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Gearing Up for Session!
It's hard to believe that the swearing-in ceremony of the 83rd Legislative Assembly is just 72 hours away! We put together a little timeline to help you (and let’s be honest, us as well!) track the important dates of this 180-day session, and are excited to see it all kick off with the traditional pomp and circumstance on Monday. Preparations for session are being finalized in my office, and we will have some exciting additions to share in the coming weeks once we really get rolling.
Last year was the first I shared our “outreach” numbers, and while I don’t expect everyone to be a numbers-nerd like myself, I do think it’s an interesting accountability metric for one of the ways my office is serving the people of House District 11 that goes beyond just voting on bills and introducing legislation. (And I’m proud that we managed to better our 2023 tally of over 49,000 pieces of mail to constituents, and ended the year at over 58,000! I’d like to say we’ll beat that number again this year, but long-session does keep us pretty busy, but we’ll give it our best shot!) With each district having an average of 72,000 constituents, it’s impossible to reach everyone, but we will continue our efforts to connect with as many of you as possible and keep you informed on what is happening in Salem.
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We're also continuing to work on my bill seeking to bar utility providers from being granted rate increases when they have unresolved wildfire lawsuits. This will be introduced as House Bill 3686 once session is gaveled in. Sadly, OLIS (Oregon Legislative Information System) is not "live" yet for the 2025 Session, but it should be up and running by the end of today. If you haven’t checked it out yet, OLIS is an amazing tool for tracking bills of interest, getting notified about hearings and work sessions, watching floor sessions or committees, and is generally a one-stop-shop for everything happening legislation-wise during session. We’ll share some tips and how-to’s as session starts ramping up.
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This week we are pleased to honor one of House District 11's finest public servants, Rod Sell of Build Lebanon Trails! Rod founded BLT in 2005 and remains its executive director to this day. For those who don't know, Build Lebanon Trails is a volunteer group working to design, build, and maintain more than 50 miles of free to use trails in and around Lebanon. Their mission is to bring more opportunities for health and fitness to Lebanon residents by providing beautiful places to walk, run, bike, jog, or just enjoy nature.
Check out the great work they are doing at buildlebanontrails.com, and join us in celebrating Rod for his devotion to our local community!
Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Local Fire Districts Send Aid to Southern California
By now you have probably heard about the horrific wildfires burning across the Los Angeles metro area, and the lack of resources to tackle the uncontained carnage still unfolding. The Oregon State Fire Marshall has mobilized strike teams from around the state to help battle these fires, including firefighters from Lebanon, Sweet Home, and Harrisburg Fire Districts. Marion County has also sent two strike teams to the Los Angeles area. This brings the OSFM response to 15 strike teams, 300 firefighters, and 75 engines. Please keep the fire victims in your thoughts and prayers, but also our brave fire crews that are going to serve!
To read more visit this link: https://apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/OSFM/Posts/Post/osfm-sends-resources-to-california
Build Lebanon Trails Workday Tomorrow
The public is encouraged to join Build Lebanon Trails tomorrow morning (Saturday) from 9:00am-11:00am to remove English Ivy from the trees along the trails! Be sure to dress appropriately for this type of work and if you are able, bring along a pair of loppers, as BLT will have a limited supply of loaner tools available on-site. Follow the yellow BLT signs to meet up in the parking area!
Location: River Park 1235 E. Grant St. Look for the Blue BLT Canopy.
Sleep Trailers Open in Lebanon
An eight-year project became a reality on Monday in Lebanon, as the Sleep Trailers for the homeless officially opened! It will be located at the River Center for approximately 3 months as its pilot location. The owner, Jason Christensen, wanted to thank all of the incredible community partners that helped make this happen, and asked that you consider donating blankets, sleeping bags, or pillows!
To read more about this initiative aimed at tackling homelessness in our area, visit here.
Free Fire Prevention Resources in Scio
Scio residents, have you cleaned your chimney this season? Now's your chance to help prevent future fires from happening! Scio Fire District is providing FREE chimney brush rentals for folks who live and reside in the Scio Fire District response area. Stop by their during office hours and borrow one today--and just be sure to know the size of the brush head you might need.
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
Yesterday was Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and we wanted to quickly express our heartfelt gratitude to all of the dedicated men and women that keep our local communities safe!
Marion County Sheriff's Office Crossword Puzzle
Yesterday was also National Word Nerd Day, and the Marion County Sheriff's Office challenges you to solve their crossword puzzle! To see the answer key, visit MCSO's Facebook page. Good luck!
Swearing In of Local Officials
The first weeks of January saw swearing in ceremonies for local officials in House District 11 and across the state, and we'd like to extend our congratulations to Linn County Commissioners Roger Nyquist, Sherrie Sprenger, and Marion County Commissioner Danielle Bethell on the beginning of another term in office! The same goes for all of our mayors and city councilors that are either continuing their tenure or beginning their first term of service.
Hi everyone! As you might have gathered from the title of this newsletter, this week has been all about gearing up for the upcoming legislative session and keeping the momentum going on several exciting projects!
One of the highlights from this week was my visit to the Sweet Home Public Library, where I had the pleasure of meeting with the staff who graciously donated over 100 books to support a project we’re working on. I cannot say just exactly what we're doing with them just yet, but rest assured we will be putting those books to good use!
In addition to that, I'm starting to schedule meetings with key stakeholders as we prepare for session. These requests dramatically increased in recent weeks as committee schedules were released, and everyone is vying for limited time.
Speaking of preparations, I'm looking forward to our District Tour next week following Rep. Cate's swearing-in to her third term in the House! It's always great to meet face to face with local government officials on their home turf ahead of a busy session.
On that topic, due to the increased workload during a long session, I'm very excited to introduce you to a new member of our team in next week's edition. The extra help will allow us a better opportunity to balance policy work and constituent work, both of which ramp up heavily during a long session.
As session gets going, I'll do my best to continue to keep you updated on all the behind-the-scenes action. Looking forward to what’s to come!
Help Wanted in Harrisburg School District
Looking to get involved with your government at a local level? The Harrisburg School District is looking for new budget committee members, as well as a track coach at the Junior High School. Applications are due March 4th, so consider reaching out to Tia Bodine with the information in the graphic below!
Review of the Year: 2024 included many ups and downs for Lebanon - Lebanon Local
Lebanon Local
A lot happened in Lebanon during 2024, and Lebanon Local was there for much of it. Here are some of the biggest stories from 2024.
With homelessness crisis continuing, Oregon governor extends emergency • Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek on Thursday continued the homelessness state of emergency she declared on her first day in office for a third year as the state continues to grapple with the crisis of thousands of people living outside.
Oregon places new rules on homeowners living in certain high-risk wildfire
AP
Oregon homeowners who live in certain high-risk wildfire areas defined by the state must now meet new building codes and reduce vegetation around their homes under new “wildfire hazard maps” unveiled Tuesday. The release of the maps follows a record-breaking wildfire season last year and firestorms in 2020 that killed nine people and destroyed thousands of homes.
Looking Forward to the Year Ahead!
Interim Newsletter: December
Interim Newsletter: November
Signing Off for the Fall!
Interim Newsletter: August
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