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To contact me, please click here: Rep.Farrah.Chaichi@oregonlegislature.gov
Hello Friends,
Well HD 35, we made it to Sine Die! It’s been a long Session (pun intended), but I’m proud of the work we’ve done and excited for what’s to come. Last newsletter, we recapped some of our wins and losses from the 2025 Legislative Session, so let’s talk about what happens during the interim, and how it will impact you!
In Oregon, we have a “Citizen Legislature,” which means that our elected officials are not full-time, year-round employees of the State. In even numbered years, the Legislature convenes for only 6 weeks, known as the “Short Session;” and in odd years they convene for 6 months, known as a “Long Session.” So what happens the rest of the year when we’re not in Session?
During the Interim, our offices go down to a single staffer, usually the Chief of Staff. That means that all constituent calls and emails, scheduling, and session planning has to be done by a single person, which isn’t exactly ideal. I recently spoke on the Floor about how this system makes our Legislature less efficient, less effective, and denies our constituents the outcomes they deserve. Changing staffing levels costs money, and will certainly take some time to pass. For now, my office will be staffed by my Chief of Staff, Anne Marie B, and my now part-time Policy Director, Zack. We will all miss our Comms Director, Sabbath, sooooo much.
*Bills I did not Sponsor, but voted “yes” for on the Floor
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HB 3054: Stabilized rent in mobile home parks at 6 percent a year
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SB 430 & HB 3167: Outlawed surprise fees in prices online
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HB 3156: Widened access to consumer assistance services at utilities
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SB 605: Removed medical debt from credit reports
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SB 1137: Required health insurers cover autologous breast reconstruction
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HB 3532: Advanced the Dignity in Place Act, which will expedite the removal of offensive names of waterways, valleys, roads and more
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HB 3187: Prevented age discrimination in the workplace
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HB 3865: Prohibited telemarketers from texting and calling you 24/7
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HB 3199: Directed an investigation into one of the state’s most pervasive education challenges: chronic absenteeism
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HB 5031: Passed $707M budget to address the public defense crisis (HB 5031)*
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HB 3582: Updated the qualifications for statutes of limitation so victims of child abuse or sexual assault can seek justice
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SB 243: Banned the transport, manufacture or selling of rapid fire activators that have been seen in mass shooting events across the country*
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SB 916: Provided striking workers access to unemployment insurance
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SB 426: Demanded accountability when construction workers serve on a project but don’t get paid
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HB 2688: Closed a loophole by making sure all work is eligible for prevailing wage
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HB 3789: Stopped unlawful impersonation of a union representative
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SB 599: Ensured no one is discriminated against based on their immigration status when looking for a home
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HB 2008: Protected consumer privacy by prohibiting tech companies from selling geolocation data
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HB 5015: Made record investments in BOLI ($79M) for faster justice for workers who have experienced wage theft or discrimination*
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HB 2586: Granted asylum seekers the ability to receive in-state tuition
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SB 551: Built on Oregon’s 2019 single-use plastic bag ban by prohibiting all plastic-based reusable checkout bags starting in 2027
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HB 3932: Prohibited recreational and commercial beaver trapping on impaired waterways
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HB 3179: Required utility companies to slow down their rate hikes & show good performance in the future for any rate increases
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HB 3681: Reforms the permitting process for building transmission lines in Oregon which will help ensure energy affordability and access to new clean energy projects*
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HB 2964: Increases the number of non-profit organizations that can access development loans in Oregon to build affordable housing
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HB 3194: Protects farm workers across the state by creating joint and several liability for landowners who know, or should have known, that their property is being used for illegal farmworker camps
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HB 3365: Ensured climate change education for Oregonians in upcoming generations*
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SB 5525: Passed budget to support higher education in the state*
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HB 3766: Anti-Cyberflashing
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HB 3768: Nowruz Day
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HCR 36: Honoring Christine Chin Ryan
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HB 3180: Secured $1.25M for the Washington County Courthouse Replacement Planning Project to to improve accessibility and safety
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SB 5531: Secured $3M in funding for the Meadowlark Affordable Housing Project, creating 104 affordable homes for seniors in Beaverton including an onsite Head Start program
Photo credit: bikeportland.org/
By now, I’m sure many of you have seen the headlines that the Legislature was not able to get a transportation funding package across the finish line. That means lay-offs will begin and services will slow, and in some cases grind to a halt. I know that this is an extraordinary disappointment. I hope the following series of events helps to explain how this happened.
In April, leadership released the Transportation ReInvestment Package (TRIP), as a framework to address the critical needs present in our transportation infrastructure. This plan included the traditional distribution model where most of the state’s revenue (90%) is allocated to cities, counties, and the state of Oregon to maintain roads, bridges, sidewalks, and bike lanes. The first $250M of the nearly $2B State Highway Fund would go toward finishing a variety of infrastructure projects around the State.
Despite the initial framework of HB 2025 falling short of the needs in many of our districts, the bill was amended to try and reach a compromise while still funding some much needed transportation infrastructure. In the final days of the Session, despite daily check-ins, it became clear the legislature no longer had the votes needed to pass HB 2025. With only 36 hours left until Sine Die, House Democrats proposed a new concept, via HB 3402. The bill was a “stopgap” that included minimal funding to keep ODOT and critical infrastructure in operation.
HB 3402 passed out of the House Committee on Rules, and advanced to the Floor after hours of testimony and deliberation. The House Floor was stalled numerous times while conversations were had amongst Parties to determine if the bill would have the votes to pass. Finally, at 10pm, a motion was made on the House Floor to suspend the rules to move HB 3402 to its final reading so we could vote on it because Senate Republican leadership was adamant that their Members would not be coming in on Saturday. Walking off the job is not acting in good faith, nor is refusing to work with your colleagues across the aisle to provide a promised, and extremely pared down for the sake of compromise, transportation package for the state.
I pride myself in working for my constituents by regularly supporting bipartisan concepts and reaching across the aisle to find common ground for Oregonians. I remain committed to working with my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, to deliver results for our state and fund the programs and projects that are desperately needed to ensure Oregonians are not literally stranded.
Despite attempts from Democratic leadership, including Governor Kotek, the House Republican Minority Leader opposed the motion to suspend, the bill was not read nor voted on, and Sine Die was declared at 11:15pm, on Friday June 30th. No transportation funding package was passed. I want to be clear. We wanted to deliver on the transportation goals and funding working class Oregonians need and deserve. While the process was far from perfect, something I regularly expressed to my colleagues and leadership, we do not have a transportation package to deliver due to undermining from Republicans at every step.
I will be sure to keep you all up to date with the next steps in this process. Oregonians need and deserve safe roads, sidewalks in our neighborhoods, and reliable transit. Those were my top priorities in this transportation year, and I will not be giving those up.
Join me, Senator Campos, and Representative Hai Pham for our joint End of Session Town
Hall on August 12th, from 6-7pm at the Beaverton City Library. RSVP here.
One of the most important functions of Legislative staff is constituent services.That means that we can help folks with an array of needs like navigating government agencies, such as the Oregon Employment Department and Oregon Health Plan, accessing resources like affordable housing and childcare, and connecting you with your local and Federal representatives. If you are in need of help with any of these things, PLEASE contact my office! Our email is Rep.FarrahChaichi@OregonLegislature.gov. As I mentioned above, we will be operating with fewer staff, so our replies may take a day or two longer, but constituent services are our number one priority during the Interim.
Here is a list of resources you can access if you need them!
Thank you so much, HD 35 for another historic Legislative Session. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve all of you and Oregon! Please reach out to my office at any time for legislative or constituent matters. My staff and I are committed to serving the constituents of HD 35 and you can reach us at: Rep.FarrahChaichi@oregonlegislature.gov, or 503.986.1435. To keep up with my office, consider following me on Facebook or Instagram.
Thank you for taking the time to subscribe to and read my newsletter. I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to represent HD 35 in the Oregon State Legislature.
In Solidarity,
 Representative Farrah Chaichi
House District 35
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1435
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, H-478, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Rep.Farrah.Chaichi@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/chaichi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepresentativeFarrahChaichi/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FarrahChaichi
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