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To contact me, please click here: Rep.KevinMannix@oregonlegislature.gov
Hello Friends,
I hope you all enjoyed the Willamette Valley's attempt at some winter weather this last week. Luckily even though the schools had some delayed starts the weather did not impact the work going on at the Capitol. The legislative session is beginning to gain momentum, as we heard our first set of third readings on the House Floor on Thursday, and have begun to see more public hearings scheduled in front of committees. I am happy to see a large number of bills which I introduced or have sponsored be included in these public hearings. Now we must begin pressing forward for these bills to have a work session before the committee scheduling deadline on March 21.
Now that we have settled into the Capitol, I would like to introduce my legislative staff for the 2025 session and share the different ways they help make my office run.
Michelle Mhoon is my Legislative Chief of Staff. She joined the team two years ago when I first returned to the legislature, and she has continued to work for my office. Michelle received her law degree from Willamette University; before her Capitol service she was employed at my law firm.
Michelle oversees the policy work in my office including, Capital Construction Funding requests, submitting legislative bill drafts, pushing for public hearings and work sessions in front of committees, and tracking the multiple bills I have introduced this session.
Outside of working at the legislature, Michelle enjoys investing in her three children, two of whom will be graduating seniors from Sprague High School this coming spring.
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Hayley Guptill is my Legislative Assistant. She worked in my office through the 2023 session but stepped away from my legislative office throughout the interim.
Hayley oversees constituent requests, calendar scheduling, my legislative newsletter, and the day-to-day needs for keeping the office running.
Outside of the legislature, Hayley currently enjoys planning her upcoming wedding in August as well as teaching music lessons and spending time with her twelve siblings.
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Ernest Jones is a Legislative Intern for the 2025 session. He is a first-year student at Willamette University.
Ernest works in our office two days a week and helps with tracking bills passing the House Floor, completing legislative research projects, preparing committee meeting folders, and whatever else our office needs assistance with.
Outside of the legislature, Ernest enjoys serving on the Associated Student Government for Willamette University and pursuing his goal of completing his law degree.
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Ben Eugenio is also a Legislative Intern for the 2025 session. He is a student at Chemeketa Community College and to also was an intern at my law firm last summer.
Ben works in the office five days a week and helps manage our social media, respond to constituent concerns or needs, prepare committee meeting folders, and whatever else our office needs assistance with.
Outside of the legislature, Ben enjoys outdoor activities such as rock climbing, and hiking, and spending time with his family.
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 Highlighted Issues:
HB 3119: On January 1 the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) put into effect a rule called the Advanced Clean Truck Rule (ACT). This regulation was adopted from an identical act implemented in California. It requires manufacturers and sellers of trucks to dramatically increase the percentage number of zero-emission vehicles sold annually.
I have heard from many business owners and farmers that this regulation raises the cost of trucks and also has requirements which cannot be met at this time.
 Representative Boshart Davis introduced HB 3119, which pauses the requirements imposed by the DEQ for two years while the legislature has a chance to evaluate the mandate. Beyond this, I have questioned the legitimacy of this regulatory scheme as it has not been authorized by the Oregon Legislature. See above for my testimony given on January 30 to the House Committee on Climate, Energy, and Environment.
HB 2301: We had a significant turnout of witnesses and testimony by email when HB 2301 was heard on Thursday, February 6. This bill reforms the Estate Tax (Death Tax) to change the current general exemption level from $1 million to $7 million. This means the vast majority of Oregon families will not have to go through the Estate Tax process upon the death of a loved one.
The bill also reduces the tax rate; the current range is 10%-16% and this tax level can be devastating. The bill changes the tax rate a flat level of 7%. This makes the system more affordable for those who are subject to this tax. We should note that 38 states have completely eliminated their estate taxes in the last 23 years. Of the remaining 12 states, Oregon now has the worst estate tax because our exemption level is lower than any other state. See below for the press release sent out by the House Republican Caucus.
  HB 2842: On Thursday morning I testified in support of HB 2842, which provides a small funding ask to support expanded services for the Mid-Valley Court and Community Care Program. This program provides free, drop-in childcare for people with court-related or other governmental business in Marion and Polk Counties. When a person is faced with a court hearing date and has no childcare, the person often has little choice but to bring that child to the courtroom, where the child may bear witness to any manner of tense or traumatic circumstances. The Mid-Valley Court and Community Care program steps in to assist with childcare, which reduces strain on our legal system, reduces barriers for individuals accessing the court and other governmental services, and protects children from potentially harmful experiences.
Committee Breakdown:
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House Judiciary: We have had initial presentations from many agencies, which are a great introduction to their current status and their plans for the future. These agencies included the courts, Criminal Justice Commission, Public Defender Services, District Attorneys, Department of Corrections, the Oregon Youth Authority, etc. What impressed me most is the need for us to take a hard look at how we provide additional staff for some operations such as corrections while we are careful about adding resources in areas such as public defense services. Our challenge is to enhance public safety in a financially responsible manner.
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House Housing and Homelessness: We have had general presentations in regard to the need of additional housing in Oregon. It is clear that the availability of land to construct housing is a critical factor in improving access to housing. To this end, I have proposed legislation which will make state land available for the development of private housing. I have a bill on this subject, which is up for a hearing on Monday, February 10 in front of this committee. Additionally, we held a hearing on HB 3054 which limits rent for manufactured housing parks on Tuesday last week. I do not agree with the approach of the bill as presently written, but I do agree with the goal. The goal is to help senior citizens be able to continue to afford their homes in manufactured housing parks. I will be working on positive ways we can achieve this goal without imposing artificial and absolute rent controls.
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Joint Transportation: During the interim between the 2023 and 2024 sessions I participated in many community meetings across the state. This process was an eye-opener for me in regard to the wide variety of needs as to transportation in our local communities, as well as the importance of state support in addressing these needs. Last week the Joint Transportation Committee completed a review of all of our work groups, and we will now roll up our sleeves to develop transportation legislation to serve all Oregonians.
Click on the title of each committee to sign up to receive committee updates regarding when we are meeting, bills that have been assigned, public hearing/speaking opportunities etc.
 As your State Representative my office receives many emails from state agencies and outside groups providing information and opportunities which may be helpful to constituents. Please see below for a few non-legislative updates. If you have questions regarding the information provided below, feel free to email my office and I will get you connected with the group who provided the information to us.
Local:
Statewide:
- January 27 has now passed which means the IRS and Oregon Department of Revenue will begin accepting returns for the 2024 tax year. Click here to view an email our office received from the Oregon Department of Revenue to view some suggestions for taxpayers to help assist in efficient processing of returns and avoiding common errors that may delay a refund.
- Unemployment Department Assistance: If you didn't already know, state representatives can sometimes provide assistance for delayed actions by specific government agencies. One of these is the Oregon Employment Department. If you are dealing with delays, or issues regarding unemployment, Paid Leave Oregon, or WorkSource Oregon please reach out to my office via email with your name, address, phone number and claim number and we may be able to assist you in getting these issues resolved.
Civic Engagement:
- House Honorary Page Program: If you have a student aged 12-17 who is interested in learning about the legislative process, the Chief Clerk's Office provides an opportunity for students to serve as an honorary page for a day, including a class on civics education, serving on the House Floor during a floor session, and more. See the flier below for more information. Or click here to sign your child up.
 
 Last Wednesday I was honored to join many leaders from throughout the state of Oregon and family to commemorate and celebrate the life of Senator Peter Courtney. As a long-term colleague of Senator Courtney’s beginning in 1989, when we served in the House together for eight years, I was honored to be part of the celebration.
I had the pleasure of hosting numerous groups for different lobby days over the last two weeks. This included a number of local city council members for the League of Oregon City Day, constituents from our local credit unions, as well as students from McNary High School, and our local Head Start Programs. It is always a pleasure to speak with individuals as they visit the Capitol, hear about their concerns, and discuss on the legislative process.
 Pictured above are students from McNary High School for Student Advocacy Day. Keizer City Councilors Kyle Juran and Soraida Cross and South Salem City Councilor Shane Matthews, for League of Oregon City Advocacy Day, and Representative Mannix with a poster dropped off by the students from a local Salem Head Start program.
I met with members of the different Neighborhood Associations throughout my district in a group meeting on Thursday January 30. It was a great opportunity to hear about the needs of the individual neighborhoods. Included in this picture are representative from the Northwest Keizer Neighborhood Association, North Keizer Neighborhood Association, Northeast Neighborhood Association in Salem, Highland Neighborhood Association, and Northeast Salem Community Association. |
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I was given the opportunity to speak at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the Grand Opening of the ARCHES Nest a new facility opened to serve families with children under 18. It provides a place to sleep, access to food, stability, and supportive services. |
It is always an honor to represent you in the Oregon Legislature. If there are things my office can assist you with in the months to come, please do not hesitate to reach out via the information below.
Yours truly,
 Representative Kevin Mannix
House District 21
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1421
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-384, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.KevinMannix@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mannix
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