Warning! New Taxes Being Considered

It’s hard to believe, but we are just two weeks away from the first major legislative deadline! Bills in most policy committees will need to have a work session scheduled by Friday, March 21st, to be worked and sent to the floor by April 9th, otherwise they will die. Most bills introduced this year will fall victim to this deadline, which means Oregonians will avoid some harmful policies, while also being deprived of some good, common-sense legislation that the majority party just didn't want to advance.

Unfortunately, some of these policies that may be moving forward are new and increased taxes. Revenue increasing measures require a 3/5 majority vote in both chambers (a supermajority), which Democrats hold in both chambers following November’s election, meaning they can pass new taxes without any Republican support.

HB 3362 (which had a public hearing Tuesday), is another push towards green energy policies that hit everyday Oregonians in the wallet. Sponsored by Senator Chris Gorsek (D-Troutdale) and Representative Ken Helm (D-Beaverton), this bill would impose a 4% tax on all new and refurbished motor vehicle tires, creating what they’re calling a “tire pollution tax.” The revenue would be funneled into a fund dedicated to rail projects, wildlife crossings, and pollution programs. What's perhaps most troubling is the fact that this bill isn’t even about fixing Oregon’s $1.8 billion transportation shortfall.

If the Majority in Salem wants to tax us more, Oregonians are proving they won’t make it easy for them. Nearly 2,000 people testified or submitted testimony in opposition to HB 3362 in the days surrounding its hearing, making up 87% of the total testimony. It may not seem like much of a silver lining, but I do love watching people make their voice heard in the legislative process. There are two other tax ideas I want to touch on briefly, with the first being HB 2528 – which would give the Oregon Health Authority sweeping power to not only create or raise taxes on any nicotine products (currently, only tobacco products are taxed), as well as ban any of the products they choose with no further legislative oversight. The bill had a public hearing last Thursday, and received staunch opposition from convenience store owners as well as advocates who see tobacco free nicotine products as a crucial tool for many who wish to stop smoking.

The second isn’t a bill yet, but the Co-Chairs for the Joint Committee on Transportation have been on the record mulling a new “fee” on deliveries from companies like Amazon and DoorDash. While they claim this will help boost funding to solve ODOT’s budget woes, it’s simply another way to penalize Oregonians for the convenience of modern services. States like Colorado and Minnesota have implemented similar fees, but they only generate $60-70 million—barely a drop in the $3 billion sized bucket the Governor’s recommended budget calls for in new transportation revenue.

House District 11 at the Capitol!

I sure lucked out this week with visits from the district! Which are always my favorite days in Salem! But I know I’ve said that before. The week of fun began on Tuesday when Lebanon High School's AP Government class arrived for a short tour of the building, a meet and greet, and finally to watch the House Floor session from the balcony. We were all amazed at how insightful these seniors' questions were, and how well they represented House District 11 during their visit. To watch my courtesy speech for them on the House Floor, click here!

I got a surprise visit on Wednesday from some friendly faces that do incredible community work all around the Linn-Benton region. Bjorn, Mr. G, and Tina all have a long history in the local community involvement, but were in the Capitol representing Habitat for Humanity, and their desire to help alleviate Oregon's ongoing housing crisis.   Mayor Adam Craven and Councilor Felipe Eversull from Brownsville stopped in on Thursday to discuss some ideas to leverage recent federal decisions to open up more logging in our forestlands, which I know is a sentiment felt very strongly in our district. It’s great to see such passionate leadership willing to step up and help tackle even the biggest of issues facing our communities.

And to top it all off, Lebanon Chamber of Commerce Cascade Gateway Leadership class visited the Capitol for Government Day – and were accompanied by Director Rebecca Grizzle, who causes me to raise eyebrows of my colleagues because Lebanon’s mean-to-be-nice sense of humor apparently isn’t “normal”, and it’s all her fault for corrupting us, but I digress. This class is a 9-month commitment, and explores different industries and facets of our community from manufacturing to natural resources, education to public safety, and everything in between, to help participants be strong and influential leaders ready to grow our businesses and help shape the future of our community. This class is always a highlight of our Chamber’s offering to East Linn County, and has graduated some of the most remarkable pillars in our community! To watch my courtesy speech for them from the Floor, click here.

HB 2200 - Decarbonizes all investments that fund PERS system, changes investment scope away from maximizing the rate of return for Oregonians.

HB 2299 – Adds AI generated or altered sexual images into the statute for the crime of unlawful dissemination of intimate images.

HB 3012 – Allows 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school district elections.

HB 3075 – Implementing the components of Measure 114 through the legislature, sidestepping the judicial system as M114 is still held up by the courts.

SB 78 - Would restrict rebuilding homes after natural disasters to a 10% increase in size or a maximum of 2,500 square feet.

SB 426 – Moves the financial obligation for unpaid subcontractors onto the homeowner, not their paid contractor.

SB 1098 - Takes away the authority of local school boards to decide what books are appropriate in public schools.

The Senior Royal Court Princesses include Natalia Bonya, Addison Traeger, and Cheyenne Smith.

Not to be outdone, the Junior Royal Court includes Princess Laikynn, Princess Taylor, Princess Kolbee, and Princess Brinley.

Do you know of anyone in House District 11 who deserves to be acknowledged? Send us your nominations at Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov

Sweet Home FFA Community Night Tomorrow

The wonderful folks at Sweet Home FFA cordially invite you to their community night at the Sweet Home High School gym. This event will be informational, include dinner, a silent auction, and more! It's free, but you should have hopefully RSVP'd by March 3rd.

Sweet Home Rotary Club Kettle Corn Fundraiser

Fundraiser for Central Linn School District March 15th

The Cobras Booster Club invites you to their upcoming auction March 15th that supports the Central Linn School District! Doors open at the High School at 5:00pm, with a delicious lamb kabob and pork loin dinner starting at 6:00pm. A silent auction will take place shortly after the doors open, with a live auction kicking off at 7:00pm. 

The cost of entry is $25 per person, so don't miss out on a night of fun while supporting our local schools!

New Book Added to Lebanon Library StoryWalk

If you’re a lover of nature and the written word, and want to get your little ones involved, look no further than the Lebanon Library's StoryWalk program at the library grounds! They even added a new book just in time for the warmer days ahead, so come check it out!

ODOT Nighttime Ramp Closures Reminder

This is a friendly reminder that ODOT will be continuing its work on the on and off ramps at exit 216 and exit 209 near Halsey into next week. This is a part of ongoing I-5 paving project. For more information, ODOT has provided the following link. 

It's hard to believe it's already March and our first legislative deadline of the session is just two weeks away! On the policy side of this job, there has been a lot of "wait and see" with so many bills being introduced, mulled over, and altered throughout the beginning of session, and yet we are still waiting to see how the cards fall and what bills end up actually moving later this month.

Juxtaposed to the uncertainty on the policy side of the job, our constituent work has been rock steady with Ali taking on the majority of that work. It's been great to see her becoming more and more independent and comfortable working in our office. My stress levels likewise are almost approaching tolerable levels!

While I really do enjoy the social aspects of this job, I have to say, being on the House Floor while it is active and under "protocol" has never been my favorite. While in session, various rules are enforced regarding how we move and when we move, which can make one feel a bit like a chess piece. A funny example of this happened earlier in the week, when Rep. Reschke (R-Klamath Falls) gave a long speech concerning a Medicaid funding bill on the House Floor. I had come down to Floor for a brief conversation with Rep. Cate, and because of her desk being in close proximity to Rep. Reschke's (and being in camera shot), it was against protocol for me to get up. Other member's supportive of Rep. Reschke's sentiments continued ceding their time to him, which led to a nice long Floor visit for me. It's all in good fun though--I knew what I was potentially getting into when coming down! Lastly, I want to give a shout out to the great groups of visitors we had this week. We had students, a bunch of constituents advocating on various issues, and the Lebanon Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Class all making the visit. It was such a blast touring them around the building in the morning and answering their questions! Below, you can see the Leadership Class on the House Floor before the pesky protocol was activated. - Conner

Oregon bills seek to revive permits to buy gun, ammunition limits of stalled Measure 114

The Oregonian 

The main legislation would incorporate the two major provisions of the now-stalled M114 gun control initiative: a permit required to buy a gun and a ban of magazines holding 10 or more rounds. Other bills would extend the waiting period before someone can buy a gun, raise the age to possess a gun and ban switch devices that turn guns from semi-automatic to automatic weapons.

Oregon lawmakers from both parties call for greater accountability from state agencies

The Oregonian

Reps Ben Bowman, D-Tigard, and Kim Wallan, R-Medford, are together proposing a bill that would hire an auditor to look into issues of importance to the Legislature, instead of relying solely on audits from agencies or the secretary of state. And House leaders have found common ground in setting accountability as a guiding principle for 2025.

Oregon agriculture leaders, farmers brace for retaliatory tariffs

OPB

President Donald Trump on Tuesday slapped 25% across-the-board tariffs on imported goods from Canada and Mexico – our nation’s largest trading partner. Chinese goods entering the U.S. face an additional 10% tariff. That’s got Oregon food and agriculture leaders worried that retaliatory tariffs will hurt Oregon farmers.

ODOT doesn't have an extra billion dollars after all, which may result in shelved projects

KGW

The Oregon Department of Transportation is adding another item to the state's ongoing list of budget problems — a $1 billion one. It turns out that the agency made a pretty big accounting error. ODOT's assistant director had the unpleasant task of going before lawmakers to explain how exactly they thought they had a billion dollars more than they actually did. It came down, he said, to a tool they used to forecast funding that made it look like they had a lot more federal money in the bank than they actually do. It's apparently because that money is reimbursed after the fact, but the model did not take that into consideration.

Trump orders call to expand timber production. What does it mean for Oregon?

Statesman Journal

Timber industry groups and businesses cheered the decision, saying it could finally pave the way for meaningful forest management and fill rural jobs following the closure of at least seven timber mills in Oregon in 2024. 

Sweet Home Budget Committee Vacancy

Have you ever been curious about where city money goes, or how city finances work? Would you like to make a difference in the city of Sweet Home? The city has a vacancy on their budget committee and are seeking applicants who have an interest in local government finance. You must live within city limits to be a member.

This a great opportunity for people who are interested in learning more about the local government budget process and shaping next year's city budget. It is also ideal for those who want to serve the city but may not be able to commit to a year-round group, as this committee only meets a few times a year (typically in April and/or May). If this sounds like something that interests you, please apply with this link! Any questions can be directed to cpretty@sweethomeor.gov.

Interested applicants should plan to be apply by Tuesday, March 11th. Sweet Home looks forward to reviewing your applications!

Out-Shenaniganed By 8th Graders!

Fire and Ice, and Birthday Hearts!

Mandates To Defy Trump Administration?

Resuming the Fight for Volunteer Firefighters

First Official Week of Session Complete

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1411
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-381, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.JamiCate@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/cate