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To contact me, please click here: Sen.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Friends and Neighbors,
Upcoming Events
Two Upcoming Community Conversations
Join me online, Wednesday, February 12th, from 6:30pm - 7:30pm, for a Community Conversation. Come share your thoughts and questions and meet fellow community members. I look forward to seeing you there. Please register here to receive a virtual link to join.
Join me on Saturday, February 22nd at 10:00 am, at Starbucks on Pacific Avenue in Forest Grove, for a Community Conversation. Come share your thoughts and questions and meet fellow community members. I look forward to seeing you there.
Policy Spotlight
Volunteer Firefighter Tax Credit
SB 545 would allow for a $1,000 tax credit for volunteer firefighters meeting certain criteria. This is a bill that Representative Jami Cate and myself have worked on in the past and continue to bring forward together because we believe this bill is a crucial incentive to attract and retain volunteer firefighters.
Oregonians from all corners of the state rely on volunteer firefighters to respond to traffic accidents, house fires, brush fires, wildfires that are becoming more frequent and so many other events that happen outside city limits, in some of our most rural areas of the state. I know this all too well as I grew up in rural Gales Creek in Western Washington County. My parents ran the Gales Creek Mercantile and my dad, retired from the Navy, was one of the 12 founding members in September of 1972 of the Gales Creek Volunteer Fire Department. The 12 members consisted of farmers, the retired and the current working class men living in the area. When we heard the siren ring loudly across our small town, we knew our brave volunteers were being called to action, middle of the day or in the middle of the night. They responded. And while many districts and departments are able to reimburse volunteers for direct costs like gas, they surely cannot cover missed family events and the risks they take to help their neighbors.
A modest $1,000 tax credit won’t provide compensation for the sacrifices our volunteer firefighters make, but will hopefully help encourage current volunteers to continue their service and potentially attract new ones. In this time of catastrophic wildfires, we need all hands on deck to help Oregonians. This tax credit a mere drop in the fire bucket. But can make a difference to so many lives, especially rural lives. Please follow this link to watch the public hearing for this bill, and click here to learn more about SB 545.
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Legislative Updates
This Week's Testimonies
Week 3 Committee Snaps
Senate Committee on Energy and Environment
Informational hearings were held on:
- Oregon Department of Energy Biennial Energy Report
- Oregon Climate Action Commission Biennial Report to the Legislature
Public Hearings were held on the following bills:
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SB 550: Expands Oregon’s current right to repair law to require manufacturers to provide necessary resources – from parts and tools to embedded software and essential documentation – to both wheelchair owners and independent repair providers.
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SB 827:Expands the Oregon Solar and Storage Rebate Program to offer rebates for energy storage systems that will be paired at the time of installation with previously purchased and installed solar electric systems.
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SB 828: Establishes the Grid Resilience Matching Fund.
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SB 825: Requires the program for state agency facility energy design to minimize costs of reports to state agencies and minimize duplication of reporting requirements under the energy performance program for covered commercial buildings.
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SB 929: Reallocates money from the General Fund to the State Parks and Recreation Department for planning and coordination to continue to develop, maintain or work toward completion of the Oregon Coast Trail.
Senate Committee On Education
Informational hearings were held on:
- Update on Student Success Plans
Public hearings were held on the following bills:
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SB 933: Requires school districts to submit specified information to the Department of Education related to talented and gifted children. Directs the department to issue annual district and state report cards based on the submitted information
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SB 934: Prescribes requirements for the identification of talented and gifted children
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SB 894: Requires the Department of Education, in collaboration with the STEM Investment Council, to review and recommend standards for how technology-focused student activities can count toward high school diploma requirements or career and technical education programs
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SB 896: Reallocates moneys from the General Fund to the Department of Education for the After-School Learning and Enrichment Grant Program.
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SB 541: Requires school district boards to ensure all schools offer computer science education in all grades
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SB 768: Requires the State of Oregon to contribute a 50 percent match for every donation of $10,000 or more made to the Oregon State University Foundation for the express purpose of supporting agricultural research with emphasis on cereal grains, to the extent moneys are available.
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SB 948: Authorizes district school boards to provide for play-based learning during the instructional time of each regular school day for all students who are enrolled in prekindergarten through grade five in the school district.
Joint Committee On Ways and Means Subcommittee On Education
Informational hearings were held on:
- Education System Overview
- Early Literacy
- Educator Advancement Council - Grow Your Own Programs
- Department of Early Learning and Care - Provider Workforce
- Higher Education Coordinating Commission
Joint Committee on Ways and Means
Work sessions were held on:
- Federal Grant Applications
- Agency Reports
Week 3 - Oregon State Capitol Visits in the halls and in #S207 (Your Senate District 15 Capitol office)
Out and About for Senate District 15
Pacific University's State of the University
Thursday night was a wonderful night to celebrate Pacific University's 175 years of purpose! Congratulations to University President Jennifer Coyle on this momentous occasion.
Waste-Free Advocates Community Changemaker Award
Over the weekend, I was honored with the Waste-Free Advocates 2025 Community Changemaker Award for my work and advocacy on zero-waste policies. It was a wonderful time to connect with fellow waste free advocates and hear about upcoming and ongoing efforts. I am grateful for all of the good work being done to reduce plastics and waste in our environment and keep our planet healthy for future generations.
Senate District 15 - Small Business Spotlight
M&M Marketplace
The M&M Marketplace was founded by the Miranda family in October 2000 with only twenty independent businesses/business owners selling products and services to the Hillsboro community. Within three months the market would have grown to forty independent businesses.
Over the next years, the market continues to grow, now with eighty independent businesses. Selling a wide variety of products ranging from clothing, shoes, jewelry, videos, music, household goods, and food. Our market includes a full-service muffler shop, tire shop, and an automotive /mechanical repairs shop. In 2008, we inaugurated Hillsboro Futsal (Indoor Soccer), which was added to provide the youth and adult community with opportunities for entertainment, sport and recreation. Today our Futsal has grown to include leagues of all ages and genders. We serve the community and promote business, we want to invite people of all cultures and nationalities to be part of our market, thus contributing to our growth and cultural diversity. We encourage entrepreneurship and invite you to visit us any weekend, we are open year-round!
~M&M Marketplace
You can find more information about M&M Marketplace on their website here. It is located at 346 SW Walnut St, Hillsboro, OR 97123.
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Community Outreach
Black History Month
All throughout February, people in the United States celebrate the achievements and history of African Americans as part of Black History Month. Black History Month was created in 1970 to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today. The contributions from many historical figures such as Barack Obama, Mae Jemison, and Martin Luther King, Jr., just to name a few, are highlighted. Other countries have also taken on the national holiday through activities such as museum exhibits and film screenings, and by encouraging the study of achievements by African Americans year-round.
Events to celebrate Black History Month are being held around the state. Visit the below sites to learn more:
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Immigration Resources
Oregon has valuable state-level laws and programs to support immigrants. Get to know the ones I've collected here and get in touch if there are others you know and would recommend.
How to prepare yourself and your family for encounters with ICE or federal immigration authorities:
- The help people assert their rights and defend themselves in many situations, such as when ICE agents go to a home. They are available in many different languages and are easily printable.
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videos. What to do in your home, on the streets, and during arrests.
How to report ICE activity or federal authorities in my community:
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aka PIRC, 1-888-622-1510 - to report ICE activity right now anywhere in Oregon
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, 1-844-363-1423 or text 877877 - to report any incidents of raids or abuses/ mistreatment by ICE, police, or border patrol.
There is a lot of technical language in immigration and sanctuary law. What do they mean?
- The ODOJ Civil Rights Unit has created a that you can reference.
STEAM Activities
Early Learning Washington County HUB is hosting a series of events for children 3-6 to explore the amazing world of STEAM. Find more information here and on the flyers below.
Cornelius Youth Advisory Council (YAC): Seeking Support for a Cornelius Community Center
Myeli Saenz Juan, Vice Chair of YAC (Freshman at Forest Grove High School)
Cornelius is a small town where people feel comfortable, safe, and connected. Our community is built on kindness and a strong sense to help one another. That’s why we are creating a community center to bring people even closer together and provide a safe indoor space for sports, events and fun activities that everyone can enjoy. This space will be beneficial for the youth in our community, giving us a safe place to stay active, and connect with friends, and participate in programs that support our growth and future. Additionally, the plaza will support small businesses by hosting events like farmers markets, creating opportunities for them to thrive. I truly believe this community center will make a big and lasting impact, and I hope you’ll consider supporting it’s funding to help youth and the entire community.
Eviana Zavala Gallardo, YAC Member (Freshman at Forest Grove High School)
In Cornelius we don’t have a specific place where we can have programs, activities, or celebrations. Currently we use our Cornelius Elementary School, which we hope will turn into the Community Center with your support. There would be new opportunities in that center like programs where we can socialize with friends and connect with other people while the activities are free and anyone can participate. We don’t have a place like this in our city right now. A lot of people would benefit and learn a lot from the experiences. Oregon is a cold place, so it would be nice for my family and I. Since I can’t play tennis with my dad at the park because of the weather. Having an indoor place to play sports in, like pickleball would really be nice. It would be a place that is always available and where everyone is welcome.
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2025 Dream Big Scholarship
Senator Ron Wyden Washington County Town Hall - Saturday, February 15th
Additional Resources
**We have updated the Additional Resources to include a section on Immigration Resources and also a link to Oregon Food Bank-Free Food Market Finder. Please share with friends and neighbors.
Senate District 15 – Event Calendars
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Food and Housing Assistance
Immigration Resources
Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
Onward & Upward,
 Senate District 15 lies on Kalapuya land. The Atfalati were the northernmost band of the Kalapuya that lived along the Tualatin River in present day Washington County. Many of the Atfalati descendants are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon today. The Indigenous Peoples of this land experienced a painful history of colonial violence, sickness and removal from their land. The Atfalati are the foundation of Oregon's past and we must honor them well into our future.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1715
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-207, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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