The 2024 Legislative Session Begins
The 2024 Legislative "Short" Session kicked off on February 5th, and the Capitol certainly came back to life with a vengeance (as did our inboxes!) this week as nearly 200 bills have had their first readings and await their fate in the 35-day session ahead. It also marked the start of the frenzy of meetings and visits to lobby policy and funding priorities before deadlines start killing bills’ chances.
Of the many challenges we are tackling this session, none are quite as topical as Measure 110 reform, which is without a doubt the most prevalent subject we have received emails and phone calls from constituents about in our first week back in the building. The acknowledgment of need for reform is far from a partisan idea, and you can read more in the "Legislative Spotlight" section below about the two very different approaches Democrats and Republicans have brought forward to try and make Measure 110 work for Oregon.
With committees working to process the first of the session’s bills—needing to receive hearings and work sessions before they can be considered for passage on the floor, the House Chamber was quiet after Monday’s opening ceremonies, but will start picking up next week. With deadlines coming up quickly, we’ll start seeing bills up on the floor in both chambers so they “stay alive” in this process. It is worth noting that the Rules and Revenue Committees in both chambers, as well as Joint Committees, are exempt from these deadlines.
Wildfire Tax Relief Bills Need Hearings
Two bills that are very near and dear to me this session are Senator Girod's (R-Silverton) SB 1545 and my HB 4007. Both bills aim to provide some tax relief to wildfire victims here in Oregon, especially those that suffered in the historic fires back in 2020, and both unfortunately failed to receive final passage last session.
SB 1545 allows counties to gradually increase tax bills based on the pre-fire valuations of properties before homes were lost, and avoid the devastating sticker shock victims have when they receive their adjusted tax bill after a rebuild. HB 4007 protects the settlements of wildfire lawsuits from being taxed at rates of up to 70%, helping keep those dollars in our impacted communities to directly help recovery efforts. Both bills will have their biggest fight in the House and Senate Revenue Committees and will need a hearing soon if they have any hope of passage, so we would highly encourage you to reach out to both committees' chairs, Rep. Nathanson and Sen. Meek. Their email addresses are pasted below, followed by graphics summarizing the two bills.
Rep.NancyNathanson@oregonlegislature.gov
Sen.MarkMeek@oregonlegislature.gov
HB 4002: Democrats’ “Fix-It” for Measure 110
This bill along with HB 4036 received a much anticipated public hearing Wednesday in the Joint Committee on Addiction and Community Safety Response. This watered down reform of Ballot Measure 110 only raises penalties for possession of hard drugs to a Class C Misdemeanor, which carries a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail, and is a degree of crime that doesn't give the judicial system much latitude to incentivize drug users to seek treatment options.
HB 4036: Republicans’ “Fix-It” for Measure 110
In contrast to HB 4002, this bill reclassifies possession as the Class A Misdemeanor it was before the passage of M110, which carries a maximum of a year in jail, and gives the judicial system much weightier tools to help drug users opt into treatment—as evident by the same recommendations being made by the League of Oregon Cities, our Police and Sheriffs organizations, and the District Attorneys Association. This bill also had a hearing on Wednesday, we hope that the committee chairs give it significant consideration if they are interested in truly tackling Oregon's drug, crime, and homelessness problems. Below is a chart comparing the two Measure 110 reform proposals.
SB 1588: Full Repeal of Measure 110
In addition to the Measure 110 "fix" bills introduced above, there is also a straightforward repeal bill that I've sponsored, which reassigns M110's treatment dollars to our counties to manage treatment options directly. Unlike the other Measure 110 related bills, SB 1588 was sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee, likely signaling that the majority is not interested in advancing it through the Legislature. As such, it does not have a hearing scheduled, but I would encourage you to reach out to the committee's Chair, Senator Prozanski (Sen.FloydProzanski@OregonLegislature.gov) to ask for one.
SB 1548: Ditch the Switch – Public Hearing Tuesday!
I know I’m not alone in loathing the twice-yearly changing of our clocks, and this is our chance to fix it! Staying on Daylight Savings Time unfortunately requires Congressional approval, and Oregonians have waited 5 unsuccessful years trying to get it. To avoid what is feeling like a futile waiting game, I joined Sen. Kim Thatcher (R, Keizer), and a strong bipartisan coalition in Washington, Oregon, and California, to introduce SB 1548 this session, which looks to “ditch the switch” for good and keep the West Coast on Standard Time year-round (which doesn't require Congressional approval).
HB 4079: SPED Cap Funding Bill -- Passed House Education Committee!
Introduced last session as HB 2895, HB 4079 is now a committee bill in the House Committee on Education and has the same goal of beginning to tackle the inequities of Oregon's school funding formula. This bill eliminates the cap on funding for special education students, and also adds a homeless weight into the formula. I was not able to make it to the hearing on Monday, but Conner was able to testify on my behalf in support of the bill, along with Chair Courtney Neron (D-Wilsonville) and Kevin Strong, Sweet Home School District's Business Manager. Following a vote on Wednesday, HB 4079 is now on its way to the House Committee on Revenue! A link to the testimony from our trio is here.
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This week we would like to honor the award winners at the annual Linn County Sheriff's Office Banquet. This annual event recognizes the amazing work of the men and women at LCSO who help keep our community safe. We wanted to share with you these award recipients and hope you can join us in congratulating them!
Support Services Employee of the Year: Human Resources Clerk Shannon Heyerly
Dispatch Employee of the Year: Communications Supervisor Kristin Prouty
Corrections Employee of the Year: Sergeant Tyler Plagmann
Corrections Programs Employee of the Year: Transportation Aide Dawn Salveggio
Criminal Employee of the Year: Deputy Evan Cyrus
Detective of the Year: Detective Tracy White
Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
LHS Cheer Send Off Before State
Lebanon High School Varsity Cheer takes the mat at 11 am this Saturday in Oregon City to defend their State title! You're invited to their send-off--to hoot, holler, and wish them well--at 7 am in front of LHS as they board the bus.
Scio Youth Football Tryouts
The Canyon Hotshots are hosting free tryouts for the 7-on-7 Spring football season tomorrow, February 10th at Scio High School's football field! Grades 3-12 are welcome to show what they've got, and kids from all over the state are welcome. Contact Matt.Kennedy22@yahoo.com for more information.
Lebanon Warriors Pancake Breakfast
Come and support your local Warriors at Tallman Brewing with a delicious breakfast to kickstart your Superbowl Sunday! The breakfast runs from 7:30am-10:30am and proceeds will benefit Lebanon Warriors Baseball.
Kettle Corn Sale in Sweet Home
Come enjoy some delicious kettle corn while supporting great causes at the Sweet Home Library next Tuesday and Wednesday from 2:00-6:00pm! This event is run by the Sweet Home Rotary Club, and all proceeds will go to local scholarships, Interact Club, and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, so don't miss out!
Lebanon PD Meeting on Homelessness
Next Tuesday Lebanon Police along with community advocate Dala Johnson are hosting an informational meeting at the Lebanon Public Library about the homelessness crisis in our local community. This event is open to the public, so if you know someone who is experiencing homelessness or simply want to learn more about the issue, consider making the trip!
Central Linn FFA BBQ Fundraiser
Support Central Linn's amazing FFA program on Saturday, February 17th at Halsey's City Hall by grabbing some tri-tip from the drive thru! Pre-orders have already concluded, so the meals will be available on a first come, first serve basis from 12:00-2:00pm. Thank you for supporting our FFA students!
Letter in Support of Governor Abbott
Earlier this week I joined a group of Oregon House and Senate Republicans along with the Chair of the Oregon Republican Party penning a letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott applauding his unprecedented efforts to secure the Southern Border in the absence of support from the White House and federal agencies. Make no mistake, the crisis at our Southern Border is directly corelated to the seeming endless supply of drugs fueling the addiction crisis we have here in Oregon which is enabled further by Measure 110.
Oregon Kids' Credit
Claim your Oregon Kids’ Credit and receive up to $1,000 for each eligible child!
The Oregon Kids’ Credit is worth up to $1,000 for every child aged 0 to 5 for families who made up to $30,000 last year. Even if you did not make enough money to file taxes, you can still receive the Oregon Kids’ Credit if you have an eligible child at home. If your family uses an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to file your taxes, you can claim the Oregon Kids’ Credit.
Free tax filing assistance is available. You can find help filing your taxes by dialing 2-1-1, or by texting your zip code to 898211 (TXT211). Filing a tax return not only allows you to claim the Oregon Kids’ Credit, but other tax credits available for families worth thousands of dollars.
For more information, follow the following link: The Oregon Kids’ Credit helps families in need; claim it if you can - Oregon Center for Public Policy (ocpp.org)
Interim Newsletter: January
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Interim Newsletter: October
Interim Newsletter: September
OLIS at a Glance
Navigating OLIS is a key part of being involved with the legislative process. Below is a graphic showing you the "Submit Testimony" button to send in written testimony, as well as the "Register to Testify" button that will allow you to testify in-person here at the Capitol—or virtually if you can’t make it to Salem—if a bill of interest receives a hearing.
Even if you don’t make a testimony deadline, you are still able to make your voice heard by reaching out to members of the assigned Committee, or simply all lawmakers here at the Capitol.
OLIS’ “e-subscribe” feature is also the best way to stay up to date on every move a bill makes in the Legislature, and every new opportunity to advocate for your position.
Never underestimate the power of using your voice in the Legislative process!
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