Summer is in full season! The days have been warm, the camp sights are full, and I hope you enjoyed a safe and happy Fourth of July.
Summer across Oregon brings festivals, farmers’ markets, rodeos, outdoor concerts, and family fun. This month, I have had the opportunity to join in some of those festivities right here in House District 18.
Summertime in Oregon also brings the dangers of wildfire season that we are all too familiar with. Today, families and communities are still rebuilding their infrastructure and their lives from the devastating 2020 wildfires. I think of the survivors often as I recall their heart-felt stories and I have been honored to serve on the House Committee On Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans where I have been able to make a difference in supporting our states response and recovery efforts.
This newsletter highlights some of my activities out and about the district and beyond, and also provides fire safety resources I hope you will find helpful as we move further into the dryer summer months.
As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if I can be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
 Rick Lewis
State Representative
House District 18
Oregon's Christmas Tree District
In this Issue:
View previous newsletters here.
It was a fabulous start to the July 4th holiday weekend to attend the St. Paul Rodeo’s first “Legislator Day” with my colleagues. A tour of the event and meeting with the Rodeo’s Board of Directors to learn more about the Nation’s Greatest 4th of July Rodeo was a real treat – and it’s right here in the home of House District 18! A big thank you to the General Manager, Karen McKillip, for coordinating this event.
On July 8th, I enjoyed touring the St. Paul Telephone Cooperative and seeing first-hand the work they do to provide telephone and broadband service to the St. Paul community. Many thanks to cooperative staff for sharing your morning with me. The tour and discussions were informative, and I greatly appreciate the invite to listen and learn about your work.
St. Paul Cooperative Telephone Association currently has three full time employees and serves approximately 550 lines. It is always fun to engage with dedicated professionals in the district and learn about the various services provided in our communities.
Another successful and fun-filled Marion County Fair is in the books. Thank you to the Marion County Commissioners and the Marion County Fair Board for the invite to the opening day barbeque. It was great to catch up with many of you and to snap a photo with Sheriff Nick Hunter and Representative Tracy Cramer.
On July 12th, it was my honor to attend the Oregon Air Nation Guard’s F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Jet arrival and unveiling ceremony at the Portland Air National Guard Base. The new jets will replace the older F-15C models that were built in the 1980s and will continue the mission of keeping the skies above the Pacific Northwest safe from threats.
I want to recognize Brig. Gen. Alan Gronewold, Adjutant General, Oregon for his leadership and for extending the invitation to attend this exciting new chapter in advanced fighter jet technology that will strengthen Oregon’s homeland defense.
Media coverage of the event and more information about the F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Jet can be found by clicking the links below.
 On Monday, legislators joined the Governor’s Office wildfire briefing. Fire officials report that it has been a dynamic and complex fire season due to the amount of fire and uncontained acres burning in various parts of the state. Two significant lightning events involving more than 2,000 lightning strikes statewide this past week resulted in multiple new fire starts, primarily across southern, central, and eastern Oregon.
There are currently 27 large fires (100+ acres in timer or 300+ acres in grass/brush) burning in Oregon, 14 of which are within ODF protection. Statewide, there have been 640 fires so far this season and 684,000 acres burned to date. This number exceeded acres typically burned by this time of the year.
There are currently four “mega fires” burning in Oregon. Mega fires are those that exceed 100,000 acres. Those fires are Lone Rock, Durkee, Cow Valley, and Falls Fire – all in eastern Oregon. For context, during the 2020 Labor Day event, there were five mega fires on the landscape.
Oregon continues to see human caused fires in addition to fires caused by lightning. The fire season landscape can be very volatile this time of year as conditions change rapidly. We are asking Oregonians to do all you can to prevent human-caused fires so that agency resources can focus on detecting, assessing, and suppressing new lightning-caused fires.
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Fire crews are working diligently. I am grateful for their efforts to do this dangerous work in keeping our communities and property safe. Please support them with double-down efforts to prevent wildfire as well.
Here are some ways you can help keep Oregon green and your family and loved ones safe:
Additional resources and information can be found by clicking the links below:
In case you missed it (ICYMI), last week the Joint Committee on Transportation held meetings in Albany and Eugene on their 12-stop Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour. The committee wants to hear from Oregonians about how the Legislature can ensure Oregon has a safe, functional, and efficient multimodal transportation system now and into the future.
Members of the joint committee want to engage with local communities about the structural challenges facing the statewide transportation system and discuss various remedies, including how to provide stable and sufficient funding of the Oregon Department of Transportation. Each stop includes the opportunities to gather input from key stakeholders, including members of the public as well as local community leaders, elected officials, and business leaders.
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 committees webpage here. Written testimony can also be submitted to the committee by email to mailto: JCT.exhibits@oregonlegislaturegov. The first meeting took place in downtown Portland on June 4th. You can view a replay of the meeting here. The second meeting on June 18 in Tillamook can be viewed here.
The July 16th meeting in Albany is available to view online here. The July 17th meeting in Eugene is available to view online here.
Below are the next dates and locations:
- Coos Bay - Wednesday, August 7
- Medford - Thursday, August 8
- Ontario - Wednesday, August 28
- Hermiston - Thursday August 29
- Bend - Thursday, September 12
- The Dalles - Friday, September 13
- Happy Valley - Thursday, September 26
- Hillsboro - Friday, September 27
Locations for the above meetings will be posted on OLIS here
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Last week we learned of the passing of Senator Peter Courtney. The longest serving lawmaker and Senate president lived his life and legacy in service to Oregon and her people. My heart goes out to his wife and family and to all who knew and loved him. His memory will live on for decades in the halls of the Oregon State Capitol and is forever woven in the fabric of our state.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1418
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-385, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.RickLewis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/lewis
Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox.
To contact me, please click here: Rep.RickLewis@oregonlegislature.gov
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