so they can claim their kicker credit when they file their 2023 tax return.
Department of Revenue Kicker Calculator
Personal income taxpayers can determine the amount of their kicker using a “What’s My Kicker?” calculator available on Revenue Online. To use the calculator, taxpayers will need to enter their name, Social Security Number, and filing status for 2022 and 2023.
Taxpayers may also hand-calculate the amount of their credit, by multiplying their 2022 tax liability before any credits—line 22 on the 2022 Form OR-40—by 44.28 percent. This percentage is determined and certified by OEA. Taxpayers who claimed a credit for tax paid to another state would need to subtract the credit amount from their liability before calculating the credit.
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 starting 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.
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.
2024 Tax Filing Season
The filing season for 2023 Oregon Income Tax returns will open in mid-January 2024. The department will begin making any refund payments owed to taxpayers in mid-February 2024. The timing of return processing and refund payments will depend on the date filed by a taxpayer, completeness of a return, volume of returns, refund amount, and other factors. We look forward to serving taxpayers in this historic season.
Listen.Learn.Act.
Visit to Covanta Marion
On Monday, Nickole and I visited the Covanta Waste to Energy Facility in Marion County. We discussed sustainable materials management, how waste is managed around the world and how that affects recycling rates, and the critical importance of less creation of waste overall. The enormous pile of waste to be incinerated is a reminder to consume less and for businesses to be more thoughtful about their footprint and packaging. I even got to sit in the chair that directs the giant claw, it was a Toy Story moment!
Oregon Medical Examiner's Office and Forensics Lab
After our visit to Covanta, we headed out to visit the Oregon Medical Examiner's Office and Forensics Lab. The Medical Examiner's office has seen a rise in yearly deaths since Covid began, that has not diminished. Nationwide, a forensic pathologist workforce shortage has produced an extremely competitive recruitment process. Fortunately, the state was able to provide additional resources in the last budget cycle to increase their pay rate in Oregon, but the constraints of Oregon's system still play a factor in recruiting applicants.
We then walked next door to the Forensics Lab and had a fascinating tour of their Toxicology, DNA, Firearms and Drug Labs within. They shared with us that total toxicology requests have increased 34% since 2019 and account for 52% of all their submissions. We also got to watch a forensic scientist at work who was trying to recapture the serial number from a seized firearm that had been scratched out. It was amazing to see their firearm samples room and so many guns in one place.
Washington County CATT Tour
Last night I attended a tour of the Center for Addictions Triage and Treatments (CATT) facility in Washington County. The CATT will be a comprehensive center offering assessment, sobering, withdrawal support, residential treatment, transition supports, peer mentoring and outpatient services. In addition, they want to provide co-located health services and housing supports so a person with a substance use disorder can get most of their needs met through a single program. With approximately 80,000 sq. ft. of clinical space across two buildings, the center will add 86 treatment beds to our system of care, along with peer mentoring and outpatient care.
Out and About in Senate District 15
MESO PDX
Wednesday evening I had fun celebrating and supporting MESO PDX. Their mission "is to elevate under resourced entrepreneurs to build resilience, equity, and thriving communities through access to capital, tailored business assistance, and education." The energy in the room was on fire, and the vibe was positive. It was great to have a mini Oregon CHIPS Act reunion with my Semiconductor Committee Co-Chair, Representative Janelle Bynum, and Governor Kotek's Economic Czar, Vince Porter. I love that they are continuous supporters of Oregon business.
PlanetCon
Last weekend was PlanetCon in Washington County, a beautiful day to recycle my #5 plastic. PlanetCon is a local event that allows people to drop off computers, electronics and other small corded items and selected plastics for recycling. The community turnout was great. Well done planeteers! You can learn more about PlanetCon here and join their email list to learn about future events. Don't forget- its Reduce, Reuse, then Recycle!
ARMS Banquet
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This past weekend, I attended the Abuse Recovery Ministry & Services (ARMS) Annual Banquet and Fundraiser. As a survivor of domestic violence, listening to the heartfelt stories gave me flashes of lived pain and tears, as well as feelings of inspiration and hope. I am grateful for those that have life experience and are using it to help others, but understand that it must be painful for survivor advocates in this process too. For more information about ARMS, visit here.
M&M Marketplace - Mural Unveiling
Monday was Indigenous Peoples Day and this past weekend, we celebrated the beautiful diversity of our area with the unveiling of a vibrant piece of art and community story. The new mural, "Together We Have a Bright Future", is now on display at M&M Marketplace in Hillsboro. It was a beautiful day to celebrate with food, friends and community.
Senate District 15 - Small Business Spotlight
Catherine Beede Gallery
Celebrate National Arts & Humanities Month at Catherine Beede Gallery in Hillsboro. Located at 230 E. Main Street, they are part of the Downtown Hillsboro First Tuesday Artwalk. They showcase featured artists each month, and have classes and workshops available. We hope you take the time this month to enjoy the arts!
Established in 2016, Catherine Bede Gallery represents a select group of local artists working in a wide variety of media including watercolor, pen & ink, charcoal, oil, acrylic, mixed media, ceramics and sculpture. Our participating artists also offer art classes in a wide variety of media and creative techniques. Catherine Bede Gallery is owned and directed by Pacific University graduate Catherine Bede, who is also a participating artist. We are proud to have been selected for both the 2017 & 2020 Best of Hillsboro Awards in the Art Gallery category.
~Shared from Catherine Beede Gallery
Find more information and hours of operation here.
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Community Outreach
National Arts & Humanities Month
Shared from AmericansForTheArts.org
October is National Arts & Humanities Month (NAHM)—a collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. NAHM was launched by Americans for the Arts more than 30 years ago as National Arts Week in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. In 1993, it was reestablished by Americans for the Arts and national arts partners as a month-long celebration, with goals of:
- FOCUSING on equitable access to the arts at local, state, and national levels;
- ENCOURAGING individuals, organizations, and diverse communities to participate in the arts;
- ALLOWING governments and businesses to show their support of the arts; and
- RAISING public awareness about the positive impact of the arts and humanities in our communities and lives.
The arts are a national asset and should be available everywhere to everyone—and while a majority of the public believes this based on public opinion polling and other research, it’s often not their default way of thinking about the arts. National Arts & Humanities Month is an opportunity for everyone to help change public perception and promote the crucial role of the arts and humanities in promoting individual wellbeing, addressing trauma, connecting cultures, highlighting inequities, and making our communities healthier and stronger.
Celebrate Public Art at the Cornelius Library
Shared from the Cornelius Public Library
The vision of the Cornelius Library is to be the heart of our community, leading in service and inclusivity, where all may improve their lives with information and inspiration.
The role of the Cornelius Library is unique because the community lacks youth, senior and community centers, a parks and recreation department, and cultural art organizations.
The Library has previously prioritized youth programs with it’s limited budget, but now there is a desire to increase access to arts and culture in the city as a whole, beginning with the library. This fall, the library has hosted it’s first two exhibits in the Walters Family Foundation Gallery, and is currently adding a whimsical mural in the Reser Family Foundation Children’s Center. Funding for the mural comes from the Betsy Priddy Fund at the Oregon Community Foundation and the Friends of the Cornelius Library.
The Cornelius Public Library's arts programming goal is to increase interest in public art in Cornelius. We hope to introduce adults in the community who have not typically used the library to a variety of arts and culture. We have several projects in the works to foster more impactful art, events, and cultural connections with increased accessibility for all.
Visit here for further information.
Cultivating culture: Cornelius Public Library expands art initiatives, Hillsboro News Times.
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Visit the below resources to find out how you can help elevate the cause and support those that are fighting this illness.
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2023 Forest Grove Public Safety Open House
Saturday, October 14 from 10AM - 2PM Forest Grove Fire & Rescue will be hosting a Public Safety Open House at the Forest Grove Fires Station located at 1919 Ash St, Forest Grove, OR 97116. Several other city departments will be joining this event, and they will have activities and education items for all ages.
Hillsboro Fire Station Community Open House
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Date: 10/14/2023 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
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Location: Ronler Acres Fire Station
4455 NE Century Blvd
Hillsboro, Oregon 97124
You're Invited! Come meet your firefighters, tour the different fire apparatus, see the fire station, and learn valuable safety information. This community open house includes our partners in other City of Hillsboro Departments and organizations from throughout the county. This is sure to be a great day for kids and adults alike! We hope to see you there.
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
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