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To contact me, click here:
Rep.SarahFingerMcDonald@oregonlegislature.gov
THE BLACKOUT IS OVER!
Hurrah Friends!
The legislative communications blackout period is over, and once again I can slide into your inbox with policy updates, town hall information, memes, and more. Let's see what happened while we were in the darkness...
"To those in Washington, D.C. who think they can bully Oregon into abandoning our values and abandoning our neighbors, you got it wrong," Kotek said. "Oregon is not staying quiet and we are not backing down."
The Governor got it right in herremarks during the bill signing ceremony for eight pieces of legislation that will help to protect Oregonians from ICE overreach. House Bill 4079, which I was honored to Chief Sponsor and champion during the short session, is one of the key policies in the package.
I continue to work with my colleagues to identify policies we need to protect Oregon and Oregonians from federal overreach. We will again work together to bring legislation to strengthen Oregon’s laws in the 2027 long session. One issue I am investigating is what federal environmental or climate protections we can add to state law.
Workforce Housing Being Built in Adair Village
 Your $$ being turned into affordable homes!
I really can't say enough about how exciting this project is to a policy and political wonks. A result from our appropriation work in the 2025, the City Manager of Adair Village, Pat Hare was able to put $4M dollars to work building affordable and workforce housing.
There are two amazing things happening with this project; 1) Political party was left by the wayside to get it done, and 2) It was one-third of the funding needed for the city to update its wastewater infrastructure. During a time of fractured politics, strangers banded together and went the extra mile to build homes. We had to be creative and vulnerable, and we had to see each other as neighbors and put Oregonians first. If there's such a thing as romantic public policy, this was it. My gratitude goes out to Pat Hare and Representative Lucetta Elmer for their help in bringing these new homes online.
Tour of Letitia Carson’s Soap Creek Homestead
There are 89 names on the walls of the House chamber. Often as I look up and consider those names, chosen in 1938, I think, “Letitia Carson should be up there.” Like many of you, I didn’t know anything about Letitia Carson until I watched OPB Oregon Experience’s documentary about her. Thankfully, she is no longer unknown in our community. We have a school named in her honor and the Letitia Carson Legacy Project, a partnership of Black Oregon Land Trust, Oregon Black Pioneers, the Linn-Benton NAACP Branch, Mudbone Grown, and OSU, now honors her on the land she first homesteaded in Oregon.
I had the honor and pleasure of spending a beautiful morning touring the Letitia Carson homestead and learning more about her inspirational story with the Oregon Black Pioneers. I also learned about the Kalapuya people who tended the land before it was stolen, creating a camas garden that has reappeared as blackberries and brush have been cleared from the site. I was struck by Letitia’s determination to stand up for herself and how, despite deep, anti-Black racism, she cared for her community here in Benton County and in Douglas County.
The Secretary of State Came to Town
Secretary of State Tobias Read and Senator Sara Gelser Blouin held a town hall on May 6th to talk about secure elections, voting, and the SAVE ACT. Sadly, I was unable to attend but I want to give a special thanks to Benton County Commissioner Gabe Shepherd and OSU Professor at the School of Public Policy Professor, Dr. Rorie Solberg for participating and sharing their insight.
The goal of the town hall was to give you access to the Secretary of State to ask him questions you have about state and national voting. Below are some of the frequent questions and answers. You can check out the Secretary of State website for MUCH more information on how our voting in Oregon is protected to ensure secure elections.
State of Oregon: Voting & Elections - Voting & Elections
Q: What is the SAVE ACT?
A: The SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act) is a proposed U.S. federal law that would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections.
- Generally, it requires in-person verification, effectively eliminating most online and mail registration
- Applies not just to new voters—but also when people change address or party
It was passed in the House of Representatives by a majority vote (218-213) on Feb. 11th. It currently remains stalled on Senate floor for debate and will need to pass a full vote before it goes to the president's desk to be signed into law.
Q: Oregon has a long-standing, secure vote-by-mail system. How would the SAVE Act interact with or potentially disrupt Oregon’s model?
A: Oregon’s system already verifies identity through registration and signature verification. The SAVE Act would mainly affect registration, not the act of voting itself—but stricter registration rules could reduce participation.
Q: What specific safeguards are in place to prevent both voter fraud and wrongful disenfranchisement?
A: Oregon uses signature verification, ballot tracking, bipartisan oversight, and post-election audits. The system is designed to balance access and integrity.
Q: How often are election systems audited, and are results public?
A: Risk-limiting audits occur regularly and results are publicly reported to ensure transparency and trust.
The POWER ACT
 Completely unrelated to the policy
Oftentimes government actually works...
Despite its name, Arnold Schwarzenegger had nothing to do with the Oregon Public Utility Commission mandating that PGE must charge data centers more as part of the legislature's POWER ACT, passed in 2025. I was proud to sponsor this vital piece of legislation, and I couldn't be happier that it's working.
Why does this matter to you? None of us want to pay skyrocketing energy prices as data centers gobble up power faster than my kids grab cookies. If our friends at Big Tech need billions of dollars in infrastructure, they should shoulder those costs. I was proud to vote for this bill and I'm looking forward to advocating for more consumer and environmental protections from the impact of data centers.
You can read more about what the POWER ACT does here: Oregon lawmakers pass bill to ensure data centers cover their own energy costs - oregonlive.com
Summer Fun!!
Fun Fact: Corvallis briefly served as the capital of the Oregon Territory in 1855 during disputes between Oregon's governors and the territorial legislature over the location. My commute would be so easy if they hadn’t chosen Salem!
Straight from our excellent friends at Visit Corvallis!
The Corvallis Farmers Market happens Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., April through November, on First Street in downtown Corvallis. The Farmers Market offers fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy and more, all sourced locally from Benton County and the counties immediately surrounding Benton County.
Music in the Park is a FREE concert series held at City Park, 299 S 23rd St. This concert series is fun for the whole family! Bring a chair and relax in the lawn while enjoying a variety of music. Come back throughout the summer to experience all of the bands! Check out the link for the schedule!
Get outdoors! May 30, 10am – 3pm, is Get Outdoors Day at Peavy Arboreum. Enjoy bilingual activities including fishing, archery, crafts, bug hunts, and more to encourage families to spend time together outside. Parking is at Crescent Valley High School (4444 NW Highland Drive) with free shuttles to and from the event.
Yours truly,
 Representative Sarah McDonald
House District 16
email: Rep.SarahFingerMcDonald@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1416
address: 900 Court St NE, H-477, Salem, OR 97301
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website: https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mcdonald
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