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On Monday, I took the oath of office for my fourth time as your State Representative. Every time I raise my right hand and solemnly swear, it reminds me of the immense responsibility I have to fight for you, your family, your livelihood, and our community.
The next 6 months will be extremely difficult. The Democrat Supermajority is intent on raising your taxes to cover for their mismanagement, passing more mandates that restrict your freedoms, and pushing an onslaught of policies that will continue to make Oregon more dangerous and more expensive.
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My staff, Reneé Perry and Dru Draper, and I will be in your Capitol fighting every day to give you a voice.
- Shelly
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WELCOME TO THE 83rd LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
As we begin the 83rd Legislative Assembly, we invite you to join us in Salem to fight for solutions and demand accountability. As House Republicans, we want a government that works for you, not the bureaucracy. Let's work together to make Oregon more affordable, fix our schools, reduce homelessness, make it easier to build houses, and hold state agencies accountable. This session, we are here to work and fight for YOU.
2025 Oregon House Republican Caucus
How to Get Involved
Your voice and input on the legislative process is vital. I want to ensure you have the tools to make your voice heard. Here's a few ways you can participate.
Testifying Before Committees
You can testify in person or remotely during committee hearings. To register:
- Visit OLIS (Oregon Legislative Information System) at olis.oregonlegislature.gov
- Find the committee meeting or bill you're interested in by using the navigation menu on the top right
- Click the "Register to Testify" button
- Fill out the registration form
Registration closes 30 minutes before the meeting starts. For remote testimony, you'll receive an email with a link to join the meeting. Be sure to join at least 5 minutes early. You can find more detailed step-by-step instructions here.
Submitting Written Testimony
If you can't attend a hearing or prefer to submit comments in writing:
- Go to the bill's page on OLIS
- Click on the committee assigned to the bill
- Use the link on the committee's page to submit your testimony online
Written testimony can be submitted up to 24 hours after the start of the meeting. You can find more detailed step-by-step instructions here.
Navigating OLIS
OLIS is your go-to resource for legislative information. Here's how to use it:
- Visit olis.oregonlegislature.gov
- Use the top right navigation to browse and search for bills, committees, and vote schedules
- Click on a bill to view its details, including its current status and scheduled hearings
- Sign up for email updates on bills you're interested in following
Remember, your participation is crucial to our democratic process. I encourage you to engage and share your perspectives on the issues that matter to you. You can find more details on how to navigate OLIS here.
I've introduced several pieces of legislation that I want to put on your radar.
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HB 2142: It's no secret that Oregon is facing a drug crisis. Last year, it wasn't enough when we passed reforms to Measure 110 and we need to do more to get drugs off of our streets. HB 2142 will stiffen penalties for repeat drug dealers and ensure they are held accountable for killing people.
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HB 2234: Following President Trump's proposal to do away with federal taxes on overtime, I have introduced a bill to do the same at the state level. If you work overtime, I want that money to be all yours. The government doesn't need to take more than they already do. Others have introduced a bill to eliminate tax on tips as well.
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HB 2946: You may have heard a lot of chatter about a potential "transportation package" coming out of this year's session. Whenever you hear about a "transportation package," you should hold onto your wallet because it means tax increases. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of issues with our transportation system, but many of them are self-inflicted because of the last decade of liberal policies. Before I can even consider voting for a transportation package, Oregonians deserve to understand how their money is being spent NOW. It's basic common sense. Oregonians shouldn't be asked to pay more to get less. That's why HB 2946 would require a bill fiscal audit of the ODOT. All the conversations around a transportation package have revolved around raising taxes, but I think we should reprioritize spending before we ask you to pay more.
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HB 3119: If you follow me on social media, you have probably seen me raising hell about Oregon's Advanced Clean Truck mandates. If you want a full understanding of what these mandates mean for you, go listen to my interview with Lars Larson, but essentially, they have begun banning medium- and heavy-duty diesel trucks in Oregon. HB 3119 would press pause on these regulations for the next two years.
- Middle Housing: Perhaps the issue I have heard most about from Albany constituents is the issue with middle housing. I will have a forthcoming bill allowing local governments to deny middle housing developments if the city finds they do not have sufficient local infrastructure to support the development. I have gathered feedback from Albany officials in helping craft a bill that will give local governments some relief from state mandates to cite middle housing. Local control is important, and this bill will help restore some of it. The Governor is already planning on amending the middle housing laws, so I am hopeful that we may be able to add this reform to the others.
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS!
I am excited to share that this legislative session I will be again serving as Co-Vice Chair of the Joint Transportation Committee. I will also be a member of the Rules, I-5 Bridge, and Labor and Workplace Standards committees. Follow our work in these committees on the Oregon Legislative Information System website (also known as “OLIS”) here. You can find when our meetings are happening, the agenda for our committee meeting, bills and issues up for discussion, and even sign up for alerts!
We are here to work for you, and I invite you to join us at your Capitol in-person or virtually to watch or even testify!
2025 State of The State Response
GOVERNOR KOTEK’S STATE OF THE STATE ADRESS
Governor Tina Kotek gave her State of the State Address in our State Capitol where she stood in front of both the House and Senate legislators, along with other state and local leaders to outline her priorities for this upcoming session and acknowledge some the challenges our state is facing. While the Governor claims that our state is making progress, the reality is that every day, Oregonians feel that things keep getting worse. Under Kotek’s leadership, our schools are failing our kids, costs are going up, and the homeless crisis continues to grow.
You can watch the Republican Response to the Governor’s speech delivered by our House Republican Leader Christine Drazan and Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham below:
Governor Kotek's speech was uninspiring, lacked a compelling vision, and demonstrated an inability to tackle the challenges Oregonians elected her to solve. Oregonians shouldn’t settle for the status quo, and this week we heard a governor whose approach to leadership is managing mediocrity without any measurable outcomes.
HOW IS OREGON DOING?
Oregon is increasingly becoming unaffordable with our cost of living being 31% higher than the national average. Taxes are too high for most families and Kotek’s approach to regulations and growing government – not your paycheck – is only making our state more expensive. This session, we are committed to lowering your taxes and make Oregon a more affordable place to live, drive, and start a business.
Our homeless crisis continues to grow with no end in sight. Despite record spending on homelessness, Oregon’s homeless population grew by 13% just last year with more than 23,000 of our neighbors living on the streets. Homelessness must be rare and temporary, but Governor Kotek has settled for a status quo has made homelessness permanent and chronic.
Our schools aren’t producing outcomes for our kids. Oregon is blessed to have amazing teachers who are dedicated to teaching our kids how to read, write, and do math, but Kotek’s top-down approach to education puts the Department of Education bureaucracy at the center of the conversation instead of the primary customer – the student. With nearly $11B going to our schools, we don’t need more money, we need families and our local school districts to have more control over our kids’ education. This year, we will fight to expand school choice, restore graduation requirements, preserve local control, and expand summer learning opportunities.
Oregon’s lawmakers get to work next week. Here are their stated priorities
House Republican Leader Christine Drazan of Canby applauded that focus and said lawmakers should follow up on the efficacy of laws they pass and dollars they allocate. House Republicans will urge Democrats to “cut government where it is inefficient or ineffective or not meeting the needs and goals that Oregonians themselves expect,” she said...
Editorial: Merry Christmas, labor unions! Love, Gov. Kotek
Unfortunately, Kotek’s generosity comes at a cost for Oregonians. Such mandates for “project labor agreements” undermine the open and competitive process that state law and good governance call for. Research and experience show they also typically add costs for public projects, which already face increasing prices for materials.
Repairing Oregon’s roads and bridges could cost billions. Will lawmakers come up with a fix?
What exactly the transportation package will include, how much it will cost and how exactly lawmakers want Oregonians to pay for it, however, remains unclear with less than a week to go before the start of the 2025 session. Some Republicans have criticized that ambiguity.
Editorial: Legislators will consider killing the kicker
The kicker is the only-in-Oregon law embedded in the state constitution that can give taxpayers money back. If actual revenue over the Legislature’s two-year budget cycle is more than 2% higher than forecast when the budget was adopted, money comes back.
Oregon farmers say new farmworker housing rules could lead to workforce shortages
Following years of negotiations... Oregon OSHA is updating farmworker housing rules that some advocates have said are “alarmingly outdated”. The requirements include sweeping changes, such as mandating kitchens.
Oregon's Department of education released a new accountability framework. Advocates say it lack teeth.
Oregon’s schools have plenty to be held accountable for. Just 42.5% of students statewide are proficient in English and language arts, and their scores in other subjects are even worse: Math is at 31% and science is at 29.3%. The state has also seen declining enrollment and high rates of chronic absenteeism.
Oregon 2025 legislative session will consider bills to address waste, property from homeless camps
The bipartisan bill has to do with homeless camps on public property and what happens to all the stuff that accumulates once it's removed. The bill would require removal crews to give homeless people 72 hours’ notice and post that notice in both English and Spanish.
High taxes are hurting Portland job growth and prodding wealthy people to leave, report says
Specific items the study unearthed: Lawmakers and voters have enacted at least 20 major taxes on Portlanders since 2009. Local taxes on city businesses rose 82% from 2019 to 2023. People leaving Portland have higher incomes than new arrivals. About 40% of the transportation assets in Portland, such as roads, are in bad shape.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a time to honor the life and legacy of one of America’s most influential leaders in the fight for liberty and justice for all. Celebrated annually on the third Monday in January, this day reminds us of King's commitment to nonviolent activism and his vision for a more just society. As King once said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." His words remind us about the values our nation is built on.
From our friends at the City of Albany:
The City Recorder officially swore-in Councilors Thomson, McLeod, and Smith to their four year terms and Mayor Johnson to his two year term. Councilor Newton-Azorr was elected as Council President and the Mayor gave his annual message to the community which will be posted at https://council.albanyoregon.gov soon.
From our friends at the Mid-Willamette Family YMCA:
Check out the new sign by our front entrance highlighting the Mid-Willamette Family YMCA Veterans Housing Project!
Mid-Willamette Family YMCA Veterans Housing is building a 38-unit affordable apartment complex to provide permanent homes for veterans in need. These apartments will serve veterans within the 60% average median income range, ensuring they have a safe, stable place to call home. Scheduled to open in 2026, this project is the YMCA's commitment to supporting those who have served our country!
For more information, check out the sign and visit, here.
During the 2025 legislative session my office will continue to keep you updated and informed - and is always at your service. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any community event announcements, legislative questions, or concerns.
Talk soon,
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1415
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-389, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boshartdavis
Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox.
To contact me, please click here: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
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