Friends and neighbors, here are some highlights from this last week and helpful community information for you. And I will be sending out weekly updates on what is happening at the Capitol for all the latest!

The Capitol is still undergoing major renovations and constructions, but if you want experience the Capitol you still can - virtually with new Visitor Experience interactive website, here.

During the short session, if you want to look up proposed legislation, register to testify in a committee, or subscribe to follow bills you can go here for more information and instructions on how to do so. Stay tuned!

 - Shelly

Protecting Nurses and Healthcare Workers

Last week, I wrote about HB 4088, a bill I am working on with Representative Travis Nelson (D-Portland) that would make it a felony to assault a nurse and other hospital workers while they are on the job. The bill passed with strong bipartisan support out of the House Judiciary Committee. But now, the bill is sitting in the Ways and Means committee because of a provision in the bill that would offer hospitals grant funding to help them address their individual hospital safety needs.

Read more about the bill in this Capital Chonicle story. Here is a little snippet:

Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany, has championed bills aimed at preventing violence against health care workers for several years, and is also a driving force behind this one. She said in testimony her campaign has been spurred by stories of workplace violence recounted by her sister, a nurse at Salem Hospital for 20 years.

“I was shocked at the stories I heard that I’ve compiled over the years of working this bill,” she said. “This should not be their reality.”

I urge you to email the Ways and Means co-chairs supporting HB 4088. You can do that here:

Email Representative Tawna Sanchez

Email Senator Elizabeth Steiner

ODOT is in Trouble

Last Thursday night, ODOT presented before the Joint Transportation Committee. It was perhaps the most shocking and enlightening committee hearing I have been in for quite some time.

Over the last year or so, many have heard that ODOT is struggling with their budget. They even proposed scaling down snowplowing this last winter because of it. But few have understood where all their money was going, or the true scale of the issue.

Last Thursday night’s hearing revealed that between projects that need completed, like Rose Quarter and the I-205 improvements, and regular maintenance, services, and operations that you likely think of when you think of ODOT, there is a $4 billion budget gap.

That’s huge, and way worse than many thought.

Most Oregonians have little faith in ODOT, regardless of political perspective. If ODOT wants taxpayers to pick up this tab, there is going to need to be much more oversight, accountability, and transparency than there is right now.

Most Oregonians have little faith in ODOT, regardless of political perspective. I want to offer a perspective here… ODOT only does what the Oregon Transportation Commission and the Oregon Legislature tells them to do. I believe the blame lies in the policy that the Oregon Legislature puts forth. Let’s not pass the buck. The Oregon Legislature needs to do better. There is a lot of work to be done in the transportation space. Let’s see if Democrat leadership is motivated to allow us to do that work.

What’s to Come as Session Winds Down

Many of the biggest pieces of legislation are just beginning to make their way out of committee. A large campaign finance reform bill received a public hearing, the Governor’s housing bill moved out of committee, and there are rumors of a Measure 110 deal.

There is a lot to do in the remaining two weeks of session, so make sure to keep an eye on my social media and this newsletter for current updates. And as always, please email me any thoughts that you believe I should be aware of.

Portland schools hit with civil rights complaint for factoring race and gender into school discipline

An Oregon public school district is facing a federal civil rights complaint over its new discipline policy that factors in students’ race, gender and sexual orientation.

Parents Defending Education (PDE) filed a federal civil rights complaint Thursday to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), targeting a discipline policy in Portland Public Schools (PPS) "for discrimination on the basis of race."

The change in policy regarding disciplinary actions mandates that "continuous disruptive behavior" will now be addressed by a "support plan" that was born out of a collective bargaining agreement in November 2023.

Unsanctioned homeless camps under freeways in NW Portland cause concern

Multiple unsanctioned homeless camps under freeway overpasses in Northwest Portland are causing concern for some who live and work nearby, while some living in the camps plead for help to get off the streets.

Tents and make-shift shelters line the streets that cross over land owned by the State of Oregon.

Some who live and work in the area told FOX 12 off-camera that the camps have been growing over the last few weeks but are mainly concentrated under the freeways.

Three Posh, Empty Office Buildings Test Appetite for Portland Real Estate

“The greater Portland office market continued its downward trajectory through 2023 and is expected to continue facing significant headwinds in the coming year,” analysts at Colliers wrote in their fourth-quarter market report. “Tenant downsizing and relocation will drive vacancy rates upward through 2024.”

Downtown Portland could hit 40% vacancy this year, Colliers says. Worst day, indeed.

Legislature advances bill that aims to stem violence against hospital workers

Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, R-Albany, has championed bills aimed at preventing violence against health care workers for several years, and is also a driving force behind this one. She said in testimony her campaign has been spurred by stories of workplace violence recounted by her sister, a nurse at Salem Hospital for 20 years.

“I was shocked at the stories I heard that I’ve compiled over the years of working this bill,” she said. “This should not be their reality.”

Enrollment losses persist in Oregon’s public schools

The number of students attending public school in Oregon hasn’t bottomed out yet, four years after a pandemic-fueled exodus.

New data from the Oregon Department of Education shows that the state’s 197 public school districts are educating about 5,000 fewer students now than they were in the 2022-2023 academic year and around 33,000 fewer than before the pandemic closed school buildings.

Before the pandemic, about 580,000 students attended public school in Oregon. Now, there are around 547,400, according to the state agency’s data, which is based on fall attendance records. That’s a 6% decline overall since the fall of 2019 and a .9% drop from last year.

Oregon Health Authority said its cover-up of beer and wine tax study was inadvertent. That’s false

The Oregon Health Authority apologized last month for failing to publish a study showing an increase in beer and wine taxes would barely diminish harms from excessive drinking, saying officials inadvertently lost track of doing so amid a staggering COVID workload.

That’s not true, public records show.

Internal emails and an interview with the study’s author show the agency refrained from publishing the findings in 2022 as health authority officials worked to advance their since-scuttled plan to increase beer and wine taxes.

Oregon sees highest fentanyl overdose death increase in U.S. since 2019

Yearly fentanyl overdose deaths in Oregon grew by an estimated 1,500% since before the pandemic, by far the largest increase in the United States, federal data show.

There were 77 known fentanyl overdose deaths in the state during the 12 months ending September 2019. Oregon deaths from the cheap, super-powerful opioid, mostly produced in China and Mexico and smuggled into the United States, ballooned to an estimated 1,268 during the 12 months ending September 2023, according to a federal analysis of the most recent available overdose-death data.

Students nationwide have rebounded after pandemic. But not in Oregon. Consequences could be severe

Students around the country have shown promising signs of rebounding from the COVID era’s massive disruptions to learning, according to a first-of-its-kind multi-state analysis by researchers at Harvard and Stanford universities.

But not in Oregon.

Unlike in the 29 other states studied, Oregon students as a whole have failed to regain either reading or math skills, researchers found.

The state’s elementary and middle school students remain an average of about two-thirds of a year behind in reading compared to pre-pandemic levels and three-fourths of a year behind in math, the study found. That’s roughly two to three times the deficit faced by students nationwide, the study found.

New OHA director Sejal Hathi on hot seat over withheld report, wrong statements

But she also faced yet another complication: Hathi had told Senate Minority Leader Tim Knopp, R-Bend, on Feb. 2 that the study wasn’t shared with outside special interests. The Oregonian story said public records showed officials had briefed Mike Mike Marshall, executive director of Oregon Recovers and an advocate for higher alcohol taxes, on the report.

“You said it was not shared more broadly within OHA or with any other partners or special interests prior to its posting,” Knopp, a task force member, said. “So someone lied to you for you to make that statement. That statement is obviously false. So there needs to be some accountability.”

Measure 110 helpline still barely rings – but it costs a lot more  

Only 30 people who have gotten drug possession tickets have called the line since the Oregon Health Authority in December announced a “newly invigorated” effort to connect people to substance abuse screening and treatment referral under Oregon’s drug decriminalization law.

Portland clean energy fund’s staggering windfall spurs money grab, threatens climate justice ambitions 

The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund, intended to bankroll climate projects and green jobs for community nonprofits serving the city’s most vulnerable residents, will rake in more than $1.3 billion over the next five years, city estimates indicate. It so far has awarded $155 million to more than 80 local nonprofits.

Why Multnomah County’s plan to move hundreds of homeless campers into apartments utterly failed to meet its goals 

A year later, however, the program has only placed 37 individuals or households in apartments, according to a tally by The Oregonian/OregonLive. While the rollout has been maddeningly slow, housing caseworkers say the program has brought some game-changing resources to the table

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Oregon ranks last on student math and reading progress in study of 30 states

Many students nationwide are recovering from lost learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from professors at Harvard and Stanford, but Oregon was the only state out of 30 in the study where elementary and middle school students continued to lose ground in math and reading from 2022 to the 2023 school year.

Oregon students are now three-quarters of a year behind in math, and two-thirds of a year behind in reading.

PEER SUPPORT AND SKILL BUILDING

From our friends at Jackson Street Youth Services:

Youth Services:PS541 is our weekly skill building group for youth ages 16-24. We eat a hot meal together, connect with our peers, and build real world skills to help us moving forward. We are now hosting this event at Young Roots Oregon in Albany, on Fridays at 4 PM. Thanks Young Roots!

Youth that want to get involved- holler at Leilani! Leilani.dana@jacksonstreet.org. Youth should also make sure and follow us at Jackson Street Youth Outreach for more info about services.

If you’d like to be a presenter at PS541, we’d love to have you. We’ve hosted accountants, bike mechanics, therapists, and photographers. Get in touch via DM if you’d like to volunteer!

KIDS FIREARM SAFETY CLASS

From our friends at the Albany Police Department:

We are excited to be back at the @albanypd on March 6th, 2024 at 6:00 pm. We are there every quarter. We look forward to seeing you there. You can register through the link. We love SAFETY and it shows!!

2024 SPRING CITIZENS ACADEMY

From our friends at Linn County Sheriffs Office:

The Linn County Sheriff’s Office will be offering a Spring Citizens Academy and we are now accepting applications!

Our Citizens Academy offers a unique and detailed look into the dynamic operations of the Linn County Sheriff’s Office! The Academy is open to any qualified and interested Linn County citizen.

Our Spring Academy will run from April 17th through June 12th. Classes will be every Wednesday evening from 6pm-9pm. There will also be one Sunday “field trip” to the firearms range and Animal Control, with that date to be determined later.

Citizen’s Academy students are introduced to each of our divisions and specialty teams. They receive classroom instruction and hands-on training in areas such as patrol, detectives, corrections, firearms, defensive tactics, traffic enforcement, narcotics investigations, swift water rescue and dive recovery, prisoner transport, and search and rescue.

The atmosphere at the Citizens Academy is fun and informative. Classes are taught by our dedicated Sheriff’s Office team members. The minimum age for attendees is 18 years of age, however, applications will be considered for those as young as 16-years-old, provided they attend and take part in Citizens Academy with their parent or guardian.

For more information and to apply, please visit the website here.

For questions, please contact Community Services Specialist Michael Mattingly at mmattingly@linnsheriff.org.

BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF ALBANY

The Boys & Girls Club of Albany is offering Basketball Open Gym at the Teen Center for middle and high school students!

Wednesdays, 3-5pm • January 31 - March 20

For more information about what is going on at the Club, go HERE.

SPRING SPORTS AT THE 'Y'

SPRING BREAK SPORTS CAMPS ARE HERE! REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

We're excited to announce our co-ed spring break sports camps! Kids will learn the basic fundamentals, teamwork, and most importantly, how to have fun!

Choose from 3 camps: basketball, football, or combo camp (basketball + football)

$$ SAVINGS $$ for our two-sport combo camp!

Ages: 5-8 // 9-12

Dates: March 25-28

All details + registration HERE.

For more information about what is going on at the Y, go HERE.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY -

THERE IS STILL TIME TO APPLY!

It's not too late to apply for the OFB Memorial Scholarship!

More information and how to apply, go HERE.

ROAD CLOSURE - FEB. 26 - APR. 30

From our friends at the City of Albany:

HEADS UP! Water Avenue between Baker and Jackson Streets will be closed starting Monday through April 30, 2024. K&E Excavating will be making road improvements in this area as a part of ST-22-08 Waterfront Streetscape Project. Detour signage will be in place directing traffic.

UPCOMING SPEED REDUCTIONS

Starting next month, Waverly Drive and Columbus Street from Highway 20 south to the city limits will see some speed limit reductions.

Members of the Transportation Advisory Commission reviewed the proposed reductions and at the City's request, ODOT issued a new speed zone order for Waverly Drive / Columbus Street corridor. ODOT is responsible for the establishment of speed zone designations on all arterial roads in Oregon. (Pssst! One of our very own HD-15 constituents and colleague from the House Chief Clerk's Office, Lacy Ramirez, is serving her 1st term on this commission!) 

South of Hwy. 20 to the bridge at Oak Creek will drop from 40 to 35 mph. South of the Oak Creek bridge to the city limit line (about 600 feet south of Ellingson Road) will be 50 mph. The section north of Hwy. 20 to Salem Road remains set at 25 mph. City street crews will change the posted speed limit signs during the first week of March.

Speed enforcement is the responsibility of the police department. To request placement of the SMART™ speed-monitoring trailer, visit the Neighborhood Speed Watch website, HERE.

CONGRESSWOMAN CHAVEZ-DEREMER

VISITS SALEM

U.S. Representive Lori Chavez-DeRemer (CD-5) and members of her team - Rebecca Wright and Jihun Han - make a visit to the Oregon Capitol this week.

SHERIFFS AT SOUTH ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL

From our friends at Linn County Sheriffs Office:

We had a great time yesterday joining students and faculty at the South Albany High School Career Day!

Sgt. Steve Frambes was there and did a presentation to many of the students telling them all about careers with the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

Emergency Management Coordinator, Ric Lentz, presented to students as well, letting them know all about our Search and Rescue program.

We also had a booth set up and had some great conversations with the students and gave away some cool stuff too!

Thank you South Albany High School for hosting us!

During the 2024 legislative session my office will continue to keep you updated and informed - and is always at your service. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any community event announcements, legislative questions, or concerns.

Talk soon, 

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1415
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-389, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boshartdavis