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To contact me, please click here: Rep.AprilDobson@oregonlegislature.gov
Last Tuesday something unusual happened—a bill came before the House for a vote, and it failed.
I was one of three Democrats to cross the aisle and vote no on HB 2931, which would have let the Oregon Department of Transportation work with Washington State to toll drivers to pay for a new I-5 bridge across the Columbia.
Bills typically don’t come to the House floor unless leadership knows they have the votes to pass, but some Representatives were absent that day. So when Rep. Hartman, Rep. Neron, and I joined every Republican in voting no, it was enough to kill the bill—temporarily.
A quirk of parliamentary procedure let the bill come back for a vote the next day, and it passed once fewer Democrats were absent. But I voted no, again.
I’ve always been clear with you—I am opposed to tolling people who already pay gas taxes and registration fees just to drive to work, pick their kids up from school, or to go to dinner in the next town over. But the reason I voted no wasn’t just an objection to this bill, it was to send a message about my priorities as the Legislature debates a transportation package.
Cost overruns and mismanagement are the primary causes of ODOT’s budget woes, and reform and accountability need to be at the top of the agenda for any transportation package—not used as a fig leaf to justify tax and fee increases. Just last week, ODOT revised the estimated cost of the Rose Quarter Expansion upwards by about $460,000,000. That’s about what it would cost to fully fund special education for every kid in Oregon who needs it.
Democrats and Republicans need to come together and pass a transportation package that maintains our roads and bridges, keeps drivers safe, protects cost-burdened Oregonians, and ensures businesses like Amazon with fleets of EVs pay their fair share to use our roads. But if anyone thinks that I will vote “yes” on a transportation package that’s rushed, fails to reform ODOT, has unnecessary spending, or asks Oregonians to pay more than they can afford, they should think twice.
As always, I welcome your feedback and ideas as I continue this work.
On April 30th, Governor Kotek signed into law two bills I championed, HB 2007 and HB 4057, investing in summer learning and summer literacy education. By funding summer learning with a focus on literacy, we're helping kids catch up and targeting investment where's its needed most.
On Friday May 9th, I had the pleasure of touring the Agility Robotics factory in Salem with my fellow members of the Economic Development, Small Business, and Trade Committee. This groundbreaking Oregon company is the first in the world to deploy humanoid robots in a commercial setting.
On the tour, we learned how the company got it's start in OSU's Robotics Institute, an example of the critical role colleges and universities play in growing our economy and incubating the next generation of inventers and entrepreneurs. With higher education under attack by the Trump administration, it's more important than ever that Oregon protect and invest in our universities to lay the foundation of a strong economy.
Check out these articles to learn more about what's going on in the Legislature!
KGW8- Oregon Governor signs two bills funding summer learning programs.
Oregon Capitol Chronicle- A ban on book bans: Oregon bill would protect access to library materials
The Oregonian- Oregon House votes to protect consumers from data center power costs
OPB- 10 key numbers that sum up Trump's first 100 days
To receive regular updates about my work in the state legislature follow me on Instagram @rep.dobdson or on Facebook at April Dobson!
There are a few ways you can share your opinions on bills and issues!
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Submitting testimony: To submit written testimony for a bill you support or oppose, you can visit the bills page on OLIS and click on "submit testimony."
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Testifying in person: To sign up to testify in person for an upcoming public hearing, click on the "register to testify" button.
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Sign up for bill updates: To follow a bill as it progresses through the Legislature, click e-subscribe at the top right corner of the bill's page.
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Watch Floor sessions and Committee meetings: Visit OLIS and click on the camera next to the house convenes time, or on each committee's page.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1439
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-488, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.AprilDobson@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/dobson
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