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Hello friends,
Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy New Year! As we wrap up 2024 and look forward to the new year, I wanted to take a moment to share some important updates from the legislature. Read on for a recap of December legislative days, December’s Special Session, new laws going into effect in 2025, and some of what I’ve been up to in the community this month.
Join me and State Representatives Nancy Nathanson, John Lively, and Representative-Elect Lisa Fragala, along with State Senators Floyd Prozanski and James Manning for a joint legislative town hall on Saturday, January 11th from 2 pm-4 pm at Eugene City Hall (500 E 4th Ave). We’ll share our thoughts ahead of the 2025 legislative session, which begins January 13th, and answer questions about the legislature’s work. You can RSVP or submit a question in advance here. We hope you can attend!
During the second week of December, legislators returned to Salem for Legislative Days – three days of interim committee hearings where legislators formally meet to receive updates on topics of importance to the state. These committee hearings focused on evaluating the progress of previous legislation, conducting oversight and implementation hearings with state agencies, and previewing topics that will come before the legislature during the 2025 session. The previews of the upcoming session included legislation on the biggest issues facing Oregonians – housing, homelessness, the cost of living, and public safety. You can review the agendas for each legislative committee here.
In addition to all of the interim committee hearings, Legislative Days serve as a great opportunity for advocates to meet with legislators and share information about bills they’re supporting in the upcoming session.
I had more than a dozen such meetings during the week, including advocates from Food for All Oregonians who support a bill that would expand SNAP benefits to undocumented people living in Oregon and AARP Oregon members supporting a bill that would change Oregon’s workplace discrimination laws to combat age discrimination. I wanted to extend my gratitude to all of my constituents for coming to Salem, and to the advocacy organizations working on behalf of their communities.
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After the last interim legislative committee wrapped up, we quickly made the shift to convene a very brief special legislative session. This was our first Special Session since 2021, when we were responding to some of the most severe consequences of the pandemic. It was also my first session presiding as Speaker of the House.
Typically, Special Sessions are called for by the Governor and are only used as a last resort to respond to urgent matters that cannot wait until the next scheduled regular legislative session. In this case, we convened a Special Session to allocate resources to the Oregon Department of Forestry and State Fire Marshal to pay the state's unpaid bills associated with the 2024 wildfire season.
Wildfire fighting costs are typically covered by the interim Emergency Board, which can meet when we’re not in session to allocate resources from a limited fund for urgent issues. However, the 2024 wildfire season was the most expensive in Oregon history – costs were more than double the previous record year. All told, more than 1.9 million acres in Oregon burned this year, including hundreds of thousands of acres of grazing and timber lands in Eastern Oregon, along with more than 150 buildings destroyed. The resources required to fight these fires far exceeded what the Emergency Board had available to allocate, so we needed to meet as the whole legislature to resolve this issue so that the state could pay our bills.
The logistics of this special session were a little different. Normally, Special Sessions are hosted in the House and Senate Chambers, but these spaces were unavailable while the Capitol is undergoing a substantial renovation to make the building safer during an earthquake and address aging systems.
Since these spaces were unavailable, we had to get creative! Thanks to the innovative, and hard work of our staff, we were able to use one of the Capitol’s larger hearing rooms to convene the Special Session. This gave the entire experience a very different feel. Check out the photos below comparing the House Chamber during a normal session to this year's Special Session.
The House Chamber during the 2024 session.
Hearing Room F during the 2024 Special Session.
My view from the dais.
All told it was a smooth Special Session, taking just over three hours, and the Legislature voted with overwhelming bipartisan support to appropriate $191.5 million to the Oregon Department of Forestry and $26.6 million for the State Fire Marshal. In large part, these payments will allow the agencies to pay the wide range of contractors who provided firefighting and related support services in 2024.
I’m incredibly grateful for the efforts made by firefighters, small businesses, and others who supported the effort to fight the historic fires we saw this summer. This Special Session demonstrates how we can come together to make government work, make good on our bills, and make Oregon a better place for all.
Starting January 1, 2025, some new laws will take effect in Oregon aimed at improving safety, affordability, and environmental sustainability. These changes will have a direct impact on the daily lives of Oregonians, such as reducing the cost of prescription medications, making electronic device repairs more affordable, and keeping kids safe while getting to school. These new laws include:
Making Prescription Drugs More Affordable for Oregonians (HB 4113)
This legislation aims to make prescription medications more affordable by making it easier for individuals to reach their out-of-pocket maximums. It ensures that all payments made toward prescription drugs count toward an enrollee’s out-of-pocket limit, reducing the financial burden on Oregonians and helping to lower overall prescription drug costs.
Lowering Costs and Protecting Consumers with Right to Repair (SB 1596)
SB 1596 makes it easier and more affordable for Oregonians to repair their electronic devices. The law requires original equipment manufacturers to provide repair tools and information to both device owners and independent repair providers, giving consumers more options and reducing repair costs.
Protecting Kids Getting On and Off School Buses (HB 4147)
When school buses extend their stop-arm and turn on their red flashing lights, motorists are supposed to stop and allow kids to safely get on or off the bus. However, bus drivers report thousands of instances of motorists illegally passing stopped school buses every day, putting students in danger. HB 4147 allows schools to install cameras on buses to record drivers who fail to stop for bus safety lights and enable law enforcement to cite those who fail to stop based on those recordings.
Safeguarding Oregon’s Economic and Environmental Future (HB 4083)
This new law mandates that the Oregon Investment Council and the State Treasurer work to eliminate investments in coal companies and any funds containing coal-related investments. The bill requires these divestments to occur without financial losses to the investment funds. Additionally, HB 4083 encourages emissions reductions by requiring divestment from major polluters unless they can prove they are transitioning to clean energy within a reasonable timeframe.
Ensuring Safety and Fairness for Oregon Workers (HB 4127)
Warehouse work is one of the most hazardous occupations, with workers experiencing injury rates higher than those in industries like coal mining, lumberjacking, trash collection, and law enforcement. Advocates for warehouse workers point to the use of productivity quotas and metrics as key contributors to these elevated injury rates. HB 4127 mandates transparency regarding these quotas, ensuring that workers have the information they need to perform their jobs safely and efficiently while empowering them to advocate for their well-being.
Meeting with 4J Leadership Ahead of the 2025 Session
Ahead of the long session, the 4J school district typically hosts a breakfast event to meet with state legislators in our community to share the district's priorities and perspectives on the work ahead of us. I believe it’s essential for elected leaders to hear directly from the board members, educators, student representatives, and other staff who work tirelessly to ensure students are getting the support they need to succeed.
During the 2025 session, we’ll write the state’s budget for the next two years – funding for our schools will be one of the most important tasks we take on. Thank you to the 4J board and everyone who helped organize the breakfast!
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Meeting with Global Civics and Engagement classes at Churchill High School
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to meet with International High School students enrolled in the Global Civics and Engagement course at Churchill High School. These students have been learning about the functions of state, federal, and tribal governments. It was great to share my experience as a State Representative with them, and to hear all of their questions about the legislature and the issues we take on. The students had very thoughtful questions about housing, homelessness, what the legislature is like, and more.
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International High School (IHS) is a unique alternative program that functions as a “school within a school” where students are dual enrolled in both their host high school and the Eugene International High School program. This innovative model was developed and approved by the 4J School Board in 1984, and it has been thriving for 40 years. Currently, IHS students are enrolled across three 4J high schools, with more than 1,000 students total across the three campuses. You can learn more about the IHS program here.
Thank you to all the students for their great questions, and for all the work of their teachers to organize this visit!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you need help navigating local or state government services or if you have thoughts about bills for the 2025 legislative session, which starts in mid-January.
Yours truly,
 Capitol Phone: 503-986-1414
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-271, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.JulieFahey@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/fahey
Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox.
To contact me, please click here: Rep.JulieFahey@oregonlegislature.gov
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