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To contact me, please click here: Sen.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Friends and Neighbors,
Upcoming Events
Community Conversation - Tomorrow, August 8th at 10:00-11:00am at Fernhill Wetlands
Join me at Fernhill Wetlands in Forest Grove. We will meet in the covered shelter area. Wetlands staff will join us to share some fun facts and information. Bring your binoculars to spot wildlife, and your family and friends to walk the trail after the conversation ends.
WHAT IS FERNHILL?
Fernhill is part of more than 700 acres in Forest Grove owned by Clean Water Services for water resources management. Fernhill utilizes natural treatment systems, or wetlands, to improve water quality by removing nutrients, cooling, and naturalizing the water after initial treatment at the Forest Grove facility. In the summer, five million gallons of water are cleaned each day at Forest Grove and then Fernhill before flowing to the Tualatin River. In 2014, 90 acres of old sewage lagoons were transformed into treatment wetlands by draining the ponds, then drying and excavating more than 200,000 cubic yards of soil into precise contours and depths. Using 15 control structures and 2,400 feet of piping, the water was managed to encourage the growth and establishment of more than one million native wetland plants and four billion seeds, planted both for water quality and for habitat. Birds and wildlife have taken to the 180 logs and snags that were anchored into place, and human visitors are enjoying the 1.1 mile loop around Fernhill Lake, trail improvements, outdoor meeting areas and wildlife watching.
Save the Date: Education Focused Community Conversation - Wednesday, August 26th at 4:00-5:30pm at Hillsboro Brookwood Library
Legislative Lookback
Honoring Ralph Brown: A Legacy of Policy Change and Legislative Recognition
Many in our community remember Ralph Brown, whose disappearance in May 2021 touched lives across Senate District 15 and beyond. In the years since, his story has driven real change in how Oregon responds to missing and endangered persons.
In 2022, working with the Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Transportation, I helped update our state's Missing and Endangered Person Alert (MEPA) policies to strengthen the Silver Alert system. That effort resulted in a new tool now available to every law enforcement agency in Oregon: the ability to use ODOT's state highway variable message boards to broadcast alerts. The updated policy has since been shared with agencies statewide, improving communication and resource-sharing across jurisdictions.
In 2023, I introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 6 (SCR 6), celebrating Ralph's life and legacy. The resolution passed the Legislature that year, formally honoring his memory and the lasting impact he had on our community.
Ralph Brown's legacy continues to make Oregon safer for others. His long record of public service remains a shining example of goodness, and I'm proud that his story has helped shape lasting, practical change.
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In The News
Washington County and City of Tualatin announce a proposed agreement with Lam Research for an up to $1.7 billion investment, Washington County Media Release, July 31, 2026.
On Tuesday, the Washington County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the proposed Strategic Investment Program with Lam Research. This is great news for Washington County revenue and jobs, and builds on work we did in the 2023 Legislative Session with the Oregon CHIPS Act. Read the testimony I submitted in support below.
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Listen. Learn. Act.
NCSL 2026 Summit Recap
Last week I joined policymakers from across the country in Chicago for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) 2026 Summit. I serve on four standing committees: Education; Law & Public Safety; Labor & Economic Development; and Natural Resources, Energy & Environment. We work across party lines to advance policy and resolutions, giving staff a mandate to advocate to the federal government on behalf of states and the constituents we serve. It wrapped up with a general meeting and a state roll-call vote.
Out and About in Senate District 15
Old Trapper Beef Jerky - Forest Grove
This week, I toured Old Trapper Beef Jerky in Forest Grove. Owner Ole Evenson shared the story of how his parents founded the company in 1969, and today, he and his brothers carry on the family business. Ole is also a proud grad of Forest Grove High School. Old Trapper is Forest Grove's second-largest employer, with 1,000 employees total, about 800 of them right here in Washington County. Built from the ground up, the company now sells in stores nationwide and has called Forest Grove home for more than forty years, making it a true asset to our community.
During the visit, we discussed federal issues and tariff concerns as well as packaging and Oregon's Recycling Modernization Act. Thank you to Ole and the whole Old Trapper team for the warm welcome and for the jobs they bring to our community. Visits like this are a great reminder of how state and federal policy decisions play out in the everyday operations of the businesses that call our district home, and why supporting local manufacturing matters.
Other SD 15 Visits This Week
This week I also attended Rise and Shine with the Forest Grove Cornelius Chamber of Commerce at the Cornelius Public Library, met with Kyle Wiens from iFixit, and visited with Northwest Regional Education Service District and their Student Communications Intern, Jorge Lopez Garcia. Jorge is an incoming Junior at Forest Grove High School, where I graduated from.
Community Outreach
Oregon Stronger Together
Approximately 2 million acres have burned in Oregon this year, with the threat of wildfire continuing throughout a hot, dry summer. Every Oregonian is grateful to wildland firefighters and support crews for their bravery and dedication, and we all have a role in preventing and helping to recover from wildfires. While we are fortunate in Senate District 15 to not have active fire, we have seen the effects with unhealthy air this week. For ways you can help, please see the links put together below by Oregon Department of Emergency Management. Visit their page here for more information.
Nonprofit Organizations Collecting Monetary Donations to Support Oregon Disaster Response
Pencil Rally 4 Education: Our Kids Can’t Wait!
Start: Tuesday, September 08, 2026•11:00 AM
End: Tuesday, September 08, 2026•12:00 PM
Location: Oregon State Capitol• 900 Court St NE, Salem, OR 97301 US
Join Pencil, Senator Janeen Sollman, and other lawmakers and advocates on the Capitol Steps to make it clear: We want real education reform. KIDS WELCOME!!!
Our ask: implement the 5 actions on Pencil’s Petition. These are 5 common-sense things other states have done that have helped kids learn to read.
Schedule: (subject to change)
11: Meet on the Capitol steps. We will pass out Pencil t-shirts, bags, stickers, and signs (feel free to bring your own sign, but we’ll have some too).
11:15: Sen. Sollman and others will make a few brief remarks about our education crisis and what we can do for our kids.
11:30: Everyone will be given copies of Pencil’s Petition to deliver to the offices of 3-5 lawmakers (don’t worry, it’s a small building). Pencil will also be making the rounds —because, yes, Pencil can wear their costume inside the Capitol.
11:50: High five Pencil as you leave the Capitol building, knowing you have stood up for kids, parents, and teachers who couldn’t be there.
Find more information here.
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The Addams Family Musical at Theater in the Grove
This is the last weekend to see The Addams Family at Theatre in the Grove. Find more information and get tickets here.
Additional Resources
Senate District 15 – Event Calendars
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Food and Housing Assistance
Immigration Resources
Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
Onward & Upward,
 Senate District 15 lies on Kalapuya land. The Atfalati were the northernmost band of the Kalapuya that lived along the Tualatin River in present day Washington County. Many of the Atfalati descendants are members of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon today. The Indigenous Peoples of this land experienced a painful history of colonial violence, sickness and removal from their land. The Atfalati are the foundation of Oregon's past and we must honor them well into our future.
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1715
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-207, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: Sen.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/sollman
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