Oregon State Legislature sent this bulletin at 05/29/2024 07:55 AM PDT
Friends,
The legislature won’t be back in session until next January, but there’s plenty happening as we head into May Legislative Days and prepare for the 2025 session. Read on for updates on my new role as Speaker of the House, information about May Legislative Days, new House committees, ceremonial bill signings, and more!
New Role as Speaker of the House
Since becoming the Speaker of the House in early March, I’ve been busy with the “behind the scenes” responsibilities that come along with my new position. During the legislative session, the Speaker manages the House to ensure the legislative process runs smoothly. However, that is just a small part of the job. In the run up to the session, the Speaker works with colleagues to set legislative priorities and ensure the work is done to give those priorities the best chance of passing during the session.
Additionally, together, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate manage the legislative branch, including our legislative agencies. While Representatives and Senators are the most visible members of the Legislature, our legislative agencies make much of our work in Salem possible. These agencies and their non-partisan staff work year-round to make sure our branch of state government functions smoothly.
Legislative agencies are always working – supporting legislators in developing new policies, providing legal opinions, tracking the state of Oregon’s economy, supporting the work of the Emergency Board, and so much more. Their work behind the scenes ensures that Legislators can make the most informed decisions possible when we convene in Salem to represent the people of Oregon. In addition to the typical legislative agency work, the Capitol Accessibility, Maintenance, and Safety (CAMS) team are managing the major construction project underway at the Capitol to make it more accessible and seismically sound.
During my 7+ years as a legislator, I’ve enjoyed working with many members of these legislative agencies, but over the last two months, I’ve found a deeper appreciation for their work. I’ve been busy meeting with the heads of these agencies to hear their perspectives on the process and to ensure they have the resources they need to support the business of the Legislature.
Announcing Committee Changes
One of the responsibilities of the Speaker is to determine our committee structure (how many committees does the House have, and what issues do those Committees focus on) and to appoint Chairs, Vice-Chairs, and members to committees. We have three policy Committee Chairs who are not running for re-election to the House – so last month, I appointed new Chairs to several committees so that the new Chairs could learn from their predecessors while they’re still in the legislatures and begin the work of preparing for 2025.
I also made a few changes to the structure of Committees. It’s important that every committee has a clear and reasonable scope of work, so that they can give legislative proposals the time, consideration, and public platform needed to craft responsible policies. After assessing the workload of each Committee, I decided to establish two new committees to better balance the work of the Business and Labor Committee, which was one of our busiest committees.
The House Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards, chaired by Rep. Dacia Grayber, will consider issues relating to things like workers’ compensation, unemployment compensation, collective bargaining, family leave, safety and health standards, occupational health, and employment standards such as wage laws and employment discrimination.
The House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, chaired by Rep. Nathan Sosa, will consider issues relating to insurance, financial regulation, data privacy, state banks and credit unions, gaming and gambling regulation, licensing and regulating of numerous professions via licensing boards. The Gambling Regulation Committee will not continue moving forward and its work will be incorporated into this committee.
Bill Signings
After a bill makes its way through the legislative process, it goes to the Governor, who can either sign the bill, veto the bill, or allow it to become law without her signature. In some instances, the Governor may choose to host a formal bill signing. While ceremonial in nature, bill signings provide legislators, advocates, and other stakeholders an opportunity to celebrate their hard work and highlight the impact they hope the bill will have. Here are a few bills I was especially excited to see receive Governor Kotek’s signature.
Emergency Housing Stability and Production Package
The 2024 housing package signed by the governor includes significant policy changes and investments to increase housing production, support renters, and maintain our homeless shelter operations. This package adds to the 2023 session’s $2 billion housing package, continuing the legislature’s urgent work on the homelessness and affordable housing.
The 2024 package includes:
A $75 million revolving loan fund to make interest-free loans to local governments to help finance production of affordable housing and moderate-income housing projects,
Direct allocation to cities for 44 infrastructure projects across the state to support shovel-ready housing production ($94.3 million),
Including $6 million to the City of Eugene for water and sewer infrastructure improvements along Crow Road, supporting the development of hundreds of new homes within the urban growth boundary and bringing more than 850 jobs to our community, and $1.5 million to Homes for Good Housing Agency for the Ollie Court Housing Project, providing 81 units of affordable housing with a six-classroom early learning center
Funding for 27 recovery housing projects ($18 million) in communities across the state and affordable housing in historically under-resourced communities ($29.25 million),
Continuing investment in Healthy and Safe Homes, a legislative concept reinforcing the need to build resilient structures for the future ($24.5 million),
And sustained funding for proven methods to prevent homelessness and resources families and individuals depend on to stay housed ($131 million).
Legislators and advocates joined Governor Kotek at Washington Elementary School in Woodburn, where she signed House Bill 4082 into law, ensuring Oregon kids and teachers will have the resources they need to continue to learn and grow through the summer months this year and beyond. Summer Learning programs provide safe, healthy, and enriching resources for Oregon students between school years.
In addition to providing $30 million for programs this summer, HB 4082 also requires the Oregon Department of Education to study and identify how to establish Summer Learning as a permanent feature of Oregon’s larger K-12 system.
To ensure programs reach students with the greatest need, the legislation requires districts to partner with tribes and community-based organizations trusted by youth and families. Programs serving youth from preschool through grade 12 are eligible for summer learning funding. Programs must provide academic enrichment by aligning with academic content standards in math, science, language arts, life skills, school readiness, or credit recovery.
Expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Oregon
In early May, Governor Kotek announced the launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide! While this wasn’t a traditional bill signing, I’m excited to see the benefits of this program reach Oregon families! The Imagination Library was launched in 1995 – through the program, children under age five can enroll and receive a free monthly age-appropriate book.
During the 2023 legislative session, SB 5506 allocated $1.7 million to the Department of Early Learning and Care to help administer and expand The Imagination Library of Oregon. I’m confident that this program, when paired with other early literacy investments, will increase childhood literacy rates, foster a love of books, and help promote a culture of reading among all families in the state.
May Legislative Days
In between our official annual legislative sessions, the Oregon Legislature regularly holds several days of committee hearings, typically about once per quarter. This is an opportunity for legislative committees to get updates on the implementation of key legislation or initiatives, hear about emerging issues, and start laying the groundwork for future bills. Since we’re not in session, communities can’t vote on any policies, but it’s a great opportunity for committees to spend time digging into important issues. Our May legislative days start today and run through the end of the week.
You can review committee agendas, and tune in here. A few highlights include progress reports from state agencies on the early literacy and summer learning investments the legislature made in the 2023 and 2024 sessions, the implementation of our Basic Health Plan (an approach to health insurance that will enable more people to obtain affordable coverage), and the ongoing work to improve our public defense system. There will also be some good news shared about the Oregon Health Authority’s work to re-assess Oregonian’s eligibility for the Oregon Health Plan after the pandemic and some important work being done in Oregon to prevent child abuse and involvement with the Child Welfare system. And finally, there will be previews of a handful of issues that we will take up in the 2025 session, including transportation funding, water management, and other issues.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
National Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to raise awareness about mental health and the resources available to Oregonians who are struggling. From grassroots initiatives to national campaigns, this month can help promote wellness, resilience, and the importance of prioritizing mental health in our lives.
I’m proud of the work we’ve done to support Oregonians in crisis – especially our investments in the 9-8-8 Suicide Prevention and Behavioral Health Crisis Line. Oregonians experiencing a mental health crisis can call the line and receive immediate care and emotional support through compassionate one-on-one conversations.
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, the 988 Lifeline network is available 24/7:
Call: 988
Text: 988
If you or someone you know need help with mental health issues, contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Helpline:
Call: 1-800-950-NAMI(6264) Mon. - Fri. from 10 a.m. - 10 p.m. Eastern Time
Whether in session or out, my office and I are always here to help! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance navigating local or state government services or to share your thoughts and ideas on the issues facing our community and state.
