From my family to yours, I want to wish you a Safe, Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.
Thank You for Your Overwhelming Support
I am honored and incredibly grateful for the overwhelming 70 plus percent of support from the residents of Douglas, Coos and Curry Counties of my reelection. I want to thank all of them and our amazing leadership team of Representatives, Commissioners, Sheriffs, District Attorneys, City Councilors, other electeds and volunteers for their continued work on behalf of our residents. We have accomplished a lot, but we have so much more work to do for our residents, their communities and the businesses that support them.
I am also humbled to be reelected by my Senate Republican Caucus to continue serving as the Deputy Leader for the Senate Republican Caucus and as the Senate Republican Designee to the Oregon Republican Party.
From finite campaign resources needing to be used to stop Measure 118, that then could not fund Republican campaigns, to Republicans not returning their ballots, this was a tough election cycle locally and across Oregon. President Trump being the first Republican to win the popular vote since President Bush in 2004, also winning the majorities in the U.S. House and Senate, shows Americans are ready for change. Oregonians from 27 counties also supported President Trump, yet 9 counties, Democrat jerrymandered districts and the forementioned resulted in losing a Republican State Senate seat, a State Representative seat and a U.S. Congressional seat. This makes our work for our residents even harder, the need to work closer even more important, and the need to unite our party and work together even greater. Oregon Legislative Republicans have a commitment to a stronger economy, a safer state, a better future for our children and a more accountable government. We can and will be successful with our shared values, but we will need your engagement more than ever.
Thank you again for your overwhelming support and together, we will build a better Oregon.
Previous Unsent Update Below
Below is an update that was put together at the end of August but not sent out until now. As you know, I put these newsletters together myself and work for our district, campaigns and blackout dates caused a delay in getting out the information, my apologies.
As we move into the 2025 Legislative Session, I will be sending out more frequent newsletters to keep you informed as I have in the past. Again, I hope you and your family have a Safe, Blessed and Happy Thanksgiving.
Hello Friends,
I hope this finds you and your family well as we head into fall.
We have had a very busy summer and I want to first thank our firefighters and first responders for all of their incredible lifesaving efforts for our communities and their residents.
More than 1.5 million acres have burned already this year in Oregon and the heroic men and women on the front lines have saved countless lives and property.
As I have explained in a previous newsletter (CLICK HERE), we continue to work on building the coalition of Western State Legislators to address the real issues of wildfire - the lack of management by the federal government on federal lands.
The data is clear:
On the ten year average (2014-2023):
- 82% of acres burned are on federal land.
- Of the 18% burned on private land, 15% were from fires from federal land.
- Of the 3% of acres that start and burn on private land, 98% are kept to less than 100 acres.
To assist in our efforts, we have been working with other legislators across the western states on the issues of wildfire. My friend and colleague, our Oregon Senator Bill Hansell, is the current President of CSG West (Council of State Governments West). During the Annual Conference held in Portland in July, Senator Hansell gave me the honor to facilitate his Chairs Forum: Safeguarding the West from Wildfires. We had a number of panelists with a robust discussion on these critical issues and how we can move forward to protect our communities, their residents and our industries from wildfire.
I also have the privilege to serve as the CSG West Public Safety Committee Co Chair. Having helped lead the repeal/reform efforts of Measure 110 in the 2024 Legislative Session (Click Here), we held a robust conversation (CLICK HERE) on these and other public safety issues for western states at our conference in July as well.
During the CSG West Annual Conference in July, we also honored Former Senate President Peter Courtney for his decades of service to Oregonians. As CSG West President Hansell said, "Senate President Courtney was an institution in Oregon politics,” stated CSG West Chair and colleague, Oregon Senator Bill Hansell. “His leadership and service to his district and our entire state was instrumental in many public policy areas, including the seismic retrofit of schools and other infrastructure and preservation of our environment.” “He also was a compassionate leader who cared deeply for everyone around him.”
I echo Senator Hansell's comments. Former Senate President Courtney passed away the week following our conference. I, along with hundreds attended his memorial in Mount Angel on July 30th. I am grateful for his leadership and service to Oregon.
Some More Work In and Around Senate District 1
Representative Osborne, Douglas County Clerk Loomis and a number of Senior Healthcare advocates had the privilege to tour two of our assisted living facilities in Roseburg. Senior care services and the cost of care are critically important issues to us and we appreciated learning more from staff and residents of the facilities.
 
I had the privilege to attend the First Annual Southern Oregon Economic Summit held at Seven Feathers. Our panel, facilitated by Douglas County Commissioner Chris Boice and included Representatives Osborne, Goodwin and Senator Golden, discussed a wide range of topics from veterans services, healthcare, housing, economic development and wildfire.
  
Douglas County Clerk Dan Loomis, Representative Wright, Representative Osborne and myself
County fairs were in full swing this summer and they did not disappoint. I want to thank all of the County Fair Board Members, staff and most importantly, our residents that support our fairs and our 4-H youth.
 
I had the opportunity to join Douglas County Commissioners Freeman, Kress and Boice, Sheriff Hanlin, Lt O'Dell, DA Wesenberg, Judge Johnson and nearly 100 others at the graduation ceremony for their H.O.P.E. Drug Court Graduation Ceremony.
I want to thank Judge Johnson, Sheriff Hanlin, Lt. O'Dell, Commissioners Freeman, Kress and Boice, as well as all of the staff associated with this incredibly successful program. Douglas County's H.O.P.E. Drug Court is a model for Oregon and their efforts literally change the lives of countless families. As we move forward with the recriminalization of drugs that started September 1st from our work repealing/reforming Measure 110, it is already established programs like these that will play a pivotal roll in getting addicts the help they need. Congratulations to the graduates and your families and thank you again to the community leaders above for your work and efforts on this fantastic program.
   
The Sutherlin Blackberry Festivalwas in full swing last month! I appreciated the opportunity to speak with a number of our residents and get their thoughts on issues impacting them and their families. I also appreciated the opportunity to join Representative Osborne as he competed in the races. A great event and thank you to all of those involved.
   
DLCD held pubic meetings on BOEM that I attended above and were ultimately the result of legislation we were allowed to pass.
As many of you are aware, the Federal Government through their Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has been in process for over a decade to lease areas in Federal Waters off of Oregon for floating offshore wind. I have led the efforts for our Oregon Legislative Coastal Caucus in pushing back on this federal program and getting legislation that would pass to engage the state, stakeholders and more importantly the public in this federal process. Being a federal process in federal waters, my colleagues and I (especially as members of the minority party in the legislature) have a very limited ability to engage in this process. We could draft bills that oppose this federal process as a state, however the Democrat Majority that controls every aspect of the State Legislative Process would not allow them to have a public hearing, let alone move and become law. The only way to accomplish this is with a Republican Majority.
My Coastal Caucus colleagues and I have been doing everything we can within our ability to engage the public and stakeholders on this federal process. We drafted and passed legislation (unanimously in the House) to engage the state and the public in the federal process. Without the legislation, The Federal Agency BOEM would have essentially, only worked with the Governor.
I then led the effort for the Coastal Caucus and conducted 6 public and stakeholder listening sessions from Astoria to Brookings. We worked to engage Oregon Consensus in stakeholder meetings to make sure the public, fishermen and other stakeholders were at the table in this federal process. We pushed back on then Governor Brown and now Governor Kotek, as well as our federal elected representatives to listen to our coastal communities. Some of their unprecedented comments:
With our combined efforts, BOEM (and my understanding was for the first time) held two sets of three public meetings, months apart from one another, in three different coastal communities to hear from stakeholders and the public.
My Coastal Caucus colleagues have again engaged on this issue at every level possible to protect our residents, their communities, our fishing industries and other businesses.
CLICK HERE for more information
CLICK HERE for more information
CLICK HERE for more information
Ultimately and because of our joint efforts, we did have a small win in reducing the wind energy lease areas by over 83% of the federal waters off of the Oregon Coast. (dark blue above) This # is even greater if you calculate the initial planning area for wind energy areas was originally the entire coast of Oregon.
Ultimately BOEM is moving forward with their lease auction to be held in October in the reduced areas above. I commend the Curry and Coos County Commissioners for adding an advisory question on their ballots to gain public input from our residents. This will be helpful for continued public engagement as the federal process moves forward.
I also want to thank the public that has attended the stakeholder meetings that we created through legislation and I led on behalf of our Coastal Caucus. I want to thank Heather Mann, Director of the Midwater Trawlers Cooperative for her leadership and incredible efforts in stakeholder engagement on behalf of our fishing fleets, coastal communities and their residents.
On behalf of the Oregon Legislative Coastal Caucus, we will continue to do all we can within our ability as State Legislators, to hold the Federal Government and BOEM accountable.
***UPDATE***
BOEM has withdrawn the lease off of Oregon! Thank you to all who engaged in our efforts since we passed legislation to make sure all of your voices could be heard in 2021. Our joint efforts in reducing the WEA by over 83%, pushed out to 18-22 miles off the coast to depths nowhere else in the world has FOW. As we have stated, the technology for the development does not exist yet and potential developers chose not to take the risk to bid.
Thank you again for all of your incredible efforts.
 
Our fishing communities are the backbone of our coastal economies. The Annual Blessing of the Fleet at the Port of Port Orford is an event that I attempt to attend every year. I want to thank Thelma Belcher and all of our residents that work hard to come together and Bless our current fishermen and pay tribute to the lives of those lost.
Some More Work Out of Senate District 1
   
I had the opportunity to attend the Annual Conference of State Legislators with some of my legislative colleagues. With over 6000 attendees, that includes State Legislators, staff and others from across the United States, this was my first and a great experience. Having the opportunity to engage with other legislators from different states on similar issues facing my constituents and Oregonians was helpful. I was able to attend a number of sessions and I was also able to engage on issues related to wildfire and the rising costs from our insurance companies, and broaden our efforts with my work on building the Western States coalition of State Legislators to address this critical issue as I have discussed above in this and previous newsletters.
The last to photos above show just how important it is for us conservatives to work together and get out the vote this November.
   
It was an honor to be elected by the Precinct Committee Persons of Congressional District 4 to be a voting delegate at the Republican National Convention. This was my first RNC and the energy was through the roof. Our conservative values are not only what our nation needs, but the residents of Oregon desperately need.
Biden-Harris inflation is devistating Oregon families. Over 15 million illegal immigrants have and continue to pour across the border, impacting our communities and their residents. We must stand united with our conservative voices to bring peace and prosperity, to support law enforcement and our communities this November.
In Other News...
I am humbled and honored to be unanimously elected by my Senate Republican Caucus colleagues as their Senate Republican Deputy Leader.
The Dorchester Conference, launched in 1965 at the Dorchester House in Lincoln City, is the oldest annual political conference in the United States.
Over the years, key Oregon officeholders have participated in the conference, including Tom McCall, Mark Hatfield, Vic Atiyeh, Norma Paulus, Gordon Smith, Clay Meyers, Dave Frohnmeyer, and Greg Walden. Dorchester has served as a forum for spirited debates on a wide range of issues, including tax policy, abortion rights, education funding, and international policies and has attracted such prominent Republicans as Ronald Reagan, George Romney, George H.W. Bush, Jack Kemp, Elizabeth Dole, Tucker Carlson, and Roger Stone.
I am honored to join my colleagues Christine Drazan, Shelly Boshart Davis, Stan Pulliam and others to be recognized for my conservative work and be chosen as the Founder's Rising Star for the 2024 Dorchester Conference.
I sincerely appreciate those that returned the poll by the Taxpayers Association of Oregon & Foundation, supporting my work and allowing me to join this list of respected conservative Elected Officials as one of the 7 Most Admired Elected Officials in the State of Oregon.
Your Input is Critically Important
There is a direct correlation to the Democrat Majority's Oregon clean energy mandates and your utility bills. My colleagues and I have been fighting these issues with you for years. Their policies will only continue to increase the cost of living for our residents and your voice is critically important.
With the failure of Cap & Trade, then Governor Brown attempted to move forward a "Oregon Climate Protection Program" through DEQ. They were forced to start over due to a technicality and are now moving forward with the process again.
CLICK HERE for more information on their CPP and how you can submit your thoughts on this program that will only increase costs for every Oregonian.
Thank You
It is a honor and privilege to work for the residents of Douglas, Coos and Curry Counties in District 1 as your Oregon State Senator. I will continue to fight for our rural conservative values, our residents, communities and the businesses that support them. We must remain vigilant, to protect our children, our families and our communities from democrat policies that will degrade our rural communities and our beloved Oregon.
Please CLICK HERE for more information and work for our residents.
Please CLICK HERE to view videos of my work on your behalf.
Thank you for your all of your continued advocacy and support.
Be safe and God Bless you, your family and your neighbor.
Yours Truly,
Senator David Brock Smith
Together, We Will Build a Better Oregon
Senate District 1
Curry, Coos, and Douglas Counties
Southwest Oregon’s Fish, Farm, and Forestry District.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1701
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-316, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.DavidBrockSmith@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/smithd
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