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Hello Senate District 19 and beyond,
Even when the Legislature isn't in session, we're staying busy. Starting tomorrow, legislators will be back in Salem for the first set of interim committee hearings since the conclusion of the 2024 legislative session. We will be receiving updates on critical topics including transportation stability, wildfire fighting, partnerships with local communities on affordable housing and addiction treatment services, and the implementation of the dozens of bipartisan bills we passed this year.
The quarterly revenue forecast will also be presented to legislators on Wednesday, which will help guide us as we start thinking about balancing the next biennium's budget. On Friday, the Senate will meet to consider executive appointments by Gov. Tina Kotek to many Oregon boards and commissions.
These hearings will be held in-person at the Capitol, so feel free to make the trip to Salem to see what your Legislature is doing. If you can't, everything will also be streamed online at olis.oregonlegislature.gov.
This interim, the Joint Committee on Transportation will be traveling around the state to hear from Oregonians about how the Legislature can ensure Oregon has a better and safer transportation system now and for years to come.
Perspectives and information gathered by the committee during its 12-stop Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour will inform legislators as they develop a plan in the 2025 session to maintain critical infrastructure, complete work on major projects, and guarantee the safety and diversity of transportation systems across the state.
The first stop will be 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.oregonlegislature.gov.
Members of the public interested in testifying can register in person starting 30 minutes before the meeting begins. The committee will also hear remote testimony if time permits, which the public can register for on the committee's webpage on OLIS.
Additionally, written testimony can be submitted to the committee via email to JCT.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov.
Preceding the meeting, members of the committee will take a guided trip of transportation facilities in the Portland metro area and hold a roundtable discussion, which will help them understand the transportation needs of that region through the expertise and lived experience of local partners and officials.
I will be attending as many tour stops as my schedule permits and I'm very excited to hear directly from Oregonians about the transportation needs in their communities and how we should overcome the structural challenges facing our transportation systems.
I hope everyone had an opportunity yesterday to take a moment to remember the brave individuals who have given their lives in the defense of our nation. We honor them for their sacrifice and hope to uphold the values of this nation that they fought to protect.
Memorial Day is also a day to recognize the sacrifice of those who have or are currently serving in our armed forces. This has special meaning for my family, with my son Carlo currently enrolled in ROTC in college and on track to becoming an officer in the Marines. We are extremely proud of him.
At this time last year, I shared from the Senate rostrum a few words about my grandfathers, both of whom served in the military in World War II:
I had a fantastic time earlier this month meeting with the Riverdale School District School Board — one of the six school districts I represent — and touring Riverdale Grade School. The school was such a welcoming and bright environment. Elementary school years are so important to building a foundation of learning for students, and I'm glad there are many schools like Riverdale Grade School in our state.
My conversation with the school board covered the history of education budgeting and revenue in Oregon. I'm looking forward to continuing to partner with local school boards to work together to make Oregon a great place for students to learn and build career skills.
I had the pleasure of joining Gov. Tina Kotek, students, and gun safety advocates at the State Library last week to celebrate the signing of Senate Bill 1503, which creates the task force on Community Safety and Firearm Suicide Prevention.
The task force is a 17-member panel charged with developing recommendations for ways to reduce suicides by firearm and associated community safety risks.
Oregon has the 17th-highest suicide rate in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Firearm suicides account for more than half of Oregon's suicide annually, with veterans, men, and people over 75 at particular risk.
SB 1503 identifies several issues the task force will study, including:
- Supporting youth and rural Oregonians experiencing suicidal ideation
- Barriers to suicide prevention support
- Barriers to implementing best practices for community safety and suicide prevention
- Domestic violence as a risk factor for community safety threats and suicide
- Risks to first responders
The first report from the task force will be due to the Legislature in September so we have an opportunity to begin to act on their recommendations during the 2025 legislative session.
I want to thank Gov. Kotek for her continued support and leadership on this issue as we work to make Oregon a safer place to live.
National Fentanyl Awareness Day was earlier this month, and in conjunction several efforts were launched to better educate Oregonians about the risks of this terrifying drug. The Oregon Health Authority started a five-week fentanyl information campaign on harm reduction, the dangers of fentanyl, how to use Narcan and more. Multnomah County's efforts are focused on preventing young people from using fentanyl and dying of drug overdoses. The "Expect Fentanyl" campaign highlights how common it is for fentanyl to be in counterfeit prescription pills and how little fentanyl is needed to cause an overdose.
Finally, national fentanyl awareness nonprofit Song for Charlie launched The New Drug Talk Oregon, a free online educational platform about the dangers of fentanyl. For more information, the Oregon Capital Chronicle wrote a great story on these campaigns.
We have a lot of work to do, but I'm encouraged by the programs in our state and across the country to raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl, particularly among our youth. Kids are dying every day as a part of this national crisis and the only way we can make a real difference in stemming the tide of illicit fentanyl overdoses is by stopping addiction before it happens.
I'm proud of the steps we took this legislative session to combat the drug crisis from both a public health and public safety perspective, while supporting fentanyl education efforts at our schools. We'll be back in future sessions to continue expanding access to addiction treatment, going after drug dealers, and protecting those most at-risk for overdose.
The Oregonian: Bill Oram: Remembering Trail Blazers champion Bill Walton, the man who will live forever
Big Red does not die.
The jubilant big man is forever throwing it down with thousands of Portlanders on the city’s rosiest day, them hoisting him, him lifting the city. Living on — shining on — not only in black and white photographs and grainy videos of Portland’s one championship parade, a man without a bicycle, but in the cosmic, technicolor tie-dye of our imagination.
Portland Tribune: Oregon lawmakers start statewide transportation hearings in Portland
Oregon legislators are beginning a statewide tour in Portland. The goal: Factfinding on the state’s transportation needs ahead of a proposed, big-budget transportation package the 2025 session.
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Nearly $2 million in federal money headed to Oregon for dam removal, fish restoration
The federal government has granted nearly $2 million for two projects in rural Oregon to restore habitat for endangered runs of salmon and other native fish.
Statesman Journal: November ballot takes shape for Oregon secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general
About 30% of registered voters in Oregon participated in Tuesday’s primary election, deciding who will run in the November general election for three of the state's top offices.
If you would like to contact the Senate President's Office, send an email or call and either myself or a staff member will assist you. If you are a constituent coming to Salem and want to arrange a meeting, I'm always happy to meet, so please let us know well in advance as my schedule fills up quickly.
email: Sen.RobWagner@OregonLegislature.gov
phone: 503-986-1600
address: 900 Court St NE, S-201, Salem, OR, 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/wagner
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