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To contact me, please click here: Rep.EmersonLevy@oregonlegislature.gov
Friends,
We are back in Session! I am so honored to be at the People’s House and advocating for our shared values. We hit the ground running with new bills and chairing the Natural Resources Sub Committee for Ways and Means.
This week has been filled with ups and downs – we are constitutionally required to balance the budget and the federal government’s impoundment of the budget (now rescinded) would dramatically change how the state spends its money and balances its budget. We don’t know what is ahead, but if you hear about changes in funding, continue to drop your kiddo off at Headstart, and if you use Medicaid, do not skip an appointment. My goal is for our office and the state legislature to be a steady ship in uncertain waters.
I will be in Salem, Monday through Friday morning through June. We have a lot of work to do in the next few months. Below you will see my legislative priorities for this year, and how you can get involved. As always, reach out if you have any questions or concerns.
Warm Regards,
 Representative Emerson Levy
House District 53
Meet Team HD53!
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Many of you know Marilyn Fleener, my Chief of Staff since day one in the State Capitol. She is returning for my second term in office! She has a background in international development and environmental policy, and she is passionate about protecting her beautiful home-state. When she is not serving the people of central Oregon, you can find Marilyn snowboarding, surfing, restoring vintage cars with her dad, and spending quality time with her friends and family. She can be reached directly at marilyn.fleener@oregonlegislature.gov. |
Meet our newest addition to the team, Rachel Hamid!
Rachel recently graduated from the University of Oregon, where she studied Environmental Studies and Political Science. As an undergraduate, she interned with Our Children Oregon and worked as a garden educator for elementary school students. Rachel is passionate about climate justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and youth advocacy. This is Rachel’s first legislative session in the Capitol, and she is excited to learn! Rachel spends her free time crocheting, cooking vegan dishes, and going birding at local parks. She can be reached directly at rachel.hamid@oregonlegislature.gov.
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2025 Legislative Agenda
Emergency Behavioral Health Services for Children
Central Oregon needs greater access to emergency behavioral health services for children. Right now, far too many are relying on the Emergency Department for care. Some kids will be in the emergency room for more than a week waiting for a placement in a behavioral healthcare facility, which are all located in the Valley. Parents and caretakers should not have to drive three hours to get their child into care. I am working to get funding for youth mental health beds at St. Charles through HB 3085 which initiates a pilot program in our region.
Lowering The Cost of Healthcare Coverage
Central Oregonians deserve more control over their healthcare choices- and one way we can achieve this is by empowering patients to make informed decisions about the medications they receive. I am introducing a bill that gives patients the opportunity to fill out a non-opioid directive form, which allows patients to inform their care team that they don’t want to be given or prescribed opioid medications. This will lower unnecessary opioid use, addiction, and chronic health issues.
Additionally, we will have a bill called the Breast Reconstruction Act, that allows women post double mastectomy to go out of network at an in-network rate. It allows for women who need a specialized diep flap reconstruction to go out of network, this is for women whose BMI is too high or too low.
Keeping Our Schools Safe & Secure
We are bringing back Alyssa’s Law, which was blocked in 2023 because of the record-long Republican walkouts. We were lucky to pass the funding, and this year we are coming back to pass the policy. Alyssa’s Law is named in memory of Alyssa Alhadeff, a 14-year-old student who tragically lost her life during the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2017. The panic alarm systems in this bill keep schools safe by alerting first responders to all types of emergencies, including natural disasters and medical emergencies, and give the exact geo-tagged location to all law enforcement and EMS systems.
You may remember last year when a registered sex offender got into High Desert Middle School. In efforts to never let that happen again, I have been working with our school district to bring forward legislation that allows school districts to have access to Class 1 and Class 2 sex offender registries, and have that information be available to third party resources, like the technical security systems used in our schools.
Speaking of technology in schools, cell phones are getting in the way of teaching and learning, and we need a commonsense, well-considered statewide plan for addressing digital technology consistently across Oregon schools. We are bringing forward legislation to direct school districts to adopt a policy that prohibits the use of student personal electronic devices. Currently, nearly three-fourths of teachers interviewed in a nationwide survey say that cell phone use negatively impacts learning in the classroom, especially when it comes to reading and math skills.
Preparing for Natural Disaster
Oregon needs to be prepared in the event of a catastrophic natural disaster. In Deschutes County, we have the CORE3 center, which is a multiagency coordination center designed to enhance emergency management capabilities for the state. This year the central Oregon legislative delegation is bringing forward a bill to require state agencies to partner with CORE3 to streamline coordination during disasters, improve response times, and reduce long-term recovery costs. This is a crucial investment in our region's safety and resilience.
Environmental and Energy Initiatives
There’s never been more financial help for Oregonians to upgrade their homes and buildings for better health, lower costs, less pollution, and higher resilience. Yet finding and applying for all the incentives and rebates for efficient heat pumps, improved insulation, sturdier doors and windows, and clean electric cooking can be a serious challenge. We need an online system so that Oregonians can plug in some information and be given a full list of assistance available to them. HB 3081 will provide families with that option to lower utility bills and have healthier air in the home.
Tackling our Housing Crisis
Access to affordable housing is a key element of improving overall well-being in Central Oregon. This year we are hoping to amend the Homeownership Development Incubator Program, ensuring that it funds the development of housing for households earning up to 120% of the area median income. By providing predevelopment funding to housing developers, the program will help increase the availability of homes for middle-income families, making homeownership more attainable.
Oregon has the 4th highest number of unaccompanied homeless youth across the U.S. We need to create a more comprehensive continuum of care. To help address this youth homelessness crisis, I am bringing forward a bill to expand funding for the Oregon Department of Health Services Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program, which provides houseless youth with housing and other resources to address their immediate needs, leading to better outcomes later in life and helping to prevent adult homelessness.
Drought and Wildfire
The Water Recovery and Conservation Package I am bringing forward will build on the good work that has been done for 25+ years to improve river flows, create water conservation plans for cities, and meet the water needs of our growing community. The package includes reducing wildfire risks, enhancing soil moisture and groundwater, restoring native grasses, and removing excess, harmful juniper.
With increasing wildfire risk, it’s more important than ever that homeowners can access affordable, transparent insurance coverage. To increase transparency, I am bringing forward a bill to require insurers to send clear notices about risk factors, mitigation actions, and premium adjustments, and empower homeowners to better protect their property and potentially lower their insurance costs through proactive measures.
How To Get Involved
We hope you will participate in this legislative session! Your unique perspectives and experiences help shape our understanding of how proposed bills may affect the lives of Central Oregonians. Check out this Legislative Participation Guide to learn more about how to find and read bills, watch committee meetings and floor sessions, and testify on a bill remotely or in person. We will have many, many opportunities this year for you to be involved in the legislative process on my priority bills. Stay tuned for updates!
It’s Tax Season! Starting Monday, January 24, the the IRS and Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) will begin accepting returns for the 2024 tax year. Here are some suggestions to avoid any delays on the processing of your return:
File electronically, and request a direct deposit- On average, taxpayers who e-file their returns and request their refund via direct deposit receive their refund two weeks sooner than those who file paper returns and request paper refund checks. The department will begin to issue refunds on February 15.
Gather all tax records before filing- Taxpayers should wait to file until they have all their tax records, including Form W-2s from their employers and Form 1099s reporting other income.
Use Revenue Online- Revenue Online (ROL) is Oregon’s internet tax portal and is the best way to communicate with the department. Taxpayers who don’t have an account can sign up on the DOR website. New users will be asked to verify their identity and may do so through ROL.
Download Form 1099-G- DOR no longer mails taxpayers Form 1099-G, which reports the amount of refunds, credits, or other offsets of personal income, statewide transit individual tax, TriMet transit self-employment tax, or Lane transit self-employment tax during the previous year. People who itemized deductions on their tax year 2023 federal income tax return will need a Form 1099-G to file their tax year 2024 return. Those taxpayers can view and download their Form 1099-G through Revenue Online.
Free filing options- Taxpayers may use a combination of free electronic filing options available through the IRS and DOR. See IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon Taxpayers are encouraged to use the IRS Eligibility Checker to see if they qualify to file directly with the IRS and the state.
Earned Income Tax Credit- The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal tax credit for people for making up to $66,819 in 2023. Families may be eligible for a maximum refundable credit of $7,830 on their federal tax return, and a maximum Oregon Earned Income Credit (EIC) of $940 on their state tax return. Certain taxpayers without children may also be eligible for these credits.
Individuals may qualify for the EITC, the Oregon EIC, and other credits, even if they are not required to file. To receive the refundable credits, however, they must file a federal and state tax return.
Free and low-cost tax help- Free tax preparation services are available for low- to moderate-income taxpayers through AARP and CASH Oregon. United Way also offers free tax help through their MyFreeTaxes program. Visit the DOR website to for more information about free tax preparation services. The department offers an interactive map to help taxpayers find an assistance center near them.
Free tax help clinics at local libraries- Volunteers from the Oregon Department of Revenue will be traveling to local libraries in 18 different communities across the state in February, March, and April to assist taxpayers who are eligible to use IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon to complete their returns. Dates, times, and addresses for each clinic can be found on the Free Direct File assistance at local libraries webpage.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1453
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-486, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.EmersonLevy@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/levye
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