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To contact me, please click here: Rep.MarkGamba@oregonlegislature.gov
Hi folks,
I hope this finds you well and thriving, if a little shell shocked, and that you have been able to take some time away with loved ones this week. I think most of us are still reeling. The federal elections create a moment of intense uncertainty and dread. The good news is that we will all be going through it together, and the further good news is that for the most part, the election results for Oregon and our region were overwhelmingly positive. I think Portland elected an outstanding council and mayor and I believe the change in the style of government there will result in a long-term positive benefit. All the statewide races went well. Even Clackamas County got it right and best of all, we will have a supermajority in both chambers of the Oregon Legislature. The opportunity to take some big swings at hard problems is within our grasp. With advocacy from you all, my hope is that the legislature will lean into some of the thorny issues that have plagued us for years.
We are gearing up for a critical legislative session starting in January. We will not only have a massive transportation package to fix our roads and sidewalks, we now also must implement new safeguards and protections against overreach and interference from the federal government. Things like environmental regulations, health care access, same-sex marriage rights, and more are all under threat. I am hosting two more Constituent Conversations in the coming weeks to not only share updates on these legislative efforts, but also to hear your thoughts and feedback. We are all in this together and hearing your perspectives is essential for the work I do in Salem.
In every newsletter I try to include a brief description for a handful of bill concepts my team and I are working on for the 2025 legislative session. Feel free to share any thoughts with me.
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Rulemaking Advisory Committee Sponsors - When the legislature passes laws to stand up new state programs, often one or more state agencies must then go through a rulemaking process to establish the specific implementation details. Many times, these processes include an advisory committee of advocates, lobbyists, and regular citizens. With troubling frequency these rule-making processes end up with a final result that does not match the intent the legislature had when it passed the related legislation. My bill is short and sweet. It will simply require that any new rulemaking advisory committee created to implement new legislation must allow that bill’s chief sponsor to serve on it.
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EV-ready Expansion - Several years ago the legislature passed requirements for new multifamily construction to have a certain level of capacity for electric vehicle charging stations to later be installed. While I was Mayor of Milwaukie we took that law a bit further at the local level and said that developers could either include a higher level of basic capacity OR also install a small number of actual charging stations up front. My thinking is that the charging stations are highly visible and if they are always in use, it could help drive up demand. My bill next session will take some of what we did in Milwaukie and expand it statewide. Half of Oregon households are renters and may not have direct control over whether or not they have access to charging at home. Helping solve that problem is a crucial step in decarbonizing our transportation sector.
Thanks for reading. As always, feel welcome to reach out to me with any questions.
All my best,
Mark Gamba
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1441
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-477, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.MarkGamba@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/gamba
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