Dear Neighbors and Community Members,
This week's beautiful Spring weather has boosted our energy and productivity here at the Capitol. A little sunshine and fresh air always lifts the spirits. These nice days are a great time to enjoy our parks and outdoor spaces—I hope you spend some time outside!
We have been moving through a packed agenda of bills, and lately I've been spending most of my days voting on the House Floor. With deadlines approaching, we’re focused on getting our priority bills passed in the House and sent over to the Senate with enough time to be considered in their assigned committees..
In this week's newsletter you can read about:
- Celebrating Earth Day year-round
- Good news on several of my priority bills
- Transportation and I-5 Bridge news
- An update on Oregon's response to federal action
- Highlights from my meetings at the Capitol
- How to track your tax refund
- Events and activities in Washington County
BELOW: One year ago today, HB 4082 to fund Summer Learning was signed into law by Governor Kotek! It was a great celebration with colleagues and partners who all worked hard to ensure students had access to quality Summer Learning programs in 2024.
CELEBRATING EARTH DAY ON APRIL 22
April 22nd is International Earth Day, and an opportunity for us to raise our collective voices and advocate for policies that protect our environment.
Days or months that recognize a particular cause are important for raising awareness, amplifying critically important messages, and mobilizing for particular policy changes. However, I am also a firm believer that to be good citizens and stewards of our planet, we have to make a choice every single day to be intentional with our actions. Put another way, Earth Day is every day, not just on April 22nd.
Protecting our environment for ourselves and future generations can only be achieved if we are conscious and considerate of the individual and collective impacts of our choices. The small decisions we make every day, like recycling, turning off lights, and taking the bus or riding a bike instead of driving, all make a difference. They may seem insignificant on a personal level, but collectively, our individual choices each day can make a positive difference in the global effort to fight climate change.
As a Legislator, and in particular as the co-chair of the Joint Transportation Committee and a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources, and Water, I view all decisions and policies through an environmental lens. I have used, and will continue to use my relationships with transportation and agricultural industries, advocates, and community members to find common ground and a path forward for climate legislation. I am committed to integrating environmental values in all public policymaking decisions, and am proud of my strong voting record on policies that benefit the environment. I have always voted against bills that attempt to roll back environmental protections and will continue to do so.
Earth Day’s 2025 theme is OUR POWER, OUR PLANET, which emphasizes the importance of renewable energy and the goal of triple clean electricity by 2030. If you are looking for ways you can take action and make a difference, I recommend visiting the official Earth Day website and reading 52 Ways To Invest In Our Planet.
HOUSE TAKES ON THE USE OF DEEPFAKES
I am a Chief Sponsor, along with Representative Mannix and Representative Hartman, of HB 2299, an incredibly important bill that addresses the growing problem of using technology to create fake intimate images (deepfakes) of someone to harass or humiliate them. It provides necessary updates to Oregon’s statute covering the unlawful dissemination of an intimate image (also known as the revenge porn law) to include the dissemination of intimate digital image forgeries under the law as well. I am proud to share that the bill passed unanimously in the House on Tuesday.
This very serious and disturbing problem of using intimate digital forgeries of someone with the intent to harass, or with the result of harassment, was brought to my attention by a parent in Forest Grove last Spring. Her advocacy on this issue is to be commended as it led directly to the drafting of HB 2299. I told her that I would look into the issue and was shocked to learn that nothing in Oregon statute made these heinous acts illegal. In 2024, I worked with Representative Mannix to update Oregon’s stalking laws, so I contacted him to see what we could do to ensure justice for the victims of this harassment as well. Rep. Mannix, a lawyer by trade, took the lead and worked with the Oregon District Attorney's Association to craft language for a bill, and Representative Hartman, a true champion for victims' rights, joined us and contributed her expertise on the issue.
This bill was the result of citizen advocacy and bipartisan cooperation to solve a pressing problem, and is a testament to my belief that thoughtful collaboration can lead to good public policy. It was clear that we needed to take action immediately to ensure that using realistic digital forgeries to harass is held to the same standard under the law as using a real image. The argument is simple: if it's difficult to discern a deepfake image from a real one, the damage done is exactly the same and should be treated as such in Oregon statute.
If you would like to learn more about the bill, click here to read the press release that Rep. Mannix, Rep. Hartman, and I sent after the House vote.
You can also click here or on the image below to view my testimony on the House Floor.
AGE DISCRIMINATION BILL PASSES HOUSE
The Oregon House passed HB 3187 A this week, which addresses discrimination that older workers face when applying for a job. I was proud to join my friend and colleague Representative Nathan Sosa as a sponsor of this bill, which he introduced on behalf of AARP.
The bill prohibits employers from asking for an applicant’s age, date of birth, or date of graduation until after the initial interview, unless the disclosure of age is a bona fide occupational qualification or otherwise required by law. Currently, many job applications require workers to disclose their age, or when they obtained their degree or certification. This opens the door for discrimination against older workers and prevents them from having the opportunity to interview for the position. HB 3187 A is an important step forward in the fight to end age discrimination and the bill now moves to the Senate.
LATINO HEALTH NETWORK BILL ON THE MOVE
I am the second chief sponsor of Representative Lesly Muñoz's bill, HB 3650, that would create the Latino Health System Task Force to develop proposals for a Latino Health System that meets the particular health needs of Latino communities across Oregon. I am happy to share that the bill passed out of the House Behavioral Health and Health Care Committee before the First Chamber Deadline.
I support HB 3650 because it provides us a path forward in improving the quality of health care and reducing health disparities for Oregon’s Latino communities. Efforts to improve health care experiences, increase the frequency of visits, and enhance overall health outcomes for Latinos must address both language barriers and the scarcity of culturally appropriate providers. Currently, only 7% of all physicians and surgeons are Hispanic, and just 9% of all health care practitioners and technicians are Hispanic, so growing the Latino provider workforce is essential to improving access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care services.
Virginia Garcia Medical Center’s success in Western Washington County demonstrates the efficacy of meeting patients where they are at, whether it be in terms of culture, language, or geography, and is an excellent example of the type of patient care that this bill is calling for. Virginia Garcia has approached health care from a systems perspective. It supports access to basic health services and provides assistance with transportation, insurance eligibility and enrollment, home visits, mobile clinics, and health education programs for patients and community members. It offers comprehensive wrap-around services, including mental health care, dental care, primary care, and an in-house pharmacy, all in one place. It is an integrated approach that addresses the complex needs of our community and contributes to the improved overall health and well-being of its patients. Virginia Garcia has achieved a Tier 4 rating as a Patient Centered Primary Care Home and recognition as “a statewide model for providing authentic team-based care” by the Oregon Health Authority. In its Centering Pregnancy program, the rate of babies born at low birth weight was 4.4 percent, almost half the national average of 8 percent.
The Latino community in our district is fortunate to have Virginia Garcia as a health care option. The reason I am supporting HB 3650 is because I want to see Oregon replicate this model of care in as many communities as possible across the state.
The bill is now in the Joint Ways and Means Committee, which will decide if the bill receives funding. If you are interested in advocating on this bill, please reach out to my office via email at rep.susanmclain@oregonlegislature.gov and I can provide information on how to share your views on why it's an important policy.
MOBILE HOME RENT CAP PASSES HOUSE
I was glad to vote YES on HB 3054, a bill that would limit rent increases for renters in manufactured home parks to increases in the Consumer Price Index. This bill was led by my friend and colleague, Rep. Pam Marsh, and I am proud to join her as a Co-Chief Sponsor of this legislation
Significant increases in housing costs impact the safety and security of Oregonians. Extreme and unpredictable rate increases in mobile home parks have created instability and financial stress for families, individuals on fixed incomes, and seniors across our state. There are 17 mobile home parks in my district and I have heard from many constituents about the very real challenges they currently face. If HB 3054 passes, mobile home parks cannot exceed a 6% rental increase each year, which will be a lifeline to many of the Oregonians living in these communities.
The bill passed out of the House and now heads to the Senate for consideration.
I-5 TRAVELER PREFERENCE SURVEY
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Some community members in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, including Western Washington County, might soon spot a postcard in their mailbox inviting them to take part in an anonymous passenger vehicle traveler preference survey. The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) are jointly conducting this survey to help estimate travelers’ value of time perceptions and willingness to pay for travel time savings when crossing the river between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon.
The survey includes questions about topics such as frequency of travel, origin and destination of trips, travel times, preference for travel across the I-5 or I-205 bridge under certain conditions and more. The data collected from this survey will be used in a future analysis to predict what choices travelers will make once a toll is implemented and ensure that adequate revenue can be generated to help fund construction of IBR Program investments.
To ensure the responses are reflective of typical I-5 users, postcards are being mailed to randomly selected residential addresses based on the proportional percentage of estimated Interstate Bridge travelers from each zip code. I hope that people who receive a postcard with a link to the survey take time to complete it. Each postcard includes a link with instructions to complete the survey online. I-5 travelers completing the survey will help the model better predict future travel behavior once a toll is implemented. Since the Interstate Bridge is a key regional freight corridor, outreach is also being conducted to freight travelers who use I-5 and the Interstate Bridge.
Revenue from a diverse range of sources will fund the multimodal IBR Program including federal funds, tolling and state funds. Toll revenue provides a vital funding source for capital costs, operations, and maintenance for the replacement bridge. Toll rates and policies for the Interstate Bridge will be jointly set by the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) and Washington State Transportation Commission (WSTC).
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HIGH SCHOOL TO HIGHWAY PROGRAM OPEN
The Oregon Department of Transportation is inviting high school seniors and recent graduates to apply for the second cohort of the High School to Highway trainee program, which offers hands-on, full-time paid training in roadway maintenance.
Starting in July 2025, this program will provide valuable experience in construction and maintenance work with ODOT, while also providing a starting salary of $3,856 per month with a raise after six months. The opportunity is available in multiple locations across Oregon, including Bend, Roseburg, Seaside and The Dalles. Participants will work outdoors as part of a maintenance crew, learning alongside experienced mentors.
The program will allow participants to:
- Work on a dedicated crew to repair and preserve roads, bridges, and other infrastructure.
- Learn valuable skills in roadway maintenance and construction.
- Gain hands-on experience while making Oregon’s roads safer.
Applications for the program are open through April 24, 2025. Interested candidates can apply by visiting www.ODOTJobs.com and searching for "H2H."
Hiring Locations Include:
Arlington, Banks, Bates, Canyon City, Bend, Central Point, Condon, Gold Beach, Government Camp, Idleyld Park, Klamath Falls, La Grande, La Pine, Lakeview, Maupin, McKenzie Bridge, McMinnville, Mitchell, Ontario, Vale, Otis, Pendleton, Roseburg, Seaside, Ukiah, Sweet Home, and The Dalles.
This program is designed to introduce young adults to career opportunities in state government while providing them with the skills needed for roadway maintenance and construction. It’s a great opportunity for job seekers who are looking to start a career in road maintenance, no experience required.
For more information about the program, recruitment process, and how to apply, please visit the ODOT website at www.ODOTJobs.com.
STANDING UP FOR OREGON VALUES
The federal chaos is creating real challenges for our communities. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or frustrated, you’re not alone. But please know that here in Oregon, we’re doing everything we can to keep our communities safe and we will continue to fight for the things that matter most. Our state leaders are standing strong to uphold our values.
Last week, Attorney General Dan Rayfield joined a coalition of 15 other attorneys general and the Governor of Pennsylvania in suing the Trump administration to restore states’ access to critical Department of Education programs that support low-income/unhoused families and address the long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on K-12 students.
The Oregon Department of Justice announced on Wednesday that, so far, they have protected more than $1.6 billion in federal funding jeopardized by the Trump Administration's executive orders and other actions. In Oregon, we'll keep defending public education, health care, and critical resources for our community.
Take a look at the DOJ's website for more information here.
CONNECTING WITH OUR COMMUNITY
I am always glad to see folks from home in Salem. This week, the Washington County Chamber and Iron Tribe recovery service providers stopped by my office to share their session priorities. My staff also heard from PCC students and faculty about the value of investments in post-secondary education and workforce development.
Thursday was the Move Oregon Forward Coalition's Advocacy Day. Over 100 members came to the Capitol to meet with legislators and discuss the importance of ensuring the 2025 Transportation Package is safe, climate-forward, resilient, affordable, and equitable.
A special thank you to Adelante Mujeres for facilitating the trip to the Capitol for members from Forest Grove, Hillsboro, and Beaverton. I appreciated the personal stories they shared and hearing why they believe public transit and a safe transportation system for all users and pedestrians is important. In return, I shared that the Joint Transportation Committee is committed to maintaining and improving our multimodal transportation system and that safety is our top priority.
UPCOMING EVENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY
Shute Park Easter Egg Hunt
More than 5,000 eggs will be scattered throughout the park during this free family event. Participants can enjoy donuts, coffee and hot chocolate, as well as information booths hosted by local businesses and organizations.
WHEN: Sunday, April 20th from 10-1 pm
WHERE: Shute Park, Hillsboro
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Job Seekers Workshop
Take part in this job skill-building sessions with guidance from a career specialist and peer support. This program collaborates with WorkSource Oregon and is open to individuals aged 16+.
WHEN: Thursday, April 24th from 6-8 pm
WHERE: Cornelius Public Library
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Centro Cultural - Día de los Niños
Next weekend, join this free event and enjoy music, raffles, family activities, food, and community resources.
WHEN: Saturday, April 26th from 11-3 pm
WHERE: 1110 N Adair St, Cornelius
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Forest Grove Festival of the Arts
The free festival will feature exhibits, live performances, and activities celebrating various forms of art: music, film, dance, theatre, literary arts, fine arts, and crafts.
WHEN: Wednesday, May 1st from 4-8 pm
WHERE: Main Street, Forest Grove
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Adelante Mujeres Farmers Market
Spring is here and the Farmers Market will be back soon! Stop by to check out fresh produce, food, and crafts
WHEN: Wednesday, May 7, weekly from 4-8 pm
WHERE: 2030 Main Street, Suite A, Forest Grove,
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HOW TO TRACK YOUR OREGON TAX REFUND
Now that the April 15th deadline to file taxes has passed, most people are wondering about the status of their refund. Here's what you need to know if you expect a refund:
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For more detailed information about your refund, log into your Revenue Online account
- Logging into, or creating, your Revenue Online account is the best way to get detailed updates on your tax refund status. In your Revenue Online account use the Where's My Refund? link located in the Personal Income Tax section to check your refund status. Your Revenue Online account will also give you access to other online services, saving you time, instead of waiting on hold for a customer service agent.
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After you file your taxes, please wait for two weeks before checking your refund status.
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Refund processing timelines:
- 95 percent of taxpayers receive their refunds within two weeks (automated processing).
- 5 percent of taxpayer receive their refund within 20 weeks (manual processing)
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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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