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To contact me, please click here: Rep.ShannonIsadore@oregonlegislature.gov
Friends and Neighbors,
The legislative process is picking up rapidly, with bills already being voted out of their first chamber. For bills that started in the House, this means they must now pass through Senate committees and a vote on the Senate floor.
While I approach this session with an abundance of enthusiasm, I am also adjusting to major changes with my behavioral health clinic, which has just moved from NE Portland to downtown. I see the challenges that business owners in our central core are facing as I am faced with those same issues and concerns. I am understanding of these challenges and like many of the business owners downtown, I am facing them head on.
I share many people’s frustrations around who to call and what to do when faced with drug use, vandalism, and hygiene issues and I am determined to come up with creative and collaborative solutions to ensure that the diverse needs of downtown are being met.
I want to share a story about my first few days at our new location. First, it is important to mention that this new clinic location had been an abandoned building for two years. As I arrived at the clinic during off hours, I found a window smashed, defecation on our doorstep, and graffiti on our building. In the midst of my frustration, I also encountered people using drugs in our entryway. I asked them to relocate and shared with them that this is a drug treatment center that has just opened. I was surprised with the next words from one of the fellas: “No problem, we will move, thanks for asking so nicely, and are you taking new people into the program? Although these interactions don’t happen like this often, it was a good counterbalance to what I had just experienced around the building.
As we navigate the very real livability problems that make running a business or just living life in Portland’s urban core difficult, we must also keep in mind the real people who aren’t just seeing the impacts of the addiction crisis but living it. Many people suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) are not ready for treatment, but many people are. Tragically, that treatment is rarely ready and accessible for them when that key moment arises. As a community, our success is mutually dependent. We only thrive when everyone’s needs are being met; the success of the business community is tied to the success of families raising young children, chronically unhoused community members, and people suffering from SUD and mental illness. We all benefit when we ensure access to services for the most acute needs in our communities. I will keep fighting to make downtown Portland a vibrant, safe, and thriving community.
James Beard Public Market Public Hearing
 
One of my most important priorities is making sure that we are doing everything we can to revitalize downtown Portland. On the 12th, it was my honor to present a bill that is directly in line with that vision to the Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade Committee, of which I am Vice Chair. The bill accompanies a budget request to help the James Beard Public Market secure $10 million in lottery bonds to get this project over the finish line.
Joined by 8 business owners and community leaders from across the urban and rural spectrum, we were able to deliver an incredibly compelling argument for why this project could be, as Chair Nguyen said, an opportunity for us to fall back in love with downtown Portland.
Oregon Commission on Black Affairs
 
I was thrilled to attend this year's lunch for the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs celebration of Black History Month along with Representatives Nelson and Nguyen, City Councilor Koyama Lane, Mayor Wilson, and Governor Kotek. This year's event focused on uplifting the New Columbia neighborhood by honoring the history of Portland's historic Black neighborhood. I got to learn about the incredible work that local organizations like Our Streets Portland, SOLVE, and Word is Bond are doing to uplift the community. I shared a few words about my family history and the importance of community and watched as Gov. Kotek signed Oregon's Black History Month Proclamation. Check out this link for more information about this amazing event!
Bridgeview Community Visit
My team and I had the pleasure of visiting New Narrative's Bridgeview Community in downtown Portland. New Narrative is a mental health organization that works to meet the mental health care and housing needs of adults in Oregon. They operate Bridgeview Apartments which provides low-barrier transitional housing in the heart of downtown Portland, serving hundreds of formerly unhoused Oregonians living with mental health challenges. Organizations like these demonstrate that rehabilitation is possible with the appropriate support and I look forward to identifying ways to support this crucial work.
Biamp Portland Jazz Festival
The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival (from the local music organization PDX Jazz) is a ten-day multi-venue celebration of jazz that takes place across Portland and includes artists spanning the full breadth of jazz. Dedicated to preserving America’s indigenous art form by presenting internationally recognized jazz masters alongside local musicians, this annual festival usually includes education and outreach programs extending into Portland’s schools and neighborhoods and a generous offering of free performances, film and jazz conversations.
The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival, The 2025 lineup includes incredible performances, such as two-time Grammy winner Erykah Badu at the Moda Center and eight-time Grammy winner Terence Blanchard at Newmark Theatre (located right here in HD 33!)
Black History Festival NW
For the past nineteen years, World Stage Theatre has been educating communities about the rich tapestry of the African Diaspora through the arts. The Black History Festival NW is elated about this year’s theme, African Americans and Labor, as they continue to uplift our community and bring people together. Black History Festival NW is the only organization of its kind in the Northwest region, reaching more than 30,000 people and partnering with more than 100 Black artists, leaders, organizations, and businesses in the Pacific NW.
Feed the Mass was established by Chef Jacobsen Valentine in response to a growing rise of food insecurity in Multnomah County and personal understanding of the challenges individuals and families face in accessing nutritious meals. This black-owned non-profit, located on 80 NW Davis St, provides meals while also teaching valuable culinary skills to empower people to make informed choices about their nutrition. You can sign up to volunteer to help feed the mass here!
Thank you for reading! You are welcome to send me an email at rep.shannonisadore@oregonlegislature.gov or call my office at 503-986-1433. Stay tuned for more newsletters with updates or follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
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Rep. Shannon Jones Isadore
HD 33 State Representative
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Sugar
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Capitol Phone: 503-986-1433
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-276, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.ShannonIsadore@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/isadore
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