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To contact me, please click here: Rep.KevinMannix@oregonlegislature.gov

2024 Legislative Session Recap

Hello House District 21,

As you may have heard, the 2024 Legislative Session came to an end on March 8th - two days ahead of our constitutional deadline to have all legislative business wrapped up. It was a whirlwind five-week session, but I am excited about all that was accomplished for House District 21 and all of Oregon. Continue reading below for several major updates. 

Rep. Mannix & The House Republican Caucus during the 2024 Legislative Session.

One of the most important responsibilities of being a Legislator is advocating for your community - whether through policy or by vocalizing funding needs. I am grateful to have secured the following investments in House District 21: 

• $11,500,000 for the Bridgeway Medical Center – This funding will be utilized for the development of a medical center and substance use disorder residential treatment facility.
• $3,000,000 for the Salem Baseball / Softball Turf Project – This funding will establish turf fields for baseball and softball that are available to the Salem-Keizer School District.
• $750,000 for the Center for Hope and Safety – This funding will go towards the development of the “Hope Plaza” which is affordable housing and services for victims of domestic violence.
• $3,000,000 for the Family YMCA of Marion and Polk County – This funding will be utilized to develop a centralized social service and resource center and affordable housing in Salem at the YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties.
• $400,000 for the Vietnam War Memorial Fund – This funding provides the amount needed to finish Phase I of the project on the Oregon State Capitol Grounds.
• $150,000 for the Eco Earth Globe in Riverfront Park – This globe is a lovely landmark which needs to be fully and professionally refurbished.

Below are a few comments I received about the funding:

“We wish to thank Representative Mannix for sponsoring this request. Given this allocation from the General Fund, we anticipate Phase 1 construction will start during the second quarter of 2024 with completion 22 weeks later. Thanks to Representative Mannix's help, the southwest corner of Willson Park will be a place our Vietnam Veterans are honored and revered for their service and sacrifice," said Steve Bates, President of the Vietnam War Memorial Fund.

“The Center for Hope & Safety is very grateful to Representative Mannix for championing the HOPE Plaza Housing Project in the last legislative session. The $750,000 will make it possible for survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking to have a safe home, job training, and wrap around services for generations to come,” said Jayne Downing, Executive Director for the Center for Hope and Safety.

Legislative Wins

Below is an update on several critical pieces of legislation that passed in the Oregon Legislature during the 2024 Legislative Session.

Oregon's Student Protection Law - House Bill 4160

One of my priority bills for the session, House Bill 4160 or “Oregon’s Student Protection Law,” passed both the House and the Senate. This legislation is designed to reduce the opportunity for predatory sexual behavior by educators who work with children. 

In 2019, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 155, the original legislation which defines sexual misconduct between school employees and students and requires the Oregon Department of Education and the Teachers Standards and Practices Commission to investigate and take appropriate action. This legislation has provided huge protections to the students in Oregon. 

House Bill 4160 extends these protections to a larger group of students. Under current law, a “student” remains a student only 90 days after graduation/leaving the school. This period is not long enough for the influential relationship of a teacher, coach or other meaningful school related relationship to become less powerful. In fact, what is happening in some of these sexual grooming cases is that teachers/staff are waiting out the 90 days before contacting the student to establish the sexual relationship. House Bill 4160 extends that protection to students for a full year after graduation/leaving the school.

I am grateful for the partnership of the Salem-Keizer School District throughout this process.

Click here to read an article on this legislation in the Statesman Journal.

Rep. Mannix with Salem-Keizer Public Schools Superintendent, Andrea Castaneda, and Debbie Joa, Prevention and Protection Coordinator for Salem-Keizer Public Schools.

Modernizing Oregon's Anti-Stalking Law - House Bill 4156

My second priority bill for the session was House Bill 4156 or "Modernization of Oregon's Anti-Stalking Law." We worked hard to get this legislation over the finish line, passing the House and the Senate only a few hours before session ended. I wrote the original law in 1995, and while it has worked well for the areas it covers, society now has a modern internet and electronic communications to deal with. This legislation broadens the scope of the stalking law to cover many new kinds of electronic and internet harassment, including efforts to damage a victim’s identity and credit rating.

Click here to read an article on this legislation in the Statesman Journal.

(Left to Right): Rep. Mannix's Chief of Staff, Michelle Mhoon, Rep. Mannix, and Ms. Oregon Amber Rosenberry.

Addressing Oregon's Addiction Crisis - House Bill 4002 A

Going into the session, we knew the major priority had to be addressing Oregon's drug crisis. The Legislature was able to pass House Bill 4002 A into law to do just that. While I believe this legislation is far from perfect, I do consider it a big step in the right direction. 

The essential element of House Bill 4002 is the establishment of an unclassified
misdemeanor regarding the possession of hard drugs so we can hold drug users
accountable and use this accountability to press them into treatment. We also set up the framework for comprehensive drug rehabilitation programs.

House Bill 4002, and its companion funding bill, House Bill 5204, gives law enforcement and community treatment providers the tools to confiscate hard drugs, keep people safe, and connect people struggling with addiction into treatment. 

Click here to read my entire statement on this legislation.

Payment In Lieu of Taxes - House Bill 4072

State-owned property in Oregon is exempt from municipal property taxes (ORS 307.090), yet it benefits from the fire, first response, and public safety services that municipal governments provide.

This legislation, which I worked with Representative Andersen (D-Salem) on, The Payment In-Lieu of Taxes (PiLT) pilot program, would have required the state owned properties within the City of Salem to pay the municipal government in-lieu of the taxes from which they are exempt.

While this legislation was not successful in making it through the legislative process, it was an important bipartisan first step toward providing funding for emergency services in Salem. I will continue to work on this approach. 

Victims Rights Package - House Bill 4146

I was a Co-Chief Sponsor of the Victims Rights Package alongside Representative Hartman (D-Gladstone/Oregon City). This legislation closes loopholes and increases victims' access to justice. This legislation was passed in both the House and the Senate and is awaiting the Governor's signature. 

Campaign Finance - House Bill 4024

Limiting campaign finance contributions in Oregon has long been a topic of conversation. This session the Legislature passed campaign finance reform via House Bill 4024. This bill puts limits on campaign contributions and increases transparency. This new law will cap individual contributors to giving candidates $3,300 per election – or $6,600 to a candidate who runs in both the primary and general elections. Individuals could also give up to $10,000 per two-year election cycle to multicandidate committees. 

Recreational Immunity - Senate Bill 1576

Oregon’s “recreational immunity” law, which I sponsored during the 1995 session, protects public and private landowners from lawsuits if someone is injured while using their property for recreation. A recent Court of Appeals ruling made the protections of the recreational law uncertain. As a result, local governments have shut down many trails on the advice of their insurance carriers. 

A short term solution was created in Senate Bill 1576. I plan to work with stakeholders during the interim for a more permanent and straightforward solution.

WES Commuter Bill

This legislation was a bipartisan, bicameral effort to create a task force—the Westside Express Advisory Committee— composed of local governments, transit agencies, railroads and public-interest groups to study extending the current rush-hour-only Westside Express Service (WES) commuter train from the current southern terminus in Wilsonville for 31 miles to Salem, with stops in Donald, Woodburn and Keizer. 

While this legislation made it out of Joint Transportation unanimously, it did not get the funding needed to complete the study. This is a project I plan to take the lead on in the interim, continuing to work with Senator Woods and Representative Neron, as well as the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments and the city leaders of Salem, Keizer, Woodburn, Aurora, Donald and Wilsonville – who all prioritize this project.

Capping the Cost of Insulin

In recent years, the cost of insulin has skyrocketed 55%. This increase is making life harder on Oregonians living on tight budgets, especially seniors living on a fixed income. Senate Bill 1508 caps the price of insulin at $35 and prevents Oregonians with chronic illnesses and disabilities, who are covered by Medicaid and the Oregon Health Plan, from facing higher costs.

Right to Repair

Senate Bill 1596 will make it easier for consumers to repair their own technology by requiring that manufacturers make available manuals, tools, and parts to diagnose, maintain, repair, or update certain electronic devices. This is good for consumers and also good for the environment, as it will reduce the amount electronic waste being generated.

Tolling Update

Recently, Governor Kotek announced that she would cease plans for tolling on I-5 and I-205 in the Portland area. I currently serve on the Joint Committee on Transportation Special Subcommittee on Transportation Planning where I am the Vice-Chair. 

I applaud the Governor’s decision to instruct the Transportation Commission and the Oregon Department of Transportation to end their development of plans for tolling Interstate 5 and Interstate 205. I sat in on many hearings where the public raised strong objections and I am glad the Governor has responded to these concerns.

We have agreed to toll the new I-5 bridge and that is justified as a necessary tool to finance that bridge.

We now need to proceed with development of a comprehensive Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) approach to financing our roads. This is an equitable way of financing road construction and maintenance.

Habitat Conservation Plan

Ahead of the Oregon Board of Forestry's recent decision to approve the Habitat Conservation Plan, I joined the Oregon Republican Caucus in urging Governor Tina Kotek to ask for immediate reconsideration of the proposed HCP. The Habitat Conservation Plan is expected to cut funding to Oregon's counties by $13-15 million annually to Oregon schools and local law enforcement. 

Click here to read the letter.

Salem Area Chamber of Commerce

On Tuesday (March 5), I joined the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce for their Legislative Reception alongside Representative Diehl (R-Stayton) and Representative Andersen (D-Salem). We talked about the issues and bills we had been working on throughout the session, including those we worked together on in a bi-partisan fashion. 

Rep. Andersen (D-Salem), Rep. Mannix, and Rep. Diehl (R-Stayton) speaking to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.

Celebrating 250 Years

During the final days of the 2024 Legislative Session, Representative Court Boice presented fellow legislators with a replica copy of the U.S. Constitution for us to sign. This is in anticipation of the 250th Anniversary of our Independence in 2026. I was pleased to sign the constitution. Here I am with Representative Greg Smith (right) and Representative Court Boice (center) after I signed the document.

Salem Philharmonia Orchestra

Susanna and I very much enjoyed a March 3 afternoon performance by the Salem Philharmonia Orchestra at the East Salem Community Center. Here we are with Maestro Jonathan DeBruyn, center, plus Michael Sewell and Porshla Scheuble, on the left , after the wonderful concert.

This will be my last official legislative newsletter for some time, as we are now entering what is called a "blackout period" during the election season from March 22nd through May 21st. Note: My staff and I will still be accessible during this time. Please do not hesitate to reach out via the information below.

It is an honor to represent you in the Oregon Legislature.

Sincerely, 

Representative Kevin Mannix
House District 21

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1421
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-384, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.KevinMannix@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mannix