Hello Friends,
I hope this finds you and your family well. It has been a busy week in the District and around the state.
Oregon Business & Industry's Vision Oregon Conference
Oregon Business & Industry exists to strengthen Oregon’s economy in order to achieve a healthy, prosperous and competitive Oregon for the benefit of present and future generations.
With over 1600 members, 250 thousand employees represented and 83% of small businesses, OBI is a leading organization for business advocacy, research and education.
The 2023 Vision Oregon Events keynote focused around AI and how Artificial Intelligence is reshaping business in Oregon and around the world. Steve Brown delivered some insight on how "generative AI will reshape every product, process, and role in every company" and the technology is evolving quickly.
Freres Mass Ply Panels Win Coolest Thing Made in Oregon Contest for 2023 at OBI's Vision Oregon Event
Congratulations to Freres Lumber Company, a generational family company in Oregon, for their well deserved award! I have long been a advocate for CLT and have toured their facility in the past. They have invested and perfected their Mass Ply Panels and are leading in the industry. It was recently reported in the Oregon Capitol Chronical that the "White House names Oregon as tech hub for semiconductors, mass timber" and "Oregon will be home to two of the 31 national technology hubs."
Congratulations again to the Freres Lumber Company family and thank you for your innovative leadership in our wood products industry!
Champagne Creek Ranch Fundraiser for the United Way
A huge thank you to Representative Osborne, all of the sponsors and the many residents of Douglas County that participated in Champagne Creek Ranch's United Way Fundraiser! It was huge success and I appreciated the opportunity to join so many of our community members, Representatives Osborne and Goodwin, Douglas County Commissioners Freeman and Boice, and Douglas County Clerk Loomis. As Representative Osborne and I always say, we truly live in the most beautiful district in Oregon.
Legislative Days Next Week in the Capitol
While out of Legislative Session, the legislators come back to the capitol for a week to have informational hearings in our committees on various issues from around Oregon. We will be in Salem next week for this work. Don't worry, there is no legislation to be passed!
However, the new committee on Measure 110, Joint Interim Committee On Addiction and Community Safety Response, will meet on Monday at 11:30 am. I continue to work with my colleagues to repeal Measure 110 to save lives while giving our law enforcement officers the tools they need to protect our communities and their residents.
News Updates
Opinion: The Port of Coos Bay Project is a Winner for Jobs, the Environment – Oregon Business
Portland Public Schools strike draws 1000s of teachers to picket lines, and emotions run high
The Oregonian | By Julia Silverman, Sami Edge
The first teacher strike in district history is underway at Portland Public Schools, with the teachers union picketing in support of higher pay, smaller classes and more planning time.
With roughly 3,500 educators on strike, nearly 43,000 students are shut out of school.
Oregon just dropped all graduation standards, failing all of its students in the name of ‘equity’
The Hill | Opinion by Aaron Withe
In public education’s latest blunder, the Oregon Department of Education has just decided that basic reading, writing and math skills are not required for students to graduate with a high school diploma.
Portland teachers go on strike for first time in district history
OPB | By Natalie Pate, Elizabeth Miller
Portland educators will strike on Wednesday. Portland Public Schools and the Portland Association of Teachers made the announcement Tuesday evening following months of unsuccessful negotiations between Portland Public Schools and the Portland Association of Teachers.
The strike affects more than 80 campuses districtwide, with the exception of district charter schools. This is the first teachers’ strike in PPS history.
Oregon is latest state to dumb down education. Talk about the soft bigotry of low expections
Fox News | Opinion by Tony Kinnett, Heritage Foundation
The Oregon Board of Education voted unanimously in October to remove requirements for students to be proficient in reading and writing in order to graduate—joining the long line of ill-advised moves to cut academic expectations for American students.
The Oregon Department of Education released a statement calling the reading and writing proficiency standards "burdensome to teachers and students." Dan Farley, Oregon’s assistant superintendent of research, assessment, and data with the Education Department, said the standards simply "did not work."
There’s no evidence that suspending those standards is going to improve the academic performance of any student—quite the contrary. Had the Oregon Board of Education done 15 minutes of research, it would have found that relaxing academic performance standards has had drastic adverse consequences.
Why are Oregon students chronically absent from school?
KGW | By Evan Watson
About 200,000 Oregon students, or 38% of all students statewide, were recorded as being chronically absent during the school years of 2022 through 2023. The year prior, 36% of all students were recorded as chronically absent.
In 2018-2019, 20% of all Oregon students were recorded as chronically absent, highlighting how far attendance rates have plummeted post-pandemic.
"Big picture, it's troubling," said Madhu Narayanan, assistant professor at Portland State University. "We want students to graduate from school, and [absenteeism] has a huge impact on their life outcomes."
Officials tell public newly approved Northwest hydrogen hub will produce jobs, economic benefits
Oregon Capital Chronicle | By Alex Baumhardt
Officials behind a new $1 billion hydrogen hub in the Northwest are now wading into discussions to shape the project.
Leaders from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations and representatives from the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Association, a consortium of private and public entities behind the region’s hydrogen hub, held their first public meeting over Zoom on Monday night. They shared details about potential job and community benefits, discussed potential hydrogen production facility locations and talked about potential partners and companies that might use the hydrogen power.
More to come on our push to fulfill the overwhelming majority of Oregonians' desire to repeal Measure 110 to save lives and give our law enforcement officers the tools they need to protect our residents and their communities, as well as Oregon's Outdoor Recreational Summit, Douglas County Cattlemen, Legislative Days and work in and around the district.
As always, thank you for the privilege and honor to work for you in the Oregon State Senate. Be safe and God Bless you, your family and your neighbor.
Yours Truly,
 Senator David Brock Smith
Together, We Will Build a Better Oregon
 Senate District 1
Curry, Coos, and Douglas Counties
Southwest Oregon’s Fish, Farm, and Forestry District.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1701
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-316, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.DavidBrockSmith@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithd
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