Dear Friends and Neighbors,
We are in the final few days of the 83rd Legislative Session and bills are moving quickly between the House and Senate. We are constitutionally required to finish our work no later than Sunday, March 10th so it's been a week full of long Floor sessions and budget committee meetings to make the last funding allocations of the Session. I am proud to report my two priority bills, House Bill 4082 and House Bill 4084, passed both Chambers and now head to the Governor for her signature. You'll find more information about these bills and other important policies passed this week in the "Legislative Updates" section of this newsletter.
For a full debrief of the 2024 Legislative Session, please join me, Senator Sollman, and Rep. Sosa for a Town Hall on March 21st.
Register for the Town Hall here, or by clicking on the image below:
Carrying bills and celebrating wins on the House Floor this week!
  
STATUS OF MY CHIEF-SPONSORED BILLS
Each House and Senate member was only allowed to introduce two personal bills this Session due to the time constraints of the 35-day Session. As noted in my introduction, my two primary bills were House Bill 4082 to fund Summer Learning and House Bill 4084 to provide educational support to foster youth. In addition to our two personal bills, Members can also sign onto another Member's bill as a Co-Chief Sponsor or as a Regular Sponsor. I was proud to sign on as a Co-Chief Sponsor of two bills: House Bill 4156 to update Oregon's stalking laws and Senate Bill 1553 to make drug use on public transit vehicles a crime under Oregon's Interfering with Public Transit statute. I provide an overview of SB 1553 farther down in the "Legislative Updates" section.
I am thrilled to say that three of the bills I was a Chief Sponsor of have passed the House and Senate and are headed to Governor Kotek's desk. The fourth, HB 4156 is expected to pass the Senate this evening.
HB 4082 AND HB 4084 PASS THE LEGISLATURE
I am thrilled that both of my priority bills, House Bill 4082 to fund Summer Learning and House Bill 4084 to provide educational support to foster youth, have passed the House and Senate and now head to the Governor's desk. Thank you to all the community partners who worked tirelessly on both bills, to the Legislators who joined on as sponsors, and of course everyone who voted for the bills. I am proud of the bipartisan and bicameral support we garnered. A special thank you to Governor Tina Kotek and her amazing team for their advocacy and leadership on HB 4082. Below you'll find my press release on the passage of both bills (click on the press release for an easier to read version), clips of the House and Senate Floor speeches on HB 4082, and links to news coverage on Summer Learning.
HB 4082 Summer Learning Floor Speeches
I carried the Summer Learning bill on the House Floor and Representative Boomer Wright gave an impassioned speech about the importance of Summer Learning programs. Click here or on the image below to watch the speeches:
On the Senate side, the bill was carried by Senator Dembrow and Senators Steiner and Weber both spoke about why Summer Learning matters and why we need it now. Click here or on the image below to watch Senators Steiner and Weber speak on the bill:
Read more on Summer Learning:
SB 1553 - SAFE PUBLIC TRANSIT FOR ALL
I was a Co-Chief Sponsor of SB 1553 which applies the crime of Interfering with Public Transportation to the use of illicit drugs on public transit. It also classifies drug use on transit as a drug-designated misdemeanor, allowing individuals to access state-funded treatment in many instances.
As a Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, I have been working on the issue of transit safety for many years. The bill is critical to ensuring our transit workers, commuters, and families are safe on Oregon's public transit vehicles.
A truly multimodal system gives essential choices to our Oregon families. The decline in public transit ridership across the state is partly due to people not feeling safe anymore when in confined spaces on buses or trains. A recent TriMet survey shows over a 30% drop in riders who report feeling safe on buses and trains over the past several years. This is a statewide problem raised in rural and urban jurisdictions.
I have been asked about safety over and over again by jurisdictions, riders, and transit employees who wonder why they must work in an environment where they have to deal with drug paraphernalia, drug activity, and Fentanyl and smoke residue daily. I have heard again and again from Transit executives about how important this bill is to public transit safety.
The Joint Transportation Committee has been working tirelessly to invest in and support public transit as part of our multimodal system. To reduce emissions and reach our statewide climate goals, we must provide increased opportunities for people to use public transit and address any obstacles that may stand in the way of expanding ridership. This means taking action to ensure that workers and riders are safe when on our transit vehicles and trains leave the station. We must encourage public transit at all opportunities and do everything we can to protect the workers we depend on. This bill is critical to recovering and increasing ridership and protecting transit workers and Oregon families, and I am pleased that it passed.
SB 1596: "RIGHT TO REPAIR"
On Monday, the country's most comprehensive Right to Repair legislation passed the Oregon House, receiving strong bipartisan support with 42 votes. SB 1596 will require manufacturing companies to make diagnostic tools, information, and replacement parts available to consumers and third-party repair shops so Oregonians can more affordably fix their products, such as phones, computers, and appliances.
I want to commend Senator Sollman and Representative Neron for championing this bill. This is a piece of legislation that I am proud to be a sponsor of, alongside many bipartisan members of the Legislature.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM PASSES LEGISLATURE
In a historic moment, the Oregon Legislature voted overwhelmingly in favor of passing HB 4024A to put limits on campaign finance contributions in Oregon. I was proud to cast my vote along with most of my colleagues to support these changes.
Acknowledging recent efforts and many years of work on campaign finance reform before them, Leaders Julie Fahey (D-Eugene) and Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) issued the following statement:
“We made an important step to make reasonable changes in Oregon’s campaign finance system. We arrived at this vote today after countless hours of good faith negotiations which were successful because of the years of work on this topic by Speaker Dan Rayfield and other legislators who worked on campaign finance long before us.
“We believe this bill meets Oregonians’ need for reasonable contribution limits, transparency, and accountability, without simply shifting campaign spending into ‘dark money’ activities. It also protects the ability of community organizations and nonprofits to engage in the kind of grassroots political organization that has become a hallmark of Oregon’s democracy.
“The legislation we passed today has agreement from good government groups, labor, business, community organizations, Democrats, and Republicans.
“We recognize that our nation has a patchwork of state-level campaign finance regulations. Given the reality of the Citizens United ruling, there is no perfect campaign finance system. This policy is one that came about in the spirit of compromise to do the right thing for Oregonians.”
SUPPORT FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE STUDENTS
This week, the Oregon Legislature approved Senate Bill 1532, which creates a student success plan for immigrant and refugee students. The Immigrant and Refugee Student Success Plan will be developed and implemented by the Oregon Department of Education, in collaboration with a diverse advisory group that will include students and families who are immigrants, refugees, and asylum-seekers, and education and community partners.
SB 1532 also forms an Immigrant and Refugee Student Success Grant Program, which allows early learning hubs, early learning providers, school districts, education service districts, higher education institutions, tribal governments, and community-based organizations to apply for grants.
This bill has received bipartisan support throughout the legislature and was championed by Senator Kayse Jama. This is a piece of legislation that I am proud to be a sponsor of, alongside many bipartisan members of the Legislature.
SB 1541 INCREASES JUDICIAL POSITION IN WASHCO
I was pleased to vote for SB 1541 in both Ways and Means and on the House Floor and appreciate that it gives Washington County an additional judgeship. The bill has passed both Chambers and increases the number of statutory circuit court judgeships by three in the following three judicial districts:
First Judicial District, Jackson County - increases the number of judgeships from ten to eleven effective July 1, 2024.
Twentieth Judicial District, Washington County - increases the number of judgeships from fifteen to sixteen effective July 1, 2024.
Fifth Judicial District, Clackamas County - increases the number of judgeships from
eleven to twelve effective July 1, 2025, or the 2025-27 biennium.
These changes increase the statewide number of circuit court judgeships from 179 to 182 positions. The 2023-25 cost of the measure is $1.9 million General Fund and 14 positions.
 
CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
March is Women’s History Month, a time to recognize the many contributions that women have made to the fabric of American History. Women’s History Month was first celebrated in 1981 as Women’s History Week but became a month-long observance in 1987. We celebrate to remind ourselves of the accomplishments of women and to reflect on the trailblazing women who led the way for change.
2024 WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH THEME
The theme for 2024 Women's History Month is "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion." The theme recognizes women throughout the country who understand that, for a positive future, we need to eliminate bias and discrimination entirely from our lives and institutions. Women from every background have long realized that an uneven playing field will never bring equality or justice. Many feel the critical need to speak up and work harder for fairness in our institutions and social interactions.
You can read more about the theme on the National Women's Alliance's website, here.
CITY OF HILLSBORO HIGHLIGHTS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
The City of Hillsboro has a webpage highlighting important events and resources about Women's History Month. The page also discusses the theme of "Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion." In their theme discussion, they highlight Adelante Mujeres: "Located in Forest Grove, Adelante Mujeres is a local organization that provides holistic education and empowerment opportunities to low-income Latina women and their families to ensure full participation and active leadership in the community."
The full webpage, with events, resources, and more information, can be found here.
WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH WEBPAGE
The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.
Their website includes an events page, as well as exhibits and other important materials. This full website can be found at: https://womenshistorymonth.gov/
NEW I-5 BRIDGE RENDERINGS RELEASED
From Oregon Public Broadcasting
Interstate 5 bridge planners on Tuesday released several illustrations of how they believe a new — and much larger — span could look.
The images visualize a new bridge looming higher than the current structure, over the banks of the Columbia River and over Hayden Island. Greg Johnson, head of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program, acknowledged in a meeting the bridge is noticeably larger than its predecessor, parts of which are older than a century.
“This is going to be a larger bridge than currently exists,” Johnson said. “We know that.”
Johnson made the comments while meeting with representatives from Oregon and Washington who helped steer the major infrastructure overhaul.
The designs are far from final. The release comes as the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program — a team jointly funded by Oregon and Washington — works toward submitting an application to federal transportation officials ahead of planned construction.
Johnson said the renderings show only “design options being considered.”
“This is just to give perspective on the size of the bridge, as related to if you’re standing on the ground on Hayden Island or on the waterfront in Vancouver,” Johnson said.
In addition to the vehicle portion of the bridge, Tuesday’s renderings also show an improved bike and pedestrian path to cross the Columbia River, as well as the telltale overhead power lines for light rail.
“This will carry a modern, active transportation system,” Johnson said. “This will carry light rail.”
Johnson focused primarily on the bridge’s scale. For example, it is shown clearing well over Hayden Island’s Center Avenue. In contrast, the current bridge touches down on the island’s northern bank before it cuts completely across and over the river slough.
That height will create some challenges for on- and off-ramps, and the scope of the multibillion-dollar project includes rebuilding several nearby interchanges in Portland and Vancouver.
“This will be a bigger bridge, and this will have impacts on Hayden Island, but we also think there will be very positive impacts,” Johnson said. He offered that the new bridge would make the island “more walkable” because it would no longer be bisected by I-5.
It’s not clear when exactly planners will submit their application to federal officials. However, the planning commission said it intends to hand over the plans to the federal government this spring.
According to the images, planners have three primary bridge styles in mind: a single-level bridge, a double-decker bridge, and a bridge with a moveable span to allow tall ships to pass underneath, along the river.
The bridge’s height has been a significant sticking point for its design. The U.S. Coast Guard has asked planners to ensure the replacement bridge is at least 116 feet tall to accommodate the ships or come to agreements with the companies that need that clearance — mainly, heavy manufacturers that are headquartered near the river.
The bridge’s final design is also likely to influence the price tag of the project, which planners have so far estimated to be around $6 billion or more.
Below are the latest renderings - click on the image to view in new window and zoom in:
JUAN DAVID ALONSO WRAPS UP HIS INTERNSHIP
t has been an amazing time working with Representative McLain's office and overall experiencing this legislative short session. There were many memories made and lessons learned from this year's session. One of them being the amount of time we have to process our desired bills through the session. It may have been short, but it did not limit us from working hard. When I started working with Rep. McLain, it was evident to see that there are more members in the House resulting in more interaction with other Representatives and overall welcoming environment.
Working in the Senate during the 2023 long session was truly an experience. I noticed some differences between the Senate and the House, including how buzzing the House common area can get, especially when there are Leaders, organizations, students, and advocates in the building. It is not surprising there is less noise in the Senate due to less members and a much bigger space to fill.
I am so grateful to work with Rep. McLain, Chief of staff Carolyn, and Legislative Assistant Elisabeth this 2024 short session. Together Rep. McLain was able to pass 4 bills including: Summer Learning allocating $30 million for summer learning programs and Education Support for Foster Youth, a pilot program to provide educational support to foster care services.
Sincerely,
Juan David
DON'T FORGET DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
This Sunday is Daylight Savings Time! Don't forget to Spring Forward by 1 hour on Sunday!
CLASSIFIED SCHOOL EMPLOYEES WEEK
March 4-8, 2024, is Classified School Employees Week! Classified Employees are the back bone of our school system and one of the many pieces that help a school function. From janitors to support staff to cafeteria workers and more, these employees are extremely important and schools would not function the same without them.
Thank you to all the Classified School Employees in our district, Oregon, and around the nation.
LIBRARY BEGINS BUILDING DRAKE LEARNING CENTER
This summer, the City of Cornelius will have a second large meeting room for community events and a unique makerspace for STEM instruction! The Drake Learning Center will be at 1310 N Adair St, inside the Cornelius Place building and connected to the Cornelius Public Library.
This remodeled space will become a second community meeting room of the library, accommodating over 50 guests with access to a kitchenette for catering and technology for digital audio and video presentations. The Center will also serve as a makerspace to host library and partner programs that encourage children to learn more about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) with interesting and fun hands-on activities.
The space is named for Rob Drake who served as the City Manager of Cornelius for ten years between 2012 and 2022 and was the driving force behind many successful community initiatives in Cornelius, including the construction of the Cornelius Place Apartments and Library.
You can read more about the Drake Learning Center project at the City of Cornelius webpage, here.
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EXPANDED HEALTH CARE ELIGIBILITY FOR VETERANS
Beginning March 5, the Veterans Administration is expanding health care eligibility to all veterans who have served at home or abroad and were exposed to toxins and other hazards during military service. This expansion of care covers veterans of all eras of service. Additionally, veterans who never deployed but were exposed to toxins or hazards while training or on active duty in the United States will also be eligible to enroll.
To apply for VA health care, visit VA’s health care enrollment website, call 1-800-698-2411, or visit your nearest VA medical center or clinic. Washington County veterans can get assistance applying for benefits by calling DAVS at 503-846-3060 or by filling out an inquiry form on their website.
My office has compiled a list of resources for our community. You can click on the images below to open a document with the relevant links. If you know of a resource that should be included here, or you need a resource and are having trouble finding the information you need, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office at rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov.
EDUCATION RESOURCES
Click here, or on the image to the right for a list of Education-related resources. This includes links to the Forest Grove and Hillsboro School Districts, the Oregon and US Departments of Education, information on how to pay for college, student lunch programs, and much more!
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WILDFIRE-RELATED RESOURCES
Click here, or on the image to the right for important resources related to wildfire prevention and recovery. This list includes links to current fire restrictions and recreation site status maps, the Oregon Department of Forestry's fire prevention tip page, and important resources for wildfire victims.
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RESOURCES FOR OUR VETERANS
Click here, or on the image to the right for a list of important resources for Veterans, including links and phone numbers to the various divisions of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, local Washington County assistance, supportive and community-based groups like the American Legion, and mental health resources.
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STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Click here, or on the image to the right for links to important local and state government pages, including the Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Cornelius city government pages. You can also access the Oregon Legislature's page, and other important state agency sites, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Unemployment Department, and the Oregon Health Authority.
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Yours truly,
 Representative Susan McLain
House District 29
email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-493, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain
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