Resuming the Fight for Volunteer Firefighters

Click on the photo above to watch myself and others testifying in support of SB 545 in front of the committee.

I had the honor of testifying in support of Senate Bill 545 in the Senate Finance & Revenue Committee on Wednesday morning, which would provide a $1,000 tax credit to our volunteer firefighters, who make up a majority of Oregon's firefighting force. This bill may sound familiar to you, it’s a cause I’ve been fighting for since 2022! But it’s worth the persistence, as these real-life heroes are truly indispensable to our rural districts, and this tax credit would be a small thank you for their extraordinary sacrifices, as well as hopefully improving volunteer retention rates.

Senator Janeen Sollman (D-Hillsboro) spoke first as this was her bill, though my identical bill (HB 3150) will also have a hearing next Tuesday in the House Committee on Emergency Management, General Government, and Veterans Committee. If you feel so inclined, please consider registering to testify or submitting written testimony on OLIS with this link! It’s exciting to once again see such a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators pushing to make our volunteer firefighters a priority, and we’re hopeful this will finally be the year to make it happen!

Senator Jeff Golden (D-Ashland), Rep. Boice (R-Gold Beach), Genoa Ingram, and Fire Chiefs Ben Stange and Brian Stewart also testified in favor of SB 545, and there were quite few others who took the time to submit written testimony in OLIS. All in all, a rousing success! We hope it will swiftly move out of this committee and onto its next hurdle, the Joint Committee on  Tax Expenditures.

House District 11 Visits the Capitol

Some of the best days at the Capitol are when visitors from back home make an appearance! "City Day" at the Capitol happened Tuesday, and several of House District 11's communities made the trek to Salem, and I got to say hello to a few and chat about their causes for celebration and concern. You may recall reading in a previous newsletter that Conner and I just had a tour of the district two weeks ago, but truly, there is always more to talk about with our cities! In the first photo, you will see me with Harrisburg's city manager, Michele Eldridge, and city council chair, Kim Downey.

Brownsville stopped by just thirty minutes later, and boy did they show up in numbers! Much of the city council came, including Mayor Craven and city manager, Scott McDowell--not a small feat with such tiny personal offices we have in the House Wing.

Between my committee schedule and their already scheduled meetings, I didn’t get to connect with Lebanon, Halsey, and Scio, but it’s great to see our communities engaging in advocacy at the state level! And always great to see some familiar faces—and even some new ones!

Submit Testimony in Support of HB 3119!

There is still time to submit written testimony on OLIS in support of HB 3119! This bill would prohibit the Department of Environmental Quality from implementing the California-style Advanced Clean Trucks Act for another two years.  Under existing ACT rules, manufacturers of heavy duty vehicles must sell zero emission vehicles as a percentage of their total sales. See the graphic below on how to use OLIS!

HB 2543

Appropriates $15 million from the General Fund to the Oregon State Bar to provide legal services to illegal immigrants. 

HB 3165

This bill provides funding support from Student Success funds for wildfire impacted schools, helping our rural districts.

SB 416

Directs the Department of Transportation to provide optional mobile driver licenses, driver permits, and identification cards. No more grabbing your wallet every time you need to leave the house!

SB 425

Prohibits a merchant from charging or collecting a fee for a person's use of a credit card or debit card in payment for goods or services if the merchant does not accept payment for the goods or services in cash.

SB 573

Yet another attempt to end the personal income tax "kicker".

SB 748

Authorizes the Employment Department to require drug testing for an initial claim for unemployment benefits if the claimant was fired by the claimant's most recent employer for unlawful drug use or suitable work is available for the claimant only in an occupation that regularly conducts drug testing.

A Heartwarming Book Collaboration

Two years after meeting while they were booth buddies at a Christmas Bazaar, Jim Corley, 80, of Sweet Home, and Ezekiel Wixson, 10, of Lebanon have published their first book together! This is undoubtably one of the most fun, heartwarming stories we've had in our newsletter, and want to extend a congratulations to them both--especially Ezekiel, who is getting his fair 50/50 share of the royalties!

The book, “Harley and the Melvins Meet the Wise Guys,” follows Harley and his brothers, Melvin and Melvin, as they meet three wise men who came to visit Jesus on his first birthday, and learn about the true spirit of giving.

“There’s some humor in it, there’s some of the biblical story,” Corley said.

To read more about their collaboration, check out the full story in The New Era. It's free!

Jim Corley, at left, and Ezekiel Wixson show their book collaboration, “Harley and the Melvins Meet the Wise Guys.” Photos by Sarah Brown

Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov

Today is Final Day to Fill Out Sweet Home City Survey

The City of Sweet Home's community survey is closing today, January 31st, so this is your last chance to share your thoughts about communication, projects, and the future of Sweet Home!

Don't miss out! Take the survey today only to make your voice heard. Use the QR code or follow this link.

For any questions or issues with the survey, please contact cpretty@sweethomeor.gov. We look forward to your input!

Chili Cookoff in Brownsville Tomorrow

Be sure to mark your calendars for Sharing Hands' annual Chili Cookoff and Dessert Auction! It's a blast every year and one of the food bank's biggest fundraisers. Submit a chili, donate a dessert, or just come and support the event.

When: Saturday, February 1, 5:00-700pm

Entries accepted at 4:40pm
Dessert auction and Raffles at 6:00pm

$10 includes sampling of the various Chilis and a bowl of chili with the fixings!

For more information contact Sharing Hands at 541-466-3110.

Lamb & Wool Fair Jr Court Applications Open

Complete the Google Form to apply today!

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Applications are due by Tuesday, February 4th.

Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce Banquet

Scio Fire District Survey

The following write-up is by Lebanon Fire District Chief Joseph Rodondi

Lebanon Fire District: Navigating Challenges While Remaining Committed to Service

The Lebanon Fire District (LFD) has been a cornerstone of public safety in Linn County since its establishment in 1884. Over the years, the district has evolved into a dynamic all-hazards organization, seamlessly integrating career firefighters and dedicated volunteers. With 43 skilled career personnel and 55 committed volunteers, LFD operates five stations—two staffed full-time and three supported by volunteers only. The district covers a 134-square-mile fire protection area serving 30,000 residents and oversees a 419-square-mile ambulance service area that provides emergency medical care to 40,000 people across Lebanon, parts of Scio, Brownsville, and unincorporated areas of Linn County.

Despite LFD’s dedication to the community, financial and operational challenges persist. Like many special districts across Oregon, LFD faces a widening gap between revenue and expenses, making it increasingly difficult to maintain services at current levels. The district’s primary sources of revenue—property taxes and ambulance service fees—are insufficient to keep pace with rising costs, inflation, and increased service demands.

Funding Limitations

A significant challenge for LFD and other special districts is the revenue restrictions imposed by Oregon’s tax structure. Measures 5 and 50, enacted in the 1990s, placed strict limits on property tax revenue growth, preventing fire districts from keeping up with the increasing costs of emergency response services. These measures cap property tax rates and restrict annual growth, even as population increases and call volumes surge.

Ambulance service fees, another crucial revenue source, also fail to cover operating costs. With LFD responding to over 6,700 calls annually—including 4,097 overlapping calls—staffing shortages and resource constraints are increasingly evident. Nighttime calls, which accounted for 2,281 incidents in 2022, contribute to longer response times and further exacerbate burnout and retention challenges.

Compounding these financial constraints, special districts like LFD are not recognized as government agencies under the U.S. Code. This designation prevents access to critical federal funding streams, including relief provided through the CARES Act, the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), and settlements such as the Opioid Class Action Lawsuit. These acts are intended to augment the fiscal impacts to emergency responders who are tasked with responding to crises. While municipalities and counties have received substantial federal aid, fire districts must operate without these essential financial resources, placing further strain on already tight budgets.

Commitment to the Community

Despite these challenges, the Lebanon Fire District remains unwavering in its commitment to serving the community. Firefighters, paramedics, and volunteers continue to work tirelessly to provide high-quality emergency response and ensure public safety. While financial constraints present obstacles, LFD is actively pursuing solutions, including advocating for legislative changes, seeking grant opportunities, and exploring operational efficiencies to maintain critical services.

The district takes immense pride in protecting the lives and property of those it serves. No matter the challenges ahead, LFD will continue to answer the call—because the safety of the Lebanon community remains its highest priority.

Hwy 20 Renamed National Medal of Honor Highway

One piece of regional news we'd be remised to not cover is the renaming of historic Highway 20, which runs from Newport, Oregon to Boston, Massachusetts. A bill sponsored by U.S. Senator from Oregon, Ron Wyden, was signed into law last month by former President Biden to make the change.

Representative Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, another sponsor, hopes that the millions of Americans who travel the highway each year take a moment to reflect on the extraordinary sacrifice those 3,519 Medal of Honor recipients made.

After two weeks of session being in high gear, I think all three of us in the office are starting to catch our breath! This week featured lots of meetings, navigating some more complicated city and constituent issues, and doing the necessary leg work on our bills such as getting advocacy efforts ready to go for when hearings get scheduled. Oh, and did I mention plants? Many of Rep. Cate's beloved office plants were starting to look homely, so Ali and I put our botanical skills to the test and gave them some much needed TLC (fertilizing and repotting).

Ali is settling in nicely, and working on gathering such vital information to advance our policy agenda, while taking on more and more constituent work as she settles in. I for one am incredibly grateful for her joining the team and taking so many tasks off of my plate! Even an action as simple as picking up an incoming call so that I can stay on another task is incredibly valuable to me.

Beyond the day-to-day long hours policy and constituent work, there are always bright spots in this crazy workplace! We are an office that likes to have a bit of fun when time allows, and luckily there are others who feel the same! As you might recall reading in a past newsletter, we began a Little Library outside of our Capitol office and have since been having lawmakers come and sign books for kids visiting their Capitol. I have to say, Representative David Gomberg (D-Otis) so far has been the MVP in this area, writing his own rhymes in one of our Dr. Seuss books! Please, if you have little ones and plan on visiting the Capitol in the near future, take a book!

One other quick point of fun this week was a visit to Representative Ricki Ruiz's office (D-Gresham) to work on a project, which ended in a twist. He has a guitar donated by Clackamas Community College sitting upright in his outer office, and he not-so-subtly asked me to play it (with Rep. Cate quickly piling on that it was time to “put up or shut up”). To avoid making a ruckus in such a professional work environment, Rep. Cate, Ali, and I closed the office door for a minute while I played a section of Bob Dylan's Tangled Up in Blue for him. He knew the song, but somehow has not seen the recent hit biopic on Dylan's life. Thanks for reading this weeks behind the scenes look into Capitol life, and look forward to Ali taking the microphone in next week's edition! - Conner

Oregon government ethics commission will probe Kotek’s spending on parking, dinner

Oregon Capital Chronicle

State auditors started looking into spending by the governor’s office after receiving anonymous reports to the government accountability hotline, run by the Secretary of State’s Office, last March about misuse of state resources related to Kotek’s since-abandoned plans to create an office of the first spouse.

Opinion: Democrats in the Legislature should use their majorities wisely.

Portland Tribune | Dana Haynes, Editor in Chief

Oregon Democrats are in a much different place, politically, than their national brethren. The 2025 Oregon legislative session, which kicked off this Tuesday, sees Democrats holding all the levers of power. 

Oregon among Democratic states weighing new protections for immigrants amid Trump policies

The Oregonian | AP

Some legislative proposals also would fund attorneys who could help immigrants obtain legal residency. A bill by Oregon state Sen. Lisa Reynolds would require the state Department of Human Services to offer grants to nonprofits to help people who aren’t citizens change their immigration status or become lawful permanent residents. It would provide $6 million to launch the program during the budget biennium beginning in July.

Oregon one of the worst states for retirement, WalletHub says

KOIN

WalletHub determined its rankings by comparing metrics like affordability, quality of life and health care. WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said that taxes and cost of living are among the biggest impacts on retirees. In the affordability category, Oregon ranked 42nd. Oregon also ranked 32nd in quality of life and 26th in health care.

Oregon math, reading achievement among the nation’s worst, new scores show

The Oregonian

In the latest confirmation that extended pandemic-era school closures took a huge toll on a generation of young Oregonians, new federal test results show the state’s middle and elementary students still lag far behind in reading and math.

Applicants Wanted: Lebanon Budget Committee 

Applicants Wanted: Jefferson Fire Dept Leadership

Jefferson Fire Department recently put out press releases announcing vacancies on both their Volunteer Board and Budget Committee! If you are interested, live in the district boundaries, and are a registered voter, you can pick up an application at the station (189 N Main St, Jefferson). They look forward to hearing from you by Friday, February 14th!

First Official Week of Session Complete

The 2025 Legislative Session Begins!

Gearing Up for Session!

Looking Forward to the Year Ahead!

Interim Newsletter: December

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1411
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-381, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/cate