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Dear friends and neighbors,
The 2024 legislative session ended last Thursday, March 7, three days before the constitutionally required deadline. Despite ongoing construction at the Capitol that frequently interrupted committee meetings and floor sessions, and a few winter storms that made travel to-and-from Salem dicey, we passed significant legislation to address some of the state’s most challenging issues, including our housing shortage, addiction and public safety concerns, and—a surprise addition to the line-up—campaign finance reform!
I’ll be sharing details about these initiatives, as well as areas where we fell short (think wildfire mitigation and suppression funding) at a Town Hall on March 16, 10 AM at the Rogue Valley UU Fellowship Hall, 87 Fourth Street in Ashland. I hope you will join me for a lively discussion and good conversation.
As always, thank you for your friendship, support, and critical feedback. I’m honored to have this job, and always grateful to have engaged constituents who help guide the path.
My best,
Pam
State Representative
Oregon House District 5 - Southern Jackson County
For an extensive discussion of this legislation, please see my guest opinion in the Rogue Valley Times - Rep. Marsh: A balanced approach to Oregon's addiction crisis
Widespread concern over our addiction crisis and associated public safety issues dominated much of the discussion during the short session. After extensive debate, and with bipartisan support, the Legislature passed House Bills 4002 and 5204.
Together, these bills provide a comprehensive, public health approach to addiction that includes significant behavioral health investments/reforms, rigorous penalties for drug dealers, medical treatment for individuals in our jails, and the institution of criminal penalties for possession that will allow police to confiscate drugs.
Highlights of the Oregon Drug Intervention Plan (ODIP) include:
- $85.4 million for shovel-ready behavioral health treatment projects
- $30.5 million to create and support deflection programs to help individuals found with possession to enter treatment
- $10 million for medication assisted treatment in jails
- $2 million to develop and implement curricula for Oregon schools about the dangers of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl
- $12 million to support development of specialty courts, including drug courts
Counties will be strongly encouraged to create deflection programs that will provide individuals who are found with possession with multiple pathways to connect with treatment and avoid long-term legal consequences, including jail or a criminal record.
Oregon Jail-Based Medication for Opioid-Use Disorder Grant Program
My personal contribution to this package is the Oregon Jail-Based Medication for Opioid-Use Disorder Grant Program, which was introduced as a stand-alone bill, House Bill 4120, and eventually amended into the ODIP package. Jails need resources so that they can provide medically appropriate and compassionate treatment to help incarcerated individuals on a path to recovery. This program will provide technical assistance and funding to jails to create or expand medication-assisted treatment for adults in custody who have opioid use disorder. Funds may be used for a spectrum of needs, including medication, telemedicine, mobile treatment units, acute withdrawal screenings, medication storage, and transition services.
Here in the Rogue Valley, we know that the lack of housing is inhibiting growth, pushing families out of the community, and fueling homelessness. Senate Bills 1537 and 1530 provide a framework and funding to get housing on the ground in Southern Oregon and across the state.
Developed by Governor Kotek with input from a broad group of stakeholders, the $376 million package makes significant and broad investments to spur housing, including $94.3 million for specific infrastructure improvements.
Key investments of this package include:
- Development of a Housing Accountability and Production Office to support local governments as they work to achieve their housing production goals.
- Continued funding to respond to and prevent homelessness, including $65 million for emergency shelters, Project Turnkey sites and navigation centers; and $34 million for eviction prevention services.
- Funding for 27 recovery housing projects in communities across the state - $18 million
- Individual development accounts for first-time homebuyers - $5 million
- Healthy Homes funding to support critical home repairs for low income residents to lower energy usage and make homes safer - $15 million
- Programs to provide residents with resilience to changing climate conditions, including $4 million for the residential heat pump fund; $3.5 million for emergency air conditioners and filters for at-risk individuals; and $2 million to support warming or cooling emergency shelters.
SB 1537 also allows cities to pursue a one-time expansion of their urban growth boundaries to accommodate residential development. Cities under 25,000 people can expand by up to 50 acres; cities over 25,000 people can expand by 100 acres; in the Metro area, the cap is 300 acres. Cities will need to demonstrate both the need for land AND show that their residents are cost burdened in order to qualify for this expansion. Thirty percent of housing in any expanded area must be affordable, one of the highest requirements in the nation.
And the Revolving Loan Fund
My personal contribution to this package is the development of a new $75 million Revolving Loan Fund that will provide interest-free loans to local governments for investment in moderate income housing projects, especially infill.
A significant portion of state’s housing shortfall is for people who earn 80-120% of median income—the teachers, first responders, hospitality staff, mill workers, and others who are part of the fabric of every vibrant community—but new housing for our workforce frequently fails to pencil out because the costs of land and development outstrip what they can afford.
The Revolving Loan Fund is a flexible tool that can be used for a variety of construction financing gaps such as infrastructure, systems development charges, and land purchases. When the project is built and occupied, the loan will be repaid by assessing a fee equal to, but in lieu of, the property tax, for approximately 10 years. After the loan is satisfied, the fee goes away and full property taxes will be retained by local jurisdictions.
The revolving mechanism makes this a strategic and sustainable financing model. We cannot solve our housing woes in a year, or even five years, and the state does not have endless dollars. The Revolving Loan Fund will recycle our initial investment and put those dollars to work on other projects, over and over again, creating housing that would not otherwise be built.
The Center for Public Integrity gave Oregon a grade of 'F' for the state’s approach to campaign financing in its 2015 State Integrity Investigation. Oregon is one of only 5 states with no limits on political campaign contributions. Too often, big donors have played a disproportionate role in the campaign process, discouraging grassroots candidates and skewing election outcomes.
Long overdue and with strong bipartisan support, I am pleased that the legislature approved House Bill 4024, placing Oregon on a path to enact limits on campaign donations. The law takes effect in January 2027.
Highlights of campaign donations limits:
- $3,300 per person
- $2,000 per candidate committee
- $5,000 per multi-candidate political committee
- $15,000 per legislative caucus committee
- $13,200 per membership organization
- Non-statewide race - $5 multiplied by number of donors of political committee (e.g. unions)
- Statewide Race - $10 multiplied by number of donors of political committee
- Any group that spends $50,000 in an election cycle must reveal the names of those who gave $5,000 or more
- Local governments can set even lower limits
In addition to defining campaign contributions limits, the law sets disclosure and reporting requirements for candidate campaign independent expenditures, establishes complaint investigation requirements and deadlines, requires unexpended candidate funds to be used only for certain purposes, and creates a web-based campaign finance dashboard. It also sets civil penalties for violations of these rules.
The state’s Employment Related Day Care program provides subsidized care to families while parents work and attend school. Recognizing the vital nature of these services, the legislature approved $171 million in an end-of-session bill to extend program benefits to many of the nearly 2,000 families on the waiting list.
With the passage of House Bill 4082, Oregon’s K-12 students may be headed back to school this summer. HB 4082 provides $30 million for Summer Learning aimed at improving readiness to learn, promoting academic achievement, and providing safe, healthy, and enriching ways to grow during summer months.
Emergency Communications of Southern Oregon (our 911 system) received $2.5 million for modernization efforts in the legislature’s end-of- session budget bill.
Comprised of approximately 30 law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical service providers, ECSO serves all of Jackson County and Crater Lake National Park by handling calls and dispatching services to citizens and public safety agencies. The service area of the member agencies includes parts of Josephine, Klamath, Douglas, Curry and Siskiyou (CA) Counties.
In 2019, Jackson County voters approved $28 million in general obligation bonds to improve the public safety radio system, upgrading the outdated public safety radio infrastructure to modernize the system and provide more robust coverage. As a result of inflation, unexpected expenses, and circumstances beyond the control of ECSO, the cost for completing the project has increased with an estimated budget shortfall of approximately $4.6 million. The state’s contribution of $2.5 million will help fill this gap.
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City of Phoenix for water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure improvements to extend water line to service developable property: $1,650,000
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City of Talent for water and sewer system development charges for infrastructure and water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure improvements for housing development: $300,000
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City of Medford to construct a regional stormwater facility to serve the New Spirit development: $945,000
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Addictions Recovery Center
- Sobering Center operations: $500,000
- Substance Use Disorder Withdrawal Management Expansion Project: $1 million
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SOU Central Hall for renovation and improvements: $6.1 million
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Oregon Shakespeare Festival, part of an allocation for venues that provide arts and cultural programming: $2,555,175
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Southern Oregon Historical Society for creation of an event center and museum: $500,000
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Friends of the Oregon Caves and Chateau for restoration of the historic chateau: $455,690
During this short session, the media took significant interest in the the work we were doing, both locally and statewide. Here are a few articles where I had an opportunity to elevate awareness about various legislative proposals. For a full list of news coverage from my office, go HERE.
Contact Rep. Pam Marsh
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1405
District Phone: 541-282-4516
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-474, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.PamMarsh@oregonlegislature.gov
Website and e-Subscribe: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/marsh
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