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Greetings! We are finished with our first week of short session. This week has been the shortest longest week in a long time. Having only 2 meeting prior to the work session deadline and only 2 meetings after that for chamber deadlines, each moment is precious. There are significantly less bill in short session- only 2 per Legislator and 3 per committee- however Rules Committee has unlimited bills- it makes for a lot less going on. Trying to fix the drug crisis is still the most important topic of conversation as everything in our state is touched by the affects of this. The majority is refusing to make this a Class A misdemeanor on the basis of saying people on drugs don’t need to go to jail. I completely agree- they need to go to rehab- and that is the purpose of the Class A- when they are being confronted they have a choice- go to jail OR go to rehab and your record is expunged. Our goal and intent is to have people be getting the help they need, plain and simple.
I will keep you updated as session moves!
Blessings to you all!
Emily
Measure 110 has plunged Oregon into crisis – a crisis of drug addiction, crime, and homelessness that cannot continue if we hope to make Oregon the best state to live and work. While the majority party watches in futility as these problems worsen, House Republicans have offered solutions.
My colleagues and I have put forward policy answers that are rooted in good health, accountability, responsible government decision making, and common sense. For example, we believe the law must have a mechanism to get addicts off the streets and into treatment. We believe that the most dangerous substances – fentanyl, meth, and heroin – cannot continue to flood our state without consequences. And we believe that counties must have adequate funding to address acute needs, a promise made and broken by Measure 110’s proponents.
It is unfortunate that our colleagues in the majority do not feel the same way. We wrote to Democrats Gov. Tina Kotek, House Speaker Dan Rayfield, and Senate President Rob Wagner with our ideas and a commitment to work across the aisle to see that solutions are implemented. Our gesture was met with silence and snark. None of them responded to our letter while Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber rushed to the press to declare that she has no “magic wand” with which to fix the problems and called our ideas “half baked.”
Oregon needs answers for Measure 110’s failures. It doesn’t have to be the Republican answer or the Democrat answer, but to this point there can be no doubt that Republicans have been the only ones to try to fix the crises of addiction, crime, and homelessness that plague our state.
Thank you again, Rep. McIntire and staff, for taking the time to meet with us yesterday. For many of us, it was our first time visiting the capitol - and we are so grateful for the opportunity to meet our leaders and share our story and the positive impact we are seeing in the communities we serve. I know you had a super busy day and very limited time, yet you still made us feel welcomed and valued. Thanks for your support and dedication!
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As you can see there is not a lot of time in the session. This is why I believe we must tackle the most pressing issues facing our state, and we must do so with a sense of urgency. It is important to get your input on all these matters so please follow along and add these dates to your calendar. If there is any legislation that you would like help tracking, or learning how to track feel free to contact my office. Below are some important reminders about interacting with the legislature and its process.
• Use OLIS to find committee and bill information.
• E-Subscribe to committee agendas and email alerts about bills.
• Agenda posting deadlines:
48 hours prior to a first public hearing in a House committee
24 hours for all other types of meetings
• Amendment posting deadlines
4 hours for House committees
1 hour for Senate committees
• Register to testify on bills using the online system.
• Submit written testimony using the online testimony portal.
• Amendments and bills require fiscal and revenue statements
before committee action.
• Timelines for filing minority reports are different than long session;
see chamber and committee rules.
• Language Access Services are available! Call 503-986-1538 or
email languageaccess@oregonlegislature.gov
Again, many thanks to the hard working people at LPRO for putting this together for our constituencies.
With the Short session approaching, I will be spending the bulk of my time in Salem. There are many things I am looking to accomplish, but having a complete and successful session is my top priority. I want to come away from it feeling like regardless of what may have happened in the past, we took steps forward to compromise and find solutions that benefit ALL Oregonians, from Astoria to Klamath Falls. If you have any thoughts or concerns about how anything the legislature is considering might affect HD 56, please reach out to my office and let us know!
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Blessings,
Representative Emily McIntire
House District 56
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1456
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-379, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.EmilyMcIntire@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mcintire
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