Out-Shenaniganed By 8th Graders!
Some of the best days in Salem are visits from the district, and boy did these kids represent House District 11 well! Until they out-shenaniganed my office, but we’ll get to that. Sweet Home Junior High School's 8th grade Tiger Leadership Class came to visit their Capitol on Tuesday dressed to impress, and got to tour the building in the midst of construction before staying for their courtesy speech in the House Chamber during Floor Session. A special thank you to their amazing teacher, Ali Garnder, for setting up this visit, and making sure our students are exposed to the legislative process and ways to be involved. Trips to the Capitol were always my favorite when I was young, and it’s always fun to see the tradition continue.
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Kids are far more industrious nowadays though, and their “legislative involvement” took a turn after they left! We started to get a series of prank calls to our office—sometimes as many as four at a time! Ali was quick to catch on to who our mysterious callers were—and of course they were asking for Conner (he’s probably to blame for making the tour too much fun for the kids!) We do have great appreciation for some good shenanigans, and we don’t like being shown up – especially by 8th graders! – so we may need to brainstorm ways to get them back. But goodness, it’s challenging to try and outwit 14-year-old boys at their own game!
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The rest of the week was rather uneventful by comparison! Conner and I are both back in the Capitol after being out sick parts of last week (hence no newsletter being sent out), while Ali was an absolute trooper holding down the office on her own. So there has been a lot of playing catch up as deadlines approach in the Legislature.
One of the major milestone markers of Session occurred Tuesday, as it was the last day to introduce measures that are not considered "priority bills". Every legislator has five so-called priority bills that are exempt from this deadline—so more bills will undoubtedly still be introduced. The next big checkpoints of Session will be the beginning of daily floor sessions on March 10th, and March 21st being the deadline for bills to have a work session scheduled (in most policy committees) to stay alive in the process.
SJR 7 – A referral to voters for a constitutional amendment to require a 2/3 majority to pass bills with an emergency clause.
HB 3419 - A bill to make revisions to Oregon's existing water monitoring programs that had an incorrectly drafted amendment that would have applied the monitoring to all wells - including residential wells. The amendment will not be adopted.
HB 3666 - Creates safety certificate program for public utilities resulting in immunity from wildfire lawsuits
HB 3179 - FAIR Energy Act, curtailing rate increases for energy providers
HB 2528 - Gives Oregon Health Authority the ability to ban nicotine products and extend tobacco tax to tobacco-free nicotine products
HR 3 - Recognizes and honors the history of black drag in Oregon
SB 551 - Expanding the ban on single-use plastic bags to include reusable plastic bags, plastic utensils, and even hotel shampoo bottles
HB 3551 - Revokes Oregon’s sanctuary status for illegal immigrants committing violent felonies
HB 3006 - Appropriates money for scholarships to increase the representation of marginalized populations in the workforce
HB 3018 - Requires food producers and processors to compost food waste to reduce greenhouse gases
HB 3118 - Mandates Dept. of Corrections provide free phone calls for inmates.
We LOVE books, and are so excited to be able to shine this week’s spotlight on one of our wonderful mayors in House District 11, Sweet Home Mayor Susan Coleman, who recently represented the Sweet Home Public Library in Washington D.C.! This is because the library was chosen to participate in the surplus book program at the National Library of Congress.
Mayor Coleman just so happened to be in Washington on a business trip, and since there must be a representative present to physically choose the books, she was able to be show up and pick out some books to take back home. What a fun opportunity for little Sweet Home! We’re so grateful Mayor Coleman was able to make sure the community could take advantage of this amazing opportunity.
Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Lebanon Distinguished Service Awards Tonight
Tonight is Lebanon's annual Distinguished Awards Gala at the Boulder Falls Event Center! This is truly one of my favorite events of the year, and highlights the amazing people who make our local community great.
Sunshine Industries Fundraiser Tomorrow
One of Sweet Home's finest organizations is holding their annual fundraising dinner tomorrow and they'd love to see you there too! By participating, you can support those in your community with developmental disabilities while enjoying great food and live music.
Green Acres Spring Carnival Fundraiser
Next Wednesday Green Acres Elementary is holding their Spring Carnival, a fundraiser full of fun activities for all ages, so be sure to make the trip and support one of your local schools!
Free Tax Help at Lebanon & Sweet Home Libraries
Want to e-file your taxes for free? Volunteers from the Oregon Department of Revenue will be at Sweet Home Public Library from 10:00am to 6:00pm on March 4th, and at the Lebanon Public Library from 10:00am to 6:00pm on March 5th to assist taxpayers in using the free combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon to complete their tax year 2024 returns! Learn more at https://www.oregon.gov/dor/programs/individuals/Pages/free-direct-file.aspx.
House District 11 Cheer Teams at State
How about a special shoutout to our local high school cheer teams who had a solid showing at State! Sweet Home and Lebanon both took second place respectively, and Scio also had a strong showing! It's so great to see these young athlete's long hours of practice and training throughout the season pay off on such a big stage!
 
The following write-up is by Linn County Clerk Marcie Richey
A Deeper Look into Elections in Linn County
God set me on a path that I could not have foreseen that has ended in me being the Linn County Clerk. A little over 31 years ago I was hired into Elections by Steve Druckenmiller. When I first started working in the Clerk’s Office, I could see how passionate Steve was with Elections. His passion was infectious and helped in elections becoming a very integral part of my life. His precise and strict philosophy of accuracy became my philosophy.
My shared philosophy is that elections are the foundation and backbone of our democracy. Election integrity is vital for a fair society. Ensuring open and fair elections is not just a duty; it is a necessity that strengthens trust in government and empowers its citizens. An analogy of this philosophy is that a sheriff can’t be a sheriff until they are elected by the people and certified by the County Clerk.
The County Clerk is elected to oversee and conduct fair, accurate and secure elections. With that comes a vast responsibility to ensure that not only are the elections done accurately, but that they are transparent to the voters and support the integrity of elections. Clear processes and open access to information allow voters to understand how decisions are made. For instance, independent observers can watch the election process, ensuring fairness and accuracy.
Another key part of elections is the auditability of an election. Throughout every step of the process Linn County maintains an audit trail that is kept on an audit log. From the time the ballot enters our office, through the tallying of the ballots, a detailed log is updated at each station. In Oregon, we also have the automatic hand counts that are conducted at the end of each Primary and General Election.
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We take the utmost care and have designed processes in place to ensure that the votes of each voter are kept anonymous. In Linn County, we turn the envelopes with the identifying information away from the operator on the extractor so they cannot see who the voter is that returned the blue envelope. Then when the ballot is extracted from the envelope there is no way of tying the voter to the ballot.
The security of elections is also a key to voter confidence in elections. Linn County’s drop sites are monitored and secured. In the Clerk’s Office cameras record every area that ballots could be handled. The tallying system is not accessible by the internet or other external wired or wireless means. Voters’ can be assured that their rights have been honored throughout the entire election.
In conclusion, ensuring open and fair elections is essential for a healthy democracy. Trust, transparency, and public engagement are the pillars that support the integrity of the electoral process. By focusing on these areas, society can strengthen democracy and ensure that every vote truly counts. It is crucial for everyone to be aware of the importance of election integrity and to participate actively to protect it.
Linn Co. Sheriff's Office Search & Rescue Academy
The Linn County Sheriff Sheriff’s Office is recruiting young men and women, ages 14 to 18, to join the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team and participate in the summer training program! This will be the 30th Search and Rescue Training Academy in Linn County and will be held from June 20th through June 30th.
Those who are interested in becoming an integral part of the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue mission should have an interest in community service and a desire to be a part of a highly trained and professional life saving organization. The life skills and mentorship by our staff has been an invaluable experience for past SAR members. Many have gone on to become full-time employees!
The application process includes oral board interviews, a background check, and a physical aptitude test. Applicants must attend ONE recruit meeting at the Sheriff’s Office on March 10th, April 14th, or May 5th at 7:00 PM. Additionally, recruits are required to complete an online First Aid and CPR training course provided by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office by June 7th and attend an in-person CPR/First Aid skills class on Saturday, June 7th.
For more information, or if you have questions, visit this link or contact Ric Lentz at rlentz@linnsheriff.org.
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This has been another crazy week, but it was also decidedly more normal after last week's illnesses and the snow & ice storm that blew through the week before!
As always, the printer has been giving me a hard time. What would have normally been an hour-long project ended up taking almost three with all the fixes I had to do, but sending honor roll letters to hard-working students in House District 11 is important work!
Meeting with constituents was insightful and a delight as always. I had the pleasure of meeting with groups like OEA, AARP, AWS and Samaritan Health Services. In addition to hearing from these bigger groups, I was able to have a one-on-one meeting with a constituent from Lebanon who is facing real hardship.
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My favorite part of the job will always be constituent work. I love being able to help lead people in the right direction as far as who to reach out to as well as making sure we continue to check-in. Unfortunately, there are times where we cannot help someone directly, and must direct folks to those who can better help--which often includes topics related to what's going on at the federal level.
Our Capitol Quest scavenger hunt had some great interest this week as well! Many folks stopped by to grab a pamphlet, and we're excited to report that some Little Pioneers visiting their Capitol from Otis, Oregon were the first to return a completed form. We look forward to sending them their Certificate of Excellence in the coming days, and encourage others to give the Quest a try as well!
- Ali Ruiz
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Bill on wildfire prevention work could give utilities immunity from lawsuits
Oregon Capital Chronicle
A bill that would establish minimum wildfire prevention standards for electric utilities in exchange for an annual certificate from the Oregon Public Utility Commission could give them immunity from being held accountable in lawsuits, lawyers say.
Lawmakers Ponder Retail Delivery Fee
Willamette Week
After months of intensive work on how to bolster funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee is preparing to unveil a package of funding options to augment the gas tax and vehicle registration fees. One new idea: a fee on retail deliveries by companies such as Amazon and DoorDash.
Gas prices jump 25-cents in 1 month (as lawmakers eye 35-cent tax)
Oregon Catalyst
In a single month, Oregon gas prices jumped over 25-cents a gallon from $3.53 to $3.76. This is due to refinery problems and seasonal gasoline blend mandates. Yet, as seen by the chart above, Oregon has no room to spare on gas costs because it is already in the highest cost-of-gas states in America according to AAA. This comes at the same the Oregon Legislature is considering a new 35-cent gas tax increase to pay for transportation mis-spending.
Oregon lawmakers consider bill to curb utility rate hikes, boost transparency
KATU
Oregon lawmakers are discussing a bill, dubbed the "Fair Energy Act," that aims to protect consumers from sharp utility rate increases and improve public transparency from the Oregon Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The PUC regulates utility companies to ensure they provide safe, reliable, and reasonably priced services to consumers. House Bill 3179 would compel the PUC to study the economic impact of a proposed rate increase if it results in a 2.5% or more increase in the utility’s revenue. The PUC must consider factors such as unemployment rates, income levels, cost of living, and more before an increase can be applied.
Oregon spends millions to help immigrants fight deportation. It’s unclear how many succeed
The Oregonian
State lawmakers who approved $15 million to launch the Equity Corps of Oregon legal program received little information about its progress until last summer, when administrators provided their first performance report. They boasted that about 4,700 people had sought help of some kind from the statewide program, assisting with things like asylum applications and work authorization forms, while providing “the legal representation and navigation support necessary to stop unjust deportations and stabilize families and communities...”
Opening Ceremonies Needed
Do you sing? Read poetry? Play an instrument? Pray? Then we have a job for you!
Every Floor Session in the House of Representatives starts with Opening Ceremonies, and is a great way to showcase the talents found across the state. Guidelines for Opening Ceremonies are below, but if you're interested in being a ceremonial part of the 83rd Legislative Session, let me know! My office can help coordinate with the Chief Clerk's office to get you on the calendar.
Fire and Ice, and Birthday Hearts!
Mandates To Defy Trump Administration?
Resuming the Fight for Volunteer Firefighters
First Official Week of Session Complete
The 2025 Legislative Session Begins!
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