Interim Newsletter: October
Fall is here, which means the leaves are changing colors and Legislative Days have come and gone here at the Capitol! September’s Legislative Days were a chance to see some faces for the first time since Session, engage with lobby, and for Rep. Cate, attend informational meetings in her committees.
On that subject, Rep. Cate’s schedule has changed a bit over the interim. Going into 2024, she has been appointed to the Joint Committee on Transportation Special Subcommittee on Transportation Planning. Tolling is an issue that is bound to come up during the next session, and our office will do our best to inform you on it with our newsletters.
While there is no official “business” going on at the Capitol, the interim remains a great time to visit with people important in our communities. Below is a photo of Rep. Cate and other Legislators at a recent tour of NW Natural’s training facility to learn more about the industry, safety training, innovation, and different policy issues that may be facing them in future legislative sessions.
Jefferson’s Mayor Michael Myers graciously reached out to our office in the past month offering a personal tour of the city. When Rep. Cate was first elected, Jefferson was actually not included in her district and only became part of it after redistricting occurred. It is also House District 11’s only incorporated community nestled inside Marion County.
We settled on October 11th as the meeting date, but with short notice Rep. Cate had a work commitment come up on the farm. Mayor Myers was still more than happy to take time out of his day to give me a tour, so tour we did!
The first stop on my visit was Jefferson’s City Hall & Library, where I met the Mayor as well as City Manager Sarah Cook, and Public Works specialist Jeff Buskirk. We chatted about Jefferson’s successes and challenges, which included the success of the library’s $1 million construction next door, entirely funded by donations over a 10 year period! The library is a treasure to the community, and is closely partnered with the local schools.
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Next, we took a short albeit rainy walk to the historic Conser House which was built all the way back in 1854–preceding the State! It has been meticulously converted to a museum by several dedicated stewards, and has retained so much originality through the centuries. Even the windows are original, which is amazing considering the storms and floods the city has seen. For more information on the Conser House and historic Jefferson, visit this link. The museum is worth the trip for anyone in the valley!
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Lastly, we traveled over to Jefferson’s new $6 million state-of-the-art water facility. Jeff explained to me that the membranes are so impressive that the water coming out of the taps in Jefferson is actually cleaner than the water coming out of most fridge filters. What’s more, there is space in the building for much more infrastructure to be installed, meaning this water facility will continue to serve Jefferson as it expands well into the distant future.
The thing that resonated with me most following this trip is, as with so many of our small communities, there are countless dedicated public servants that truly care about the city. Every house in Jefferson built before 1920 has a plaque in front of it telling its history, and the owners who are often descendants of the original occupants are very proud of that fact. On the other hand, Jefferson is growing with many people moving in from Linn, Marion, and even Multnomah County, and the city continues to look to the future, all while dutifully honoring it’s past. Though it's not the worst problem to have, the problems that arise from growth are a struggle that many of our small communities around the district and across the state have and must navigate.
Thank you again to the City of Jefferson for the warm welcome and excellent tour!
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Our office would like to honor Lebanon Community School District Students and Staff following their amazing gesture this past month! South Willamette Valley Honor Flight will soon take 60 local veterans to Washington DC to visit memorials dedicated to their service and sacrifice, and when LCSD staff heard about "mail call" on the trip, they quickly stepped up.
Thank you to Ms. Gustafson at Cascades, Ms. Craig at Green Acres, Ms. Poe and Ms. Schreiter at Riverview, and Mr. Bias at Lacomb for the huge pile of letters and pictures your students sent to our veterans! You and your students' kindness makes us all proud and will help make our veterans' trip truly special.
Thank you again, and keep up the great work!
 Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Buy a Brick for Lebanon Fire's New Station
As you may know, Lebanon Fire District's new station broke ground earlier this year. Now, you have an opportunity to make your mark by purchasing an engraved brick at the site for $100. All proceeds will benefit LFCAIRS, a non-profit that provides emergency financial assistance to fire victims.
Jefferson Pumpkin Fest October 21st
Halloween is coming to Jefferson's main street ten days early! Come out in costume from 12:00 PM to 7:00 PM for music, food, vendors, and trunk or treat.
Sweet Home Medical Center Open House
On October 27th, you will have a chance to tour an exciting new construction for the City of Sweet Home. The new state of the art medical center will be a valuable asset for the community, and tours will be available following the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 12:30, so don't miss out!
Halloween Show in Lebanon
Cascade Christmas Lights will become Cascade Christmas Frights from October 27th-31st as they put on what should be an excellent nightly show in downtown Lebanon! Candy will of course be handed out on the final night.
Coat Drive in Brownsville
As the weather gets colder, Bryan's Woodshed and Jenna Stutsman of Hybrid Real Estate are hosting a coat drive until Oct 31 benefitting local schools in Brownsville. Do you have a new or lightly used coat lying around that you don't need? Have your kids outgrown last year's winter coat? Bryan and Jenna are accepting all sizes as well as cash. Drop off is at their locations or in the lobby at city hall. Thank you, Brownsville, for helping our local students stay warm and healthy this winter!
Linn County Clerk Passes Away
Since the last newsletter, we learned that Steve Druckenmiller, who served as Linn County Clerk since 1986, sadly passed away on Sept. 24, after a six-month battle with cancer. Steve was one of the Central Valley's most dedicated public servants, and his passing is truly a devastating loss. County Commissioner Roger Nyquist said it best: “Steve loved the people of Linn County and was deeply honored that they entrusted him to conduct elections all of these years. It was a job he did flawlessly. Steve became the wise and reasonable person in the courthouse sought out by many for advice. I feel privileged to have been his friend and I miss him. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”
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Marcie Richie was appointed interim Linn County Clerk and was sworn in on October 3rd. She was previously Chief Deputy Clerk, and has a whopping 30 years of experience in the Clerk's office. She will serve as interim clerk through December 2024 and if she wishes, can file to run for office in the November 2024 general election. Regardless, we are confident that Linn County is in good hands under her leadership.
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National Farmer's Day
Yesterday, we honored Oregon’s hardworking farming families who keep us fed and clothed! Oregon's economy relies on a strong agriculture industry, and as a Legislature, we must support policies that equip farmers with the tools they need to keep farming for generations to come.
Dead Fish in Foster Resevoir
Linn County Parks & Recreation officials have received numerous phone calls and emails recently, concerning dead kokanee at Foster Reservoir east of Sweet Home, specifically just below the Green Peter Dam. The County Commissioners received an update on the situation during their weekly Board of Commissioners meeting.
Parks Director Stacey Whaley said Linn County has known for many months that the Army Corps of Engineers was going to lower the water level at Green Peter Reservoir — up to 200 feet — in an attempt to make it easier for young Chinook salmon and steelhead to pass through the dam’s regulating outlet instead of the power generating turbines.
The goal of the lowered water levels was to be in compliance with the federal court injunction concerning fish passage issues. The Corps of Engineers believes the kokanee suffered from a condition known as barotrauma caused by a massive change in water pressure.
Commissioner Nyquist compared the issue to the federal government’s Northern Spotted Owl’s recovery projects that failed in part because the dominance of the Barred Owl over the Spotted Owl was not factored into the equation correctly. Nyquist suggested that perhaps Linn County should ask the Corps of Engineers to abandon this long-term project.
One thing that is clear, keep pets away from the dead fish! The fish contain bacteria that could make them, or humans, very sick.
Record Kicker Following Budget Surplus
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.
DOR 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.
Rep. Helfrich Elected New Caucus Leader
Another piece of news that came out during Legislative Days at the Capitol was the election of Representative Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) as the leader of the House Republican Caucus. Leader Helfrich has spent much of his life in public service, and we wish him the best in his new role!
We also want to extend a tremendous thank you to outgoing Leader, Rep. Vikki Breese-Iverson (R-Prineville) for leading this caucus for nearly two years, and sacrificing so much time away from her home and family to move Oregon Republicans forward.
Also elected to the leadership team were Rep. Mark Owens (R-Crane) as Deputy Leader and Kim Wallan (R-Medford) as Whip. The official press release is below.
Hamas Terrorist Attacks in Israel
Some of the saddest news to come out of the past month was the brutal acts of terror waged on Israeli civilians by Hamas. Make no mistake, Israel has a right to exist, and we're proud of the bipartisan condemnation of terrorism we've seen across the nation. We pray for Israel in their war against the radical militant group, Hamas, and also for the innocent lives lost across the region. The photo on the right is Rep. Cate outside of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives back in 2017. House Republican Leader Helfrich released a statement below.
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Interim Newsletter: September
Interim Newsletter: August
Interim Newsletter: July
2023 Long Session Wrap Up
The Final Days of This Year's Session
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