Spring-ing Into Action
It is a pleasure to continue representing House District 44. Since my last newsletter, I have been busy getting out into the community and making time to connect with the youth of the district.
You can use this table of contents to navigate different portions of this newsletter:
Governor Tina Kotek signed a suite of bills that will address affordable housing needs throughout the state. The ceremony was held at Tistilal Village which is located in House District 44. You can learn more about the state’s investments in housing here.
In the 2024 session, the Legislature allocated $20 million to ODOT to address trash and graffiti. I was critical of these investments due to a lack of clear prevention measures, so I took it upon myself to see first-hand how the investments are being used. I was surprised to learn that each cleanup can costing tens of thousands of dollars and most of the funds will be spent in the Portland area. I know that if our taxpayer dollars are not used wisely, the $20 million we allocated will dry up quicker than anticipated. I’m glad to see the progress that is being made on cleaning up our roadways. We must do more to prevent this so that we are not spending millions of dollars on repeated cleaning efforts.
I would like to thank ODOT’s team as well as the contractors working on this cleanup. Portland Graffiti Removal works seven days a week from 7am to 7pm painting over graffiti and documenting the tags to be shared with local law enforcement. Interstate Business Solutions was brought on recently to do litter cleanup and hires within the community to create local jobs with a focus on second chance hiring practices. Roughly 70% of their workforce are residents that have been released from a correctional and drug abuse programs, or were formerly homeless.
I was glad to hear that ODOT is looking at prevention solutions. I will continue to monitor these prevention efforts and encourage ODOT to find more innovative ideas to prevent graffiti and trash along our freeways. I was told by ODOT that they will be meeting with the Portland Police Bureau to discuss coordination efforts and what investments can be made to find perpetrators in the act. ODOT is willing to provide cameras to local law enforcement to monitor high impacted areas. ODOT will also be implementing a synthetic ivy pilot program to study if placing synthetic ivy that does not burn and cannot be pulled down will prevent graffiti as well as the use of drones for painting in hard-to-reach areas.
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If you would like to learn more about my thoughts on the clean up efforts, you can watch the story from KOIN here.
I had a blast at the Community Cookout organized by Kitchen Killa in partnership with The Kidz Outside. You can learn more about the event here.
Portland Parks and Recreation was on site to share information about the future of George Park. If you would like to get more information on the new park, visit the George Park Playground Project page. You can sign up for emails to get updates on public input for the park.
It is always a good time at the St. Johns Parade! This was the the 59th annual parade. I look forward to the parade every year!
I believe it is important for our youth to meet with elected officials, especially elected officials from marginalized communities. I have made it a priority to connect with the youth of the district. I look forward to continuing this outreach.
George Middle School
I was invited to speak to students in Mr. Rodriguez's leadership class about civic engagement. The students have advocated for funding the George Park improvements. I encouraged them to continue to engage with the Portland Parks and Recreations to share what they would like to see at the park.
Scout Troup Visit
The Cub Scout Pack 972's Fifth Grade Cub Scouts reached out to my office for a visit to help them with their "Building a Better World" requirement. Much of the time was spent giving them an opportunity to ask me questions. The questions ranged from my political opinions to my favorite songs and movies.
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James John Bike Bus
The James Johns Bike Bus had their last walk and roll "Lion Train" of the year on May 15th. Bike Bus PDX encourages students to cycle for fun and as a mode of transportation. The James John Bike Bus has been working on getting more bikes to students who might not have access. Last year, they gave away 59 bikes and this year they have given away 78 bikes so far. Their goal for next year is to give a bike to every 3rd through 5th grade student as well as any siblings or adults who need one so families can ride together!
It was a good opportunity to ride the route from George Park to the St. Johns Community Center. We met with students who ride the bus at the community center and all walked over to James John Elementary. It was a fun privilege to give the morning announcement to the students as they started their day.
Roosevelt High School Boys Basketball
The PPS Board honored Roosevelt High School's Boys Basketball team and Benson Polytechnic High School's Girls Basketball team for their accomplishments at the state championships. The coaches gave remarks that recognized each of the players for their accomplishments on and off the court. I was refreshing to hear how the boys have stepped up in the community to teach younger students about basketball, planting trees and taking on other volunteering opportunities.
Roosevelt Track
I want to give a shout out to Aster Jones, the Roosevelt sophomore who won the Class 6A 100-meter dash at the OSAA state championship. You can learn more about her win here.
I know that many of my constituents have concerns about the emergency routes out of the peninsula when the big one hits or any significant seismic event. I will be sharing these concerns with others in the legislature but would like to flag an opportunity for you to share your concerns directly. The Joint Committee on Transportation announced a 12-stop Transportation Package Tour.
The Portland public hearing will be held on June 4 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Portland Community College Cascade Campus Moriarty Auditorium at 705 N. Killingsworth Street. It will also be available via livestream on OLIS. You can find more information in the meeting agenda.
If you are interested in testifying, you can register in person starting 30 minutes before the meeting begins. The committee will also hear remote testimony if time permits, which you can register for on the committee's webpage. Additionally, written testimony can be submitted to the committee via email to JCT.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov.
The Children’s Institute hosted an Open House and End of School Showcase. I was able to tour their new offices and learn about their School-Based Initiatives. You can learn more about their early school success program here.
I was nominated by leadership to attend the NCSL’s Behavioral Health Training Institute NatCon24 in Saint Louis. NatCon24 comes from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. There were hundreds of participants from all over the country and the Keynote was given by Michelle Obama.
I was joined by Senator Gelser Blouin to represent Oregon at the pre-conference through the National Conference of State Legislators. It was a valuable experience to hear what other states are doing to address behavioral health needs.
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I will be back in Salem at the end of May for Legislative Days. My committee assignments remain the same.
House Interim Committee on Early Childhood and Human Services
- Wednesday, May 29th from 2:30pm-5:00pm in Hearing Room A
House Interim Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care
- Thursday, May 30th from 8:30am-11:00am in Hearing Room F
House Interim Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards
- Friday, May 31st from 8:30am-11:00am in Hearing Room E
Please save the date for my join town hall with Representative Sanchez and Senator Frederick on August 24th at the Alberta Abbey that will begin at 10am.
I am looking forward to hearing more from constituents in the coming months about legislation for the 2025 session. If you have ideas for legislation, please reach out to my office.
Best,
 Travis Nelson
State Representative
House District 44
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1444
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-275, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.TravisNelson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/nelson
Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox.
To contact me, please click here: Rep.TravisNelson@oregonlegislature.gov
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