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To contact me, please click here: Sen.JaneenSollman@oregonlegislature.gov
Friends and Neighbors,
Federal Immigration Enforcement Activity
Oregonians deserve peace and stability going about their workdays, family lives, and community activities. I stand behind Oregon’s 1987 sanctuary law that keeps local law enforcement focused on community safety, not immigration operations. Our community is made stronger when every resident, regardless of immigration status, country of origin, language, or documentation, feels safe seeking help and reporting crime. The federal government should work on a bipartisan solution for immigration reform and stop these horrific acts of trauma and violence against our neighbors, friends and co-workers. What is happening now is hurting families and children. As a community we need to be aware and have the PIRC number available to call. If you see ICE operating in Oregon, report them to trusted community partners, such as the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition: 1-888-622-1510.
Listen. Learn. Act.
HSD Career and College Pathways Fall Steering Committee Meeting
This week was Hillsboro School District’s Career and College Pathways Fall Steering Committee Meeting. The committee visited Poynter and Evergreen Middle Schools to see successes and challenges firsthand. At Poynter, we listened to a student panel talk about the challenges they see. The program does great work giving students hands-on experience and pathway opportunities that can ignite their interest in future careers.
Out and About for Senate District 15
Washington County Chamber Manufacturers Symposium
Yesterday, I attended the annual Washington County Chamber of Commerce Manufacturers Symposium. The panel shared the exciting work of FAST Oregon and details of the recently awarded federal grant of up to $160 million. FAST Oregon is a partnership that brings together workforce, technology, universities and community colleges, K-12 education, and the many manufacturing, semiconductor, and biomedical businesses across Oregon. These are exciting times for innovation and workforce development, and it’s critical that the state continues to support this work, or we risk losing out on federal dollars.
Hillsboro Schools Foundation 5K Fun Run
Last weekend, I brought the cheer to support the Hillsboro Schools Foundation at their annual 5K Fun Run. The weather was great and spirits were high as runners gave their time and energy to benefit Hillsboro schools. If you would like to donate to Hillsboro Schools Foundation, please click here.
Learn more about the 2026 Hillsboro School District Capital Construction Bond here.
Edwards Center Luncheon
A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Edwards Center Luncheon to support the organization’s work helping adults with developmental disabilities live and thrive in Oregon through employment, community, and residential services. With the recent federal court ruling on Section 504, it is more important than ever to uplift organizations like the Edwards Center and the work they do.
Learn more about the Edwards Center here.
Intern Corner
Education Equity
As an intern for Senator Sollman, I have had the wonderful opportunity to contribute to legislative efforts that expand access to STEM education and career for youth at various levels. Continuing on my commitment to education equity, I spent the past couple of weeks taking meaningful steps toward advancing this cause across Oregon.
This past weekend, I was honored to be part of Girls Robotics Camp hosted by the Oregon Robotics Tournament & Outreach Program (ORTOP) alongside my team, RevAmped Robotics. As a senior Co-Captain of my team, I worked directly with girls from 5th–8th grade to introduce them to robotics using FLL robot kits. I also shared my own experiences in FTC Robotics and demonstrated our robot, using my journey to show students the opportunities available to them as they continue through high school. I especially enjoyed helping the girls see robotics as something they could pursue long-term, rather than a one-time activity. With the GirlsGen FRC competition taking place alongside the camp, students were able to witness firsthand what the next level of robotics could look like for them. They also had the opportunity to hear from two keynote speakers working and innovating in STEM, giving them additional perspectives on the possibilities within these fields.
I also had the opportunity to represent RevAmped Robotics at the Self Enhancement Inc. Education Co-Op Summit: Building for Impact. This event brought together local organizations committed to advancing educational opportunities, supporting Portland’s youth and families, and closing learning gaps in our community. Partnering with Project LEDO, we demonstrated the transformative potential of STEM and robotics education through hands-on activities. Students engaged in driving our FTC robot, creating 3D scans of real-world objects, and programming and testing FLL robots.
I hope to continue participating and hosting events that empower underrepresented youth and encourage others to create opportunities that make STEM more accessible, inclusive, and representative of the communities we are a part of!
~Maanya S.
Community Outreach
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Oregon, Get Ready to Vote!
Forest Grove Community Open House - Tuesday, October 27th
Learn more about the Forest Grove Police Facility Bond here.
Additional Resources
Senate District 15 – Event Calendars
Federal Delegation Links
Education Links
Food and Housing Assistance
Immigration Resources
House District 30/Senate District 15 Staff and Interns - Through the Years
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
2025, 2026
With change comes transition. I have been so very blessed to work with such amazing humans throughout my time in the legislature. Thank you to the team members from the nearly 10 years in the state legislature. I have said this plenty, but it’s worth repeating….legislative work requires a village to do the work, I want to thank my colleagues, advocates, and constituents for working together to create positive change. The Capitol staff in the building are top-notch, non-partisan and dedicated to public service, I have valued their expertise and professional guidance so very much. To my family – endless hugs and love for your support for the time invested in 17 years of public service. What an honor to have worked alongside such a talented and dedicated Senate District 15 (and my previous House District 30 office) staff, including countless college and high school interns. It’s amazing to see where their paths are taking them. Go out and change the world! Ali Lanenga, our amazing Legislative Assistant, is a fierce education advocate, has a Masters in Public Policy and is just plain wicked smart! And yes….she is the mother to last year’s Oregon Kid Governor, Rosie Lanenga. Ali has moved on to a Chief of Staff role in another legislative office and I could not be more proud, they are so very lucky to have her knowledge, passion and drive for change. Feed her lots of good chocolate! ❤
Watch my courtesies to Ali and Nickole here.
Today, marks the last day in the Senate District 15 office for Nickole Vargas, my Chief of Staff. Nickole is truly a fantastic human. We have worked together for 8 years, serving the constituents of this district and accomplishing amazing policy wins together. We ask a lot of our team members, as they are the front and center for the good, bad and ugly phone calls, emails and meetings. Nickole has served with grace, humility, professionalism, compassion and her amazing superpowers have kept all the work moving forward. She has helped countless constituents that have contacted our office for help and connected them to resources. My heart is heavy and light at the very same time, as chapters close, new doors open for opportunity and I wish Nickole the very best in her new role. Oregon is still very fortunate to have her level of knowledge on the issues and her problem-solving skills to work towards solutions. Onward and Upward, Nickole! ❤
As this will be our last newsletter, I wanted to add a few remarks and share appreciation. These newsletters have been a real team effort over the years, with Nickole Vargas bringing together all the ideas and articles we come up with and formatting it for your reading pleasure. We really strived to make sure you are part of what was happening in Salem, connecting you to local events and having a place where our high school interns could share their perspective and information. I know that not everyone is connected through social media channels and I wanted to be sure that you could count on every Friday our newsletters hitting your inbox to keep you up-to-date and engaged. During the extremely difficult COVID times, we were sending newsletters up to three times a week to share the newest guidance, resources and share positive messages of community. I would do video messages on social media on Wednesdays called, “We Got This Wednesday”, to share messages of community, connection and hope. All of this outreach has been a personal priority for me in my time as your elected leader. I grew up in Gales Creek, where our school, store, fire hall and neighborhood activities helped us be better neighbors to each other. We did not know or nor did we ask each other our political parties, we wanted the ability to connect with each other, without looking for the label of a political party to determine if we should connect at all. I wanted this district to be centered on the idea that if we make the effort to connect and build stronger community, we can get through the hardest of times showing up and helping each other. In a world that presents so much uncertainty, we need that more than ever. Please remember…Be good to yourself and each other. ❤
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 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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