Upcoming Transportation Tour Dates and Summer Learning in Action

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To contact me, please click here: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

This was a great week of being out in the community and engaging in meaningful conversations. On Tuesday, I joined the Washington County and Tualatin Chambers of Commerce to talk about the 2025 Transportation Plan. I shared about the Joint Transportation Committee's statewide tour and our work going forward and enjoyed the insightful questions and ideas that were shared by Chamber members. On Wednesday, I toured Imlay Elementary School to see how they are implementing Summer Learning funding that came from my primary bill last Legislative Session. You can read all about the tour in the "Community Outreach" section of this newsletter.

Thank you to everyone who came out to my town halls in Cornelius, Forest Grove, and Hillsboro this week. It was great to connect with so many constituents and to hear your thoughts on what the Legislature should prioritize in the 2025 Legislative Session. I always enjoy town halls and the opportunity they provide for dialogue, and my next one will be on August 22nd. I'll share more details about it as we get a little closer to the date.

In this newsletter you can read about:

• Upcoming Transportation Tour stops in Coos Bay and Medord
• My tour of Imlay Elementary School
• Community Shout Outs
• Events happening in Western Washington County
• The latest fire season update from OFD
• Updates from the Oregon Employment Department
• Progress on the Rose Quarter Improvement Project

BELOW: Great conversational group at my Hillsboro Town Hall

TRANSPORTATION TOUR HEADS TO S. OREGON

My Co-Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, Senator Chris Gorsek, and I just announced the venues and agendas for the fifth and sixth stops on the Transportation Safety and Sustainability Outreach Tour in Coos Bay and Medford.

As part of both tour stops, we will hold public hearings to listen to members of the community about local transportation needs and how the Legislature should support the long-term safety and maintenance of Oregon's transportation systems.

We need to improve our transportation systems -- from roads and bridges, to buses and bike paths -- by stabilizing the way we fund and maintain them. We’ve had tremendous public participation thus far and I want to thank the public for telling us about the transportation needs and solutions they want the legislature to consider in the future.

Coos Bay and Medford Public Hearings details 

Tour Stop #5 Public Hearing: August 7, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Marshfield High School Heritage Hall, S. 10th & Ingersoll St., Coos Bay

Tour Stop #6 Public Hearing: August 8, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Jackson County Expo Center, 1 Peninger Street, Central Point

Both hearings will be available via livestream on olis.oregonlegislature.gov. ASL and Spanish interpretation will also be on site for these and all stops of the tour.

Members of the public interested in testifying can register in person starting 30 minutes before the meeting begins. We will also hear remote testimony if time permits, which the public can register for on the committee's webpage at olis.oregonlegislature.gov. Additionally, written testimony can be submitted to the committee via email to JCT.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov.

Preceding both public hearings, we will take guided trips of transportation facilities in the region and hold a roundtable discussion to better understand the transportation needs through the expertise and lived experience of local partners and officials.

During the most recent stops in Albany and Eugene, more than 70 people testified in person. We heard about dangerous intersections on local and state roads that needed updating; the importance of continued infrastructure maintenance; opportunities to expand public transit, bike routes and pedestrian pathways; and concerns about increased wear on roads from tourism traffic. We also heard about potential future avenues for funding that Oregonians want them to consider.

After four tour stops, the committee has received 506 pieces of written and in-person testimony.

Perspectives and information gathered by the committee during its 12-stop tour will inform legislators as we 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.

CELEBRATING GRANT AWARD OF $1.499 BILLION

As a Co-Chair of the I-5 Bridge Committee and one of the advocates for federal funding, I was invited to a celebration of the Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program's federal Bridge Investment grant award of $1.499 billion. Unfortunately, the event coincides with the Transportation Tour's Medford stop, so I will be unable to attend. 

I want to take this opportunity to send my congratulations and sincerest thanks to the entire IBR team and Administrator Greg Johnson, our legislative partners in Washington State, the Oregon and Washington Congressional delegations, and our local jurisdictional partners for their hard work and commitment to replacing the I-5 Bridge and their efforts in getting this incredible federal grant. I would also like to thank our federal partners at the U.S. Department of Transportation for recognizing the need for a safe, resilient, and multimodal bridge between Portland and Vancouver and for awarding our program two grants so far totaling over $2.1 billion. 

This is truly a momentous occasion, signaling how invested the federal government, Oregon, and Washington are in building this new bridge. We will continue to take advantage of all federal funding opportunities, and I look forward to the next phase of the project, which is the submission of the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement this Fall.

SUMMER LEARNING TOUR AT IMLAY ELEMENTARY

On Wednesday, I had the opportunity to visit Imlay Elementary School in Hillsboro and see how two programs that I have worked very hard to foster are being implemented. The first, Summer Learning funding, was my primary bill in the last Legislative Session. The second, "Grow Your Own", is a teacher recruitment and training program that I have been working on as a member of the Educator Advancement Council for several years now.

Summer Learning is a critical program for our students because it fosters success by improving readiness to learn, promoting academic achievement, and providing safe, healthy, and enriching ways to grow as individuals during the Summer months. The Legislature allocated $30 million for programs this Summer and also committed to finding a path forward for future summers.

Many of the teachers participating in Summer Learning are part of the "Grow Your Own" program that I have been working on. "Grow Your Own" programs across the state support paraprofessionals, teacher cadets, and other individuals entering into, or already enrolled in teacher preparation programs. The goal is to promote interest in the educator profession, and diversify the teaching pool by creating affordable, regional pathways into education and recruiting teachers from within their home communities.

At Imlay Elementary School, I joined Dr. Charlene Williams, the Director of the Oregon Department of Education, Hillsboro Mayor Steve Callaway, and Senator Janeen Sollman, for a tour of the summer programming that was funded by this year's Legislative action and to see "Grow Your Own" program teachers in action.

The first classroom visited was Valeria Chitwood’s incoming fifth grade class during Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) enrichment time. Students were organized in groups and tested the strength of bridges they built with popsicle sticks. A college student who grew up in the area and participates through the school’s "Grow Your Own" program led the activity. 

CENTRO CULTURAL RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD

Centro Cultural was recognized with the prestigious Helen Rodriguez Trias Health Award for our leadership in health equity in the Latino community at this year's UnidosUS Annual Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The program recognized the excellence of the Edad de Oro (Golden Years) program that supports low-income Latino seniors and elders of color with health navigation, nutrition, and warp around services.

UnidosUS is the nation’s largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. The conference convened 1,500 Latino leaders and advocates from across the country, where many, including 25 of our team members, connected and learned how we can come together to solve the most pressing issues and create opportunities for our comunidad, especially with this year's theme, “Our Time is Now!”

Congratulations to Centro's entire team who work so hard to bring needed programs to our community. We appreciate your dedication and service. 

MAYOR CALLAWAY RECOGNIZED FOR LEADERSHIP

Congratulations to Mayor Steve Callaway of Hillsboro for being one of five mayors across the state honored with leadership awards during the Oregon Mayors Association Summer Conference. He was recognized with an Award of Merit to honor his many accomplishments during his eight years in office and to mark his final year as mayor. I have worked with Mayor Callaway throughout his time as mayor and have always appreciated his hard work and dedication. Hillsboro has accomplished so much under his tenure, including establishing inclusion initiatives, improving educational opportunities, promoting sustainability, and ensuring economic prosperity by advocating for Hillsboro as a leader in Oregon's Silicone Forest. 

SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE IN FOREST GROVE

It's hard to believe it's already August, but that means that back-to-school planning is starting to take place in households across Washington County. Please consider supporting families who need assistance with school supplies this year by dropping off donations like notebooks and pencils to the Forest Grove/Cornelius Chamber of Commerce office by August 28th. Details can be found on the flyer below:

HILLSBORO MUSIC FEST AT SHUTE PARK

Looking for a free event and an opportunity to be out in the community this weekend? The Hillsboro Music Fest is a music extravaganza happening August 3rd at Shute Park. The festival will feature a slate of bands playing styles ranging from country, blues and latin. There will also be food trucks and other local vendors to check out.

Schedule:

• 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Robert Henry and the Repeaters (country)
• 12:30-1:30 p.m. The Daniel Castro Band (blues)
• 2:15-3:45 p.m. Conjunto Allegre (Latin)
• 4:30-6 p.m. The Southern Sons (Southern rock)
• 6:30-8 p.m. Catherine Loyer & Strawberry Roan (country, rock, pop and blues)

CORNELIUS FLICKS AT THE PARK

Join the community the first 4 Friday nights in August at Harleman Park to watch a free movie screening. Movie events start at 7:30pm. Movie screenings begin at dusk and/or when it is dark enough to see the movie onscreen.

THE LATEST FIRE SEASON UPDATE

Oregon’s extremely active and challenging fire season continues. Since the last update, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) reports that Oregon has passed the million mark for acres burned. On lands protected by the ODF, we are currently at four times the average acres burned at this point in fire season. But it’s about far more than just loss of private and public lands. Nearly 18,500 Oregonians are currently facing some level of evacuation. Key Updates: > There are currently 43 large fires (100+ acres in timber or 300+ acres in grass/brush) burning in Oregon. > Statewide, there have been 1,261 fires and over 1.2 million acres burned. Of those, 484 fires and more than 192,000 acres burned are on ODF-protected lands. > There are currently four “megafires” burning in Oregon. Megafires are those that exceed 100,000 acres. Those fires are Lone Rock, Durkee, Cow Valley and Falls—all in eastern Oregon. For context, during the 2020 Labor Day event, there were five mega fires on the landscape. A bit of good news: There’s been a lot of progress on Lone Rock in the past week or so, and this megafire is now 77% contained. We are entering another weekend of very hot weather and there is also the potential for thunderstorms, so please take fire prevention and fire safety seriously.  For everything you need to know about the status of current wildfires, how to stay safe, and how to prevent fires, please visit ODF's Fire page. If you are planning on traveling, please plan ahead and read this information from ODOT relating to current travel conditions in relation to wildfires.

OREGON EMPLOYMENT DEPARTMENT UPDATE

The Oregon Employment Department (OED) recently provided several updates about employment numbers and customer service improvements. Here's what to know:

Latest Oregon Job Numbers:OED released the updated jobs numbers and unemployment rate, linked here June Job Numbers. Oregon employers added 600 jobs to non-farm payrolls and Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in June, which was the same as the national rate. The takeaway is that Oregon is having slow job growth, with relatively high number of job openings with some difficulty for employers to find enough workers to fill all the jobs, and unemployment remaining relatively low and stable in recent months.  

Customer Service Improvements: OED continues to reduce customer service delays and has seen marked improvements in addressing its workload across the board. Here are some of the key points about how the Paid Leave Oregon and Unemployment Insurance programs are doing as of July 16: 

• Unemployment Insurance: Taking extra time to resolve claim issues is working! Overall UI claim volume has increased since the start of the new fiscal year as anticipated, but OED has still made progress on resolving claim issues that prevent payment. About $14 million of UI benefits are reaching Oregonians every week; $404 million since Jan. 1^st; with about 30,000 submitted weekly claims each week.

• PaidLeave Oregon: Since going live with the program in 2023, OED has provided over half a billion dollars ($500m) in Paid Leave Oregon benefits to customers. While the number of people filing claims has increased, OED has still been able to improve service for customers. The agency has reduced the total number of open claims by nearly 29% and the average wait times for callers is down to less than 40 minutes.

• Frances Online Improvements: On Thursday, July 25, OED updated the statuses of Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims in Frances Online. The goal is to make it easier for claimants to understand what’s going on with their UI claims. Specifically, OED updated the statuses to better describe what is happening with a claim and make it clear in the description if claimants need to do anything. For a full breakdown of UI claim statuses and descriptions, please visit unemployment.oregon.gov/frances-status.   

ROSE QUARTER IMPROVEMENT PROJECT UPDATE

The I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project moved closer to reconnecting the historic Albina community with Thursday’s unanimous vote to approve the use of a federal grant to complete design and initiate construction of a cover over Interstate 5 (I-5).  

Metro Council unanimously agreed to approve the spending of the recent U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program federal grant award of $450 million, the largest Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program federal grant awarded to any project of its kind in the nation. The funds allow ODOT to complete the design and construct the central segment of the cover around Broadway-Weidler to support reconnection for the Albina community. Read more here. 

Please click on the image above to see a larger version of the map that includes descriptions for each numbered project section.

My office has compiled a list of resources for our community. You can click on the images below to open a document with the relevant links. If you know of a resource that should be included here, or you need a resource and are having trouble finding the information you need, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office at rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov.

EDUCATION RESOURCES Click here, or on the image to the right for a list of Education-related resources. This includes links to the Forest Grove and Hillsboro School Districts, the Oregon and US Departments of Education, information on how to pay for college, student lunch programs, and much more!

WILDFIRE-RELATED RESOURCES Click here, or on the image to the right for important resources related to wildfire prevention and recovery. This list includes links to current fire restrictions and recreation site status maps, the Oregon Department of Forestry's fire prevention tip page, and important resources for wildfire victims.

RESOURCES FOR OUR VETERANS Click here, or on the image to the right for a list of important resources for Veterans, including links and phone numbers to the various divisions of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, local Washington County assistance, supportive and community-based groups like the American Legion, and mental health resources.

STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT  Click here, or on the image to the right for links to important local and state government pages, including the Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Cornelius city government pages. You can also access the Oregon Legislature's page, and other important state agency sites, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Unemployment Department, and the Oregon Health Authority.

Enjoying the last of summer flower blooms

Yours truly,

Representative Susan McLain
House District 29

email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-493, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain