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I’m delighted to say that community was again the uniting theme of this week – lots of events, potlucks, time with friends, powerful testimony, important discussions, and meeting new and wonderful constituents. My heart is full and I am so grateful for all of you!
 Happy New Year
What a vibrant way to kick off the Year of the Fire Horse, 4724! The Chinese American Cultural Association’s New Year Celebration Sunday evening was such a bright and hopeful way to connect and enter the new year. Thank you to all the organizers of this joyful annual event!
 Tsuru for Solidarity
Earlier Sunday I emceed Tsuru for Solidarity’s Day of Remembrance rally against ICE. It was moving and powerful to stand with Japanese American elders who were incarcerated in WWII camps, and to talk about the parallels with how our immigrant neighbors are being treated now. Stories about the march, candle lighting ceremony, Taiko drumming performance and more are here: KATU news about Day of Remembrance Rally and Oregon Live photo gallery of Day of Remembrance.
LGBTQIA2S+ Protections Update
We are closer to getting the LGBTQIA2S+ Protections Package passed, and I am so excited to bring civil rights non-discrimination protections to all families. Two weeks ago, Council heard from a diverse coalition of LGBTQIA2s+ organizations and advocates, the vast majority of whom were in favor of code revision to expand our family and relationship status protections. We also heard advice from attorneys across the country, including a staff attorney at the Harvard Law School’s LGBTQIA2S+ Advocacy Clinic, which called for the need to be specific with our language. In response, our office brought an amendment to further strengthen the legislation, which passed unanimously at this week’s meeting. I look forward to the final vote on the resolution and ordinance on March 4.
 Transportation Meetings
There is so much happening right now with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), and my team is always eager to hear feedback about plans for Cesar E. Chavez (south of Powell), 82nd Avenue, and many other projects. Meetings this week included Wednesday’s PBOT District 3 Open House, a preview of a new electric quad bike that can move freight around our city using pedal power, and the Creston Kenilworth Neighborhood Association meeting. It’s helpful to hear community input, and to understand the various perspectives and opinions for moving forward to make our streets safer and better for all Portlanders. For those who missed PBOT’s District 3 open house, but want to offer your thoughts, please visit the local transportation funding online open house.
New Committees
Portland City Council has adopted an updated committee structure to streamline work, boost engagement, and strengthen oversight. There are five standing bodies now: four policy committees and one Committee of the Whole.
I will serve on the Public Works Committee (focused on transportation, utilities, infrastructure and parks) and the Housing and Permitting Committee (focused on housing investments, zoning, permitting, and homelessness), as well as serve as Vice Chair on Governance issues for the Committee of the Whole. The other two committees will be City Life (economic development, culture, jobs, and climate resilience) and Community and Public Safety (violence prevention and emergency response).
Speaking of committees, it was bittersweet to have our last Governance Committee meeting this past Monday. It’s been an amazing first year of Council, and I am proud to have helped shape better structures for the work we do at City Hall. We wrapped up work including a new Governance Handbook and better codes for advisory bodies, and will now transition governance work into Committee of the Whole. I’m looking forward to getting more work done for District 3 and Portland in the next year!
 350PDX Tear Gas
At Wednesday’s City Council meeting, bags of dozens of spent munitions collected from the ICE facility January 31 and February 1 were presented as part of testimony. It is unbelievable to think that so many harmful chemicals would be deployed on citizens exercising their First Amendment rights, and seeing the materials added another dimension to the stories so many of you have shared about that protest and others.
That night 350PDX hosted an information night about tear gas, with an amazing lineup of speakers including Sandy Chung of the ACLU, Brenna Bell of Crag Law Center, Tai Carpenter of Don’t Shoot Portland, District 2 Councilor Sameer Kanal, and health care providers specializing in lung health and the after-affects of these harmful chemicals. I am committed to banning both federal agent masking and the use of chemical munitions in Portland, and look forward to supporting Councilor Kanal’s legislation on these issues when they come for a full City Council vote in the weeks ahead. More information on tear gas can be found on 350PDX’s website.
Mount Tabor Silent Walk for Peace
A Silent Walk for Peace will start at 9 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, meeting at Mt Tabor Park’s SE 64th and Lincoln Street entrance. The walk is for contemplation, quiet conversation and community. Details are at the Mount Tabor Neighborhood Association blog.
Stories about the Day of Remembrance Rally: KATU news about Day of Remembrance Rally and Oregon Live photo gallery of Day of Remembrance
Stories about the LGBTQIA2S+ Protections Package include:
Portland advances antidiscrimination protections for polyamorous families - OPB
https://www.kptv.com/2026/02/26/portland-city-council-advances-anti-discrimination-protections-non-traditional-families/
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2026/02/portland-moves-to-extend-discrimination-protections-to-polyamorous-people.html
Parks Levy Oversight Committee Seeking Members
The Parks Levy Oversight Committee is now accepting applications! The five-person committee will help review levy expenditures and performance; report to the Portland Parks and Recreation Department and City Council on transparency, fiscal accountability, and adherence to ballot language; and produce annual reports. Applications are due by Monday, March 16. More information and the application are here: Apply to the Parks Levy Oversight Committee | Portland.gov.
Home Sharing Pilot Program
A new program to increase the amount of rental housing available in Portland was announced this week. One-time grants will be offered to homeowners with spare rooms who rent them, and ways to find and screen renters along with other supports will be provided. More information about the program can be found on the Housing Bureau’s home share pilot project webpage.
Child Care for Construction Program
Registered apprentices and early journey workers in construction may be eligible for financial assistance for child care. The Child Care for Construction program is a partnership between Business Oregon and the Bureau of Labor and Industries. Learn more and sign up here.
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