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Rep.SarahFingerMcDonald@oregonlegislature.gov
Friends and Neighbors,
Welcome to my legislative newsletter!
As your newly elected State Representative, I am excited to launch this newsletter as a space dedicated to keep you informed about our goals, current legislation, and upcoming events of interest. This is a channel of information and way for me to communicate directly to you.
The first piece of information that I'd like to share with you is that in late 2024, my doctors informed me that my colon cancer had returned. Thankfully, we caught it very early. I am receiving treatment and feeling energetic and optimistic.
The most important piece of this unwelcomed challenge is that I will be fully participating my legislative duties, and I will be working hard to address your needs. Cancer is not a barrier but a speed bump which I am determined to work through.
I am lucky to have a loving support system, access to healthcare, and housing while I undergo treatment. Although grateful for all of this, I remain mindful that not all Oregonians share my luck. This fuels my work and my continued dedication to all in our district.
The current pace of cancer research gives me hope throughout this journey and sharing this is a part of my service to you. Colon cancer has affected hundreds of thousands of people and the death rates continue to drop. The American Cancer Society recommends men and women with a low risk of colon cancer begin screening at age 45. Screening should begin earlier for people with a family history or other risk factors. Early detection is key for fighting this disease. For information about free or low-cost screening, visit https://www.thecanceryoucanprevent.org/
You can read more about my journey in my interview with the Oregon Capital Chronicle:
https://oregoncapitalchronicle.com/2025/01/15/an-oregon-freshman-legislator-starts-her-term-facing-a-cancer-battle/
 Legislative Priorities
Since launching my campaign for State Representative, I've had the opportunity to listen to thousands of community members talk about the needs in our area. It's clear to many of us that we have work to do, and no time to waste. Speaking of waste...
Coffin Butte Landfill
- The Coffin Butte Landfill receives immense amounts of waste from across western Oregon, not just from Benton County. The recently closed Covanta waste incinerator in Marion County will result in over 250,000 tons of MSW being trucked down to Coffin Butte each year. We cannot be the dumping ground for the Willamette Valley.
- I am drafting legislation to form a task force comprised of state and regional partners, business and environmental groups, industry experts, the Governor's office, and more, to address the increased use of Coffin Butte by Marion County, and to help identify a long-term solution to address the issue of municipal solid waste.
- I am sponsoring legislation with Senator Gelser to increase the monitoring of dangerous methane gas that is being released into the community.
- I am supporting the efforts of Benton County's Regional Sustainable Materials Management Plan (SMMP) Task Force and have introduced legislation that will use their recommendations to inform policy that will ensure alternatives to burying our waste once Coffin Butte reaches it's end of life.
Adair Village, Housing, & Wastewater
- There is a housing shortage in every area of Oregon, including in the Corvallis area.
- Adair Village is currently working with a developer to build 200 homes, with the opportunity for 800 additional homes, if they can get help retrofitting their wastewater plant that was built in 1943 by the U.S. Army.
- This amount of housing would be transformational for our area, and I am leaving no stone left unturned in my efforts to secure funding for their wastewater plant. I have met with our Congressional delegation to ask for federal grants. I have met with the Governor's Regional Solutions Team to lend my voice to this important matter, and I am drafting legislation that will appropriate funds to Adair Village so that the Corvallis area can get the homes built that they need.
Highway 99 Safety
- Every ten years the legislature takes a "Big Look" at the transportation system in the state and appropriates billions of dollars in infrastructure projects.
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I have met with the legislative leadership that is building this transportation package, and I have let them know that I am fully committed to working with the Oregon Department of Transportation to improve safety for HW99 In South Corvallis.
Firearm Reform
- In 2012, our world changed forever with the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut. I watched the news unfold on tv while I held my son on my lap; in disbelief that our schools could become the place for such wanton violence.
- It led me to co-found the Oregon chapter of Mom's Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, and later, join the board of the Alliance for a Safe Oregon.
- In the last decade, Oregon has passed several pieces of legislation aimed at making our community safer, but there is much more work to be done. To that end, I am proudly sponsoring legislation that will raise the age required to purchase a firearm to 21 years old, require licenses for gun dealers, limit the locations where concealed firearms are allowed, and end the availability of "bump stocks" that turn modern sporting rifles into killing machines.
Representative Finger McDonald with her family
My Committee Assignments
House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, & Water Committee
- House Speaker Julie Fahey has named me Vice-Chair of the House Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water Committee because of my background in science and my PhD in Horticulture from Oregon State.
- I look forward to working will my fellow committee members on our natural resource preservation efforts and agricultural system improvements.
House Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee
- As a member of the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, I will bring my experience from my time serving as an academic advisor for non-traditional students at Oregon State University.
- I will prioritize fighting for our college students and our workers on this committees.
Benton County Town Hall – Saturday February 1st, 2025
with Senator Merkley & Congresswoman Val Hoyle
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Philomath High School, 2054 Applegate St, Philomath, OR 97370
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Meet and Greet: 2:30pm – 3:00pm PT (Rm 406 Activities Room #1)
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Town Hall: 3:00pm – 4:00pm PT (Auditorium)
Coming soon!
Huge Win for Corvallis!
- The Corvallis Microfluidics Tech Hub will receive $45 million in federal funding for the development and commercialization of microfluidics technology.
- Oregon State University’s partnership between research and private industry will continue to have a strong impact on the Corvallis economy and the states.
Yours truly,
 Representative Sarah Finger McDonald
House District 16
email: Rep.SarahFingerMcDonald@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1416
address: 900 Court St NE, H-477, Salem, OR 97301
website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mcdonald
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