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Friends and Neighbors,
Legislative Updates
SB 1596 - Right to Repair Updates
Senate Bill 1596 passed out of the Senate Energy and Environment Committee this week with a bipartisan vote. The bill is expected to come to the Senate floor on Tuesday, 2/20 and will then move to the House side. On Wednesday, we enjoyed seeing over 60 students, representing OSPIRG (Oregon State Public Interest Research Group) and OSA (Oregon Student Association), in the building talking to legislators and advocating for the Right to Repair. Several news outlets also covered the bill's progress this week and we will continue to keep you informed as it makes its way through.
Right to Repair In the News
Legislature edges toward passage of ‘right to repair’ bill, Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon right to repair bill clears committee, heads to Senate for vote, KATU News
Oregon Legislature advances right-to-repair bill over Apple’s objections, OregonLive
Apple argues against right-to-repair bill that would reduce its control, The Verge
Hillsboro Hops Funding Request - HB 5201
The Hillsboro Hops are working toward building a new stadium to meet new requirements directed by the MLB. While $110 million of this $125 million project has already been committed, they are asking the State Legislature for $15 million in Lottery Bond funding to help bridge the remainder. You can read more about the project here. I am absolutely in support of this request and of the Hillsboro Hops and their mission in the community. I am sharing my letter of testimony below so you can see my many reasons why. Today at 1:00, the Joint Ways and Means Subcommittee on Capital Construction met to hear testimony on Bond Authorizations, which will be in House Bill 5201, including the Hillsboro Hops request. I sat with those who testified in support, but due to the short time constraints, submitted my testimony online.
If you would like to submit testimony in support of the Hillsboro Hops funding request, you can send a formal letter or a simple text through the online portal here. The portal will remain open for 48 hours from the start of the committee, closing at 1:00pm on Sunday, 2/18. This is an opportunity to lend your voice and let all of the committee members see the great amount of support for the Hillsboro Hops in our community.
 
Week Two Committee Snaps
Throughout session, I will share snapshots from the committees I serve on including what was discussed over the past week.
Senate Committee on Housing and Development
Public Hearings and Work Sessions were held on the following:
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SB 1529: Requires the Housing and Community Services Department to study housing and to submit a report to the relevant interim committees of the Legislative Assembly no later than September 15, 2025.
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SB 1530: Appropriates moneys to the Housing and Community Services Department, Oregon Health Authority, Department of Human Services, State Department of Energy and Oregon Department of Administrative Services for various programs.
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SB 1564: Requires the Department of Land Conservation and Development to develop model ordinances or land use regulations for cities of different sizes to implement housing and urbanization requirements.
A Work Session was held on the following:
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SB 1537: Requires the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the Department of Consumer and Business Services to jointly establish and administer the Housing Accountability and Production Office.
Senate Committee on Energy and Environment
A Public Hearing was held on the following:
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SB 1559: Modifies state greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
Public Hearings and Work Sessions were held on the following:
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SB 1525: Extends the deadlines for certain reports by the State Department of Energy.
- Modifying greenhouse gas reduction goals (SB 1559)
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SB 1581: Requires an investor-owned utility that sells more than two million megawatt hours of electricity in a calendar year to report to the Legislative Assembly the activities, if any, that the investor-owned utility has taken or is taking toward participating in a regional energy market.
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SB 1596: Requires an original equipment manufacturer to make available to an owner of consumer electronic equipment or an independent repair provider on fair and reasonable terms any documentation, tool, part or other device or implement that the original equipment manufacturer makes available to an authorized service provider for the purpose of diagnosing, maintaining or repairing consumer electronic equipment.
Ways and Means Joint Committee on Public Safety
Informational meetings were held on the following:
Work sessions were held on the following:
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Department of Public Safety Standards and Training Report - Basic Police Course Pilot Program
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Department of Justice Report - Legal Tools Replacement 3.0
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Public Defense Commission Report - Financial and Case Management System
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Work Sessions were held on a number of Federal Grant Applications and Agency Reports. See the full agenda here.
Bills I am Co-Chief Sponsoring this Session
HB 4093, a bill that would require one member of the OLCC (Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission) to have a background in public health, is a bill that I brought forward in the 2021 Session, and was brought forward this session by Representative Jules Walters. This bill had a public hearing on Tuesday of this week, but sadly, we learned that it will not be moving forward this session. I was disappointed to hear this, especially because I know that we are one of the lowest states in the nation for access to treatment and one of the highest in substance use disorders. I think it is critical to have someone on the commission that is really looking at the public health crisis of addiction that we see all around us and lending their perspective to decisions being made by this body.
Read more on this issue at KATU News here:
Addiction recovery advocates upset after a bill to change OLCC membership dies again
Week 2 - Oregon State Capitol Visits to #S207 (Your Senate District 15 Capitol Office)
 Clockwise from Top Left: Visitors from PCC Advocacy Day, Moms Demand Action Advocacy Day, Washington County 350PDX, Right to Repair fan coming to say Thank You, Oregon Cattlemen’s Association Advocacy Day, Oregon Recovers Advocacy Day
Senate District 15 - Small Business Spotlight
Wise Owl Preschool & Childcare
Wise Owl is an in home child care program that serves infants through school age children in Cornelius and Hillsboro. They are owned and operated by Maycie Miranda, and they have three locations, two in Cornelius, and one in Hillsboro.
They can be reached here:
Website: https://www.wiseowlpreschoolandchildcare.com/
Email: wiseowlpreschoolandchildcare@gmail.com
Phone: (503) 726-9972
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Community Outreach
Forest Grove High School Theatre- "La Gringa"
'La Gringa' marks first bilingual production at Forest Grove High School
FGHS Theatre invites the community to attend its winter production of “La Gringa”, hosting alternating performances featuring both English and Spanish casts from Friday, Feb. 23, through Saturday, March 2. Learn more from the Forest Grove News Times here.
Tickets can be purchased for $12 at the door, or $10 for students. Presale will be available close to the show dates here. You can find the showtimes here.
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PCC Free Legal Clinic
PCC and WorkSource Oregon are hosting legal clinics in Washington County one day a month. They work on legal help for a wide variety of issues, and can offer referrals to other legal services and WorkSource employment training and services.
Clinics are held on Mar. 11, Apr. 8, May 13, and Jun. 10 from 2-6pm at 241 SW Edgeway Dr. Room 204 in Hillsboro
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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