|
Friends and Neighbors,
Legislative Updates
This week marked the halfway point through the Legislative Short Session. Bills have crossed chambers or have been sent to the Joint Ways & Means Committee, if they have a monetary component. This coming week policy committees will be winding down. Make sure you stay engaged with the policies you are following on OLIS (the Oregon Legislative Information System) so you don't miss an opportunity to submit testimony.
SB 1596 - Right to Repair Updates
Senate Bill 1596 passed the Senate floor on Tuesday with a strong bipartisan vote of 25-5 and will now move to the House side. You can watch the Senate Floor vote here.
Right to Repair in the News
Oregon ‘right to repair’ bill passes state Senate, OPB
Senate passes ‘right to repair’ bill on fixing electronics, Oregon Capital Chronicle
The right to repair – and play games anywhere, The Vergecast
Lowering Costs, Protecting Consumers with Right to Repair
Senate Bill 1596 gives consumers the ability to repair their own electronic devices
February 20, 2024
SALEM, Ore. — Today, Senate Bill 1596, Oregon’s Right to Repair legislation, passed the Oregon Senate with bipartisan support.
SB 1596 makes repairing electronic devices more fair and affordable in Oregon. It requires original equipment manufacturers to provide repair tools and information to owners and independent repair providers so consumers have more choices when it comes to fixing their electronic devices.
“This is a win for consumers and for the environment. Oregonians deserve to have affordable and sustainable options for repairing their electronics instead of throwing them away or replacing them,” said Senator Janeen Sollman (D - Hillsboro), co-chief sponsor of SB 1596. “This legislation will help close the technological divide and level the playing field for consumers.”
“I fundamentally believe that consumers should have the right to choose how to repair their own property,” said Senator Kim Thatcher (R - Keizer), who also sponsored SB 1596.
Both Senate Democrats and Republicans agree that lowering costs for hardworking Oregonians is a key priority for the 2024 session. The package now goes to the Oregon House of Representatives for consideration.
Read the full press release here.
 Clockwise from top: SB 1596 Senate Vote Count, Students from Cascade Academy Eco Club advocating at the Capitol for Right to Repair, SD15 and Right to Repair Team
Bills I am Co-Chief Sponsoring this Session
House Bill 4098 - CHIPS Child Care Fund
Building off the work from last session with the Oregon CHIPS Act, House Bill 4098 is being brought forward this session by Representative Jules Walters. This bill addresses child care, a required component for accessing federal CHIPS dollars. Oregon has an incredible opportunity to win hundreds of millions in federal investment, grow our economy in an equitable way, and make progress toward the child care system we need for Oregon workers and families. With legislative action to strengthen our child care infrastructure in 2024, we can make sure Oregon has the best case in the country to win federal investment.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation estimates that it can take one and a half years to launch a new on-site program, and studies have shown it is challenging for individual businesses to stand up child care assistance programs or centers. Without legislative action, it is very likely that Oregon applicants for federal CHIPS Act funding would be unable to meet this key criteria.
HB 4098 passed out of the House Committee on Economic Development and Small Business and is currently awaiting referral in the Joint Ways & Means Committee.
Week Three 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
A Public Hearing and Work Session was held on the following:
-
HB 4058 - Creates a residential property wholesaler registration.
Senate Committee on Energy and Environment
Informational Meetings were held on the following:
-
HB 4112 - Requires the Oregon Department of Administrative Services to adopt rules to govern procurements from clean energy technology manufacturing companies
- Example of Innovative Electric Vehicle Charging
Public Hearings were held on the following:
-
HB 4015 - Permits a developer of a facility or the governing body of a local government after consulting with the developer to elect to defer regulatory authority to the Energy Facility Siting Council for the siting of a battery energy storage system
-
HB 4083 - Directs the Oregon Investment Council and the State Treasurer to make efforts to eliminate certain investments in thermal coal companies
Ways and Means Joint Committee on Public Safety
Work Sessions were held on the following:
Informational Meetings were held on the following:
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Work Sessions were held on the following:
-
SB 1531 - Establishes a semiquincentennial commission, to be known as the America 250 Oregon Commission, to coordinate and provide guidance for Oregon's official observance of the 250th anniversary of the establishment of the United States
- Federal Grant Applications (see the full list here)
- Agency Reports
Week 3 - Oregon State Capitol Visits to #S207 (Your Senate District 15 Capitol Office)
 Clockwise from top left: With OSU President Jayathi Y. Murthy, Oregon Dairy Princess Ambassador, Representative Dacia Grayber, Former Intern Juan David Alonso Garcia, and Representative Paul Evans
Senate District 15 - Small Business Spotlight
Next Level Pinball Museum
Press Release shared from Next Level Pinball Museum
Next Level Pinball Museum Wins "World’s Favorite Pinball Location" for Third Consecutive Year
Hillsboro, OR - February 8th, 2024 -Next Level Pinball Museum is thrilled to announce its victory as “World’s Favorite Pinball Location" for the third consecutive year at the annual TWIPY Awards. The TWIPYs, known as the yearly celebration of all things pinball, allows pinball fans from around the world to vote in categories including Favorite Location, Favorite Event, and Game of the Year. The TWIPY Awards are hosted in collaboration with the arcade media sources “This Week in Pinball'' and “The Kineticist”. With over 9,900 pinball locations around the world, this year's recognition of Next Level Pinball Museum reaffirms its status as a leader in the pinball community and its commitment to preserving and promoting the art and culture of arcades.
"We are incredibly honored to receive the 'Favorite Pinball Location' award for the third year in a row," said Whitney Carlson, owner of Next Level Pinball Museum. "It really is a testament to the dedication of our team and the passion of our fans who continue to support us year after year. We’re so grateful for this award and it fuels us to get bigger and better every year for our visitors."
Located in Hillsboro, Oregon, Next Level Pinball Museum is a haven for arcade aficionados and casual players alike. Boasting an extensive collection of over 240 pinball machines and 260 arcade games from the last 50 years, Next Level is one of the World’s largest arcades. The entire facility is also a vast 20,000 sq. foot floor-to-ceiling pop culture museum curating the toys, collectibles, and memorabilia from the last century allowing even non-gamer visitors a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich history of everything pop culture.
As the recipient of the "Favorite Pinball Location" award, Next Level Pinball Museum continues to elevate the arcade experience, offering a diverse range of machines and events, including weekly tournaments and the 2023 Women’s State Pinball Championships. A planned expansion of the museum with another 150 games in an additional 7,000 square feet of space is planned to open on March 21st, 2024.
For more information about Next Level Pinball Museum visit www.nextlevelpinballmuseum.com/
|
Community Outreach
Hillsboro School District to Provide Free Meals to all Students Starting March 1
Shared from Hillsboro School District
February 19, 2024 - Thanks to a change in certification requirements for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, all HSD students will now be able to receive school breakfast and lunch at NO COST as of Friday, Mar. 1. Adult meals will still be available for purchase: $3.25 for breakfast and $4.75 for lunch.
Previously, under the CEP program, approximately one-third of HSD schools were eligible for free meals. However, the certification HSD reached just prior to winter break will allow a mid-year certification of all schools that will remain in place through the 2026-27 school year.
Please note that each meal comes with milk. If your child only wants milk and not a meal, or would like an additional milk, those may be purchased for $0.75. Payments can be made by cash or check to the school or online at LinqConnect.com. There will also be some ala carte options for purchase at our comprehensive high schools.
Please also note that any outstanding balances accrued prior to Mar. 1, 2024 are still owed. Information about negative balances will be mailed directly to families on Mar. 20, 2024.
Families who have positive balances in their meal accounts will receive a letter in late March as well, asking if they would like to keep the balance in their account, transfer the balance to another student account in HSD, request a refund, or donate the funds to the nonprofit Food Services account to offset student accounts with negative balances.
For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please see our Nutrition Services webpage.
We are excited about this change and the opportunity it provides to ensure all of our students have access to nutritious food during the school day.
|
|
HSD proporcionará comidas gratuitas a todos los estudiantes a partir del 1 de marzo
Gracias a un cambio en los requisitos de los Programas Nacionales de Almuerzos y Desayunos Escolares llamada Provisión de Elegibilidad Comunitaria (CEP, por sus siglas en inglés), todos los estudiantes de HSD ahora podrán recibir desayunos y almuerzos escolares SIN COSTO a partir del viernes, 1 de marzo. Las comidas para los adultos aún estarán disponibles para su compra: $3.25 para el desayuno y $4.75 para el almuerzo.
Anteriormente, bajo el programa CEP, aproximadamente un tercio de las escuelas de HSD eran elegibles para otorgar comidas gratuitas a los estudiantes. Sin embargo, la certificación obtenida por HSD antes del receso escolar de invierno permitirá que todas las escuelas proporcionen comidas gratuitas a los estudiantes hasta el año escolar 2026-27.
Por favor, tenga en cuenta que cada comida incluye leche. Si su estudiante solo quiere consumir la leche y no una comida completa, o desea una leche adicional, puede comprarla por $0.75. Los pagos se pueden realizar en efectivo, entregando un cheque a la escuela o en línea a través de LinqConnect.com. También habrá algunas opciones «a la carta» en nuestras escuelas preparatorias para su compra.
Además, es importante destacar que cualquier saldo pendiente acumulado antes del 1 de marzo de 2024 aún debe ser cubierto. La información sobre saldos negativos se enviará por correo postal directamente a las familias el 20 de marzo de 2024.
Las familias que tengan saldos positivos en sus cuentas de comidas también recibirán una carta a fines de marzo, para consultarles si desean mantener el saldo en su cuenta, transferir el saldo a otra cuenta estudiantil en HSD, solicitar un reembolso o donar los fondos a la cuenta sin fines de lucro de Food Services para compensar las cuentas estudiantiles con saldos negativos.
Para obtener más información y consultar las preguntas frecuentes, por favor visite la página web del Departamento de Servicios de Nutrición.
Estamos entusiasmados con este cambio y la oportunidad que brinda para asegurar que todos nuestros estudiantes tengan acceso a alimentos nutritivos durante el día escolar.
|
ODVA Seeks Diverse Veteran Candidates to Fill Current and Future Positions on Veterans Advisory Committee
Shared from the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs
|
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs is seeking interested veterans to fill current and future vacancies on the Veterans Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee was established in 1945 at the agency’s founding and holds a distinct and fundamental role in advocating for veteran issues, sharing insight on veteran concerns and advising the director of ODVA. The committee is composed of nine military veterans appointed to four-year terms by the Governor.
The Governor is committed to ensuring that all Boards and Commissions represent diverse Oregonians by age, race, ethnicity, gender, and LGBTQIA+ status. To ensure a broad and diverse pool of candidates to consider for appointment, ODVA is seeking applications from interested members of the veteran community from both rural and urban areas, across diverse backgrounds and eras of service.
The quarterly advisory committee’s meetings are held virtually and in-person throughout the state on the first Wednesday in March, June, September and December.
Interested veterans from all branches of the U.S. Armed Services are encouraged to apply. The application process can be reviewed and accessed at the Governor’s Boards and Commissions webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/gov/Pages/board-list.aspx.
Follow the application instructions for “External – New Applicants” and be sure to include a resume, a short personal biography that includes your military service and other veteran community activities you have or are currently involved in, and fully answer the supplemental questions. Only complete applications will be considered.
ORS 406.210 also states that the executive committees of congressionally chartered veterans’ organizations that maintain an Oregon state headquarters may submit a list of up to three veterans to be considered for Advisory Committee openings to the ODVA Director’s Office at odva_vaac@odva.oregon.gov. Important: All nominees must still apply through the normal application process by the application deadline.
Applications or nominations for the Advisory Committee must be submitted to the Governor’s Executive Appointments office no later than March 29, 2024. Questions about this recruitment process may be directed to ODVA at odva_vaac@odva.oregon.gov.
More information about ODVA’s Veteran Advisory Committee can be found online at www.oregon.gov/odva/Connect/Pages/Advisory-Committee.aspx.
|
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
| 
