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To contact me, please click here: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

We are wrapping up another busy week at the Capitol, filled with committee hearings, floor votes, and conversations with advocates. Last weekend, I was glad to head back to House District 29 to connect with our community. One of the highlights was Centro Cultural’s Gala de Cultura on Friday evening. It was great to see our local leaders and community members coming together in celebration of Centro's important work with beautiful music and inspiring speakers. It was a special, uplifting event, where we honored strength, diversity, and resilience in Western Washington County. 

Our work at the Capitol is picking up. As the first chamber deadline approaches, we are holding more and more public hearings and work sessions. This week, I also testified on one of my priority education bills and connected with Washington County residents about their priorities for the legislative session. It is always a pleasure to see folks from home advocating for our community at the Capitol. 

In this week's newsletter, you can read about:

• Why I'm celebrating International Women's Day
• Updates from the Newborn Screening Advisory Board
• My testimony on class sizes & caseloads
• Washington County advocates visiting the Capitol
• Shoutouts for our local businesses
• Need-to-know tax season information

CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

International Women's Day on March 8th is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. It has been celebrated all over the world since 1911, and marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.

The 2025 theme for International Women’s Day is “Accelerate Action.” At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum. Focusing on the need to Accelerate Action emphasizes the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

IMPORTANT NEWBORN SCREENING UPDATE

I was so pleased that on Tuesday, the Northwest Regional Newborn Bloodspot Screening Advisory Board voted to recommend the addition of Infantile Krabbe Disease to Oregon's newborn screening panel. I have been advocating for the addition of Krabbe to Oregon's screening program since 2018, and while I had hoped that Oregon would do the right thing and add this disease much sooner, whether, through the Advisory Board or the Legislature, this vote to recommend addition is momentous, especially for the families who have been devastated by this disease.

In 2024, Krabbe was added to the Recommended Uniform Screening Panel (RUSP), the list of conditions the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends states test for in their newborn screening programs. Twelve states already test for Krabbe, and another ten have policies to align their screening programs with the RUSP and are now in varying stages of implementation. 

Krabbe Disease is a rare genetic disorder that takes away a baby's ability to eat, sit up, or grasp objects and causes extreme irritability, blindness, and seizures. For babies that live in states that do not test for Krabbe, their life expectancy is rarely more than 2-3 years of age. However, if a Krabbe baby is screened at birth and receives a bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell transplant within the first 30-45 days of life, which is before symptoms appear, they have an excellent chance at living a full life.

Oregon's newborn screening program must keep up with the latest scientific breakthroughs to ensure newborns with rare and devastating diseases receive timely diagnoses to obtain life-saving treatments. Without newborn screening, babies with Krabbe have no chance at survival, and life-saving care should not be dictated by the state you live in. With the Board's recommendation, Oregon is finally giving real hope to families affected by this disease.

Unfortunately, there is still another obstacle in the way before we can screen Oregon babies for Krabbe. Our newborn screening program is drastically underfunded and has a backlog of approved diseases waiting to be added to the testing protocols. Without funding from the Legislature, Krabbe screening will likely not be implemented soon, even with the Advisory Board's recommendation. I have co-chief sponsored a bill with Representative Mark Owens this session, House Bill 3192, which would allocate $4 million to the newborn screening program to clear the backlog of diseases and allow testing for Krabbe and other approved conditions to begin. Oregon has taken an important step to save lives with the recommendation of Krabbe, but the Oregon Legislature must pass HB 3192 to ensure our program has the resources it needs to help more families, save lives, and reduce the burden of undiagnosed diseases.

Honoring Emmett Monaco and His Family's Advocacy

Krabbe disease and its devastating effects were brought to my attention by a constituent, Nikki Monaco, and her family in 2018. Nikki and Joe's son Emmett had Krabbe disease, and because he was born in Oregon and not in a state that tests for Krabbe, Emmett had to fight an unimaginable battle for life and he passed away in 2022 at age six. During his life, Emmett and his family became fierce advocates for adding Krabbe to Oregon's newborn screening panel and I worked with them on several bills in the Legislature. Their determination to ensure no other family in Oregon has to experience the devastation they were living through, despite how all-consuming it was to care for Emmett and battle the disease, is a testament to their courage and compassion. They are truly awe-inspiring, and this week's vote to recommend Krabbe only happened because of their unwavering commitment and that of other families with Krabbe babies. The screening of Oregon babies for Krabbe is Emmett's enduring legacy; I hold him in my heart this week and always. 

I would also like to say a special thank you to Anna Grantham at Hunter's Hope for her willingness to advise us on this journey, for eloquently testifying about the importance of screening for Krabbe every time I asked her to, and for her continued work to support all families with Leukodystrophy diseases like Krabbe. She is a light of hope for families in their darkest hours.

Learn more about Emmett Monaco and his family:

• Dad goes viral with heartbroken post about son’s death from a rare, treatable disease

• Monaco Family Video Testimony to the Oregon Legislature

BELOW: Emmett Monaco and his family at the Oregon Legislature and with Governor Brown to advocate for Krabbe screening for all babies born in Oregon.

2025 SESSION BILL UPDATES

During a Legislative Long Session, the beginning of March signifies looming bill deadlines and the pace of work picks up significantly. March 21st is the First Chamber Work Session Posting Deadline, which requires that all bills in policy committees either be posted on an agenda for a work session (a committee vote) by this date or they officially die in committee. The First Chamber Work Session Deadline is on April 9, which is the last day for policy committees to hold a work session and move bills introduced in their chamber (i.e. Senate bills in the Senate, House bills in the House) out of committee. With a record number of bills this year, the reality is that the majority of them will officially die on either March 21st or April 9th. With these deadlines in mind, bill sponsors are working as quickly as possible to try and get hearings or work sessions for their bills. Several of the bills that I've co-chief sponsored had hearings this week, including HB 3652 and SB 1098. Keep reading to learn more about these two bills.

HB 3652 - Mandatory Bargaining on Class Sizes & Caseloads:

I am proud to be one of the co-chief sponsors of House Bill 3652, which was introduced and is spearheaded by Representative Lesly Muñoz. HB 3652 would make class sizes and caseload limits mandatory subjects of collective bargaining in all Oregon public schools. Passing this bill to require that school districts bargain on these critical issues will ensure that our Educators have an opportunity to advocate for safe and manageable working conditions and for classroom environments that are conducive to positive student learning outcomes.

As a teacher for over 42 years, I know how much class size impacts student success. Higher class sizes and caseloads hinder an educator's ability to provide a safe learning environment and the personalized support that our students need and deserve. Class sizes must allow for individualized student attention, and a mandatory discussion on class size will ensure that a core issue for families and educators will always be addressed across the state.

Read Rep. Muñoz's press release on the hearing here.  

You can watch my testimony on HB 3652 by clicking the image below or here.

SB 1098 Has Hearing in Senate Education Committee:

I am one of the co-chief sponsors of Senate Bill 1098, which had a hearing in the Senate Committee on Education on Monday morning. The bill was introduced by Senator Lew Frederick, who has long been one of the great education champions for Oregon's students. SB 1098 would prevent teachers, schools, and school districts from prohibiting the selection, retention or use of library materials, textbooks, or instructional materials on the basis that the materials contain perspectives, stories, or are created by individuals or groups that are members of protected classes under Oregon's antidiscrimination law.

Oregon reported challenges to more books and other materials in 2023-24 than at any point since the State Library began collecting data. Challenged materials are disproportionately about, by, or center the stories of individuals who belong to an underrepresented protected class. According to the State Library of Oregon, 87% of books that were challenged or banned last year told the stories of one or more underrepresented groups. 66% of challenged materials focused on LGBTQIA+ people, while 22% centered Black, Indigenous, or people of color. This marginalization of students through the banning of books is exactly why this bill is necessary and why I support it. 

It is important to note that this bill does not change, impose, or make requirements on School Districts. It just makes it clear in statute that discrimination is prohibited. This bill does not change current local school selection processes of materials or educational curricula. School officials will continue to be free to make decisions about their educational curriculum. SB 1098 will not prevent them from considering age, vulgarity, and/or educational value as they make their selection decisions or consider book challenges. Parents will also be able to continue to submit complaints and concerns. 

What this bill does is ensure that students who may already feel marginalized or isolated can read books that center on identities and stories that they can relate to. Books have the power to uplift, to make us feel seen, and to tell stories in ways that allows us to understand not just ourselves but each other. As a teacher, it was always my hope that every student could find that one book they connected with and that gave them a sense of belonging. SB 1098 protects our most marginalized students and gives them that opportunity for discovery.

You can view Monday's hearing on SB 1098 here. The bill has a work session (committee vote) scheduled for March 10th. 

HOUSE PASSES BILL ON SAFETY CORRIDORS

On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass House Bill 2154. This is a committee bill from the Joint Committee on Transportation, which I co-chair with Senator Chris Gorsek. It allows any county board of commissioners to designate safety corridors (up to two designations per county) on roads under the county's jurisdiction that the board believes demonstrate a safety concern.

For background, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) manages the Safety Corridor Program, which identifies corridors with high rates of serious and fatal injury crashes, with the aim of reducing the incidences and severity of those crashes. When an area is designated a safety corridor, state and local law enforcement commits to patrolling the area, a multi-disciplinary stakeholder group meets at least annually, and traffic violation fines are doubled while the corridor is in effect.

ODOT has seen success in reducing fatal and serious injury crashes, but historically, safety corridors are only allowed on ODOT highways. HB 2154 allows counties to operate up to two safety corridors in their jurisdictions, with the overall goal of improving safety on county roads across the state.

LIGHT RAIL ON THE NEW I-5 BRIDGE

In this week's I-5 Bridge Replacement project update, I'm sharing a quick OPB article that I was interviewed for this week. There has been a lot of speculation recently about whether opposition to Light Rail by smaller Clark County, Washington cities will disrupt the I-5 Bridge project. As I stated in the article, I believe that some conditions changing in one aspect of one portion of a leadership or community is not going to waylay a project that has been committed to by two states, the federal government, and has two legislatures working on it as hard as they can.

You can read the full article here.

This week, I met with advocates about a wide range of issues impacting our state and district. I was proud to speak with so many passionate and involved community members. One of the most important parts of my job is hearing from people about their everyday experiences—these stories are critical to building on our community strengths and improving our systems. 

Educators and Literacy Advocates

I heard from constituent members of the Oregon School Employees Association and the American Federation of Teachers K-12 Classified members about the importance of school safety. We discussed opportunities for the legislature to promote safe and supportive work environments for the educators and school staff who serve our students.

I also spoke with leaders from Reach Out and Read about their work to increase early literacy, support childhood brain development, and further language acquisition by engaging with families and youth. 

Higher Education Students, Faculty, and Parents

Community members affiliated with Southern Oregon University visited my office to share about the great work of our public institutions of higher education. We spoke about the life-changing impact of the Oregon Opportunity Grant and how the legislature can support the needs of students and faculty.

Gun Violence Prevention Advocates

Parents and leaders from Moms Demand Action shared powerful stories about their commitment to gun violence prevention activism. We spoke about interventions to help keep our communities safe and steps the legislature can take to reduce the risk of harm. I was inspired by the work of these committed activists.

Youth Uplifting Student Voices

Students with Unite Oregon and Next Up shared their perspectives on the importance of student voice in policy decisions that impact their lives. We spoke about opportunities to engage students in the electoral process for school board members. As a former teacher, I am always proud to see students advocating for their peers and standing up for their beliefs.

Housing and Recovery Advocates

Members from Oregon Recovers shared about personal experiences with recovery and advocated for services that support sobriety and housing stability. These essential programs in Washington County offer mental health services, community building, and assistance with basic needs. 

I also heard from Washington County leaders of Habitat for Humanity, who came to Salem to share about their organization's incredible work and advocate for action to increase homeownership and offer more affordable housing in Oregon.

Washington County Farmers

Members of Friends of Family Farmers in House District 29 shared about legislative priorities for the farmers and farm workers who sustain our food systems. We talked about protecting Oregon's world-class farmland and ensuring the viability of small farms.

SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES!

We are lucky to have so many local businesses that offer us space to come together as a community, enjoy great food and drinks, and connect. I would like to highlight a few spots that are celebrating anniversaries or have recently joined our business community:

Decadent Creations Decadent Creations is coming up on their eighth anniversary! Celebrate with a pastry in Hillsboro. Click here to visit their website.

Live Laugh Play FG This indoor playground in Forest Grove is a space where kids up to age 8 can enjoy time together in an engaging environment! Click here to visit their website.

Résolu Cellars This winery recently opened a tasting room in Downtown Hillsboro serving Oregon-made craft wines. Click here to visit their website.

Casa Lola This family-owned restaurant serves unique and traditional Mexican dishes in Cornelius. Click here to visit their website.

Blue Moon Bakery This bakery offers all gluten-free treats at their storefront in Hillsboro. Click here to visit their website.

AVOID SCAMS WITH HELP FROM CENTRO!

Don't fall for scams! Learn how to protect your Unemployment Insurance at Centro Cultural's virtual and in-person workshop this Thursday, March 20th at 5:45 pm.

Learn more about this benefit and how to avoid scams.

Register by scanning the QR code

or using this link: http://bit.ly/4bxkSIu

or call Centro at (503) 336-9895

Centro Cultural - 265 SE Oak St, Suite A, Hillsboro, OR 97123

 ¡No caigas en fraudes! Aprende cómo proteger tu Seguro de Desempleo en nuestro taller virtual y en persona este jueves 20 de marzo a las 5:45 pm.

Conoce más sobre este beneficio y cómo evitar estafas

Regístrate escaneando el código QR

 usando este enlace: http://bit.ly/4bxkSIu

 o llámanos al (503) 336-9895.

YARD DEBRIS SEASON OPENS

On March 1st, the Oregon DEQ Spring Yard Debris Season began. This means households OUTSIDE the city limits of Cornelius are allowed to burn. Burning is limited to natural items from your property (branches, grass, leaves, etc). Burning of other items is not allowed by DEQ and is subject to fines.

Please burn with caution. Have a bare dirt area around your burn pile. Have a shovel and water source readily available in case the fire unexpectedly flares up. Never leave the burn pile unattended. Lastly, once done, soak the area with water to make sure it is completely out and cool to the touch.

Yard debris burning season ends on June 15th.

For more details, visit https://www.corneliusor.gov/330/Burning-Air-Quality

FILE OREGON TAXES DIRECTLY FOR FREE

Direct File Oregon is an interview-based software that allows most full year residents to file their personal state income tax return electronically directly with the Oregon Department of Revenue for free. 

Benefits:

• Easy – Simple step-by-step process.
• Safe and secure – File directly with us on our secure servers. Instant confirmation assures your return was submitted.
• Free – Direct File Oregon is completely free.

Why file with Direct File Oregon?

Direct File Oregon is free to use and can help prevent some errors. Direct File Oregon provides some guidance for common deductions and credits, performs math calculations, computes tax, and provides links to instructions. If you have a complex tax situation, this may not be for you. Please familiarize yourself with the Form OR-40 Instructions and Publication OR-17 before using this filing method. For previous year instructions and publications, see the Forms and Publications page.

Direct File Oregon does not currently support:

• Tax returns for people who didn't live in Oregon all year (Forms OR-40-N and OR-40-P).
• Taxpayers who file both a federal return and an “as if" federal return.
• Taxpayers who file a federal Form 1040NR.
• Taxpayers who file fiscal-year returns.

If you don't qualify to file your return with Direct File Oregon, or you prefer to use a form-base software product, check to see if you can use one of the other free tax preparation options or use one of the approved tax software partners (prices vary).

If you're not sure if you need to file a return, please review "Do I need to file an Oregon Return?" in the Form OR-40 Instructions or Publication OR-17. For previous year instructions and publications, see the Forms and Publications page.

Even if you're not required to file, you may still receive a refund if you qualify for the Oregon Earned Income Credit or the Oregon Kids Credit.

My office has compiled a list of resources for our community. You can click on the images below to open a document with the relevant links. If you know of a resource that should be included here, or you need a resource and are having trouble finding the information you need, please do not hesitate to reach out to my office at rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov.

EDUCATION RESOURCES Click here, or on the image to the right for a list of Education-related resources. This includes links to the Forest Grove and Hillsboro School Districts, the Oregon and US Departments of Education, information on how to pay for college, student lunch programs, and much more!

WILDFIRE-RELATED RESOURCES Click here, or on the image to the right for important resources related to wildfire prevention and recovery. This list includes links to current fire restrictions and recreation site status maps, the Oregon Department of Forestry's fire prevention tip page, and important resources for wildfire victims.

RESOURCES FOR OUR VETERANS Click here, or on the image to the right for a list of important resources for Veterans, including links and phone numbers to the various divisions of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, local Washington County assistance, supportive and community-based groups like the American Legion, and mental health resources.

STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT  Click here, or on the image to the right for links to important local and state government pages, including the Hillsboro, Forest Grove, and Cornelius city government pages. You can also access the Oregon Legislature's page, and other important state agency sites, like the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Unemployment Department, and the Oregon Health Authority.

Yours truly,

Representative Susan McLain
House District 29

email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-493, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain