Friends and Neighbors,

Here are some highlights from the past week and helpful community information for you! 

 - Shelly

ACTION ALERT: OVERHAUL OF FARM WORK REGULATIONS

Next week, the House Labor and Workplace Standards Committee will hold a public hearing on House Bill 2548, which would fundamentally overhaul Oregon's farmer/farm worker relationship.

Oregon’s agriculture industry is already grappling with the aftermath of the recent agricultural overtime law, HB 4002 (2022). Now, HB 2548 proposes a sweeping, one-size-fits-all mandate that could force many family farms and ranches out of business.

HB 2548 disregards the significant protections already in place for farmworkers and threatens to fast-track new, burdensome regulations that could cripple Oregon’s agricultural industry.

HB 2548 eliminates the relationship between employers and workers

The bill undermines the relationship between farm employers and workers by transferring critical decisions about staffing, wages, benefits, and training to an unelected and unaccountable bureaucratic body. Farmers would be stripped of their ability to make management decisions under this punitive concept.

HB 2548 threatens the survival of family farms and ranches and accelerates job loss

HB 2548 targets an industry that largely cannot adjust prices to account for rising labor costs. Oregon’s agricultural sector exports 80% of its produce, competing not just with other local farms, but with international growers in Mexico, Guatemala, Turkey, and beyond. By raising operational costs for Oregon farmers, the bill diminishes their competitiveness in both domestic and global markets.

Oregon’s farmers are already struggling with labor shortages and rising costs. Additional mandates from a workplace standards board would only increase these challenges, potentially forcing the closure of multigenerational farms, eliminating farm jobs, or reducing work hours.

HB 2548 duplicates existing worker protections

Oregon already boasts some of the strongest labor laws in the nation, which apply equally to farmworkers. The facts do not support the idea that farm workers need additional protections through HB 2548. Oregon’s workplace protections are already so expansive and costly that many small farms can no longer afford to operate. The last USDA ag census showed a loss of approximately 6% of farms in Oregon over the previous five years and over 65% of farms operating at a net cash loss in 2022.

HB 2548 risks shutting down family farms and ranches by piling unaffordable costs onto an industry already reeling from labor shortages, climate challenges, and market volatility. This measure could destabilize rural economies, all while duplicating or contradicting existing worker protections. The stakes are too high for this untested experiment.

“NO” on eliminating at-will employment

Oregon law currently allows for at-will employment, meaning both employers and employees can terminate the employment relationship without notice or cause, except in specific cases like public employment or contracts. All industries in Oregon are considered at-will, including farms and ranches. HB 2548 would dramatically alter this structure, creating significant challenges and litigation risk for agricultural employers.

HB 2548 puts Oregon’s farm and ranch families in an untenable position.

• Shift in Burden of Proof: HB 2548 would require employers to prove the reasonableness of a termination, shifting the burden to them. Family farms and ranches would be vulnerable to costly litigation, as they would need to defend against employment claims, even in situations involving market conditions, poor yields, or weather events.
• Increased Litigation Costs: Family farms already face enormous financial strain. It costs around $75,000 just to settle a claim before it reaches court. Adding legal risks will only increase financial pressure, especially for small, family-run operations.
• Economic Hardships: Many Oregon farms are already struggling with poor yields and low commodity prices. Most will spend the next several years recovering from cash losses incurred in 2023 and 2024. HB 2548 adds another layer of uncertainty that could force family farms into financial ruin.
• Impediments to Staffing Flexibility: HB 2548 limits necessary flexibility for staffing and termination decisions, making it harder for employers to navigate the unpredictability of farming. These restrictions could lead to difficulty in hiring and maintaining a workforce.

HB 2548 threatens the livelihood of family farms and ranches by imposing unnecessary legal burdens. It increases costs and limits the flexibility needed to manage agricultural businesses. At a time when family farms are struggling to stay afloat, the Legislature should reject this punitive concept.

Make your voice heard! Here's how:

When: Tuesday,  March 12, at 3 PM

Where: Oregon State Capitol, Hearing Room D

How: Sign up to testify by clicking here, and finding the "Register to Testify" button under the 'Public Hearing' section. If you can't spare a few minutes to give live testimony, no worries, you can submit written testimony here. For more detailed instructions, go here.

OREGONIANS’ OVERWHELMING OPPOSITION

TO DEMOCRAT’S TIRE TAX

Oregonians came out in force this week to oppose Democrat’s tire tax proposal. House Bill 3362 would slap a 4% tax on tires to pay for environmental projects, but Oregonians spoke loud and clear. Over 1,700 people have submitted written testimony against the bill, and over 85% oppose the bill. The state has plenty of cash. We don’t need to keep taking more and more money from you.

I hope this forceful showing from Oregonians will prevent Democrats from moving the bill forward, but I will continue to update you if things change.

Related news:

House Republicans Slam Tire Tax Ahead of Committee Hearing

Proposed Oregon bill to tax tires 4% receives massive public backlash

Oregon lawmakers consider 4% tax on new tires sold to drivers

Oregon drivers buy millions of tires every year. A controversial bill could create a tax on each one

BAD BILLS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

There are a lot of bad bills to keep an eye on this session, and I wanted to bring a few to your attention:

• Senate Bill 916: This bill would incentivize work shutdowns by unionized employees by offering unemployment benefits to striking workers. Every employer in Oregon pays into the unemployment insurance system, and would therefore be subsidizing employees who chose not to work. A Senate Committee passed this bill this week.
• House Bill 3076: This bill would require every Oregon gun dealer to file detailed inventory reports with state government. This would essentially create a gun registry by giving the government access to when, where, how, and to who guns are sold. The bill is still just a “placeholder” at the moment, but this week gun control advocates were passing out flyers in the halls of the Capitol that explain their intentions on how to amend this bill into a gun registry bill.
• House Bill 3012: This bill would allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in school board’s elections. Not only would it be more complicated and more expensive to administer these elections because of the need to print separate ballots for 16-17-year-olds, but it is also inconsistent with other legislation Democrats have passed in recent years. A few years ago, the Legislature passed legislation to give young violent offenders more leniency on their sentencing when they commit crimes like murder, rape, and kidnapping. At the same time, people are proposing that the same age group vote. I am just wondering why we stop at 16- and 17-year-olds. Why not 14-year-olds? (Sarcasm)

As a reminder, you can track activity on these bills by clicking the bill number above and then clicking on the “e-subscribe” button in the top right. This will sign you up for email notifications about the bill in case it gets scheduled for a public hearing or vote.

UPDATE ON ADVANCED CLEAN TRUCK RULES

This week, the Governor issued a letter to DEQ Director Leah Feldon to "to quickly develop a solution for Class 7 and 8 trucks that considers the current circumstances while still maintaining the integrity of the ACT program for all other classes." These changes could include the issuance of additional credits to these bigger truck manufacturers.

There is a LOT of uncertainty about what this exactly means in practice for the Class 7 and 8 truck market, but at the very least, the Governor is acknowledging there are serious fundamental issues with these regulations. They quite literally put the cart before the horse. But this latest directive from the Governor ignores issues that still exist with the medium duty market. Electric RVs, tow trucks, dump trucks, and Ford F-350s did not exist before the Governor’s letter, and they still don’t exist after. The Governor’s directive doesn’t acknowledge this reality. In addition, we’re not sure whether the “fix” the Governor is suggesting will actually solve the problem.

What is clear to me: without the outpouring of public pressure from Oregonians impacted by these unrealistic regulations, this would have never happened. Thank you for your help over the last few months to bring attention to these bad regulations. This fight is far from over, but this could be a win for common sense.

KOTEK'S HOUSING BILL DOUBLES DOWN ON STATUS QUO

I have heard loud and clear from Albany residents about their concerns about the Governor's housing priorities, specifically when it comes to middle housing. We need ALL types of housing, and they need to be affordable. The "regulate-and-subsidize" approach that has been pursued in the last decade has demonstrably failed. Housing is more expensive than ever, and Oregonians are paying more taxes for the privilege. With the help of city officials, I am working on amendments to the Governor's housing bill - House Bill 2138 - that will address local concerns around middle housing and the traffic and infrastructure challenges that arise from those developments. 

Another part of her big housing bill, includes provisions that would make it easier to demolish historic housing. Albany has many beautiful downtown historic homes, so I was very concerned when I first learned of these provisions. Governor Kotek now says she supports removing that language from the bill, but that has yet to happen. Keep an eye on this bill by clicking this link and inputting your email to get notifications.

I stand with my Republican colleagues, who have proposed a suite of bills that will increase housing production and drive down costs for Oregonians.

Wheat and Soy Sauce - A Match Made in Oregon

The Yamasa USA Team and Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis

This week, I carried a House Concurrent Resolution 12 on the House Floor. The bill would dedicate February 11th as Oregon Wheat Day and recognize the big economic contribution that Oregon's agriculture industry has in Oregon. 

In the 1980's, the wheat industry saw the development of technical crossroads that linked wheat producers, millers, end-product manufacturers, and consumers. Eventually bringing the Yamasa Corporation est. 1645, to Oregon.

"When we brought our shoyu to professional and home chefs here in the U.S., it was imperative we find a location to build our brewery that matched our Japanese climate and pristine water – in the shadow of the Cascades in Oregon’s beautiful Willamette Valley." - Yamasa USA. This year marks the 30 year milestone for Yamasa in Oregon.

Watch my carry speech:

HOUSE BILL 2154 

EXPANDING COUNTY SAFETY CORRIDOR PROGRAM

Brenda Kirsch Frketich, Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis, and Molly Pearmine McCargar - This photo was taken in 2019, when these women brought the safety corridor program idea to the legislature.

This week, the House passed House Bill 2154, a bill to expand Oregon's county road safety corridor program. 

In 2019, the first bill I ever passed was House Bill 3213, which created a pilot program that allowed counties to implement safety corridors with double traffic fines on rural county roads. This initiative was born from ODOT's success in reducing fatal and serious injury crashes on state highways using safety corridors.

Two counties, Marion and Lane, have participated in this pilot since 2020, focusing on McKay/Ehlen Roads and London Road, respectively. Both counties have witnessed remarkable improvements in driving behavior and crash reduction in these high-risk areas.

In Lane County, just four months after implementing "Safety Corridor: Fines Double" signs, speeding on London Road decreased by 15%. More importantly, since July 4, 2021, there have been no fatal crashes on this road that previously saw a crash rate 160% above the statewide average.

Marion County's safety corridor has seen its fatal and serious injury crash rate decrease from 12.29 to 9.70 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, even as daily traffic increased by 2,000 vehicles.

Watch my entire speech on the bill here: 

KOTEK'S ATTEMPT TO ROLL BACK SEX OFFENDER LAWS

This last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee held public hearings on three bills from Governor Kotek that would weaken protections for victims of sex crimes.

Senate Bills 819, 820, and 821 all give greater power to unelected bureaucrats (who are handpicked by the Governor herself) over sex offender registration and relax rules about who and when people get classified for purposes of registering as a sex offender. 

House Republican Leader Christine Drazan and Senator Cedric Hayden held a press conference on Thursday to call for greater involvement and input from survivors of sex crimes. You can watch a coverage of that press conference here. 

You can also read the Oregon District Attorneys Association testimony against the bills that give more details on the bills and the potential impacts on victims.  

Why are people leaving Portland? Taxes, housing and job market explained

The 2025 State of the Economy report released last week depicts a grim picture of Portland's economy that's edging "urban doom loop" territory, if it's not there already. This is when people leave an area en masse, leading to businesses closing and reduced tax revenue, which in turn forces the city to cut services, further driving people away.

Trump moves to boost US timber supply and reduce construction costs

The U.S. president signed an executive order to increase the possible supplies of timber and lumber and possibly lower housing and construction costs. The goal is to streamline the permitting process by salvaging more wood from forests and expand how much wood product can be offered for sale, according to a senior White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the actions on a call with reporters. The official said the order would also help prevent wildfires and improve the habitat for animals. The order would streamline the permitting process for obtaining wood products.

Oregon Republicans want less regulation on housing construction

Oregon House Republicans on Monday introduced several new bills that they say are intended to help first-time homeowners and increase the housing supply in the state. Oregon was recently named the fifth-least affordable state for homeowners by the National Association of Realtors...

...“Governor Kotek’s proposal to increase taxpayer-funded government housing is costing taxpayers billions. The reality is families cannot afford to buy a home. Excessive red tape is making it difficult for builders to invest in our communities and build new homes Oregonians want to raise their families in,” said House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) in a release. “House Republicans are pursuing policies that get government out of the way and eliminate heavy-handed regulations that are keeping families from buying a home.”

As Motor Voter resumes, Oregon state agencies tell lawmakers they’ve fixed errors

Republican lawmakers are still skeptical of the Motor Voter Program, which automatically registers people to vote when they get a new driver’s license. In recent months they have argued the program should receive far more oversight or be scrapped altogether. “I think there needs to be a little less of this, ‘Trust us,’” said House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, who has introduced bills on the subject. “I’m not loving this idea that things are just moving ahead and, while you’ve made some modest progress, people are supposed to say, ‘That’s good enough.’”

Rep. Drazan: Fix automatic voter registration now

House Republican Leader Christine Drazan (R-Canby) is calling on the Secretary of State to take over ODOT’s Motor Voter program in the aftermath of last fall’s failure in which more than 1,500 people were improperly automatically registered to vote at the Department of Motor Vehicles, on top of ODOT recently revealing a $1.1 billion budget error.

“ODOT is in a tailspin and struggles to perform core functions,” said Rep. Drazan. “It should not be responsible for the integrity of our elections. If we are to restore trust with Oregonians, the Secretary of State should take a direct role overseeing every aspect of Oregon elections. Here’s the choice: Either take responsibility for automatic voter registration or discontinue the program...”

“...The trust deficit in Oregon’s Motor Voter program is very real,” said Rep. Lucetta Elmer (R-McMinnville). “Moving Oregon’s automatic voter registration program under the Secretary of State’s purview is one tangible and immediate step we can take to ensure adequate oversight.”

“ODOT needs to get back to core mission,” said Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis (R-Albany). “Registering voters is not core mission. If ODOT has the budget crisis it says it does, it’s time to treat it with the seriousness and sense of urgency it requires by reprioritizing what ODOT and the DMV spend their time doing.”

2025 Search and Rescue Training Academy is Announced

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 June 20 through June 30.

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!

If you have any questions, please visit here or contact Ric Lentz at rlentz@linnsheriff.org.

How to Report a Crime

Another option to report a crime! Click here for the link. 

Consider Donating to the Jackson Street Youth Services

Share widely!!! We are kicking off a March Hygiene Supply Drive for Youth!

We're looking for brand-new, unopened: Shampoo + Conditioner, Body Wash + Soap, Lotion, Deodorant, Dry Shampoo, Menstrual Products, Hair Ties, Ethnic Hair Products, Loofahs, Toothbrush + Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Floss

Drop Off Hours: 10am-1pm Tuesday + Wednesday @ 225 SW 4th St, Corvallis  or 10am-1pm, Thursday @ Albany Public Library Garden Room

Questions? Contact Ben at 541-760-5825 or ben.martens@jacksonstreet.org

From our friends at the Linn County Sheriff's Office: 

Linn County Sheriff Michelle Duncan announces a TEST of the Linn-Benton Alert system on Saturday, March 8th, sometime between 1PM and 4PM.

The test alert will go to recipients in both Linn County and North Albany that have signed up with the system. We would like recipients of the alert to confirm receipt of the message on each phone or device. This will stop additional attempts to deliver the message. Recipients should NOT call the Sheriff's Office or 911 when receiving the message.

Linn-Benton Alert is a system that can push out emergency notifications to Linn and Benton County residents of any emergency event or evacuation. Sheriff Duncan encourages every resident to sign up if they haven't already done so.

Residents can sign up for the notifications by clicking here, where you can choose how and where they receive alerts including cell, home, and/or work phone, by text message or TTY (hearing impaired devices) and more.

From our friends at the Albany Fire Department:

25 Years! These two have been serving Albany with a smile for a quarter century. Thank you Lieutenant Clifton Booher and Apparatus Operator Lon Lemkau for your service to Albany.

From our friends at Jackson Street Youth Services:

We are SO EXCITED to be doing Youth Rising again at the Mid-Willamette Valley YMCA!!!! Youth Rising is on April 24th, mark your calendars!

Looking back on these photos taken last year by Jodi B Herrling Photography has us feeling all gushy and sentimental. We can't do this work without your support, and it's always a blast to gather our community together to celebrate how far we've come.

You can find all the info on our website linked here. RSVP TODAY! Registration is free, this event is a fundraiser! Yes we will have robots and cupcakes again, and some other fun surprises too!

Thanks to our presenting co-sponsors Town and Country Realty and Northwest Community Credit Union!

Oregon Students Visit the Capitol!

This week, I met with several constituents about the education needs in our community.

Representatives of the Oregon State's Extension Service, Linn Benton Community College, and homeschool families stopped by my office today to talk about how they uniquely serve students and our community. It's clear to me that we need to make ALL kinds of education more accessible and affordable so that students and families can choose the best fit for them, whether it's learning career and technical skills at our community colleges, hands-on learning through OSU's extension, or tailored learning through homeschooling. 

Thank you to all our educators who are working hard to give students the tools they need to succeed!

During the 2025 legislative session my office will continue to keep you updated and informed - and is always at your service. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any community event announcements, legislative questions, or concerns.

Talk soon,

Capitol Phone: 503-986-1415
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, H-389, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/boshartdavis

Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox.
To contact me, please click here: Rep.ShellyBoshartDavis@oregonlegislature.gov