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Greetings, friends and neighbors!
Last Wednesday, Oregon celebrated 165 years of statehood. The occasion gave me pause to reflect on the proper role of state government, week two of the 2024 legislative session, and the Republican back-to-basics plan to get Oregon back on track.
Oregon became a state on February 14, 1859. The mural that adorns the front of the House Chamber reminds me of Oregon’s path to statehood every time I take a vote.
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The mural depicts the historic 1843 meeting in Champoeg to establish the provisional government of Oregon.
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Oregon’s birthday reminded me of presents. But I’m not in Salem to be a big shot bestowing gifts to big-city special interest groups and tainted scraps to rural Oregon. I’m here to get state government back to basics and get Oregon back on track. I’m here to help stop the Democrat majority party from spreading their failed policies to every corner of our great state.
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To this end, I recently joined the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an association of state legislators committed to the principles of limited government. As I legislate, I like to keep in mind a few simple questions I heard posed at one of their meetings, which I share with you here:
-- What is the role of government?
-- What are the essential services government must provide to fulfill its purpose?
-- How will we know if government is doing a good job?
-- What should all of this cost?
-- When cuts must be made, how will they be property prioritized?
Read on to learn more about my voting record and refer to the end of this newsletter for ways citizens can help push back. Many bills I voted against will make their way to Ways and Means subcommittees this week.
The Democrat majority party controls both chambers in the state legislature. This means they hold the chairmanship and the majority of seats in each and every legislative committee in the state of Oregon, controlling the agenda and the majority of votes. |
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But since last November, by the slimmest of margins they no longer have a supermajority (three-fifths) of seats, required to pass tax measures. Since Oregon is in the top five highest tax states in the nation, I stand with my Republican colleagues against all tax increases.
Governor Tina Kotek’s single priority this legislative session is her expensive and counterproductive housing and homelessness bill, Senate Bill 1537. But her plan will just make more state mandates and spread Portland’s homeless to every corner of the state. Real housing reform means unwinding decades of Democrat majority party spending and land use priorities that have caused shortfalls in housing and left our roads in disrepair. We need to let local communities protect farmland and natural resources while cutting red tape.
Last Thursday I was proud to sign on to the House Republican letter to reaffirm our commitment to Class A protections for Measure 110 reform. Our common-sense plan to treat public drug use like a DUI with diversion opportunities is supported by the League of Oregon Cities, the Association of Oregon Counties, Oregon sheriffs, Oregon chiefs of police, and Oregon district attorneys. See link [here].
Ironically, every Democrat sitting on the committee in charge of Measure 110 reform has taken money from the leftwing activist group responsible for the Measure 110 disaster, Drug Policy Alliance. The result: last month a homeless man high out of his mind on drugs died after lighting himself on fire in front of kids in the Democrat committee chair’s district, see link [here].
In case you missed it, here is my letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal about how the Democrat majority party Measure 110 is a fake “fix”, see link [here].
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After Republican colleagues and I raised equal-protection concerns about Business Oregon’s Economic Equity Investment Program, the bill was quietly tabled last week. |
My office is watching to make sure the program doesn’t get stuffed into another piece of legislation and is also reviewing Business Oregon’s existing business practices. Business Oregon should focus on bringing growth and innovation to our state, fairly and efficiently.
Last week I voted in committee against several concerning business-related bills, all of which Democrats moved towards a vote on the House floor. The Oregon Secretary of State wants to collect and share business registrations based on race. Business Oregon wants to create a statewide CHIPS-act daycare system. And Oregon legislators want to make temporary federal Covid relief to cultural institutions permanent and paid for by the state of Oregon.
Cultural institutions such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, widely reported to have lost business due to their pivot to “woke” productions, the Portland Art Museum, which last year replaced their volunteer docents with paid staff, and many others had their hands out to state legislators last week.
The Democrat majority party controlling the House Judiciary Committee is catering to ultra-partisan special interests, putting Oregon families at risk. Bills passed out of the committee last week on their way to the House floor despite my “nay” votes include plans to create a costly and counterproductive “specialty” court for drug crimes and plans to allow expunging dangerous felons’ criminal records. The Born Alive bill did not get a hearing.
Education bills
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Last Thursday, the Democrat majority party voted against three common-sense education reforms that I supported. House Bill 4161 would have allowed students to attend a charter school of their choosing. House Bill 4095 would have reinstated the Essential Skills requirement for high school diplomas. House Joint Resolution 203 would have enshrined in the Oregon Constitution parents’ fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, and care of their children. |
Thanks to the Democrats, Oregon public schools are becoming a national joke. Even the New York Times is writing about their worst-in-the-nation post-Covid performance.
Local control
The Democrat-controlled Oregon Department of Education is full speed ahead intent on spreading their failed education policies to every corner of the state. Last year they took away local school boards’ ability to fire their superintendent. Now another bad bill, Senate Bill 1583, would restrict local school boards’ ability to decide curriculum for their districts. What’s next?
School-based health centers
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We may find out with House Bill 4070. The bill would fund a vast expansion of the Oregon Health Authority school-based health center pilot program with $10,000,000 of lottery proceeds. This bill is the rollout of last year’s HB2002, behind the school gates, behind parents’ backs.
I proposed an amendment that OHA grants be awarded only to school-based health centers that require parental consent to treat minor children. But the committee chair didn’t seem to like that, so the amendment went nowhere.
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Currently the school-based health center program specifies local control. But what happens after the infrastructure gets built out? Who knows?
The only thing for certain is that nothing will change in Oregon until Charlie Brown stops trusting Lucy to just play fair.
 The short session is moving quickly. State government works best when citizens stay informed and engaged. Only then will you know if your elected officials are getting Back to Basics and getting Oregon back on track.
You can track and stay involved in the legislative process by using the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS), link [here]. Click on "Bills" on the upper right of the page to find links to submit testimony and learn which legislator is sponsoring the bill you are concerned about so you can contact them directly via email or phone.
Please make sure you are subscribed to this electronic newsletter to receive regular updates about the legislative session by entering your email in the "e-Subscribe" box on my website, link [here].
I am here to serve you and look forward to hearing your concerns and suggestions!
Please be in touch with me via email at Rep.DwayneYunker@oregonlegislature.gov, over the phone at 503.986.1403, or by stopping by my office in the Oregon Capitol Building, 900 Court St. NE, H-371, Salem, OR 97301.
Sincerely,
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1403
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-371, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.DwayneYunker@oregonlegislature dot gov
Website: oregonlegislature.gov/yunker
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