Blackout Ends, Monthly Newsletters Are Back!
After a long two-month blackout period leading up to Tuesday's election, we are finally allowed to send out our digital newsletters again! These rules are in place to ensure taxpayer dollars are not spent to promote political campaigns.
Next week, the Capitol will be bustling again for the first time since we adjourned from Legislative Session on March 7th. "Legislative Days" as we call them is a chance for committees to meet, and for Rep. Cate and I to have in-person meetings with constituents and members of the lobby. Think of it as a three-day "back to school" event for our part-time Legislature.
While construction continues at the Capitol, we want to remind you that it remains open! The State Street entrance is accessible to the public from 7:00am-5:30pm, or 30 minutes after the last committee meeting or floor session. This is your Capitol, so please don't hesitate to make the trip and get up close and personal with your state government!
For the interim, Rep. Cate has been appointed to the newly created House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection. For her full list of committees, click here.
This week, we want to honor the 2024 Lebanon Strawbery Festival Senior Court as they continue to serve admirably as ambassadors for this year's 115th annual Festival! Their names are as follows:
Princess Stella Lang
Princess Addison Cable
Princess Kaelyn Aguirre
Princess Jannah Jimenez-Esparza
Princess Molly Theodoroff
Be sure to not miss out on this event, which kicks off next Thursday! For more information, click on this link.
Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer to Visit Lebanon
Next Friday, Congresswoman Lori-Chavez-DeRemer will be speaking at the Lebanon Chamber's Forum Lunch! This is an opportunity to learn what your Representative at the federal level is working on in Washington, as well as to connect with other civically minded members of our community.
This lunch is just $20 for Chamber members and $25 for future members, and kicks off at 11:30am.
Sweet Home Community Market Begins
Saturdays will never be the same! From now until the end of summer, a community market will be taking place every Saturday from 10:00am-2:00pm near the library. If you are interested in becoming a vendor, click on this link.
Free OSU Extension Classes in Scio
All gardeners and cooks in the Scio area should mark their calendars for May 30th & June 6th! The OSU Extension Service is teaching free classes at the Scio Public Library on how to grow and preserve herbs, and the best part is it's all free!
Jefferson Heroes' Day Next Month
Building on the success of last year, the City of Jefferson invites you to join them at their second annual Heroes' Day on June 22nd! It will be a day full of festivities including a parade, a pancake feed, local vendors, food trucks, a car cruise-in, games, and more! Applications are due by June 1st at the Santiam Market.
For more information, see the flyers below or visit the event's Facebook page here: Jefferson Heroes Day Oregon.
Oregon Employment Department Failures
One of the many things keeping our office busy during the interim has been the declining performance of the Oregon Employment Department. We have heard from countless constituents waiting weeks and even months to receive their unemployment or paid leave checks. With times as economically challenging as they are already, many Oregonians can't wait for this money without relying on family or credit just to get by.
To deal with their huge backlog of cases, OED sent out a notice that they would be reducing phone hours at the Department. The problem is, Oregonians already report having a difficult time getting information with the agency and have to rely on us to get them answers from the Department.
Representative Cate was proud to lead a group of 28 Republican State Legislators in sending a letter to Governor Kotek, demanding she release a detailed plan of action to improve the agency. At the time of this newsletter's release, we have yet to receive a response from her office.
Idanha-Detroit Fire District Breaks Ground
It may no longer be in Rep. Cate's district, but we were thrilled to see that the funding her and Senator Girod (R-Silverton) worked to allocate is finally able to be put to use after the devastating 2020 fires. The official address has not been announced yet, but you can follow along on their Facebook account.
Memorial Day Observance
On Monday, our nation will once again observe our most solemn of holidays. As you enjoy the long weekend with your family, please pause and think of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy.
Signing Off for the Spring!
2024 Short Session Wrap Up
One Week Left in 2024 Legislative Session
2024 Session Reaches Halfway Point
Week Two of Session -- Bills Are Dying!
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