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Hello Senate District 19 and beyond,
I wanted to start off this newsletter with some timely news. From June 28 to July 1, four miles of Interstate 5 in Southwest Portland will close in all directions to allow crews to rebuild the overpass across Southwest 26th Avenue.
The closure begins at 9 p.m. on Friday and all lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. on Monday.
The following on-ramps will be impacted by the closure:
Northbound on-ramp closures:
- Southwest Kruse Way.
- Southwest Haines Street.
- Southwest Capitol Highway.
- Southwest Spring Garden Street.
- OR 99W/Barbur Boulevard.
Southbound on-ramp closures:
- Interstate 405 on-ramp.
- South Harbor Drive on-ramp.
To detour around the closure, drivers can use other major Portland area highways including Interstate 205, Interstate 84, OR 217 or U.S. 26.
Southwest Barbur Boulevard will be available for local traffic.
The work on this project has been ongoing for a year, but this is the only weekend that I-5 will need to be closed, according to our partners at the Oregon Department of Transportation.
This particular bridge over 26th Avenue was built in 1959 and carries more than 100,000 vehicles per day.
I appreciate all the hard work that construction crews have been doing on this project and other critical infrastructure and maintenance work of our roads and bridges across the state. This weekend will likely cause inconvenience, but I'm grateful this work is happening so we can continue to improve the safety of our transportation systems.
The infrastructure improvements that will close a section of Interstate 5 this weekend isn't the only transportation news happening. The Legislature's Joint Committee on Transportation is in the midst of its 12-stop Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour.
Members of the committee are hearing from community members, local leaders, and ODOT about the transportation needs in different regions and how Oregonians want the Legislature to pay for the safety and maintenance of our transportation systems now and into the future.
I was able to join them on their most recent stop in Tillamook. The infrastructure tour, roundtable discussion, and public hearing gave us all a well-rounded view of transportation on the North Coast.
The perspectives heard by committee members during the tour will directly inform legislative work we undertake in 2025 as we work to build better and safer ways for Oregonians to get to where they need to go.
 A snapshot of legislators and local leaders during the infrastructure tour in the Tillamook area.
I'm thrilled to announce that I will be joining my friends Rep. Daniel Nguyen and Rep. Jules Walters for a summer town hall on July 25 at 5:30 p.m. The community event will be at Lake Oswego City Hall in the city council chambers and moderated by our very own Mayor Joe Buck.
Town halls are a great opportunity for elected legislators to hear directly from residents in our district about the issues that are most important to them. Please bring your questions and we'll be sure to have a wide-ranging and interesting conversations about the issues impacting Oregon today.
This summer, I have a plan to meet with all five of my local school boards, and most recently I had the pleasure of chatting with the school boards representing the West Linn-Wilsonville and Tigard-Tualatin school districts.
Building career and educational pathways is one of my key personal priorities as a legislator, and K-12 schools are the foundation for those pathways. It is so important that we have open lines of communication between the local level and the state level so the Legislature can be responsive to issues as they arise and ensure the laws we pass are having the intended effect.
As a former school board member, I know that the volunteers on our school boards do extraordinary work to support the kids and parents in their districts. I'm looking forward to continuing to have conversations about how we can give Oregon students the education they deserve.
 I had a great time speaking to the West Linn-Wilsonville School District school board earlier this month.
Since my last newsletter, we had a big shift in leadership in the Senate. Senator Kathleen Taylor was elected as the next Senate Majority Leader, with current Leader Kate Lieber stepping out of that role in the coming weeks.
I'm very excited to partner with Senator Taylor as we continue our work to help Oregonians thrive all across the state. She is a dedicated public servant who knows how to get stuff done for the people of our state.
Kate Lieber won't be going far — she will be taking over the role of co-chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means after Senator Elizabeth Steiner's decision to resign as she puts more time into her campaign for Treasurer.
I want to thank Sen. Steiner and Sen. Lieber for everything they have done in the Legislature, and I am looking forward to working with them both as they continue their public service in new roles.
 Leader Kate Lieber, Senator Kathleen Taylor, Senator Jeff Golden, Todd Nash, and myself at the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit this month.
Last week was the annual Eastern Oregon Economic Summit, which I was able to attend with many of my legislative colleagues. Many thanks to Rep. Bobby Levy and the Eastern Oregon Women's Coalition for providing an opportunity for us to discuss the future of energy, the importance of stewardship, how we can foster sustained economic vitality in communities across the state, and much more.
 Had some great conversations with a bunch of legislators at the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit.
Statesman Journal: Oregon Senate Democrats elect Kathleen Taylor as next Senate majority leader
Oregon Senate Democrats on Monday elected Sen. Kathleen Taylor, D-Portland, as their next Senate majority leader.
Taylor will begin her role on July 15, the same day former Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber will begin her role as the new co-chair of the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, which is charged with helping draft the state budget and appropriating state funds.
KATU: On the upswing? Downtown Portland grows and invests, sparking optimism
Is Portland turning the corner?
That's the question many people have asked and debated over the past few years, from kitchen tables to the office to the campaign trail as the city prepares to transition to a new form of government.
Some of the biggest investors in the city say there is no doubt: Stumptown is on the upswing.
Portland Tribune: 206 affordable apartments open in Southeast Portland
A new 206-unit affordable housing apartment complex is opening in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood. Low-income Portlanders will start moving into the Hazel Ying Lee apartments in mid-July.
Oregon Capital Chronicle: Oregon U.S. senators, congresswoman urge VA to fund Roseburg veterans’ home
Three Oregon federal lawmakers are pushing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to move swiftly to fund a new 154-bed long-term home for veterans in Douglas County.
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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