What I learned on my ride-along with Tigard PD
Oregon State Legislature sent this bulletin at 09/03/2024 11:17 AM PDT
Dear friends and neighbors,
Happy Labor Day!
As kids head back to school and we bid farewell to summer, my team and I have been preparing for the 2025 session. “The interim”—the period between legislative sessions—is a little slower than being “in session”, but there’s still a lot going on. Workgroups. Town halls. Tours. Constituent meetings. Bill drafting deadlines. This groundwork is essential for ensuring we're fully prepared.
Here are a few updates from the last few weeks:
Honoring Labor Day: UFCW 555 Strike
Labor Day is more than just a long weekend; it’s a tribute to the hard work, dedication, and sacrifices of workers who have built and sustained our country and our economy. It’s also a day to honor the achievements of the labor movement, including higher wages, safer working conditions, and weekends! Among other things.
Oregon proudly led the way as the first state to recognize Labor Day in 1887, seven years before Congress did.
But our work is far from over. Standing with workers means fighting for fair treatment, equitable pay, and safe workplaces for everyone. Today, UFCW Local 555 workers at Fred Meyer are on strike, fighting for a fair contract. I was proud to join them on the picket line last week, and I stand in solidarity with them on this Labor Day and every day. These folks are absolutely essential (and they have incredibly hard jobs), and they deserve to be treated with respect.
Breaking Ground on Unity: The New Hillsboro Hops Stadium and Its Impact
I was grateful to have the opportunity to speak at the groundbreaking for the new Hillsboro Hops stadium. With a relatively small state investment of $15 million, coupled with $105 million from local jurisdictions and private resources, the Hillsboro Hops will be staying in Washington County.
There are real economic benefits to having the Hops in Washington County (not the least of which is income tax collection from the jobs created/sustained), but the value they provide goes beyond economics. I opened my remarks by saying something along the lines of: “This is an incredibly challenging time for our democracy, with deeply entrenched polarization and division. The question for us is this: what is the antidote to these huge problems? It turns out, the antidote is baseball.”
It got a laugh (thank God) – but I do believe that sports, like arts and culture, create spaces for us to be together without knowing or caring about the political beliefs of the people we’re with. They build community. They help us feel like we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. We need a lot more spaces like that.
Breaking ground with Sen. Janeen Sollman, Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, and Rep. Nathan Sosa at the new Hops stadium, expected to be completed in 2026. I had a speaking role, so I foolishly wore a blazer.
HB 4002 Takes Effect
As of Sunday, September 1st, House Bill 4002 is now in effect. For those who don’t remember, this was a major priority of the 2024 legislative session. The bill covered a lot of ground: it prohibits the public use of drugs, equips law enforcement with the tools needed to target criminal drug dealers, and makes substantial investments in Oregon’s addiction treatment system.
Crucially, HB 4002 introduces an innovative deflection approach to drug-related infractions. It offers individuals the opportunity to engage in treatment, while also ensuring accountability for those who refuse to participate.
It’s important to note that while the enactment of HB 4002 is a significant step forward, our state’s addiction crisis (and I do believe it is a crisis) developed over decades. It won’t be resolved overnight. I’m grateful for the work of the team in Washington County working on implementation of this new policy. It won’t be perfect from the get go, and I hope we can all show grace and gratitude to those “in the arena” trying to make it work.
Hall Boulevard Updates
Transportation is expected to be a major focus in 2025. As you know, Hall Boulevard has been a top priority for my office and for local elected officials and community leaders. Last session, we secured $3 million for safety improvements, and I’m excited to share that the Jurisdictional Transfer Advisory Committee, established by a bill I authored in 2023, is recommending Hall Boulevard for transfer and funding to the legislature. This is fantastic news and a big step forward for Hall.
The Transportation Committee is holding public hearings across the state, and the Washington County public hearing will be held on Friday, September 27th (time and venue to be announced) in Hillsboro. I strongly encourage community members who care about a safe Hall Boulevard to show up in person or provide written testimony on the need to improve Hall Boulevard and transfer its jurisdiction to the City of Tigard.
Orphan highways like Hall Boulevard are unsafe for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike, and transferring ownership to local jurisdictions (in a state of good repair) is in the best interest of the state and our community.
I know I’ve written about Hall Blvd a lot in this newsletter (this picture is from last October) – I will keep pushing until it’s safer for everyone.
My Ride-Along with Officer Orth
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to participate in a ride along with Officer Brian Orth of the Tigard Police Department. I wanted to see firsthand how the “Time, Place, and Manner” regulation is being implemented locally. Officer Orth lives it every single day, working closely with homeless community members and impacted local organizations, such as downtown businesses.
This was an incredibly valuable experience. What most struck me was the mutual respect between Officer Orth and the individuals he interacts with. He’s the guy who has to enforce the camping rules (which usually means telling people they have to move). He’s invested time in building trust and rapport, and it shows. I left the experience feeling extremely proud of Tigard’s handling of a challenging issue. I don’t think we have a perfect answer (I also don’t know that “perfect” is possible), but our local leaders are demonstrating a genuine commitment to balancing the need for safe and accessible public spaces, with compassion for a vulnerable group of people who don’t have a place to sleep (and who are often navigating other challenges, too).
Officer Orth talked me through how he’s been able to catch several graffitists who were defacing public and private property (genuinely impressive detective work), and he drove me through the woods on a four-wheeler to some regular unsanctioned campsites that he helps keep clear in compliance with the law. He explained how he tries to coordinate with Just Compassion to provide services. Many of the downtown businesses have him on speed dial. He’s got a very challenging job but our community is better off because of his service.
A final note on this–while on the ride along, I learned about a veteran in our community who is unhoused and struggling to access the resources he needs, in part due to the bureaucratic maze of federal and state and nonprofit programs, with sometimes competing eligibility requirements, varying timelines, different applications, and limited availability. It made me feel embarrassed and angry. I don’t know this person’s full story, but I know they stepped up to serve our country in a way that most others don’t. He shouldn’t be sleeping on our streets. My office is trying to figure out how we can help get him in housing as soon as possible. I also know that we need to figure out how to make sure the estimated 1,400 homeless veterans in Oregon can get the help and support they deserve.
Town Hall
Reminder: Join me for a Town Hall on Saturday, September 14th at 11:00 AM at Symposium Coffee (note: you may have received a mailer with a typo saying “Sunday” – the date was right, but the 14th is a Saturday). I'll share updates from the legislature, preview plans for 2025, and I’d also love to hear your thoughts on key issues and priorities.
I’ll be joined by Tigard City Council President Yi-Kang Hu and Councilor Maureen Wolf, who will share their insight from the local government perspective.
Come with any questions, comments, or ideas (or just to listen in). See you there!
A final note: Starting September 6th, we enter a legislative blackout period leading up to the November general election–so you won’t be hearing from me in this newsletter or on social media for a couple months. Until then, and as always, my office remains open for direct inquiries and concerns.
Reach me at: rep.benbowman@oregonlegislature.gov.
Thanks for reading,
Ben Bowman
Oregon State Representative
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