|
Replies to this message are sent to an unmonitored mailbox.
To contact me, please click here: Sen.CourtneyNeronMisslin@oregonlegislature.gov
Dear Neighbors,
The 2025 legislative session has been a whirlwind and my newsletter outreach has mostly focused on my monthly event invitations. My team and I have been working hard on your behalf in Salem, and I’ve been to as many events in-district as I can get to. Ribbon cuttings, Fundraisers, High School Theater and Choir Productions, Graduations, Memorial Day Events, State-of-the-City speeches, Pride Celebrations, and yesterday morning’s 5K for the Tigard Balloon Festival, to name a few. There is too much to cover in a day, week, or month, but I am trying to let you know a bit more of all the work I do on your behalf, so today I write with a broad update from recent months. I will also try to get you another detailed update and summary of the session within the coming weeks.
As you may already know, I began my fourth term in January, serving in the legislature as a State Representative, and I now serve as your State Senator. After a thorough appointment process in May, I was honored with the new role and title. With it, I am also bringing back the name Misslin that I grew up with. I have built it onto my name, so you will see Senator Courtney Neron Misslin going forward.
I want to let you know how much I value the work of my predecessor and how challenging it was to grieve his passing while stepping into this role. The passing of Senator Aaron Woods was a loss for Oregon, for our legislature, and for the communities he served. He was deeply committed to equity and good governance. I will miss his good humor and can-do attitude. I am committed to carrying forward his legacy of care and service to our constituents in Senate District 13. Please come visit our Senate District 13 office, where rather than a traditional formal portrait, I chose to honor him in my office legislator picture. This photo is a treasure - it’s from one of the many times we ran into each other at Lux Sucre Cafe for in-district meetings with constituents and joked about it being our “shared office space”. This memory is just one of the ways I carry his memory forward each day.
I also want to extend a warm welcome to the wise and compassionate Dr. Sue Rieke Smith, our newest State Representative who was appointed by our county commissions to serve the remainder of the House District 26 term. She is a nurse, educator, mother, grandmother and fierce advocate for good governance and Oregon’s most vulnerable. I am looking forward to serving with her on behalf of our shared constituents. HD25 is served by Majority Leader Bowman and HD26 is now served by Rep Rieke Smith. These districts make up Senate District 13. We will do some joint town halls in the future and collaborate on your behalf.
According to our Oregon constitution, the legislative session must end by June 29 this year. I am still hopeful that we can pass meaningful transportation policy that serves Oregonians well, although the clock is ticking. While I have concerns about the lack of sufficient electrification infrastructure investment, I understand no legislator will get everything they want and we need to be responsible in our governance right now, ensuring that ODOT has the operations and maintenance dollars it needs to keep our transportation systems functioning in the coming years. HB2025 passed through the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment on Friday and could be considered by the two chambers next week.
Whether it is transportation, housing, education, or another topic area, I appreciate hearing your thoughts and hope you will continue to reach out when you want me to know your perspective on the work at hand.
I am proud to say that the hard work we have put in this session means that many of the priorities I center on your behalf in the legislature have advanced and many of my bills and budget requests are likely to be successful. But the nature of budget constraints and policy deadlines means that some of those efforts will need to be brought back in future sessions. I continue to try to get eviction prevention dollars, school meals for all policy, and increased investment in childcare the attention it needs in the final days and final budget bill of the session.
With the end of session in sight within the week, I will use this newsletter to give you a high-level look back on the session and reflect on the moment we are in right now.
News is happening fast, and as I’ve been compiling this message to your inboxes, we’ve seen how the Trump administration once again is leading with chaos. This weekend, the president openly boasted about bombing nuclear sites in Iran, an action that could threaten global stability. Our national security is vital. This reckless, illegal action is an escalation that violates international law, and most certainly invites retaliation. Congress must reassert its constitutional authority. We need diplomacy, de-escalation, coordination, and accountability now.
Thank you to all who came to my June Constituent Coffee Hour at Symposium Coffee in Tigard. Those who attended came with important questions and I thoroughly enjoyed our time together. We are in trying times. It is important that we keep showing up for each other. We discussed bipartisanship in a highly polarized political era, the importance of policy that addresses climate change, the policy and funding needs of vulnerable Oregonians who are increasingly marginalized by the federal administration, and much more.
I held this month’s coffee hour just hours after learning the horrific news that the Speaker Emerita of the Minnesota House of Representatives and her husband were killed, and a Minnesota State Senator and his wife were shot as well by a man who was targeting state lawmakers. While some people suggested I should cancel, it is my job to show up and serve, even in challenging times, and especially when we need courage and community now more than ever. My heart goes out to the Horton and Hoffman families and the communities devastated by their loss. Political violence has no place in our democracy and I condemn it in all its forms. Remember the humanity of people, even when and especially when they disagree with you.
Keep fighting for the goals, the good, and the possibility of our state and our nation.
Of the 58 personal bill concepts that my team and I introduced, and 5 committee bills that I brought forward as the Chair of the House Education Committee, many had hearings, many moved forward (either in their original bill or as components of other bills), and some have already been signed by the governor. You can find out comprehensive details of the bills I’ve worked on by exploring the Oregon Legislative Information System (OLIS) and searching for bills by bill sponsor.
As the Chair of the Education Committee in the House, I welcomed important conversations from the governor and colleagues around accountability (HB2009/SB141), cell phones (HB2251), summer learning and literacy (HB5047 and HB2007). I personally worked on numerous funding stability, facilities, efficiencies, mental health, school meals, student safety, and workforce support concepts for our education system.
Midway through the session, everything shifted. With the sudden and heartbreaking passing of my colleague Senator Aaron Woods on April 10, grief became interwoven with transition. After the required swift appointment process, I was sworn in on May 9 to represent Senate District 13 which includes both House District 26 that I have represented since 2019 and House District 25 which adds more of Tigard, part of South Beaverton, and Metzger to the region I represent.
I hit the ground running in the Senate, lifting up some of Senator Woods’ priorities and staying laser-focused on the legislation I started in the House. This session I worked with colleagues on many Oregon priorities including Housing, Transportation, and Healthcare bills, while my own priority bills centered on:
-
Education – Advancing funding stability, school safety, accountability, and equity in our classrooms
-
Caregiving – Supporting the early childhood workforce and creating pathways for paid parent caregiving for Oregon’s most medically fragile children
-
Climate, Energy, and Environment – Reducing toxins in our communities and cutting harmful greenhouse gas emissions
-
Democracy and Justice – Improving access to legal support, addressing workforce justice, supporting adults in custody, easing cost-of-living pressures, and strengthening animal welfare protections
Several of the bills I introduced and carried this session have now completed the full legislative journey. While I work on a wide variety of policy issues, here are some my education bills that have been signed into law:
Ensuring Students Have a Safe Return to School After Brain Injury (HB 3007)
This bill creates a process for schools to immediately begin a temporary accommodations plan when a student has been diagnosed with a brain injury. Schools will assess the need for restrictions on physical activity and identify academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports based on the student’s symptoms and recovery needs.
Modernize Funding for Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (HB 2682)
This bill takes necessary first steps to ensure funding calculations are research-aligned, reflect family experiences, and are informed by early childhood special educators.
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children in Foster Care (HB 2582)
This bill protects funding for our CASA volunteer programs. It proactively aligns Oregon statute to standards-based language instead of to an organization and maintains the Oregon CASA Network’s ongoing responsibilities as the statewide coordinating entity serving children across Oregon.
Details Matter for Calculating Stable School Funding (HB 2511)
This bill comes from the Task Force on Statewide Educator Salaries that I co-chaired last year. It ensures comprehensive workforce salary and benefits data will be collected for the existing “Staff Position Files” in order to have an accurate picture of our educational workforce wage and benefit costs. This information is critical to inform the K-12 current service level calculation and improve alignment between state and local budgeting processes.
Hospitalized Student Education Protections (HB 3063)
This bill ensures that students who are hospitalized for an extended period of time will not be dropped from their home school district as they navigate illness or injury. The last thing families need when dealing with hospitalization is also fighting to keep their child enrolled in school.
Whether it is fighting for safe crossing of Highway 99W, which runs through my community, the ability for cities to reduce speed limits on state and county roads, Safe Routes to School, Great Streets Programs, or Jurisdictional Transfer of Hall Boulevard in Metzger and Tigard, I am deeply committed to safety on our streets.
The Sherwood Pedestrian Bridge is nearly complete. Seeing what was a dream in 2019 then come into being this year has been incredibly exciting for me and my team. We have appreciated the commitment to pedestrian safety and responsible growth from the City of Sherwood. Our partnership advocating for the needed State funding to complement other funding sources helped complete this project.
Railings, lighting, ramps, and safety features on the bridge come next and will ensure accessible crossing for pedestrians and cyclists. I am thrilled that new neighborhoods around Sherwood High School will be safely linked to downtown Sherwood and the community paths on the Sunset Boulevard side of town. You can follow the progress or view recent visuals of the bridge here: City of Sherwood – Project Page
Happy Pride Month. Wilsonville, Beaverton, and Sherwood Pride celebrations have been a success and there are still a few more to go that are in or near our district:
Tigard Pride Parade and Festival June 28, 2-4:30
Wine Country Pride Queer Wine Fest June 29
4th of July Laser light show: Wilsonville
4th of July Drone Show: Tigard
King City 4th of July Walk and Roll Parade and Festival
I will be in touch in the coming weeks with another, more comprehensive end of session newsletter and interim event dates for the coming months.
As I close this newsletter, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to continue to serve you in the legislature as your State Senator. It is my deep honor to serve our dynamic, diverse, and connected communities. Thank you for your communication, as we navigate toward our shared future.
With gratitude,
 Senator Courtney Neron Misslin
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1713
Capitol Address: 900 Court St NE, S-425, Salem, OR 97301
Email: Sen.CourtneyNeronMisslin@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/neron
| 
